My staycation began on December 14 and ends January 4. There are been a few frantic incursions from work this week. Hopefully, these will diminish as the holidays approach.
I've been able to watch about 80% of the Kagyu Monlam and the teachings that preceeded it--which is the primary reason for taking off work (besides avoiding use or lose in 2011).
The opening ceremony was visually stunning. The teachings are stronger and deeper--or maybe it's my understanding that is better--than last year's Monlam. Also, I'm not doing the chat this year, which while exciting and enthusiastic, I now see was distracting. There is simultaneous translation of both the prayers and the teachings this year (which the chat last year did facilitate). All in all, I've learned a lot the past several days; and, as always, have a lot more to study.
I am doing a tidy and clear out. Not so exciting while it's happening, but quite satisfying once I've finished an area and the trash bags are out the door. I'm spending down my FSA on OTC items that will be disqualified with out scripts next year; and when I'm not clearing or knitting, taking long naps with puss, whom I fear will be quite spoiled by the constant companionship when I return to work.
Am resisting the temptation to veg out on movies but did see a good comedy, The Infidel.
I am attacking the stash.
Avocado Knit Picks Special Knit Picks Palette in Forest Heather
Yarn
Both hats are from the same pattern: The Purl Beret from the Purl Bee. Just realized this morning that I have knit two green hats in a row. The photo doesn't show the nice avocado colour of first hat pictured. I made a mistake in the first row of decreases which gives the avocado hat a more ruched look. The avocado hat is sport weight; the forest green hat is fingering. I like this pattern for beret knitting. I'm not into spokes; K2 every X number of row is so much more relaxing the SSK.
I have to work on my photo taking. I keep getting fuzzy photos and not capturing the colour of the yarn. The Forest Heather is absolutely lovely. Here's the description: Forest is a medium misty yellow green color whose overall shade is lighter and includes more yellow than Ivy. Like the many shades of green found in the forest, it combines strands of yellow and a variety of greens for its beautiful heathered look. The entire time I was knitting the hat, I kept thinking cables and twisted stitches. Yesterday, Knitting Daily had a lovely cable with a stockingnette background which I think I will use in a scarf with this yarn. I can't decide if I want the cable on the edge, or if I want to stagger the cables throughout the scarf. I just don't like cables on reverse stockingnette. Watch this space....
One cool tip I learned from the Wendy Knits blog: threading in my tail ends as I work. What a difference it made on the next round. The first join stitch was just as taut as the preceding and following stitch--no fiddling with the tail end to tightened the stitch. I'm a convert. At the end of the avocado hat, I only had the tail end from the cast on and the top knot to do.
I missed the sale on Knit Picks dpns earlier this year. And I've been yearning for the darning egg. The whimpering noise you hear outside my apartment door is from the socks with holes dreading their turn on the egg. I'll post piccys of the egg in action with my next post.
My big goal: knit a pair of socks before 2011. I keep trying and failing. It's the heel thing. This time I will start with worsted weight socks. I need them anyway because my floors are so cold. I'm also going to knit a pair of laceweight legwarmers using alpaca yarn and more gloves (fingered and fingerless with tops) and I need a scarf or gaiter or two to go with all these bloody hats I've knit. Ambitious, aren't I?
Not as ambitious, it seems as Toupie, who continues to persist in his literary endeavours:
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