lion flower

Happy Birthday to me! My dad wrote me today with this tidbit from the day of my birth:

"I just spent about 10 minutes daydreaming about Santiago, Chile, on July 26, 1962, Exact Spot: the Clinica Alemana. I'm standing outside the delivery room in a kind of side room when the doctor walks in holding you by the feet. You're bawling, He washes you under the sink faucet. I had just arrived after running up the stairs, out of breath. My timing was excellent. I'd just had an incredibly rush-hour drive across town after inaugurating a series of performance by the Chad Mitchell Trio." Dad

wrist dance

My offering to the goddess of the wrist.

linen top pattern

I posted a photo of this linen top to my flickr page and had a couple of people ask about the pattern so I thought I’d offer it here. It’s a good summer knitting project (no heavy wool here) and a good summer top to wear. The work is done from side to side and stretches open quite a bit after blocking.

Finished Size: about 50” (127 cm) circumference, and 17” (43 cm) long, measured from shoulder to hem.

Yarn: Louet Sales Euroflax Sport Weight (100% Linen; 270 yd [246 m]/ 3.5 oz [100] g), 2 skeins. I made this quite a few years ago when the skeins were bigger and used one skein but I think you will need just a bit more than one. The top weighs 116 g.

Needles: Size 9 (5.5-mm)

Gauge: 11 sts and 19 rows = 4” (10 cm) in St st AFTER BLOCKING.

Eyelet Ridge: First row (WS) Knit. Next row (RS): *Yo, k2tog; repeat from *. Next row (WS): Knit.


Pattern: (Make 2) With the long tail method, loosely CO 46 sts. Starting with a purl row, work in St st for 24 rows. Next row (WS) work Eyelet Ridge. Continue in St st for 64 rows. Next row (WS) work Eyelet Ridge. Continue in St st for 24 rows. Bind off loosely.

Finishing: Wet block to desired measurements. Sew sides 8“ (20.5 cm) from hem. Sew shoulders 5“ (12.5 cm) from edge. If you want a firmer neckline, single crochet around neck edge. Weave in ends.

summer knitting

Last Saturday I went to the DMV to renew my license. Naturally, I had to visit a yarn store in the area. I don't need any yarn! But, I was drawn in by the silky blue and green shades of this sock yarn, Tofutsies from SWTC. A friend has a birthday coming up in August and I think these will make a perfect gift.
Progress on my shrug is moving along but now that it's about two feet long I'm feeling the heat of summer more and more. Knitting with that much wool in my lap is not very comfortable and another good reason to knit a pair of socks.


So much of Los Angeles is kind of flat. In the summer even more so, this view from my back door is not very interesting but I like it because it feels so typical of my town.

Thanks for all the input on wrist injuries it was really helpful.

Shrug

In celebration of finishing my last sweater for the Spring 2008 issue of Knitscene I decided to cast on for a shrug for myself. The pattern is called the Pimlico Shrug and is in Knit 2 Together. I'm substituting the yarn used for the sample, Koigu Kersti for Rio de la Plata and Manos del Uruguay. I think the two will go very well together. I didn't swatch them together (I made a gauge swatch OF COURSE, but only with the Rio) because I just wanted to get knitting and worry abut any possible problems LATER.
When I'm knitting for a job my brain gets very tired, so when I'm knitting for fun I really prefer to wing it and see what happens. So much more enjoyable but often the results are spotty. That's okay. I'm only a part time perfectionist.



My recent self portrait: wrist brace. Too much knitting? I can't face the truth. I try to take breaks and stretch but still, I want to KNIT! I can manage knitting with this on if the needles are at least as big as a size US 8 otherwise, my thumb gets sore. I kind of like it's corset lacing and I really like how my wrist doesn't hurt after knitting or writing. Must buy another one for the left wrist too. Does anyone have wrist issues and remedies? I would love to hear about them.

big sunglasses

I'll never grow up since I still believe that when school's out for summer it means nothing but good times. Now that I have a kid I'm realizing how much I hated school! I hope my disappointments don't rub off on Felix. We'll see.
Meanwhile, my Internet connection was down for two weeks. I took the opportunity to read a book (Factotum...loved it), and visit with friends.



I'm finishing a sweater for Knitscene; as usual it will be in the mail at the last minute. Something always comes up and puts me behind schedule. This one is looking pretty pretty (yay!). They sent me some yummy yarn, the kind you can knit with in any weather, with amazing drape and in a very optimistic color.
I've also been swatching for a lace shawl. I love lace knitting so much. Oh, on ravelry I saw that a knitter, Grace Yaskovic, made a triangle shawl using the Lace Chuppah charts. The link is to her blog which has a great photo of her shawl being blocked. Don't we all need someone to block for us?
And, I’ve been making lots of sketches. Life without the Internets is a little lonely but productive.