Above is the Lady Kina after a soak and blocking. Interesting the sweater seems lighter now that it has been washed than when I was knitting it. I've had a ramble through my button collection and nothing seems to fit. Trip to Looped Yarn Works on a button hunt is in order.

One of my great achievements with the Lady Kina was learning to knit continental. I still purled English (throwing). But I am working on a swatch and I have finally mastered Norweigan Purling. OMG the difference in the way my wrist and arm feels at the end of a row is wonderful.

Toupie has had several fits of rapid tail switching followed by mad dashes through the apartment this morning. No vocalizing or meowing, just frenzied movements. I think he needs a trash run to wear him out.

March is Marching By

Where did the month go. It's been horridly warm here. So warm in fact it was still 70F at 11pm last night. All the trees are in bud and I saw a butterfly yesterday morning. I've had to run the fan because of course it's a bit muggy with the warmth.

The old saying about clouds and silver linings still holds true. Despite the continuing revelations and convolutions of the KAL/ACM magazines, their sock and lace clubs, a Ravelry group has formed to support and inform designers and writers who've been unpaid. The silver lining is that the call for indie designers, spinners and dyers has been answered and there are spectacular items on offer.

To lift them up, I've decided to weekly feature a Silver Lining list:

Literally Yarn is available from The Yarn Cafe
Swifts, Noseprinnes, Spindles, and Niddy-Noddys are available from Sunflower Swifts and Sublime Spindles
Colorimetry sells hand dyed yarn and fibre goodies both wool based and cotton/vegetable. We have sourced some unusual base yarns including a wool/linen sock blend. This Esty shop is updated on Thursday's.

Lady Kina is still on the needles, but I expect to finish by the March 31 deadline. Wearing the Lady Kina upon completion will require a return of Old Man Winter. So I shall finish, block, and store until next Fall.

Next on the needles will be the Bristol Shirt in Berocco Remix in the Strawberry colourway.

Cat under the covers and SOS

Berocco Remix Strawberry before washing



Berocco Remix Strawberry after washing

Lady Kina so far

Toupie under the covers



 My Lady Kina has entered the SOS (sea of stockingnette) stage. I was actually able to knit several rows before and after my eye surgery on Friday. Knitting is SOOOO comforting when you are stressed. And I was stressed. The one question I always meant to ask and never did was exactly what the set up would be and how the surgery was done. Well it didn't live up to my Dr. Frankenstein concept of laying on a table and with a giant laser beam (usually used for shooting down asteroids) being beamed into my eye. It was all quite simple, except for twinges, painless; and over in less than 10 minutes. I'm now on anti-inflammatory drops 3x/d. Going to bed was an adjustment the first night: I've had to readjust my life to make sure I get the three sets of drops in at reasonable intervals before bed.

I wound the second ball of the Rowan Creative Focus and I don't think I will do it with subsequent balls as I continue the sos on the Lady Kina. I've noticed that there are thick and thin places in the yarn now. I've readjusted my knitting to compensate for them.

The Berocco Remix is an amazing yarn. 100% recycled fibers It is 30% Nylon, 27% cotton 24% acrylic10% Silk and 9% Linen. It is soft on the hands to knit. I read the reviews and had the same experience of it growing after washing and drying. It did bleed a little. I knit the sample in size 8, 5 and 7 needles. The bit knit at size 8 produces the most drapey fabric. Size 5 produces a firm but not stiff fabric. I'm seriously thinking about the Gansey Skirt for this yarn. As well as perhaps, one of the lap blankets I'm knitting for AKF walk.

Toupie, as you can see from the piccy, was using my grandmother's bedspread for a blankie while sleeping (until I showed up with the camera) under the covers before I got in bed last night.

Life and Knitting

Snow and sleet overnighit followed by freezing rain this morning. Not much accumulation but with that combination quantity is never the issue. I only listened to the local weather for about three minutes this morning. I turned off the radio the minute they started going to reporters based at various locations to report on "conditions."

Kitty, of course, had to see what all the fuss was about.

Piccy's of my Lady Kina. I've bound off and knit one sleeve. Getting ready to knit the back, bind off and knit the other sleeve. I have to confess, until about noon today, I’ve been knitting on faith and trust the the instructions were right. It seemed there were too many stitches and that this was going to be enormous. For the 100th time, I reread the instructions for where I was in the knitting and I where I needed to go and realized that I was at the point where it was time to place the stitch markers and start binding off for the sleeves. It was doing those steps for one sleeve and draping the knitting over my shoulders that showed me that so far this fits!!! I haven’t been this excited since I knit the heel and gusset on my first sock.

I'm really enjoying the Rowan Creative Focus yarn. It's a bit loosely spun, the alpaca content makes it hairy, but I'm glad I am knitting more of a vest with it than a sweater because it is going to be a garment that will keep me warm.

One of the bad things about shopping on the Internet is that since you don't bring the items home in hand, you often forget what you order. I bought several books with just lucious patterns and information. A Fine Fleece, Fresh Fashion Knits, Two Sticks and Strings were all purchased used but are in perfect condition. I also purchased Knit Fix from the KP sale, which has already helped me solve a consistent problem I've had with my knitting.

Because of a major meeting at work this year, I won't be able to participate in the AKF Steps That Count Walk. After looking at washcloths, discloths, cotton swifter covers, I've settled on knitting a couple of lap blankets for kidney patients that can be auctioned off at the walk.

I opened Netflix today and one of the recommended Watch Instantly categories based on my selected criteria was Critically Aclaimed Movies about Mid-Life Crisis. I was gobsmacked. Who wants to watch films like that on a dreary Saturday morning?

Manic Monday

Toupie on top of the bookshelf looking quite annoyed that he's being photographed...again.

The Hurricane Hat in Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool Birch Tweed. Easy peasy knit that would have taken me one day had I not gotten so engrossed in A Dance to the Music In Time (more about that later).

Okay, so I knit the hat this weekend. Wore it this morning. Walked into Crumbs and Coffee. Two people ahead of me what do I see: a woman wearing the Hurricane H, at. A friend had knit it for her.

Wore the Mitered Mitts today. Toasty.

Lady Kina Progress Update: Knit on to a 40” size 7 circular. Lost a little time this weekend having to undo half a row (thank goodness for lifelines) after misunderstanding an increase. Back on track now. Knitting the 4” before the sleeve bind off. Will do more piccys when I start the sleeves.

Now back to A Dance to the Music In Time. Watched this on Saturday. The reviews on Netflix were deadful and off putting. It's a particularly English drama. As I watched it, while engrossed, I can understand why most American viewers were put off. It's full of little, very British references--some of them quite witty--which if you don't get it, you don't get it. I got them; I got the cliquey old school tie relationships that guide you through life bit and how the experiences and relationships formed in a private school setting end up making you very comfortable with people from that environment whether you like them or not. It was sort of Glittering Prizes set in the 1930's.

I bought a yarntainer. Been wanting one forever. It was on sale with free shipping. What can I say. It's really nice, much better than ziploc bags for holding your yarn. Makes moving projects from chair to chair to bed very easy.

Have seen some delicious Madelinetosh yarn in Nutmeg, Copper, and Walnut. Can I afford three skeins of Madelinetosh. Must do budget.

Bought my sister a microwave steamer today. It's on it's way to her.

Had lovely snow which won't last and will probably reemerge as black ice just in time for rush hour tomorrow morning.