KnitCrit

My "Fly to the Finish"

You devout Tour de France followers have probably seen (too) many of the Saab "Fly to the Finish" Sweepstakes announcements over the three weeks of viewing the race on Versus.  Although I did not play the game this year, I had my own "Fly to the Finish."

Yesterday's stage was the time trial for the riders - and me, too.  As fast as I could, I knit away on my Tour de France Knit-a-long project, the Aleita Shell.  Early in the evening, I had knit about half-way up the back. I stopped for dinner, a meal that had a French flair to it, with a medley of asparagus and mushrooms as an accompaniment to broiled salmon.  The wine selection was one that we stumbled upon during our trip to France several years ago and have been thrilled to find it in local wine shops from time to time:

After a couple of glasses of the yummy vino, I couldn't see the stitches any longer, so opted for sleep and an early rising this morning to watch the final stage into Paris.

While the boys in the CSC-Saxo Bank car were sipping their champagne, I was shaping the front sides and knitting like a mad woman/sprinter.  And just as the yellow jersey was being put on the back of Carlos Sastre, I bound off the final stitches at the shoulders!

As I do every year, I cried as the coverage ended.  Another Tour de France has come and gone.  What an amazing Tour this was, with surprises and no clear winner up to the very last stage. 

Our celebration of the Tour concluded with a French themed brunch - poached eggs with Manchego cheese (for the Spanish winner), raspberries tossed in honey, almond croissants and mimosas.  The XM radio was, of course, tuned into Sur La Route.  

Congratulations Carlos!  Kudos to CSC-Saxo!  Garmin-Chipotle and Columbia, you all are amazing! 

And here is the completed Aleita Shell.  I certainly picked the correct jersey category with my sprint in the final days...
 

Tagged by Barbara

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."

 1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

In summer 1998, I was divorced and living in Columbia, Maryland with my two sons.  My older son was having a fabulous bike racing season with Team Snow Valley.  I was also job hunting because the company who had moved me to Maryland had been sold. 

 2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

1.      Take son to 2pm doctor appointment

2.      Ride an hour

3.      Blog post (thanks Barbara for the topic)

4.      Work on a special knitting project

5.      Make sure that Debbie and Chuck get an invitation to next weekend’s Scholarship Ball

 3) Snacks I enjoy:

I’m addicted to Nature Valley fruit and nut Trail Mix bars and therefore call one with OJ my breakfast every day.  Lately, I’m enjoying the 100 calorie Lorna Doon packs as mid-day snacks.  Put potato or tortilla chips in front of me and my addictive behavior goes wild.

 4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

I would retire hastily and haul ass to the Northern Neck and buy a nice, comfortable house on the water.  My fiber store there would be next.  At some point, I would travel to Belgium, France, Denmark, Sweden, Spain and Italy; not necessarily in that order.  I would buy my son and his fiancé a house, too.  And then there’s that college thing for the other son.  There’s also a Colnago frame somewhere just waiting for me to ride it!

 5) Places I have lived:

Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland

 6) Jobs I have had:

Before graduating from college: retail mostly, but I was the bookkeeper for the National Athletic Trainers Association my senior year.  After college, every job has been in Finance and Accounting Management; including a Medicare auditor, controller for a real estate developer, department finance manager at Duke University and now VP of Finance for Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.  Hopefully, this is my last real job!

 
I'm going to tag:

Jennifer

Lisa

Cate

Roberta

Dana

A New Knitting Friend

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I recently started a new job.  I wear my knitted garments to work a lot; at least my favorite items like shawls, wraps and scarves.  Therefore, it doesn't take long, particularly in a small office, for co-workers to become acquainted with my passion for hand knitting.

One of those co-workers, herself a newbie to the organization, was in the midst of cleaning out some of her mother's belongings.  Guess what was in there?  Knitting books that she gave to me!  Yippee!!!

 

Here's what I received:

Mary Thomas's Knitting Book


Mary Thomas's Book of Knitting Patterns


Traditional Knitting Patterns


America's Knitting Book


Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book


Knitting Without Tears


Knitting in the Old Way

I have to admit to not being able to completely immerse myself in them from front to back cover yet as I had hoped.  The day that J left them in my office, it was difficult to work; difficult to concentrate on anything but my desire to be sitting on a cushy couch somewhere - anywhere but my office - with a cup of tea and the books.

That day will come, I'm sure.  And while she is not a knitter, she is certainly a new knitting friend. 

Thank you, J.

H*eye on C*eye*ber Fiber

No, I am not a paid spokesperson.  In fact, I've barely met Mama E.   But, I am completely obsessed with her yarns.  Just this week, I finished two projects using C*eye*ber Fiber yarns.          

                      

The fiber content of the socks is an 80% superwash merino and 20% bamboo blend.  They are so soft and so lovely.  I used the basic pattern for 2 circulars from Cat Bordhi's Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles book, so they knit up really fast.  The colorway, "Man O'Steele" is perfect for husband socks.  I kitchenered them on Monday night and he wore them to work on Tuesday. 

The hydrangea shawl is knit in the 50% superwash merino and 50% tencel blend; the colorway is Gregory.  This was the second time I knit this very basic garter stitch shawl and yet this time I didn't want it to end.  The feel of the fiber is simply amazing.  I blocked it on Wednesday night and I will wear it tomorrow when I attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  This will be about my tenth year there and I do not need yarn; that's an understatement.  However, I plan to make a beeline for the Clover Hill booth so that I can purchase more C*eye*ber Fiber. 

Traveling...Lots of Knitting...and Buying Yarn!

April is upon us.  For this "us," my husband and me, it means the travel month. We've been halfway dreading and halfway looking forward to this month ever since we realized that we would be away every weekend in April. 

Sounds fun, right?  Not when you consider that they are all for work.  Yet, very much fun because he is going with me to my work cities and me to his.  My cities: New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia. His city: San Francisco.

New Orleans was first, last weekend.  There, I had very little free time, but free time enough to walk to the quarter stitch in the French Quarter.  While there, I purchased this:


            

              

            

I could not resist the colors, a blend of my favorite reds and purples, along with the Southwestern hues of browns and oranges that I love.  The store has this yarn dyed specifically for them. 

What's funny is that I was in a bit of a hurry to get in and out of the store.  In my haste, I totally forgot to find out about the fiber content and washing instructions, and that is not stated on the tag.  The store has no website, so I'll need to call, I suppose. 

I do know that it is probably worsted weight and feels like a cotton blend.  I have almost totally decided that it will be knit into the Minimalist Cardigan from last fall's Interweave Knits.  With that pattern and this new lovely bundle of yarn,  I'm sure that it will become a much worn sweater.

The New Orleans trip included at least five hours of airport/plane knitting.  San Francisco is going to be eleven hours of flying knitting.  In the meantime, I have begun commuting to work via subway; almost an hour of commuter knitting, daily.   Damn, I get excited just typing this!

Eventually, I'll get back to a somewhat normal routine of weekly blog posts with pattern critiques.  That is, between suitcase changes and laundry.  In the meantime, I'll post about my yarn finds.  Lord knows, I'll have enough time to complete projects for the critiques. 

Hmmm, maybe I'll write those while I'm in meetings???....

Love m' Feather n' Fans

Because I often don't knit from a particular pattern, not all of my finished projects can be "(knit)crit-iqued;" at least not in the format that I have established.  Currently, many of my works-in-progress are nearing completion, so there will be pattern reviews soon.  For the time being, I took a look back at my projects to see if there was a pattern that I failed to review.  No, but there are a couple of favorite shawls that I have not shared, to-date.
  These are my two Feather and Fan wraps/shawls.  The black one was knit in Misti Alpaca Chunky baby alpaca; the tan one in Karabella Aurora 8, an extrafine Merino.

I would venture that this stitch pattern is the most popular among all others.  Today, a Google Image search returns 112,000 images and there are 1,541 matching projects on Ravelry when Feather and Fan is entered as a search.  It's popularity is in the combination of a simple pattern repeat, using an uncomplicated blend of knits, purls and yarn-overs.  From one pattern to the next, there is some variation, but the end result is the same - a lovely scalloped stitch pattern that just screams "loveliness."
  The size of the black one is 15 inches wide by 70 inches long, and boy, does the chunky alpaca stretch!  I call this shawl my cocoon, since I can burrow into it for warmth when I am cold, and comfort when I'm feeling crappy.  The softness of the yarn adds to the overall good feeling of this shawl.
 
I knit the tan one 11 inches wide by 66 inches long, with the idea that it would wrap around and lay nicely on my shoulders.  I probably should have knit another 6 inches or so, since it does wrap, but falls off of my shoulders more than I would like.  Sometimes I add a shawl pin to anchor it, but for some reason, it still won't stay in place for any length of time.  However, that doesn't deter me, in the least, from wearing it often.  Both wraps have become staples of my wardrobe.

If you haven't knit a Feather and Fan object, give it a try!  You'll be happy with the results.  If you have knit one, please share via a link for my readers and me to enjoy...

Utility Knitting

There are times when just knowing how to knit can come in handy.  It's rather like knowing how to sew on a button, or how to change a bike tire (which I don't, but we won't go there).

A couple of weeks ago, as I was washing my face one evening, I thought to myself that I really needed to purchase new washcloths.  And then there was an "aha" moment; I could just knit one.  In fact, in my stash I had some Peaches and Cream cotton yarn in a color that would go well in the new bathroom.  I pulled out my Knitters Stash for a pattern idea and voila!  Instant gratification!

The ridges are great for massaging tired muscles at the end of the day and the thick cotton, when I get it really hot, just feels amazing.  From "aha" to "ahhhhhhhhhhhh....."

   

                

Congratulations!

                   
The winner of the lovely Lisa Souza and Artyarns Yarns is the author of the Purloined Letter Blog!  I will deliver the yarn in person to her at our next SSK gathering.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Equal Justice Foundation!

Antiques in Alexandria

This weekend is the annual Antiques in Alexandria show.  Twelve years ago, the show was founded by my parents, who loved and obsessed over antiques with quite a similar passion as my love for knitting and related fiber arts. 

My mother passed away in 1999 and then my dad died this past September.  This year's show is a memorial to him.  In order to carry on the legacy, I began doing some volunteer work this year (and will likely do more in future years).

These are not your thrift store antiques, either.  These are the big league, or should I say, the expensive league.  OMG, the prices on some of the pieces are just unbelievable! 

Usually, I stroll the booths with an "ooh" or "ah,"  but this item forced much more air out of my lungs:

It is a swift, yes; one carved out of ivory, with silver inlays.  Of course, I was attracted to it.  I walked over to look at it and then looked down and saw this:

Do you see the price?  It is forty-five thousand dollars!!!! One dealer so kindly advised me that there was likely some bargaining room there.  Thanks, but not the bargaining room necessary to bring the lovely swift home with me.

In previous years, I have bid on a silent auction item here and there.  I've even won one or two.  Imagine my surprise when I came upon this in the silent auction:

It seemed strange that it would be included in the auction, but I soon learned that it had belonged to the grandmother of the woman in charge of the silent auction.

I bought it!

You see, during the opening preview event, the silent auction bidding could be eliminated if a certain "buy now" price was paid.  I couldn't resist.  No, I don't spin; at least not yet anyway.  And, I know very little about this wheel, but will learn more when I pick it up tomorrow.  In the meantime, I envision it placed in the middle of the front bay window in my living room.  There, I can display it where the sun will shine on it during the day and the torchierre light at night.

Mom and Dad, thanks!

A Great K Day

Knitting friend Barbara and I ran away to the Eastern Shore of Maryland today.  During the week, I had received information about a Knitting Day Party to be held at the Women's Club of St. Michaels.  Totally tempting was the fact that Blue Heron Yarns would be there.  I really love the colors of their yarns, although I must admit to never having purchased any; well, that is, not until today.

We walked in and immediately immersed ourself in the yarns of Dragonfly Fiber Designs.  As we soaked in the yarns, owner Kate was having a conversation with Pooh about the Silver Spring Knitters group.  Oh my god, that's my group; the one I started and attend every Tuesday!  (Fortunately, they were saying nice things about it and I encouraged them to come).  But, it got even better.  Turns out, Kate is a neighbor of mine; with gorgeous colourways in her sock and laceweight yarns; and she has a sit and knit group at her house on Sunday nights.  It was like a dream and immediately escalated to the top of the "who knew" list.

I purchased two sock yarns from Dragonfly.  One, primarily brown for a pair of socks for my husband.  The other is a scrumptious blend of blues and browns, in a heavier weight superwash, for "me" socks.

   
Then I wandered over to the Blue Heron table.  She had brought a small supply of yarns for the event, but the colors were irresistible.  Yet, I couldn't make up my mind.  There were feather and fan shawl samples - gorgeous.  On another table was a lace scarf in silk - lovely. 

I sat down and pulled out my knitting.  There at the table were new knitting friends and I became absorbed in the conversation, deep down thinking that I was going to leave without purchasing any Blue Heron and waffling between pride and panic.  But, then, the woman sitting beside me, a new knitter, described her project.  It was Sonnet from Kniitty; a sideways cardigan, the "mom" sweater to the Haiku baby sweater that I knit previously, and a "want to do" project.  She was using the Blue Heron rayon yarn. That did it.  I put down my knitting and raced to the Blue Heron rack, where I bought two skeins of the beaded rayon in the Sandstone colourway.
 
                     

The women running the event had made some delicious soup and pasta, with yummy brownies for dessert.  There was dying going on in the kitchen, spinning to one side of our table, and a variety of chatter and instruction all around.  With the blink of an eye, it was 3pm and we'd been there for four hours.  After good-byes and packing up of our purchases, we left with great big smiles and wonderfully satisfied feelings that go along with a memorable afternoon.  Tomorrow night, we're both going to Kate's house for her sit and knit group!

In closing, one more Great K to mention...congratulations to Coach K on win #800!  Go Duke!