The Clown, The Devil and the House Detective and Don’t Forget the Nun with Red Nail Polish

This is a random post about random things with some knitting thrown in.

I’ve decided that 2014 is the year of my stash. Reacquainting myself with what I have—not just by looking at what I’ve logged on Ravelry—and knitting or crocheting it. As well as finishing or frogging any wips. My goals for the year is to knit or crochet 10K yards; that works out to a minimum of 833 yards worked a month.

I am one of the 70+ million affected by the Target credit breach. It’s been an interesting experience not pulling out the card for every purchase. One is constrained to spend only what is in pocket at the moment and I have found that I purchase more of what I need than what I want. In that sense, it has been a sobering look at how I spend. The frustration is that the card-issuing industry and merchants, especially the big-box stores, haven’t been more proactive in instituting the more secure chip cards and in making their own systems more secure. This being the second year—last year it was the Knit Picks breach—that I’ve been at risk from a data breach, I will definitely be more of a cash-only shopper going forward. Here is an interesting article on the situation.

In reading yarn reviews on Ravelry, one often encounters complaints about knots in skeins—the more expensive the yarn the more strident the complaints. I suppose I’ve been lucky, but I haven’t encountered the problem until lately. There were about 5 knots (places where the yarn is joined by knotting) in the 1.5 skeins of the Harrisville yarn used for my latest cowl. It was surprised by not annoyed. The Harrisville Shetland Tweed is a lovely rustic yarn. A little hard on the hands when knitting but I was able to offset that with generous applications of Lavishea and Aloe Vesta. Yes, there was veggie matter; but what do expect in a rustic yarn. What I must enjoy about yarns like the Harrisville Shetland Tweed is that once soaked, blocked and dried, the stitches relax, the yarn blooms nicely and softens and the result is a wonderful fabric. This yarn was perfect for the Cowls pattern, which is one of my favorites.

 

Speaking of finishing wips, I finally finished the Nomad Hat and Scarf started in 2011. Why so long? Well the yarn got scattered (disorganized stashing) and as I was finishing it, I realized I hated the yarn. I also realized that I prefer scarves to cowls, so I didn’t knit the scarf to the full length called for in the pattern. The hat is wonderfully warm and matches my purple coat. I’m thinking of knitting this again, probably in Cascade Eco.

Currently on the needles is Harvest Moon by Florencemary. I’m using the Sirritogv 2ply, which I think is the wrong yarn because it doesn’t show the pattern very well. But it will be wonderfully warm when finished.

Toupie has become quite spoiled as the office was closed between Christmas and New Year’s and then I was home last week for the Kagyu Monlam. It has been bitterly cold most of the last two weeks and remains so. He spends most of his time nestled on the ottoman or lounging on the top of the bookcase…when he isn’t pestering me for treats or for a frantic game of rolling one of his toys across the floor.

2013 Best and Worst

It was the best of times

• Finding physio therapist that is really effective with a fun staff
• Taking two classes with the amazing and talented Shirley Paden
• Spending a wonderful day with Nicky
• Providing the reception for those taking Refuge and Bodhisattva vows
• Denise’s birthday party
• Visiting San Antonio and my best mate
• Putting a care package together for a found kitty
• Toupie: mad, bad, and totally cute

As always, friendship: that in the midst of all that life throws at us; it is the people in your life that make it bearable

It was the worst of times

• My right shoulder
• The cat bite that ended in a day at the hospital

Best Knitting Books of 2013

• Knit to Flatter by Amy Herzog
• Shetland Lace Knitting by Liz Lovick

Best Audiobook Listens of 2013

• Great Minds of the Eastern Intellectual Tradition
• The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the American Dust Bowl

 

The Goldilocks Dilemma or Size Matters

I have now changed the size 1 needles used to knit the Diagonal Rib Socks by Ann Budd. When knitting plain vanilla socks for myself, casting on 56 to 60 stitches usually works for me. 56 stitches in sock or fingering weight wool fit comfortably on the 4” Knit Picks wood dpns. Knitting with sport or dk weight wool where I am generally using 48 to 52 stitches works well on the ChiaoGoo or Knitter’s Pride Karbonz 6” dpns. I found myself struggling in the past 24 hours to find a length that works. Finally, last night I switched to the 5” no-name bamboo needles and the 65 stitches fit comfortably, enabling me finally to pick up some speed in working the pattern.

I ran into the same problem when knitting Little Things by Veera Välimäki. Started on size 2 KP nickel, ripped and switched to size four ChiaoGoo Bamboo; ripped and switched to size 5 ChiaoGoo Bamboo and finally got a looser but still firm fabric and my knitting speed returned to normal.

I am so far happy with both projects. For the Diagonal Rib Socks, I am using Light Brown Hare’s Jackalope in the Kitten 2 colorway. I chose the pattern, first because my 2014 goal is knitting socks with stitch patterns and colorwork; and second because I suspected, and it has proved true, that the stitch pattern would prevent noticeable pooling. The yarn is soft and not splitty without that cotton candy squishiness that sometimes happens with superwash Merino and the stitch definition is good. Light Brown Hare also sells nice stitch markers.

For Little Things, I am using Black Welsh Mountain yarn that I bought from Countrybyrd on Ravelry. A nice rustic yarn that is a little hard on the fingernails, but which blooms and softens nicely after soaking.