Manhattanhenge

Manhattanhenge
On Saturday, May 30th this year, one of only two occasions when the Sun sets in exact alignment with the Manhattan grid, fully illuminating every single cross-street for the last fifteen minutes of daylight. The other day is Sunday, July 12th. These two days give you a photogenic view with half the Sun above and half the Sun below the horizon—on the grid. The day after May 30th (Sunday, May 31), and the day before July 12 (Saturday, July 11) will also give you Manhattanhenge moments, but instead you will see the entire ball of the Sun on the horizon—on the grid. Here, looking East. The San Remo on the West Side, and the Carlyle on the East Side, with Central Park in the middle. Manhattan is grand!

I have been knitting, honest......

....... but not as obsessively as in the Fall. I have been reading and enjoying photography as well, and guess what, there is no way for me to do it all. (although, some of my cyber friends seem to do it).
This is going to be, when it grows up, a log cabin blanket, with the square color sequences originally determined by a random sequence generator. Its fun. I picked 7 sequences, for my 7 colors of this alpaca. 9 down, another 40 or so to go?

Needle US 3 / 3.25 mm

Yarn Sajama Alpaca, 7 colors, un-dyed.

Eye Candy Friday

On my way to work, and on my way home.
Riding a bike to work through Central Park- Priceless!

Some FO!

Gentleman's Fancy Knee-High Socks
Addi US 1½ / 2.5 mm
Trekking (XXL) 110
The toe:
Had to finish the knee highs with some yarn from the basket. I should have thought ahead, and done the heel with the dark color, it would have been a classic, but hey... Nickerjac Sock Yarn left over from the Sidewinders sock. I made only one cause the pattern was not great, but I love the yarn!

Striped Scarf. Bamboo and bits of alpaca scarf kit from la droguerie Paris. Finally! I received from my brother who lives in Paris, the second skein of bamboo I ran out of! I LOVE the colors and it feels like a dream, but I wish I made it wider.
US 2

The Tale of the Mittens

Once upon a time a knitter wanted some mittens. She excited her knitting friends to have a mitten exchange, but she almost backed out... Lucky for us she did not, and thus Annie of sit n knit NYC organized the Secret Quickie Mitten Exchange, and more than 30 of us participated. The person I knit for, now can be revealed, is Ann Marie. I had a list of her likes and dislikes. The Herringbone pattern was one of her choices. Of course none of the yarn I have at home was "just right" so I HAD to by the Heather sisters by Cascade 220. The pattern was fun to knit and easy to follow. Knit one at a time on two Addi circs, US 6.

The Mittens Exchange party was great fun, and tremendous success!!! I found out that while I was busy knitting away, Amy, was- OMG even busier and knit these!!!! For me! I LOVE my mittens. They are so warm and soft, like a secret hideaway.
I think everybody was happy. There were lots of gorgeous mittens. I was delighted to see when I walked in, that Ann Marie's scarf, which she wove herself from yarn she basically remade, matched in color!

The following excellent photos are courtesy Tatyana.

A Beanie with a message

May The Force Be With You. Another hat with a message for my son. He'll wear it if its malabrigo inside next to his ears and the forehead. I find hats without a second layer around the ears to be too drafty in the NYC winter. I think I got the chart for the letters from Hello Yarn. The hat pattern is generic. To get the inner part, you do a provisional CO and join when the outside matches the inside in length. The only problem now, I need another mindless project for 24 and Lost.....
Malabrigo, Kureyon, Addi circ US7. Knitting from stash=Priceless!

The Mittens are ready.........

But you can't see them yet...........

Wrapped in a Wrapsack. Its a line of reusable gift bags, that makes the case for Earth-friendly wrapping alternatives. Each sack comes with its own tracking number. Register your sack online and instruct the recipient to regift it. Then see where it travels.

Quickie Mitten Swap

SnK NYC organized a Quickie Mitten Swap ( thanks Anne-Marie!!) and I started my mittens, but, I can't show them to you. hahaha! The Quickie Mitten Swap Party is Saturday February 28, and until that time- my lips are sealed, I mean, my needles are crossed, I mean, I don't knit and tell.....

What I can show you is the yarn- lovely colors that make this project fun to knit. Introducing the Heathers. The Cascade 220 sisters.

Happy Valentine's Day!

And guess what! MaryMary nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger! Wow, thanks. She also listed 2 very Kreative knitters I visit often (hilde and garngamen nominated) So I am nominating the following creative knitters and fiber artists:
cosymakes
Hello Yarn
tiennie knits
sock prØn
Riihivilla, Dyeing with natural dyes.
KRAWUGGL
ZebraKnits

And here is the award: Copy and paste to your blogs knitters!

Knee Highs for my boots

I needed a pair of knee highs for my wellies. I wanted a color and "feel" that would match, and I found Opal's Harry Potter in Hedwig, but one skein was not enough so I shopped my scarps and got some creative solutions. Knit two at once on 2 Addi US1 circ, this process took a while. The yarn is fun to watch transition, so it was not a hardship..... for the foot I used a bit of Austerman Step left over from socks I knit for a friend in 06. I think it works! Now the only question remains whether to wear it up or folded down?

Magic Ball leg warmers

When my friend Elena was visiting over the holidays, I gave her my striped leg warmers to keep. (She was cold.) That meant I needed to knit another pair. (Ya'!) In came lots of scraps I had all over the knitting baskets area, which I have been saving for the past lots of years. You got some Noro, some Malabrigo, some of my own hand-spun, some unknown variegated from long ago, and some Cascade 220 leftovers. Generally, worsted weight. I made the 2 magic balls by diving each scraps into 2, by using my scale. It was a good way to do this, with the exception of my hand-spun, when some of the same weight proved to be very different yardage. Oh well, its just magic ball. CO 54 stitches per leg warmer, on 2 Addi US 6 circs, (on 6 cause I wanted it more dense) K1P1 rib, and went for it. Fun and warm. Used it today during the brief snow we had. it will be great to block the up-your-leg draft when I ride my bike.

A cowl a day keeps the wind away.....

Well, maybe not one a day, but started the year right with Thermis (Ravelry link). Wonderful, easy pattern. The yarn, Tosh Worsted, is lovely to work with, but it is really a DK, so it is a bit more slouchy, but hey, its a cowl! Knit with Addi, US 6. Used only 72gr. This pattern lends itself for a hat, which seems to be wanting to pop on the needles with some malabrigo, from stash!

And speaking of Malabrigo, Knitty City had a 3 year anniversary today, and here is the cake! Many more to come we hope!

Hope

The last project of 2008, is one more hat! Improvised this one. My son wanted a "cool" hat like skate boarder's hats. Wanted to give him hope for a bright new year. Its going to be on the forefront of his head all winter. He better not lose this one!

Malabrigo worsted merino, less than one skein of the blue and some scraps.
Addi circ US 6 and 7
A note to remember: when doing stranded knitting, its bound to pull the knitting in, and be a lot less stretchy.

Wishing us all a Happy New Year and Beyond!!

The Hats of 08

2008 was the year of the hats. it was all I could do later in the year, when the global crisis was taking shape. Some hats I loved so much, I repeated more than once... I gave most of them to "needy" heads. Lots of knitting from my stash. Alpaca stash, Noro stash. Lots of soft Malabrigo, and behold, my own handspun!

There are still a few days left, will I knit any more hats this year??????

2007 was the year of the socks.
I wonder what 2009 shall inspire?
Maybe Cowls?

French emergency situation

Back in May 08, I visited my brother in Paris to deliver Babbette to his baby, and of course I visited La Droguerie and purchased a scarf kit. Its a wonderful kit with delightful yarn but oh NO! I ran out of the bamboo. How can this happen???????? La Droguerie's web site does not sell yarn, so I called my brother and emailed him all the appropriate photos. Lets see how long it takes him to get it.... (the wife is not a helpful option.) I did stress to him that it is AN EMERGENCY!!

ETA: As of Christmas day 2008, the yarn has NOT been secured. I am officially launching an international complaint.... If only my SIL was not so "busy." But I said nothing.
Thanks for the offers to help!!!! I will mention it to my brother and SIL. Perhaps that will "shame' her to action? Keep ya' all posted, and Merry Christmas to all!