Kahlo

I watched a movie and documentary about the life of Frida Kahlo.  What an interesting woman.  I must say her art both attracts and repels my interest.  She'd probably be pretty content with that.

Wouldn't it be interesting to make a scarf in "Kahlo" colors?  It would have to be different, unexpected, asymmetrical and eye-catching.

Result: this thing.  I call it the Kahlo scarf. The part folded at the top of the picture is blue with the black i-cord border all around it.

No Bite

My dog firmly believes anything that holds my attention must be worth eating, or biting at least.  When I first began tatting in front of him he was fascinated by the shuttle.  It's metal and shines nicely.  His nose got closer and closer until he tentatively licked the string.  "No." Sent him back to my daughter's lap where he watched me from a safe distance.

As he grows older his interest in the action has waned, but his fascination with the materials continues.  He sniffs cotton thread with socially polite interest.  Wool, however, has his undivided attention.  We actually have to resort to "No bite" to keep him at a safe distance. Ah how his eyes shine.

Before I open the package, I offer it to him to check out.  He snifs, looks at me and pushes at the plastic with his nose.  This is asking permission to chew.  I tell him "no."  He sits down beside me on the couch and watches me cast on.  He has even been known to let me lean the pattern against him for a little while.  All so that he can breathe in the delicious perfume of undyed, lanolin-kissed fibres.

Dream on, little broomstick cowdog.  The wool is mine.

Seams Like Heaven

The arran sweater is done.

Challenge: My husband is rather Santa-shaped and knitting patterns really don't accommodate him.  He wanted an arran sweater with a real Scots feel.  He wanted undyed wool, preferably dark, and a unique design like the fisherman legend.

We chose several patterns that we liked, then decided on Mrs. Laidlaw's guernsey pattern, and a simple cable. Since I felt we needed three patterns to complete the front, I made diamonds to match the Mrs. Laidlaw's pattern.  Back and front would be the same, and the sides would be moss stitch.

Because of many [MANY] fittings, the sweater fits him perfectly. It covers down to the tops of his pants pockets and the sleeves are roomy for casting.  Time to fish in cool weather!  It even looks good with his Greek fishing cap.

The sleeves are only the Laidlaw and the diamond pattern.  They work well together and the increases worked beautifully.  Seaming through the moss stitch was quick and looks perfect.

I'm so glad he likes it!

The Scot

I finished the neck of my husband's arran.  Since I've designed it without a formal pattern, I try it on him at each step.  Terribly afraid all the time and energy spent will result in a non-fitting guernsey - not acceptable.  I draped the almost-finished work over his shoulders.  His response: "It looks like you skinned a Scot."

Ewwwwww.

Giant Cowl

This is a project I did a few years ago.  When I think about it seriously it was (gasp!) 15 years ago.

Plan behind project: I was a single mom handling two little kids.  In the morning I'd have everyone ready to go, in their coats, hats, and scarves and be heading out of the door.  While holding my work tote, purse, kid's school stuff, and kids I was constantly trying to deal with my scarf. It unseats itself every time I bend over which is every two minutes.  Bend, throw.  Bend, throw. Drop tote, throw.  It is VERY important that I stay warm all of the time, so getting rid of the scarf isn't an option.  What do do to make my life a little easier?

Make a scarf that is warm, stays put, and looks kinda elegant.  In that order.

At the time I worked for a company that wanted its employees to look good each work day.  Office suits, fancy shoes, conservative hair (seriously).  Think IBM in the 80's.

Project: The Giant Cowl.  A stockinette scarf that is 2 feet wide and 5 feet long, sewn into a cylinder.  Folded over half-way and twisted around my neck, or up over my head, it is warm and stays put.  I get kids to school with slightly less fuss and when I get to work I unwind the scarf and let it fall down my back.  It looks like the back of a Hollywood ball gown.  Very nice on the work dress ethic.  Amazingly it stays out of my way all the way to the work cube where it rolls into a small cylinder and fits in my coat pocket.

Pluses: Stockinette is  a stitch that allows single mothers to knit mindlessly while watching TV and children.

Shown here across the top of my well-upholstered office chair.  It has served me well.

Result: Success.  I stayed warm and sane.  I made scarves for my family members that Christmas.  Made Mobius strip versions  for my IT friends.  Mobius versions are easier to twist over the head as a hat.

Knitting

Most of this blog, I expect, will be about knitting.

I'm not accustomed to discussing my main hobby.  I've been knitting since I was a little kid.  I can't remember the first time anyone gave me knitting needles and started me on the stitches.  Even casting on comes naturally to my fingers and I have to actually do it to be able to describe it to others.  I do remember that my first needles of my very own were size 8 and different colors.  Of course I still have them.

In college I met people just as interested in knitting as myself.  We are all still friends.  One day one of the major hobby stores was having a BIG sale, so I bought enough yarn to make my next 5 projects.  I showed up at the next get together with my bags ready to share.  One girl's mother asked, in her silky Oklahoma accent, "Does the one of you who dies with the most yarn win?"

Heady days.

My knitting days almost came to an end when the children arrived.  Two babies and a full-time job meant no money for yarn or patterns, so my needles went into a box that grew a dust hat.  I did have a short fling with a cheap knitting machine.  It broke.

I should mention here that I am extremely accomplishment oriented.  Very rarely do I have projects that go unfinished.  Small stash in a hat box.

I can't remember when I started knitting again.  It's pretty much my relaxation - sit in front of the TV hobby.  OK, it's very hard for me to sit still in front of the TV.  I feel I must be accomplishing something all of the time.  Something new.  Something different.  Maybe something exciting.

Now, I knit almost every night.  My husband and I have to actually plan non-knitting activities or I just head to the slightly saggy comfy side of the couch and start in.  I knit, husband has the remote.  Peace reigns.

Beginning

OK, I shall start blogging again.  I tried once, but stopped because the things I had to say were depressing.  I have a disability.  I live with it, as do my family.  It's tough and it gets me down.  That started starring in my blog and that is not the person or persona I want to show.

So here we are - on the new blog.

I'm knitting a Carmen Miranda hat.  My daughter was visiting from college and said "Wouldn't it be funny if you knitted me a fruit bowl hat?"  Yes it is.  I have the bananas, strawberries, and grapes nearly done - just a few details yet.  The turban is knitted, but I need something to put it on to shape it before I sew the seams.

Here is the snag:  I can't find anything that is the circumference of her head.  Soccer ball is WAY too big.  Large dog toy ball is too small.

My husband has begun to look at me strangely.  He knows I'm judging every round object in the house as a possible head form and it's beginning to bother him.  His head is also about the same size as hers, but I don't see him sitting still while I stitch an inside-out turban on it.

I'm also getting ready to put the collar on his arran sweater.  We designed it together and are excited to see it finished.  I think I'll do that next.

OH by the way I bought a knitting bowl and I love it.  It's a pottery bowl with a hole that allows you to unravel a ball of yarn as you knit without a) fascinating the dog so much he has to come investigate and b) trying to cage the ball as it whirls around.  It works beautifully, as long as your ball of yarn is small enough to fit.  If I find a larger one, I'll invest in it too.

Here is the bowl on my worktable.   To the right is the turban and on the left you see the almost complete arran.

Thus endeth the first post.