A Lesson From Homework

I have spent the better part of an hour looking for this single skein of yarn. It is needed for my homework for my Stitches Midwest classes. I have to make swatches, and this yellow yarn was purchased some time ago for this exact purpose. Practice, classes, fooling around.

So I knew it was somewhere close to hand.

I checked my project bags. All six of them. Then I checked a few project bags not currently in use. It wasn't in there, but I found a hank of laceweight I'd forgotten I owned.

My bedroom closet is enormous, and I keep a lot of yarn in there. I opened the two double doors on the right, behind which I keep most of my sock yarn, recent purchases, projects I intend to cast on soon, and assorted other items. This part of the closet is so full now that I can't put the yarn I purchased in San Francisco in there. There's simply no room. It's currently living in a big shopping bag on my bedroom floor, along with 20 skeins of sublime that I picked up for half price at Nana's recently.

The yellow yarn was not in there.

So I moved on to the left side of the closet. I have a cabinet in this part of the closet--yes, my closet is big enough to hold a four-drawer cabinet--and I had thought that three of the four drawers were filled with books. Not so. Two are yarn. I found about 10 hanks of sock yarn that I'd completely forgotten I own, plus a few other small skeins intended for scarves, mittens, and similar projects.

No yellow yarn there, either.

So I moved on to the bins under my bed. I have those long flat bins, and I rarely go into them. In fact, I can tell you exactly how long it's been since the last time I was in them. Do you know how I know? Because bags of yarn were shoved in the gaps between the storage bins and the dust ruffle. I know when I bought those bags, and I know when I stuffed them under the bed for lack of a better storage option.

I did finally find the yellow yarn inside one of those storage bins, underneath the some wool that I had bought to make slippers for my grandmother. Also in that bin: 14 skeins of red worsted for a long lace cardigan, 9 skeins of a blue blend for a vest, silk for a lace scarf, and God help me, more sock yarn.

I think my stash has reached critical mass. This is an important lesson to learn three days before I go to the Stitches market. Or perhaps it's just ironic. But clearly, I don't need any more yarn. That won't stop me from shopping at Stitches--I know myself, and I'm not stupid enough to think that I will have any self-control in that market. Whatever money I take there, I will spend there. That's just the way it goes. But you can bet I won't be taking as much money as I had first thought.

And this fall, I intend to buy Spindrift to make a fair isle cardigan. I've been planning for this for a long time, and I'm not going to give it up. I took a class a year ago in continental knitting in preparation for casting on this sweater. I've been practicing with small fair isle projects ever since. I'm not going to give it up, even if it means more yarn coming in the house.

But other than that? I'm drawing a line. I had sworn I would not buy another storage bin to hold more yarn. Storage is about to become an issue in other ways, too. There's an extra office in our shop which I and my entire family use as a catchall storage space. Because of my living arrangements, much of my household stuff is in there -- furniture, kitchen items, and oh, yes, the bulk of my stash.

But we've sold that building and need to clear out the storage area. I don't have a solution to my storage issue yet, but with this looming storage problem and today's hunt for the yellow yarn, one thing is clear.

I have enough yarn now.

Really.

FO: Olympic Mittens

Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise for the national anthem of Knitlandia.

O beautiful for warm sweaters,
For amber waves of scarves,
For purple mitten majesties
To match the brioche hats!
Knitlandia! Knitlandia!
Wool shed its fleece on thee
And crown thy good with knitted hoods
From sleeve to perfect sleeve!

*bows to receive medal*
*waves to cheering hordes*

FO: Minnesota Mittens for Ravelympics, Team Mine

Pattern: Minnesota Mittens from Folk Mittens by Marcia Lewandowski
Mods: I left off the tvaandsstickning, because if I can't pronounce it or spell it, I don't need to knit it. Also used size 3US needles instead of the 2s specified by the pattern.
Yarn: Cascade 220, that old standard

Notes: Super pattern, very easy. I ended up with one small hole at the base of one finger, but I can live with that. The rest of the finger joins seem fine. And the thumb gusset fits so well that I may use this particular gusset method for all my gloves from here on out.

Do Not Go To This Movie

I feel that it is my sacred duty as a human being to warn everyone --

Do NOT go see that stupid Star Wars cartoon movie thing.

Danger Boy wanted desparately to see it, so I took him. It was so painfully stupid, so mind-numbingly dull, that I nearly fell asleep. Twice.

In fact, it was so awful, that we were at least 30 minutes into it before I figured out that "General Skywalker" was Anakin, not Luke. The writing is dreadful -- unless you happen to think that lines like, "Come on, men, let's fight!" constitute snappy dialogue. The plot is buried under a constant string of battle scenes that take place for no apparent reason. Even Danger Boy kept asking questions -- who's that, where are they, why are they fighting now....

Lucas should hang his head in shame for releasing this under his name.

But the weirdest thing about this movie was the audience. Usually at kid movies, the theatre is full of kid groups monitored by adult women and a sprinkling of men. This time? All men. The kid groups were led by dads. There were at least a dozen single men -- and by single, I mean not only "sitting by themselves," but also "and no woman would ever touch them." I was one of only three women in the entire theatre.

Awful, hideous movie.

Olympic Mitten-Glove, Take One

The Opening Ceremonies:






















Then a bit of team gymnastics and swimming:





















Beach volleyball, tennis, some more swimming, a little boxing:





















Gymnastic team finals:





















I adore this pattern. I love the flip-top mitten cup that covers the fingers. I may make a half-mitt so that my palms and wrists also have double fabric, but I want to wear them a bit this winter before I decide on that. They may be warm enough without an extra layer, even in these cruel Chicago winters.

This is a fun pattern because it's always changing. And that makes it feel fast. Cuff, thumb gusset, then create the extra stitching line on the back of the hand where the mitten pocket will attach later. A few more rounds, then it's on to the fingers and thumb. Then the mitten pocket, and by that time, you can't believe how quickly it went.

I bet a fast knitter could knock out a pair of these in a weekend. I'm not so fast, and I work a lot of hours, and I'll still have the pair done long before the closing ceremonies.

Good Excuses

Above is all the knitting I accomplished on my journey through NorCal. Actually, that's a bit of a lie. I knit the last half-inch of the heel flap and turned the heel last night.

The yarn is from HPYC (Hand Painted Yarn Co.) and I have mixed emotions about it. The colorwork is stunning, but the base yarn is a bit underspun and springless. I suspect they're using a knitpicks base. Which is okay, but not optimal. Dye work this good deserves a topnotch base.

But I like the yarn well enough, and it has been a pleasure to knit. It kept me entertained in the airport and on the long flight from O'Scare to SFO, and then it went back in my bag, where it remained for most of the week.

I didn't expect to knit much at the conference because I had meetings stacked to the rafters. We literally had a 14-hour stretch without time to duck into the ladies' room. That's how packed my schedule was, and it was doled out in 8-minute increments.

But, you know, it's worth it. Publishing is a largely outsourced industry, and big conferences like these give us the opportunity to deal face-to-face with people we usually only "see" online or over the phone. I had the chance for face time with booksellers, other publishers and editors, agents, and of course, lots and lots of authors. I knew there would be no knitting at any of those.

I thought I might knit during the sightseeing portion of the trip, though. But Oh. My. God. As much as I love yarn, even I won't knit instead of catching sights like these.



















This is the view from one of the decks of our house in Sonoma County. If you look closely, above and to the right of the smokestack in the center, you will see a thin ribbon of the Pacific Coast Highway. The close water is the Russian River. Beyond that is a sandbar, and beyond that, the ocean. If you travel a quarter-mile around the bend of the highway, you would see the mouth of the Russian River. There was never a moment when the river was completely empty of kayaks. Apparently, this is a big thing to do here. I was content to watch them from my lofty perch.


















Even driving in the car from SF to Jenner was stunning. We started off by traveling over the Golden Gate Bridge, which was more entertaining than I thought it would be. I mean, it's a bridge. Big deal, right? Except, for some reason, it really is a big deal. You see the bay and the skyline and umpty-eleven sailboats and hikers and bikers and those big red wires, and it just seems special somehow.





















So you get over the bridge and through the more populated parts of Marin County, and then all of a sudden, the land is empty and the views are spectacular. I didn't want to stop looking out the window even for a second. Above is a picture of Blind Beach, which was perhaps a half mile from our cottage. Pretty much all of coastal Sonoma County looks like this.



















Even stopping for lunch in a crummy sandwich joint turned out to be a feast for the eyes. Aside from the quaint boats and piers, this bay was full of sea lions who popped up and down from the water at regular intervals. We sat at a table next to the water and played "spot the mammal" while nibbling omelettes.

So there you have it. It's so beautiful there that not even this hardcore knitter can turn her eyes to the needles. Plus, oh yes, they have wine. Lots and lots of good wine. I highly recommend a visit to this part of the country, if ever you are able.

San Francisco Treats

Tell you what. I fell off the destashing wagon big time. But when you see my new pretties, you'll understand why.





This lovely is a silk and mohair blend from ArtFibres in downtown San Francisco. Isn't that combination of sheen and cloud just stunning? I have about 1100 yards on two cones. My first thought was to make a shawl of sorts -- something drapey and flowy to show off this yarn. But I never wear shawls, so I think the answer is to make a vest. There's plenty here for a vest. It will be a very expensive vest -- this stuff was not cheap, not by a long shot -- but everyone needs a splurge once in a while. (This would not be the time to remind me of other splurges. La-la, la-la, I can't hear you!)




This is gen-yoo-wine Australian organic wool all the way from Australia, a gift from my friend Bron. I love this yarn. The colors are so rich and deep, and OMG you won't believe how soft it is. If a puffy cloud fell in love with purified olive oil, and they had a baby, that baby's belly would be scratchy compared to this yarn. That's how soft it is. (Must find local source immediately!)






And finally, some linen from a place called Imagiknits. Very cool shop. Just my luck, they were having a sale. I resisted lots of temptation in that shop, which made me feel very virtuous and noble. But I kept chanting under my breath, "Stitches is coming, Stitches is coming," and that made it easier. This linen is destined to be a shopping bag.

So that's the haul. Not bad. I spent more than I'd hoped, and less than I expected. That ArtFibres places is really special, though, and someday when I win the lottery, I'm going to go back there and clean them out. Those were some of the most beautiful and unique yarns I've ever seen.

One Year Later

A year ago, it was my great pleasure to show you a picture of the lovely Bronwyn, Knitter and Writer Extraordinaire, as she accepted the Golden Heart award for the best unpublished romantic suspense novel.

























This year, it is my even greater pleasure to show you this:



























Ladies and gentlemen, presenting "Australia's Thrilling New Voice!"
::drumroll::

Bronwyn Parry!
::cymbal crash::


She has had a fairy tale year. First the win, then the sale, then her publisher pimps her book in Frankfort (a very big deal book fair, doncha know) and sells translations rights all over Europe. They're giving her a big PR splash to celebrate the Australian release, and honestly, this could not have happened to a more deserving author. Bronwyn is everything we hope for in a writer -- smart, funny, charming, hard-working, and very, very talented. I'm really proud of her. I can't wait to celebrate the American release of this book. :)

A funny thing happened this year at the conference. I was in the hotel lobby, chatting with a group of Australian friends, including a beautiful young lady named Joann who helped us toast Bron's win last year in Dallas. So I was pleased to see her again this year and remembered her right away. Here's how this conversation went:

Her: My mum reads your blog.
Me (thinking she meant the appreciably more popular editing blog): Oh, that's great! Thanks!
Her: She's Carol.
Me (slowly figuring it out): You mean my knitting blog?
Her: Yes, my mum reads your knitting blog.
Me: OH MY GOD, YOUR MOTHER IS CAROL FROM THE COMMENTS!?!?!?!?!

I'm still tripping on that. Can the world get any smaller? Carol, may I just say that your daughter is fantastic. I was so impressed with her last year, and it was a real pleasure to see her again this year. We had a nice chat about your grass plants, and I'm still a bit dazed at the way the world connects.

Next time, I'll show you the yarn I bought in San Francisco and the fabulous Australian organic yarn Bron brought for me in her suitcase. Oh, yes. There will be yarn.