martinimade

I know, I know. Long time, etc. General Bedlam* has kept me from writing about knitting, even though I have been. 

This is Humulus, which I started in August and finished-finished this week. I love this pattern and this yarn.** I'm not as in-love with the size I chose to knit. It's not awful, mind, but I was thinking of sweater that was more weekend-y and slouch-y and less fitted. It's my own fault for not swatching (I know. Don't say it.) but I enjoyed the process so much that I might just knit another one more to my liking. Stay tuned.

I do have Marty Feldman eyes. Why do you ask?

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* and his Captains Chaos and Clusterfuck

** Berroco Ultra Wool DK

I do still knit, FYI, but mostly simple projects while watching TV.

My default is the Hitchhiker scarf, so chosen because a) it's just interesting enough and b) it lets me use the random skeins of sock yarn in my stash. This random skein is Countess Ablaze's Rebel Fingering in "Make Do and Mend." If I could only buy this particular yarn for the rest of my life? I'd be perfectly content. The merino/yak/silk blend is perfection and the Countess' colo(u)rs are divine. 

This Hitchhiker is modeled by my oldest kid, whose outfit -- a romper she calls her clown suit -- matches more than I'd imagined. 

I have two Hitchhikers without homes on my TBD shelf. In the past, I've sent them out to folks who make a donation to Fair Fight, because without equal access to the ballot box, you don't have a democracy. If you'd be interested, send an email or leave a comment....

This scheme was provoked by Rachael Herron, a writer and knitter who offered up on Instagram a pair of hand knitted socks for three lucky folk. All potential winners need to do is register to vote and/or register others to vote in November’s election. 

What a great idea, I thought. But didn’t know how to jump on the bandwagon because I’m pretty sure that everyone I come into contact with is already registered* already. And then I had an idea.

In January of last year, I bought the pattern for Bristol Ivy’s Peace de Resistance mittens. I fully intended to have knitted them by now -- but, um, haven’t. I’d like to, though. PLUS I’d like to knit them to further a cause. I have a tendency to do this with mittens.

They look like this when finished:

(I contacted Ms Ivy and she’s cool with my plan, btw. My plan is also partisan. We can get into a larger discussion about why I’m #TeamNotRepublican later, if you’d like. My leanings, however, have never been hidden.)

If you’d like to have a pair o’ resist mittens knitted for you in your choice of colors, here’s what you need to do:

1) Go to The Last Weekend, which is sponsored by Swing Left. 

2) Register to do something. 

3) Come back here and comment that you’ve committed to doing something. 

4) On August 15, I’ll randomly draw a name and knit ‘em some mittens.

5) There is no five. Only four steps are required. 

Sound like a plan? 

* RIGHT?!? 

Because I have a couple of work-related projects that I’m waiting to hear more about, I’ve been cleaning out the craft closet. And, as luck* would have it, there were a couple of UFOs** that could be quickly FO’d. You’ll be seeing them this week (and maybe next, given how slowly decision-makers make decisions in July and August).

Prairie Fire pullover in Spirit Trail Birte*** with omnipresent corgi.**** I cast on after I saw someone else’s Prairie Fire at Rhinebeck and have to have one of my own. Conveniently, I was a Spirit Trail Booth Wench all weekend and knew where I could get some tasty, tasty yarn. Fun pattern; yummy fiber. Total win. 

However, I’m going to have wait to really wear it because it’s so blooming humid here. But maybe it’ll cool off by Rhinebeck time? I’ll be in the booth again....

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* not luck because this is a thing I do, apparently

** UnFinished Objects

*** I think. The ball band has vanished.

****next band name   

When you live in this part of the Northeast, winter is always coming. So we knit hats (and scarves and cowls and gloves) throughout the year because they are always needed. Especially when you have children with a knack for forgetting where they’ve left them. Which is all children.

The pattern is Caramel Brûlée. The yarn is “spectral” from Spirit Trails Fiberworks and is all that. Seriously. The pompom came with the yarn and is really the main reason I wanted to make the hat. I love a good pompom. 

Hat is now in the strategic hat reserve, where it will wait to be deployed.

I love knitting with beads. Really, really. I mean, not all of the time, certainly, but playing around with shiny stuff is always a nice break. 

Which is why I knitted a necklace:

It came as a kit from Earthfaire. The hardest part, frankly was threading the beads onto the silk yarn. The rest zipped right along.

I love it - but it is a little much for routine office wear. Anyone have a gala I can crash?

I've spent the last two weeks knitting pink pussyhats. I don't plan to wear them to the Women's March on Washington myself, not because of a lack of desire but because I'll be 30,000 feet in the air when the march is marching. But I do have two friends going....

1.

2. 

3.

The yarn is Valley Yarns Goshen (in Bright Pink, just in case you couldn't work out the color). I didn't want to use the called for wool because I know that at least one of the women I'm knitting for is a delicate flower who gets itchy from sheep-based yarns. I messed about with the stitch count, too, because my first hat seemed a little big and, um, floppy. Which is likely not what one wants from a pussyhat.

All three hats will go to the march, though. I'm sure there will be someone willing to wear the spare.

For a pattern and more info, click here.

Every now and again -- if by "now and again" you read "every few minutes" -- I ask myself "why am I not in Italy right now?" All of my answers, while sensible, are highly unsatisfying. I mean, seriously? Why am I not in Italy right now?

For when those moments surface, I've made wee little neck warmer from yarn purchased at Chianti Cashmere in Tuscany. 

Before I get to the pictures of the finished item, a brief flurry of photos from the trip:

The Teen, with two goats.

The Boy, feeding Jellybean. 

Jellybean and my legs. I was in her way and she's very shy.

Nora Kravis, whose goats they are.

For the scarf, I used the Madison scarf pattern, needles of some size I can no longer remember, and about two weeks:

The beads are from a long ago trip to Prague:

The color is more true in the top picture. Cameras are weird. 

So that's what's making me happy this week, even though I am most decidedly not in Italy right now.

So I finished a ... thing?

Thanks to the Knitter's Review Retreat's stash lounge, I wound up with a weird skein that had weird balls already attached. It wanted to be a cowl. Now, it has fulfilled its destiny.

(No, I can't remember the name of the yarn or who made it. It's a mystery.)

I still do knit. 

During the last AMR podcast, which was with the delightful Kristin Porter, I mentioned that I was knitting knockers. And, yes, the project is pretty much what you think it is. 

Lucy helped my ball up my yarn, which is CoBaSi (a cotton, bamboo, silk, and nylon blend (and I guess the name CoBaSiNy was taken?)) DK from the Makers Mercantile kit. Lucy helped me wind the ball.

She's very helpful.

And I started my knocker during an episode of Jessica Jones*:

A few days later, two knockers had been knocked out:

The one on top has been loosely stuffed with cotton balls. I intend to ship them flat but wanted to get an idea of what they'd look like. And, of course, I'll weave in that end. I'm not going for a whole stripper-tassel vibe, just got ahead of myself with the stuffing and picture taking.

The back:

The back opening is designed so that the wearer can customize the level of stuffing/firmness. 

(For those inclined to knit a few: it's an easy knit once you get the first few rounds down. One skein of CoBaSi(Ny) made two C-cup size, with a walnut of yarn left over. Additionally, if you are like me, this yarn will remind you why you don't tend to knit with cotton but that it is worth the finger strain for a good cause.)

Now I'm back to working on my endless Fair Isle scarf, which I'll get around to taking pictures of soon. Lord knows it won't be finished anytime soon. 

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* Short review: the first few episodes are kind of meh. But when it picks up, holy sweet cowbells, is it good, so good that knitting is the only thing that keeps me from exploding from the narrative tension. ** Two warnings: NOT for kids and, if you have issues that trigger, pretty much all of them will be, including but not limited to needles in eyeballs. 

** David Tennant is so, so good. I know you don't need me to tell you that but he's even better than you think.