First, I can’t thank you all enough for your kind thoughts and words.  It meant a great deal to me and it truly helps.  We are adjusting slowly.  Poor Goldie has no idea what’s happened and has, for the time being, attached himself to Myria like a leech.  He follows her everywhere and, when she is sitting, lies on her feet.  He too will adjust.  Normally enough, I suppose, we’re tending to spoil him a bit right now.

The hat is finished except for tacking down the garter stitch band.  I’m very pleased with it and it looks and feels great!  The cable is, as expected, not very prominent, but in a way that’s cool.  It’s like a secret only I know.  Well, only you and I :) Lengthening the crown by 10 stitches only partially accomplished what I wanted.  I had to widen the garter stitch band by 5 stitches as well to get the hat to come down over my ears without completely jamming the top against my skull and thus ruining the line of those lovely short-row sections.





The provisional cast-on and the three-needle bind-off worked beautifully.  Because of the shaping, the seam barely shows and it’s nice and neat.  I also added a top-knot - just because.  Picked up 6 stitches at the top and did I-cord, gradually decreasing down to nothing.  I like it.  Why should only babies get to wear all the fun hats? :)





The shawl is now, oh, platter sized.  So far - so good.  This fabric is so luxurious and sensual and the pattern is working up so beautifully that I can’t quite believe it’s my work.  Why did I put this off for so long?

I’m trying not to worry about running out of yarn.  I’m cautiously optimistic as I’m not even through the first ball yet.  But even if there isn’t enough pink to complete the pattern, a cream edging wouldn’t’ look out of place - or perhaps a deeper color if one is available.  Given the expense of the material, it would probably be better if I weren’t flying by the seat of my pants here but that seems to be the way I do things - so I’ll work it out as I go along.

We’re going to have a visit tomorrow.  Apparently the landlord fears there are mice in the building.  Of course we mentioned that to him more than a year ago to his profound indifference and the offhand recommendation that we buy traps.  I hate having strangers in my home and, like Goldie, always want to hide under the bed till they’re gone.  Oh well...I don’t suppose the suggestion that all the other tenants get cats too would fly?

Hope you dear folks are having wonderful weeks!

We lost our friend today.

I held him before he was a minute old and this afternoon, held him as he went from this world to the next.  He had an abundant and generous personality and a sweet, gentle soul.  I’m going to miss him so.

Rest in peace, dear, dear friend.

We went for a walk along the river yesterday evening.  While the park is pleasant, I couldn’t help but compare it to the park we wandered through on Sunday.  That park was silent - except for the birds and our own low conversation.  This one was full of raucous kids, experimenting with volume and profane vocabulary.  Actually, I remember doing that myself around 11 or 12.  I remember thinking that “bastard” (in my neck of the woods, pronounced - “bastidd") didn’t sound like a bad word.  In fact it sounded pretty funny.  How could that be a swear?

We meandered to the edge of the river and I promptly put my foot into a muskrat hole - right up to my knee.  Of course I fell with much flailing and chagrin.  I don’t have a great sense of balance under the best of circumstances.  No damage done, though my left wrist is pretty tender this morning.  I did lose my shoe in the hole and was ready to abandon it rather that argue with the hole’s resident.  However, Myria retrieved it for me - great kid, that Myria - enabling me to take this self-portrait for you :)

I started the hat last night and got through the first section; there are six all together.  The cable is rather indistinct in the picture, but shows up pretty well in person.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to get a photo of it in natural light later on so you can see it a little more clearly. 

I used a provisional cast-on this time and will do a three-needle bind-off when I finish, rather than sewing it up, as I have done before.  I’m hoping this will produce a neater appearance.  Of course I could try grafting the thing too (laughing, helplessly) but we’ll have to wait and see if I can summon the necessary testicular fortitude when the time comes.

I also increased the length of the crown by adding 10 stitches to that area.  Because the hat is made sideways, I won’t know until I’ve done another couple of sections, whether this is going to work or not - but it’s looking good as far as I can tell at the moment.

I’m liking the Waterspun a lot!  Glides along easily, does everything I want it to reasonably well and without complaining.  This is a yarn I would definitely buy again.

And I started on the crochet shawl.

It’s quite a trip working with the Kid Seta.  It really is beautiful stuff and the feel of the fabric is absolutely decadent.  I’m taking this very slowly as this yarn is almost impossible to frog.  The first couple of rounds were pretty hair-raising, but once I got past that, things smoothed out some.  I was beginning to wonder if I shouldn’t try a smaller hook, but by the time I got to round 4, my hands had made peace with the yarn and I think things look pretty good so far.

Oh - and turn off the fan if you’re going to work with this stuff.  It doesn’t weigh squat and a breath (let alone the air stream from an enthusiastic fan) blows it all over the place!  I’m going to feel I’ve really accomplished something when this is complete :)

ABC finally deigned to finish it’s “Kingdom Hospital” series beginning last night with the first of the four final episodes.  This has been a real weirdie right from the start - both the story and the way the network has handled it.  I have enjoyed it though and am glad to be able to see the concluding shows.  The scuttlebutt is that a DVD version will be available in October and I’ll probably spring for it - just so I can see the whole thing without a 6 week hiatus :)

A final note.  Dad and I are going to our favorite restaurant for lunch tomorrow.  It’s the Kernwood in Lynnfield, MA and it’s going to be closing for good after business on Sunday.  Its specialty was relatively simple cooking with superb preparation and ingredients.  Now I have to learn how to make Delmonico Potatoes for myself if I want them.  I and my taste buds will miss the Kernwood very much.

Hope you all have simply mahhhvelous weekends!

First, I want to thank yesterday’s commenters for sharing their thoughts about cables and variegated yarns.  I really appreciate the feedback as it helped me to “see” the swatch more objectively.  More than that, though, it helped me to see which way I was leaning.  I do want to make the hat using the Waterspun and I do want the cable.  After thinking about it overnight, I believe I’m going to give it a shot anyway.  Funny how just making the decision makes me feel...I don’t know...sort of gleeful?  Heheh… Not like it’s an earth-shattering event or anything, it’s just pleasure at not being stuck any more :)

And, thanks to Bron’s timely post yesterday, I’m going to get off my duff and start something I’ve been mulling over for quite a while.

Some time ago, I bought this:

This is lace-weight, 75% kid mohair and 25% silk.  I’ve got, roughly, 1150 yards of it and it’s been marinating in the stash for over a year now because it’s so lovely and so fine that I’ve been afraid to touch it.  Well, I’m going to use it now for a crochet project.  I’m going to try making a circular shawl from this pattern:





The item in the picture was made with size 30 cotton and a size 10 hook and is about 30” in diameter.  I’ll be using the lace-weight mohair and a size 6 (F) hook for the shawl.  I haven’t any idea at the moment if I’ve got enough yarn to pull this off, but that’s part of the fun :)





Just look at this stuff!  Isn’t it magnificent?  I can’t believe I’ve been letting it sit all this time because I was afraid of it!  It’s long since time I stopped telling myself that I wasn’t good enough or smart enough to play with the big kids’ toys.  In the words of the immortal Colonel Potter - “Mule Fritters!” What did I buy it for?  To sit in the cupboard and rot?  Wouldn’t that be stupid!

As I think about getting started, I’m getting more and more into the idea.  This is going to be awesome - and beautiful!

So - one hat and one shawl to start today and a much improved outlook from yesterday.  Not so bad, you know?

I worked on the fancy scarf yesterday and got a good deal more done - including joining the second slippery-as-snot ball of microfiber.  I should be able to finish it before too much longer.  I’m thinking of edging it with some similar yarn in a teal color and perhaps fringing it too?  With beads? That may be a bit overboard.  I’ll have to see when I get there.

I wound a ball of the Waterspun last night and started to play with it.  I had in mind a Coronet sort of thing except maybe changing the kind of cable and doing something a little different with the body of the hat.

First, the Waterspun is nice - but odd.  It’s a worsted yarn, but it’s very light so there’s a bit of cognitive dissonance as I’m knitting along.  It works up nicely though and, because of its fulled nature, doesn’t split at all.  It’s also very pretty.  So here’s where I ask for all your opinions :)

Do the colors obscure the cable?  I kind of think they do but I don’t trust myself to judge objectively.  What do you think?

The other hat possibility is the Spiral Cap.

The only issue with this pattern is that the crown is very shallow, though I don’t see any problem with lengthening it.  This is a two-needle, short-row construction and is fun to do.  The nice thing is that I’ve made it twice before so I know what to expect from the pattern.  But if the variegated yarn obscures the cable, well.....

Actually, this is one of those days where I feel completely thumb-fingered and hopeless. I feel like I should go back to knitting fuzzy scarves and stop pretending I know how to do anything else.  It’ll pass.

We went up to a park in Woburn, MA yesterday afternoon.  It was a gorgeous day - cool, dry and perfect for walking around.

This place...well, we’ve been here a few times before.  I have no idea what the name of it is - or even if it has a name.  But it’s beautiful!  There’s a stream (creek, small river?) that runs through the length of it and a narrow paved path.  The center is kept mowed, but the rest of it grows wild and it’s full of birds, squirrels, rabbits and even a muskrat or two.  And no matter what the time of year is or how beautiful the day might be, it’s always empty.  There’s almost never anyone there but us.

There is something here that’s much older than the park.  I’m not trying to get all mystical on you, but there is definitely a presence there that has nothing to do with the city of Woburn and only incidentally has to do with the park.  Myria and I both feel it very strongly and have felt it every time we’ve been here.  Stepping into this park is like stepping out of the real world and into...something else.  There is no sense of malevolence or nastiness - just that powerful feeling of “presence” and, to a certain extent, of being observed.





We wandered around for about three hours and regretted that we hadn’t thought to pack a lunch.  There were Canada geese with their chicks - two families that we watched for a while.  The first family had the biggest brood; there were six or seven youngsters who looked about ready to fledge.  These had lost most of their down and were nearly fully feathered, though lacking adult markings as yet.  The second family had four little ones and they were quite a bit younger, still covered in golden down and cute as could be.

There were at least two blue heron which I have only ever seen in Maine before this.  Myria got a magnificent picture of one in flight.  Its massive shadow passed over me before I knew it was there and for a split second, I felt hunted.  I now know exactly how a rabbit feels when there’s a hawk in the area.

When we were finally ready to leave, Myria turned to me and said “I always thank the park when we leave.” I knew what she meant, having a similar feeling myself.  I know I’m thanking someone or something, I just don’t quite know what it is.

The slippers cometh along :)





These are going to be for Myria instead of for me.  The poor girl has such problems with icy toes in the winter that it can actually keep her from getting to sleep.  Seems like a nice pair of wool slippers could help the situation.  I’ll make another pair for myself later on.





I was finally able to get wooden needles in US size 8 last week - both single and double points.  In the past I’ve found that these don’t work particularly well with acrylic but boy are they nice with wool!  Well, they’re nice with this wool, anyway :) You can see the DPNs in the first slipper picture above.  I was having a bit of trouble with the cuff.  I wanted the knit side of the cuff to show when it was folded over and that meant purling around after the ribbing was done.  I had an awful time for a while, with the stitch at the point where you’ve finished with the stitches on one needle and are starting on the next one.  I believe I’ve got it figured out now, so I’m going to frog a few rounds (back to the ribbing) and do it over again.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Just a brief note today, I’m afraid.  I’ve got a somewhat hectic day coming up.

I’ve been having problems with Typepad sites.  Well, they don’t cause bad things to happen, I didn’t mean that - but they take forever to come up.  Even then, the odds are about 50/50 that I’ll be able to view comments and/or pictures.  Waiting for a Typepad blog to show makes me feel like I’m on dial-up again :) Do any of you have similar experiences?  I keep wondering if there’s something amiss on my system.  There are several blogs that I follow and dearly love that are on Typepad and I’ll continue to visit them, but it’s gotten to the point where I’m extremely reluctant to pick up another one simply because Typepad seems to be so slow.  Is there anything I can do about this?

I lucked into some Classic Elite Waterspun yesterday - a beautiful variegated yarn that goes from coffee-with-cream to cream to a dusty violet.  I hadn’t seen this yarn before and fell in love with the look and feel of it.  I picked up five hanks thinking this would make a beautiful hat/scarf/mittens set for winter.





But last night, I ran all over the web looking for a hat pattern and didn’t see anything that tripped my trigger.  I don’t want a watch cap type thing, I’d like something a bit more funky than that.  Nothing totally ridiculous, but something fun and a bit different.  Do you have any suggestions?  Anything you’ve seen or made that seemed cool and fun to you and that won’t give the impression of a guard on a catwalk with a rifle slung over his shoulder?  Heh… :)

Hope you all have a terrific weekend!

Addendum

Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken. Although its light is wide and great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide. The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in dewdrops on the grass, or even in one drop of water.

- Dogen (1200-1253)

Courtesy of Daily Zen