Thursday, November 15, 2007

Joe was wondering the other day whether blogging actually affected one’s knitting. Yes, apparently, in his case: He finds himself knitting a bit more, or even buying yarn, in order to blog about it. Not so, with me. Although I spend a lot of mental time, while knitting, washing dishes, or just walking about, polishing my lapidary phrases for tomorrow.

Yesterday’s knitting: I’ve done about 40” of Earth Stripe by now. (I don’t have to talk in cm, just because the pattern does.) Out of 60”. It moves fairly briskly, thank goodness.

Today’s excitement: my friend with Chronic Knitting Syndrome is coming to coffee this afternoon. I had thought we might have a mutual support session, struggling with the Linked Rib scarf in “Knitting New Scarves”. But she has jumped the gun and figured it out – see her latest blog entry – so it will be more like a teach-in. I haven’t even chosen my yarn.

The winter IK turned up yesterday. (They tend to be much quicker than Knitter’s, in making their way across the seas.) The articles are first-rate, especially Mar's, but the patterns don’t thrill. All the sweaters – and it’s a heavily sweater-ly issue – seem to be designed for Eunny: cropped, snug-fitting. Not what I look for in a winter sweater.

[Which would be more like this. The Spinning Fishwife pointed me to this tempting pattern recently.]

Another thing I hope to do today is finish off my calendar and order some exemplars of the result. I still have the November page to compose – and I’ll add this one to July. It was taken on the 31st, but that counts: two of Helen’s Thessaloniki boys (Mungo on the left, I think; and Fergus) in the bath at Burnside.

And it’s even got some knitting: that green hot-water-bottle cover balanced precariously on the end of the bath is my work.

9 comments:

  1. As I mentioned on Mar's blog, my biggest disappointment with the current IK was the lack of anything for men (unless perhaps you count the subway mittens, which I found clunky-looking). I did like the sweater from the cover and noted that it has directions for a finished bust size of up to 50", so it could be done as a not-necessarily-snug knit.

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  2. Anonymous11:00 AM

    I, too, was disappointed in the patterns in the winter IK. It has been hard to describe my dissatisfaction. Initially, all the orange tones turned me off (not my color at all), but, even if I imagine the jewels tones winter evokes, I agree that the close fits are problematical. I find I miss the old models also; there was something comforting about seeing the same faces issue after issue. I'll not abandon them over one issue . . .

    rosesmama

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  3. what a sweet picture! I checked out IK but did not buy it. Nothing I want to knit.

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  4. Anonymous3:32 PM

    I have a hankering to make a hot-water bottle cover. Did you work from a pattern or just wing it?

    I've already downloaded the pattern for that sweater on Knitty and have been surveying my stash for likely candidates. It does seem an easy project for idle winter knitting.

    Enjoy reading your words; thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

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  5. Anonymous4:07 PM

    I'm still waiting for IK to arrive. Mind you, I've already downloaded Liz Lovick's gansey pattern from Knitting Daily, so I'm not fretting too much. I recently got the VK holiday issue with Alice Starmore's Oregon in, and that is my latest eyecandy - not only Oregon, but Norah Gaugin's swingcoat thingy and a snug 4-ply with some neat cabling and an interesting collar (I'm short and flat-chested, so baggy jumpers make me look at least 3 stone heavier).

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  6. Anonymous6:22 PM

    I definitely agree with your sweater choice! I love knitting with Lopi. I looked thru the magazine at the bookstore and while the patterns are "cute" there usually isn't much I would wear in real life. The "Oregon" sweater is a bit tempting but I dont' have 5 bajillion colors of yarn.

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  7. Anonymous7:47 PM

    I got IK yesterday and I agree with you Jean. I can't wear all of that tight fitting cropped stuff. Of course, I can't really wear wool in Santa Barbara. Right now it's about 78 degrees F.

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  8. Anonymous10:36 PM

    I just got my IK yesterday too. I often get it long after I've seen finished knits from it all across Blogland, but delivery seems to have been faster this time.

    Like Rosesmama, I miss the old models. Of all the sweaters, I'm most taken with the "Gutter Gansey," and that pattern is actually on-line and not in the magazine.

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  9. brilliant! finally I've found the perfect pattern for H.I. It even resembles his favouritest jumper that finally had to be retired this year. Goody, new project wool buying expedition soon : )

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