Joy of Yarn

Much Ado About a Lot of Things

Tomorrow I am back to work. It was a wonderful vacation, wonderful weather, wonderfully productive days. On the first day, I made a list of all that I hoped to get done during vacation, thinking that my list will help me to not allow the television to suck me in for hour upon hour. It worked. Each evening I also made a list of what I hoped to do the next day. That worked too. Now these weren't "chore" lists. Instead they were lists of fun things such as take pictures, knit shawl out of dyed yarn, read, buy photo paper, thin tomato seedlings . . . So although I am sad that it is over, and wary about what little "rugrats" have been admitted to the hospital in my absence, I'm thrilled with all that I got done and the fun that I had doing it all.

I knew that I wanted to knit a shawl out of my hand dyed BFL yarn. This shawl pattern has been one that I've wanted to work on for a long time. After trying to work on it, unsuccessfully, without markers and using the written directions from the pattern, I knew that my choices were either to give up - and I wasn't ready to do that! - or to devise a strategy. Being that I'm off from work, I had no access to the copy machine. So off I ran to the library. A nice young man helped me with enlarging the pattern, something I can easily do on the work copying machine but could no way figure out on the library's. I returned home and colored in each different symbol with my colored pencils. As I did this, I remembered spending hours on end coloring as a young girl. I also decided to place rubber markers every 10 stitches and mark the pattern, with a colored line, every 10 stitches as well. So working off of my color-coded chart, and using stitch markers, I've been able to make some headway. I can't say that it's flying, and especially because it is lace knitting and the stitches scrunch up together until blocked, but I am getting somewhere. I've needed to move stitch markers as they don't always stay in the same place, but they do allow me to count and make certain that I haven't missed one of those silly yarn overs. I THINK that this will be a very pretty shawl.

I know that I've mentioned this before, but one of the great parts of my job is that I work with OVERALL a nice group of people. Sure there are some scootches (?), but this field tends to draw a different type of person than many other jobs. One of the women that I work with has given up her prep period, one day a week, so that I can teach a crochet class to the older kids. I've been wanting to make her my favorite washcloth and I placed inside some French Pre de Provence honey soap. Mmmmm it smells just dreamy!

This is it closed on its bottom. You can see the twisted tie that I made also to hold the soap inside the washcloth.

Although the color on the monitor does not read true, and it is a bit late for me to start fooling around in Photoshop, it is a sage green cotton and I think that she'll just love it.

So that is just a pinch of what I've been working on. There were many nature pictures taken over the past week, much meditation done, many pages read and turned, tomatoes fed and thriving, and hour long walks by the Long Island Sound. The days have turned cooler, starting with today. It is time to return to work and pray that the next two months pass quickly and contentedly. Friday is our big Earth Day celebration, a day that I contributed a great deal to. So I am looking forward to the progress of this week. Until next time .  .  .

Shawls, Socks, Scarves of Many Colors

This will be a quick post. Oh what fun these were to dye. I envision scarves and shawls and socks. Oh Boy!

The dyed yarns:

From left to right:

Kona Superwash Merino in Purples,

Supersock 3 Ply Merino in Marine,

Blue Faced Leicester 3 Ply Superwash in Marigold, 

Extrafine Merino 2 Ply in Geranium

Updates

So the time sure does fly by. I've thought about blogging, I really have. But the energy seems to go into different places lately. I realize that I've never posted pics of the other fiber that I've dyed but I can't seem to find the pictures that I took. I'll just have to take some more in the daylight tomorrow and post them.

I've been working on a Malabrigo ribbed scarf still. I had hoped that I'd have enough to make mittens to match, but I think I'd be cutting it awfully close. I also just finished a hat out of junky yarn, but it may work when I walk outside and don't need something warm and woolly. I've started to make matching mittens for it also. Lately, I've just craved making smaller items, socks, gloves, scarves, and the like. I haven't had a big sweater craving.

I did wear my Adagio Shawl this week to work. It's funny. It has finally become comfortable to wear my knitted garments to work. All Winter I've wanted to, but the hospital is kept very warm. We have these little slices of a window to open. So all Winter I've dressed lightly. Finally now, the heat is off and I open up my slice, of course to student protests of "I'm COLD!" Yes, they protest loudly. But I tell them that they need some fresh air. I must sound like my grandmother did.

Another view of the shawl from the front: I get a lot of use out of this shawl. The ruffle adds just a bit of panache without being too frou-frou. And it hugs my shoulders nicely so it doesn't fall off. This was designed by Candace Eisner Strick and uses her technique that she named Merging Colors, though I'm sure it's been used before Candace. The yarn comes in many fine stranded colors with a chart naming which strands to drop and which to add as you knit the pattern. This creates the subtle changes that you see in the picture. I see that she has added many other colors for Adagio on her site. She really is a very talented woman. I'd love to try some of her newer projects.  Here's some close-up detail:

I don't know if I've mentioned it but I've been teaching a crochet class to a group of  students. I have one boy now, an expert crocheter, and four girls. It is a challenge for the rest of them although one girl has finally mastered the chain stitch and is now onto learning to double crochet. It is also a challenge for me as they have little tolerance for waiting their turn. I play WBLS, a local radio station, and they seem happy to listen to some music. We are making blankets for dogs at one of the local animal shelters, well that is our goal. Right now, we are, as I've mentioned, not much past the chain stitch. We meet once a week and they are very sad when the class is over.

About my students, almost all my boys were discharged. Do you believe it? Now can you believe that I miss them too? I complain when they're there and I complain when they leave. Go figure. So my class consists of  my little ray of sunshine who tried to choke me. She's having a wonderful time with all this alone time and today she told me that I'm like her mother. Sadly, she never had a mom as her great-grandmother raised her, who's 79 years old now, after a horrid childhood filled with physical and emotional abuse. The days are long but she is very happy. Today my principal said to me, "No one can begrudge you because you only have one student." and I commented that I think, with the boys, I paid my dues. And she agreed. My other boy is in ICU with pneumonia at a children's hospital nearby. Hopefully, he will be back with us soon as I miss him.

Today I took Chloe for a walk in our preserve. The skunk cabbage is growing swiftly, the trees are in bud and the birds are plentiful. Chloe found lots of new areas with good smells. Boy she walks fast! We keep up a very rapid pace throughout the walk and we stop infrequently.

I also came home and meditated. One of my friends at work commented today that I've been in a much better frame of mind since a few weeks ago and she wondered what it was. She thought maybe it's because I've been wearing make-up to work - haha. After we discussed all my little monsters that have been discharged, we said that could of course be contributing to my increased energy, and eating well, taking vitamins, fewer students, walks, Springtime and meditation. A scientific experiment it ain't. But it feels good to not come home exhausted and to have some time for the fun parts of life. I also started reading this book. It is enchanting! As I read it, I yearn to digest each word, and not miss a one. It is a rare book, a beautiful characterization.

Well I'm off to get some stuff done. It's 9 pm and I still want to read and catch up on some of my favorite-vacuous-junkiest shows ever put on TV. That's right, Bachelor and American Idol. "How can you watch this junk?" my husband asks. I dunno...