tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84483843681629451722024-03-13T03:05:14.679-07:00lost the threadEvelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.comBlogger297125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-67832412119374854892018-09-23T12:55:00.002-07:002018-09-23T12:55:45.739-07:00KnittingSomeone asked me the advantages and disadvantages of knitting. This is all I could think of.<br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSK1cGqnFH4D3qLoQCMnjq-6cyfelrfIOb7x-FXuOMu9Gn34zdm" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="245" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSK1cGqnFH4D3qLoQCMnjq-6cyfelrfIOb7x-FXuOMu9Gn34zdm" /></a></div>
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Advantages:</div>
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 2em 1em 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">The equipment needed to get started is extremely minimal and easily available (2 pointed sticks and some yarn.)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">There’s virtually no mess and no set up and take down time required.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">You can do it almost anywhere. It’s quiet and you can do other things (like listen to the radio, podcasts, tv, or movies at the same time. Some people can walk or read at the same time that they knit!)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">It can be done in a relaxing position, sitting back in a chair or even lying in bed (unlike say machine sewing, which requires hunching over a machine.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Unlike say crossword puzzles or Sudoku, you have a useful product when you’re done.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">It can be quite simple (a garter stitch scarf) or extremely complex (a lace shawl or complex cabled sweater).</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">If it’s simple, it’s very meditative.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">It’s it’s more complex, it challenges your mind and keeps you sharp and focused.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">If you make a mistake, you can rip it out and re-use the same materials over again (unlike cutting into apiece of wood or fabric.)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">If you have enough knitted things, you can knit for charity.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">You can do it with knitting friends in a social setting or you can do it alone. No specific number of people is needed.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">You can do it rain or shine. Some people can knit in the dark, so even if the power goes out, you can keep yourself occupied. (I use a headlamp in that case.)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Children can learn, and people into their 90s can still do it.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">You can make clothing or other items to fit your exact size and shape.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Even when you’re using a pattern, you add your own creativity in choosing the color and the exact yarn.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">You don’t get bored in places where you have to wait—the doctor’s office, an airport, an airplane even, are great for knitting.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; position: relative;">Even if you don’t feel at your best, you can probably still enjoy knitting.</li>
</ul>
<div class="ui_qtext_para" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
Disadvantages:</div>
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; list-style: disc; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 2em; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; position: relative;">It doesn’t burn very many calories.</li>
</ul>
Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-85425727183729540052018-01-12T16:13:00.004-08:002018-01-12T16:14:02.904-08:00Immigration<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Donald Trump wants to know why we have to take immigrants
from “shithole" countries, and why we can’t have more immigrants from places
like Norway.
I can’t imagine that he doesn’t understand this, but he’s kind of slow, so I
will try to explain it to him.</div>
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Why do people pack up a small portion of their belongings,
leaving everything else behind—the bed that was grandma’s, the house the family
has lived in for generations, all their high school friends and all their
cousins and aunts and uncles, their job, their certifications, their favorite
foods and special holidays—and strike out for a new life in a new country? </div>
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Well, the question more or less answers itself. No one
really wants to tear up roots like that (and be aware that people in most countries
have far deeper roots than we Americans do, roots that go back not just decades
or generations but millennia). People only do this because, in some sense or
another, they have to. </div>
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It is only people with little to lose and much to gain who
would be willing to spin that roulette wheel with their own lives and the lives
of their family. </div>
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But people do want to take that chance—because they see
something here that they can’t achieve within their own country and culture and
language. </div>
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Try to imagine that. Try to imagine yourself or your father
and mother, facing a choice so stark: give up everything we know and love, or
stay here and give up on our children’s future? Try to imagine that the world
is ordered differently, and people born in America
can’t fulfill their potential here and have to find a way, somehow, to get into
a place like China.
And when they get there, people look down on them for their yellow hair and
their pale pasty skin, and they make fun of the way they talk, and they think
the food they eat smells bad and tastes worse. </div>
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But there you are, one of the lucky ones who got in. Your
Chinese is so bad that people laugh in your face and make fun of how you talk. Huh?
What? You no speak? Hahah They expect you to do the jobs that no Chinese will
do, and the fact that you were a teacher in the US means nothing to them. But no
matter how much you struggle, you have the hope that at least your kids will
grow up and speak decent Chinese, and they will have a chance at a better life.
</div>
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Absurd? Unimaginable? That is the reality of millions of
people who come here. They didn’t come here for fun. They came because as hard
as it is, as depressing as it is, as heart-breaking and degrading as it is, it’s
better than the alternative, for one reason or another—maybe because of religious
persecution, or because of war or gangs, or simply because of economics. </div>
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Imagine if you worked in Michigan
for $10 an hour, and you knew that if you simply walked through the woods into Canada, you
could earn $100 an hour. You could send money home to you elderly parents. You
could get medical care for your son with a birth defect. And suppose the Canadian
government said, “No, sorry, we don’t need you”—but you knew that an employer
in Canada
would be willing to hire you and pay you 10 times what you were making. Would
you obey the law, or would you obey a deeper law, the one that says you do
whatever it takes to provide for your family. </div>
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Would any person leave home and culture unless something
very strong were driving that choice? Sell all their possessions and pack what
they can into 2 suitcases? Spend several years trying just to learn enough of
the language to be able to answer the doctor, the police officer, the boss on
the worksite? Ache with loneliness at every holiday and every special occasion,
missing those left behind? Missing the weather, the land, the deep knowledge of
their own traditions and language? </div>
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Would a Norwegian, or a Dane, or a Swiss person undertake
such a thing? For what? </div>
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Would you willingly start a new life in even so similar a
culture as Spain or Italy, never mind Vietnam
or Algeria?
Could you accommodate yourself to living in Japan for the rest of your life,
having your children speak Japanese and your grandchildren not even understand
English? </div>
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Do you have any idea how much people sacrifice of their
self-image, their dignity, their self-confidence, going through culture shock,
sitting in a classroom at night, after working all day, trying to learn the
verb tenses and the idioms or another language? </div>
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Why do we take people from shit-hole countries? Because they’re
the ones who are willing to face all this. They have so few choices that even
this tough one is better than what they have. We used to understand this. We
even wrote poems about it and carved it on the base of the statue that
represents our country—a country of liberty: </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">"Give me your tired, your poor,<br />
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,<br />
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.<br />
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.<br />
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."</span></div>
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Give me these people from these shit-hole countries, and
watch what they can do once they can breathe free! I lift my lamp not out of
pity, but out of the knowledge that these people will bring strength and
vitality and creativity and gratitude to this country, and they will show those
shit-hole countries what its own people are actually capable of, given a chance.
</div>
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Look at pictures of the immigrants of old, landing at Ellis Island. They were not “the best,” the cream of Russia and Poland
and Italy’s
crop. They were not highly educated. But they had the gumption to come, and
they are Americans, 100% now. The countries sending them were dirt poor. Norwegians
were dirt poor once too. The Irish were so poor that they subsisted on a single
crop, potatoes, and when the crop failed, they starved literally to death. Koreans
were the poorest people in the world in 1954! And believe me, when the pilgrims
got on that pitiful little ship, England was glad to see their
backs. And when they got lost on the way to Virginia
and ended up in Massachusetts
in December without adequate supplies or skills, the Patuxet Indians didn’t think
they looked too promising. They were no one’s idea of the best and brightest! </div>
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Anyone who doesn’t know all this and who doesn’t take pride
in it is not a real American. Anyone who thinks that it’s time to pull up the
drawbridge and make America great by making it less true to its own ideal and
history is not worthy of the name American. They are, if I may use the
vernacular, full of shit. </div>
Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-20987717925749993392017-01-23T13:25:00.001-08:002017-01-29T18:33:40.880-08:00Finally! A new design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aLiFinlbdsA/WIZzuAGUKXI/AAAAAAAACjg/Se6FwzNSTCIZLYCWnvcoy_E4y7yv6kpGgCLcB/s1600/IMG_2487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aLiFinlbdsA/WIZzuAGUKXI/AAAAAAAACjg/Se6FwzNSTCIZLYCWnvcoy_E4y7yv6kpGgCLcB/s1600/IMG_2487.JPG" /></a></div>
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This design has been in my head for years, and last summer I decided to work it up. I had it test-knit and people said it seemed too small, maybe preemie size. Back to the drawing board, and I made a larger size, intending to offer it with 2 sizes. But this time testers thought the armhole was too tight (and I hate that feeling in my own clothes and certainly don't want babies to feel it!)<br />
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Finally, with this winter break, I had time to knit it up for a third time, along with a hat (not pictured), and it has been thoroughly tested and revised. <br />
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I love the combination of garter and the corrugated stitch pattern, and I love the fact that it is unisex and seamless! The Twist Cotton yarn is delicious and I actually enjoyed knitting it all three times! :-) <br />
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And here's the live link: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/greenfields-baby-cardigan-and-hat" target="_blank">Greenfields Baby Cardigan and Hat. </a><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vSL4Xb1-KHw/WIZzwJX6ckI/AAAAAAAACjk/BtvhAwqmG_I9I5ZFKYJm8gYrK6g5bkMcwCLcB/s1600/IMG_2565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vSL4Xb1-KHw/WIZzwJX6ckI/AAAAAAAACjk/BtvhAwqmG_I9I5ZFKYJm8gYrK6g5bkMcwCLcB/s320/IMG_2565.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-77103873774197145052015-10-24T16:52:00.002-07:002015-10-24T16:52:35.921-07:00Greenleaf Baby Hat hits the big time!My pattern for <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/greenleaf-baby-hat" target="_blank">Greenleaf Baby Hat </a>has been published in <a href="http://www.storey.com/prebook_detail.php?isbn=9781612124803&cat=PreRelease" target="_blank">101 One-Skein Wonders for Babies,</a> and it was such a thrill to see the book on the shelf at my local Barnes & Noble, knowing that my work is in it!<br />
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The book has so many cute patterns for baby things--everything from booties and bibs to blankets. And of course, many cute hats, But may I say that I am pretty proud of my little hat. :-)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xdIhZAtYaRs/ViwY9W_PQpI/AAAAAAAACis/dXIQyVc7g90/s1600/Greenleaf%2BHat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xdIhZAtYaRs/ViwY9W_PQpI/AAAAAAAACis/dXIQyVc7g90/s320/Greenleaf%2BHat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I still remember the moment the design for this hat came to me: I had the basic roll-brim hat mostly done, and I was driving home from the Farmer's Market on Carson Street, talking to my daughter about how I was going to end it off, and the idea for a little leaf just popped into my head! I went home and finished it off, and I loved how it turned out. And I guess other people like it too, because <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/greenleaf-baby-hat/people" target="_blank">over 900 finished ones have been posted on Ravelry!</a><br />
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Now it lives on in book form, and I hope many more knitters enjoy making it and many more babies enjoy wearing it! <br />
<br />Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-42236962373243070262015-04-26T08:41:00.001-07:002015-04-26T08:41:05.528-07:00Vested Interest<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/EvelynU/impressionist-jacket" target="_blank">This </a>was one of the worst, and best, knitting experiences ever.<br />
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It was the worst most of the way through. It was tedious, stopping after every 8 rows to change colors, many many ends to weave in, and no easy rhythm to it. Also, all the black sections required short rows and for the first half of it, I was definitely doing the short rows wrong. Then I started doing them right, I'm pretty sure, but they still looked awkward, at best. I used the Japanese method, attaching a pin and then pulling a stitch up into place. At first I was knitting the two together before the gap instead of after. I hoped that because it was all black, the bad short rows wouldn't show.<br />
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Also, all during the knitting, the whole thing looked short and wide, not a look I need to add to my body! The pattern assured me that they had taken this into account and that blocking would cure all. But I had doubts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qkN4j9Qco2k/VT0GUl6X9RI/AAAAAAAACh8/PhhOHAdLZs8/s1600/sweater%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qkN4j9Qco2k/VT0GUl6X9RI/AAAAAAAACh8/PhhOHAdLZs8/s1600/sweater%2B2.JPG" /></a></div>
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I started this in May 2014, set it aside more than once, and finally forced myself to finish it in April 2015. I just wanted it off my conscience. The yarn had been cut into short segments, so frogging it was not a possibility, and I wanted it out of my bag and if it was a failure, I could give it to Goodwill and move on.<br />
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So I finished it by sheer willpower. I crocheted the shoulders together and across the back neck. <br />
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And I soaked it in warm water and held it up and allowed the weight of the water to pull it down, just the way you're warned *not* to do, and suddenly--oh, the length looks right! The width is less!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Yq1pKhf7aw/VT0GncsJEZI/AAAAAAAACiE/JFJvYsmsqPc/s1600/Impressionist%2BVest1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Yq1pKhf7aw/VT0GncsJEZI/AAAAAAAACiE/JFJvYsmsqPc/s1600/Impressionist%2BVest1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I hung it to dry in the hot car, again letting gravity have its way.<br />
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And it is wonderful! One of the nicest things I have ever knit! It is alpaca and silk, so warm and light. I got it finished in time to wear it in the cool spring weather we have been having. And to wear to Vogue Live, where I also saw the original version of it, and I like mine better (as a couple of other people also mentioned.) A woman stopped me at the mall to comment on it, and she wasn't even a knitter!<br />
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So the moral of this story is, what? Trust the pattern? Finish what you start? Sometimes, the goddess of knitting smiles on you? Yeah, all of that. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lh6egKsTiA4/VT0GGeENzaI/AAAAAAAAChw/aV1IC-GdsGU/s1600/Vest%2Bback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lh6egKsTiA4/VT0GGeENzaI/AAAAAAAAChw/aV1IC-GdsGU/s1600/Vest%2Bback.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
(PS: I was right--the blackness hides all the mistakes in the short rows. And the colors catch the eye, so that no one, not even me, notices the imperfections.) Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-18622779357107898122015-04-04T17:31:00.003-07:002015-04-05T08:38:09.417-07:00Slippery SlopeOk, I guess it's time to get back in the saddle here--it's been almost a year since I last posted. So let's jump in to what's new, and let bygones be bygones.<br />
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I created a new pattern and posted it on Ravelry today. I named it <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/slippery-elm-cowl-and-cap" target="_blank">Slippery Elm Cowl and Cap,</a> for a couple of reasons. I am crazy about how much bang for the buck you can get out of the simplest slipped-stitch pattern. It is ridiculously easy to do, faster than knitting or purling, and it gives a really nice textured look. I based it on a pattern called G'day, but I didn't like having to do knit 1, purl 1, so I changed it up and it looks just as good as if I had bothered with all that k1 p1 business.<br />
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I used <a href="http://www.twistyarns.com/store/http%3A-twistyarnscom-store-yarn-malabrigo-sock-malabrigo-sock-ivy/dp/567" target="_blank">Malabrigo Sock yarn. </a><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0W755IAq5zk/VSCCOCebEEI/AAAAAAAACg0/4CASBnVUvqk/s1600/Cowl%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0W755IAq5zk/VSCCOCebEEI/AAAAAAAACg0/4CASBnVUvqk/s1600/Cowl%2B5.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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After I made the cowl, I had a sizeable chunk of yarn left and I wondered if I could get a hat out of it. I pulled the cowl onto my head to see if the size would work, and it was pretty much right on. So I tried that, and it worked: a cute little light-weight cap for spring and fall in cold climates.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MrcSPtFaJB0/VSFWZ9ywLNI/AAAAAAAAChU/YiUJBbhgXrk/s1600/cowl%2Band%2Bcap%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MrcSPtFaJB0/VSFWZ9ywLNI/AAAAAAAAChU/YiUJBbhgXrk/s1600/cowl%2Band%2Bcap%2B005.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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But then I wondered, what if you live in a truly cold place (Chicago, Hartland, I mean you!) and you wanted a hat that would actually keep your ears warm. So I changed needle size, dug some Aran to chunky weight yarn out of my stash, and tried at that scale, and I came up with a workable hat on size 9s.<br />
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I decided that I would break with my tradition of $1 patterns, and charge $3 for this one, since it's 3 patterns in one.<br />
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I loved knitting this cowl so much I did it three times--once for Kristen, once for me, and once in a cashmere mix for my sister Karen in Maine. (the cashmere mix did not have enough yardage to get a cap out of it.) Unfortunately, I didn't think to take a picture of Karen's cowl before I gave it to her and left.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VeBX3lXnEyk/VSCCU_X82VI/AAAAAAAACg8/or8WVEEAfyQ/s1600/cowl%2Band%2Bcap%2B007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VeBX3lXnEyk/VSCCU_X82VI/AAAAAAAACg8/or8WVEEAfyQ/s1600/cowl%2Band%2Bcap%2B007.JPG" height="320" width="299" /></a></div>
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Sam gave me a gift certificate for Christmas to <a href="http://www.twistyarns.com/" target="_blank">Twist, Yarns of Intrigue, </a>and I used it to buy a complete set (US 5, 6, 7, and 8) of 16" needles in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=addi+sock+rocket&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=65922472392&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13182541425353604658&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_4yp7oq1fq9_e" target="_blank">Addi Sock Rocket format,</a> and those needles do indeed rock! I enjoyed the combination of nice yarn, an easy stitch pattern, and great needles! <br />
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<br />Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-81896757254926623152014-05-03T08:42:00.002-07:002014-05-03T08:42:31.538-07:00The Shawls ContinueSo in addition to making silly little animals, I have also made several more shawls over the past few months.<br />
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The best shawl ever, of all time, is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/marjamets-shawl" target="_blank">the Marjamets shawl</a> which came out better than I could have hoped. The yarn is from Twist, a lovely grey with a hint of purple, with beads--just perfect!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_tbKuhZTmHo/U2UMcsvi_WI/AAAAAAAACfg/r0-2Ut2bPdc/s1600/shawl+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_tbKuhZTmHo/U2UMcsvi_WI/AAAAAAAACfg/r0-2Ut2bPdc/s1600/shawl+5.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pictures do not do it justice--the shape, the size, the drape, all perfect.<br />
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And then I improvised another shawl, with the thought that I might publish it, but I probably will not. Too similar both to a previous design and to the pattern which inspired it. I call it Winter Sky:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qgOGFwGQ8P0/U2UNTqnTghI/AAAAAAAACf8/MIi4Qk3s6Aw/s1600/shawl+color+in+sunlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qgOGFwGQ8P0/U2UNTqnTghI/AAAAAAAACf8/MIi4Qk3s6Aw/s1600/shawl+color+in+sunlight.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/EvelynU/marjamets-shawl" target="_blank">Link to my page here.</a> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/EvelynU/sublime-shibori-shawl" target="_blank">And here. </a><br />
<br />Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-87650706440179295162014-04-27T17:28:00.002-07:002014-04-27T17:28:47.162-07:00Little ToysOh sure, I've done a lot of things since last January, but right now I just want to upload pictures of two little animal toys that I improvised. The cat is a copy of a design I saw as part of a kit, and the rabbit is my own work entirely.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FWcSrcpOYmk/U12gfKccqfI/AAAAAAAACfI/MIKL1BbrtJg/s1600/kitten+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FWcSrcpOYmk/U12gfKccqfI/AAAAAAAACfI/MIKL1BbrtJg/s1600/kitten+3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PehPXJ5c3U4/U12gigyDqDI/AAAAAAAACfQ/BK1rQewRy3E/s1600/rabbit+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PehPXJ5c3U4/U12gigyDqDI/AAAAAAAACfQ/BK1rQewRy3E/s1600/rabbit+1.jpg" /></a></div>
I plan to make these again, keeping careful notes, and make the instructions available. <br />
<br />Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-18149142892179070792014-01-20T13:10:00.001-08:002014-01-20T16:05:06.381-08:00There and Back Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x4ehQ7IBUfw/Ut2P_f7euMI/AAAAAAAACeo/klqHCmVQIME/s1600/ice1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x4ehQ7IBUfw/Ut2P_f7euMI/AAAAAAAACeo/klqHCmVQIME/s1600/ice1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I spent a week in Maine, during which I basically sat in the house and looked out at the amazing ice that sparkled everywhere.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uWO3nA5dqoQ/Ut2P4-NzeuI/AAAAAAAACeg/CChVGxIv7UU/s1600/citron5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uWO3nA5dqoQ/Ut2P4-NzeuI/AAAAAAAACeg/CChVGxIv7UU/s1600/citron5.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pwUHKNKnr18/Ut2PzemkFHI/AAAAAAAACeY/OImiWamJ_EA/s1600/babysweater8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pwUHKNKnr18/Ut2PzemkFHI/AAAAAAAACeY/OImiWamJ_EA/s1600/babysweater8.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />And I knit. I finished Citron in a bright spring green.<br />
And I made an adorable baby sweater for the baby-to-be of a co-worker. <br />
And now I'm ready to go back to school! <br />
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Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-8826579179926459752013-12-31T14:49:00.000-08:002013-12-31T14:49:18.788-08:00Out with the Old, In with the NewThe trend of knitting shawlettes continues...and this time I even designed one and published the pattern on Ravelry.<br />
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So last one first: Winterberry Shawlette<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GRGR8vSjo3I/UsM53YS1nuI/AAAAAAAACa8/V3oTfw6nxc0/s1600/Winterberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GRGR8vSjo3I/UsM53YS1nuI/AAAAAAAACa8/V3oTfw6nxc0/s320/Winterberry.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/winterberry-shawlette" target="_blank">available on Ravelry.</a><br />
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Before that, I also knit Skywaves.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5oRz2BPPXDU/UsNCRD3qTTI/AAAAAAAACbc/k-apu3zg3G4/s1600/skywave3_medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5oRz2BPPXDU/UsNCRD3qTTI/AAAAAAAACbc/k-apu3zg3G4/s320/skywave3_medium.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
This is made of lovely camel and silk and is really great to wrap around your neck.<br />
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And I made Garter Love, from the Sock Yarn Shawls book.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xtwYByBaI_I/UsNCjt62wcI/AAAAAAAACbk/pwvMtz83i3M/s1600/garterlove1_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xtwYByBaI_I/UsNCjt62wcI/AAAAAAAACbk/pwvMtz83i3M/s320/garterlove1_medium2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
And I still wasn't done! From the same book, I made Timpani.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uuXjvNC0j34/UsNDjEta2dI/AAAAAAAACbw/7YeTeu9B-_8/s1600/Timpani+right.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uuXjvNC0j34/UsNDjEta2dI/AAAAAAAACbw/7YeTeu9B-_8/s320/Timpani+right.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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And now I'm chugging away on Citron, which has been in my queue forever.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--xh4W3UmFvg/UsNJcZrYX5I/AAAAAAAACcA/opZeobjAYCo/s1600/Citron+in+progress.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--xh4W3UmFvg/UsNJcZrYX5I/AAAAAAAACcA/opZeobjAYCo/s320/Citron+in+progress.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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So let's just say that my neck will be nice and warm.<br />
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Sadly, my feet will be chilly--two pairs of socks developed hole sin the bottom of the heels, including one pair that is only 2 months old. 100% for socks? I hate you!!Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-23173058190811123492013-10-20T18:31:00.000-07:002013-10-20T18:35:25.121-07:00OctoberEven here in California, October feels a little like a turning point. School is in full swing, and rain becomes a possibility. The urge to knit grows stronger.<br />
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Here's what I've been knitting:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-idXZdcEKo8Q/UmSBO8ZiuyI/AAAAAAAACZ4/UDNOHpSyjhg/s1600/mink+scarf5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-idXZdcEKo8Q/UmSBO8ZiuyI/AAAAAAAACZ4/UDNOHpSyjhg/s320/mink+scarf5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The yarn is fingering weight, 100% mink! Yes, mink. It is lovely and soft, and is somehow sheared from the minks without harming them, and spun into a beautiful yarn. The pattern is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/herringbone-scarf-5" target="_blank">Herringbone,</a> and it is the simplest of lace, with only 2 rows to the instructions. But it has all the qualities that tend to drive me crazy--simply a rectangle, so once you cast on and start, every inch is exactly the same as every previous inch, and a scarf is a lot of inches! Plus, although the pattern is very simple, it's not completely mindless, so i kept making mistakes and having to frog it. I finally put stitch markers in, and although I had to move them on every other row, since the stitch count changes, that was still faster than mistakes!<br />
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It turned out lovely, and I will be giving it to a person who did me a big favor. <br />
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I also made these beauties:<br />
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This was my first time trying mosaic knitting, which is a kind of magic whereby you create detailed patterns while only ever using one yarn at a time. They're called Ugly Duckling Socks, since they turn ugly yarn into something much prettier.<br />
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On the needles at the moment are two shawls: Skywave and Garter Love. Pictures to follow. Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-49310429428402684382013-08-07T11:27:00.001-07:002013-08-07T11:27:11.789-07:00Family Road TripWe decided to take what may be one last family vacation, before Kristen starts business school. Our plan worked out better than we dared imagine. With an 11-year-old car, we weren't sure it would be safe to drive through so much desolation, and first thought about renting a car or flying part of the way, but finances finally dictated otherwise, so with an oil change and 2 new tires, we set out.<br />
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Day 1: Drive from LA to Las Vegas. The road there is mostly sheer nothingness--no people, no trees, no interesting rock formations, just nothing. And then suddenly, Las Vegas! It was as tacky as we expected, and gambling doesn't really seem like fun and it's kind of intimidating to a beginner, so we only lost about $50, and called it a day. I did order my first martini! (I've led a sheltered life.) And the rooms there are crazy cheap.<br />
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Day 2: Long drive--Las Vegas, across all of Utah, and into Colorado, to Grand Junction. Amazing scenery the whole way. Grand Junction is a kind of Shangri-la, a town of artsy shops and sophisticated restaurants in the middle of nowhere. We ate Nepali food there!<br />
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Day 3: Begin re-tracing our steps homeward, at a slower pace, with stops to see national parks. Colorado National Monument is far more interesting than the name implies. Utah Route 128, a scenic byway, was phenomenal, more picturesque than many national parks I've seen. We stopped for lunch at Red Cliffs Lodge and also got some wine at the winery (Castle Creek Winery). Boatloads of raft-ers were also having lunch there, as the road follows right alongside the Colorado River. Then Arches National Park, where you can't actually see many arches from the road, and we are not hikers. But still, some beautiful sights.<br />
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Day 4: Spent the night in Richfield, Utah, and drove to Boulder, Nevada. Drove through Bryce Canyon National Park, which has rock formations called hoodoos, that look like they must be ancient weathered human statues, and Zion National Park, one of the most amazing roads--a mile long tunnel through the middle of a high mountain, with occasional windows where you can catch a glimpse of vistas out the side, and then you are out in a canyon surrounded by enormous red mountains everywhere. Then on to Boulder City, Nevada.<br />
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Day 5: Boulder City is right next to the Hoover Dam, an engineering
marvel, now overlooked by a bridge named for Pat Tillman that connects
the NAFTA road from Mexico to Canada. </div>
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And then home, 1800 miles in all, and the only traffic jams were on isolated stretches of road not far from Las Vegas, for no apparent reason. It was a wonderful experience, and this is an amazing country! <br /><br />
<br />Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-37530140653978997102013-06-21T08:29:00.000-07:002013-06-21T08:29:05.607-07:00Garter Stitch Forever!I didn't like garter stitch at first, but it's growing on me! Especially with pretty yarns. And none of that darned rolling to try to counter-act.<br />
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How many shawls does a person in Southern California need, anyhow? I don't know, but I enjoy making them.<br />
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The first is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/savina">Savina,</a> alternating two rows of a solid dark blue and 4 rows of a yarn that has long stretches of light blue to dark blue. (Called gradient yarn. from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/knitcircus">Knitcircus</a>.)<br />
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And this is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wingspan-2">Wingspan </a>knit with a single skein of sock yarn from Twist, called <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/schoppel-wolle-zauberball-100">Zauberball. </a><br />
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After all that garter stitch and neck wrapping, I cast on 550 or more stitches to begin a sweater called <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/coat-of-many-colors-4">Coat of Many Colors,</a> but after 7 rows of 550+ stitches, I found that I had a twist in the cast on.<br />
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I was so disheartened that I had to put that project in a time-out, and I started yet one more garter stitch shawl, this one done with a cast on of just 4 stitches! It's my own pattern, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/deep-blue-seas-garter-shawl">Deep Blue Seas Shawl</a>,
but the colors are shadings of light green and purple. So rather than
the deep blue seas, I like to think it will look like fields of lavender
in Provence....maybe? <br />
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My Coat of Many Colors will in fact only have browns and black, and it will have to wait till fall to re-enter the line-up. Really, it was never meant to be summer knitting!<br />
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I might go for some actual lace next. Or maybe just more garter stitch....I do have a couple more balls of nice sock yarn that need to be a simple shawl....Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-90100511400785084792013-05-13T09:05:00.002-07:002013-05-17T15:12:24.131-07:00The Things We Knit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been knitting a lot of items that consist of either lots of stockinette or lots of garter stitch. Very restful, or possibly just boring. But detailed things can only be done under just the right circumstances.<br />
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Well, all right, let's start with the lacy bits. A February Baby Sweater for Katie's baby (Emily Paige Elwell-Thomas, born Saturday, May 10, 2013.)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfjCHpz3yZo/UZaqwR4eXVI/AAAAAAAACUE/dyV3FVxWbTU/s1600/Emily+in+Greenleaf+Hat..jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfjCHpz3yZo/UZaqwR4eXVI/AAAAAAAACUE/dyV3FVxWbTU/s320/Emily+in+Greenleaf+Hat..jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
And here's Emily herself in the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/greenleaf-baby-hat">Greenleaf Hat</a> I designed and knit. <br />
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And a cowl for myself. <br />
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Gingko shawlette <br />
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And then the time-sucks...an alpaca garter-stitch shawl <br />
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My favorite sweater yet, Swing Pullover, also in alpaca <br />
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A sort of kimono-style in mohair, silk and linen paper!<br />
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And Vitamin D.<br />
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And I am currently working on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wingspan-2">Wingspan. </a>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-3750358930070420472013-01-24T13:16:00.002-08:002013-01-24T13:16:55.511-08:00WinterNo, we don't have real winter in Los Angeles. But I take a trip to *visit* winter almost every year. So here are some images of winter in central Maine.<br />
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The fuzzy-looking ones are not due to bad photography--they're due to snow. <br />
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<br />Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-17651388781468530722012-12-28T19:25:00.001-08:002013-01-24T13:18:15.629-08:00Christmas KnitsI am glad to have a daughter who lives in a cold climate, so that I can give her handknits for Christmas. And she likes them, too! :-)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V2Wuk3acvj8/UN5g5wb39oI/AAAAAAAACPg/7T8VDiFyO2Q/s1600/October+2012+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V2Wuk3acvj8/UN5g5wb39oI/AAAAAAAACPg/7T8VDiFyO2Q/s320/October+2012+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Dressy shawl <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dinner-in-the-eiffel-tower-shawl">(Dinner at the Eiffel Tower) </a><br />
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Warm Shawl/scarf (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hitchhiker">Hitchhiker</a>)<br />
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Socks, 10% cashmere<br />
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A very <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/EvelynU/slouchy-ridged-hat">warm hat, bulky alpaca</a><br />
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Daughter, in hat! :-)<br />
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And <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/EvelynU/eloomanators-diagonal-knit-dishcloth">two wash cloths.</a><br />
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The slippers I made for Sam turned out too small, so they are going to my Mom, and I have made a new pair for Sam, but they are still drying, after being felted, and will need leather sewn on the bottom when they are completely dry. Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-1069986283835914022012-12-20T08:28:00.002-08:002012-12-20T08:28:42.181-08:00Gnome Sweet Gnome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When Christmas time rolls around, I am overtaken by a desire to make cute little things with wool and felt. This year, little gnomes from my favorite book,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Feltcraft-Making-Dolls-Gifts-Toys/dp/0863157203/ref=la_B0034P3028_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356020788&sr=1-1"> Feltcraft</a>, and twisty trees on corks, from <a href="http://www.simplynotable.com/2012/pint-sized-pines-in-a-cork-forest/">here. </a>Oh, and a cute little bunny made from <a href="http://josoandsew.wordpress.com/tutorials/knitted-bunnies/">a garter stitch square.</a>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-83736001224153680262012-10-21T19:05:00.001-07:002012-10-21T19:05:22.885-07:00Knitting WeatherOk, summer is gone, and it's time to put a few new pictures up here.<br />
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Ok, so maybe this is my shawl phase.<br />
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I even put up hangers so that I can hang them all up on the bedroom wall...<br />
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This yellow one is also finished. Looks like I forgot to take pictures. It is actually a bit too long to make sense.<br />
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Yeah, slightly obsessed. <br />
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I promise to knit a sweater soon. Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-42196996391673682222012-08-18T14:26:00.003-07:002012-08-18T14:26:37.959-07:00What I Did on my Summer Vacation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Picked blueberries in the dooryard....<br />
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Ate lobster<br />
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Visited my place of origin<br />
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Two Lights, Cape Elizabeth<br />
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with Karen and Liz<br />
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and Portland Head Light<br />
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and ate my mother's still-excellent cooking!<br />
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<br />Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-89357581593794489462012-08-05T12:13:00.001-07:002012-08-05T12:13:19.475-07:00Elwell Family Gathering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mom and dad <br />
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Lynnie (Evelyn Elwell Uyemura), Eddie, Richie, Kevin, Karen, Mom and Dad<br />
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Oscar (Eddie Elwell) <br />
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Grandma (Barbara Elwell)<br />
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Grandpa (Edward Elwell Sr.)<br />
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Karen's dog Stella<br />
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The Three Stooges (Rich, Kevin, Eddie)<br />
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Kevin and Karen <br />
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the lobster!<br />
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Karen Elwell Allen <br />
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August 4, 2012Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-80616838294067485132012-07-30T18:15:00.003-07:002012-07-30T18:15:33.779-07:00The Green Leaves of SummerI thought I would post a couple of pictures of my latest shawl before I head east for some time with my extended family.<br />
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The pattern is Summer Flies (meaning Butterflies, not actual nasty flies!) and I used an alternative edging that some kind person posted on Ravelry as "My Version of Summer Flies."<br />
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The yarn is Handmaiden 75% silk and 25% camel, known as Camelspin, and it is to die for--so lustrous, so soft, easy to work with, hefty, and heavenly soft and smooth.<br />
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I had some doubts as I was knitting this, but the finished product erased all anxieties. Although there was some serious excitement/anxiety as I was binding off over 400 stitches--I was running out of yarn, and ended up with literally 6 inches to spare, out of 400 yards!<br />
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I'm wearing this on the plane tonight and pretending I am a cool person! <br />
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Yeah, that much yarn left. Yikes! (And actually, I ended the pattern several rows early because I knew I was cutting it close, but I didn't know it would be <b>that</b> close!Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-250586793632878742012-06-05T16:44:00.002-07:002012-07-04T16:45:22.206-07:00Deep Blue Seas Garter Stitch ShawlSometimes all you need is garter stitch and good-looking yarn: I have this pattern, super simple, for sale through Ravelry for $1.00. Click on button below that says Buy Now. You do not have to be a member of Ravelry to purchase this pattern, but you have to use PayPal.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apkVD2VO0rE/T9tWajBmJeI/AAAAAAAACE0/qM9Ps7N2fx4/s1600/Deep+Blue+Sea+shawlette+003.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apkVD2VO0rE/T9tWajBmJeI/AAAAAAAACE0/qM9Ps7N2fx4/s320/Deep+Blue+Sea+shawlette+003.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/purchase/evelyn-uyemura-designs/108692"><img border="0" src="http://www.ravelry.com/images/shopping/buy-now.gif" /></a>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-67248062262087215532012-05-20T16:04:00.003-07:002012-05-20T16:09:27.067-07:00Big Blue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I followed the pattern exactly the first time, and ended up with a button placket that was all ruffled. So I took it out and re-did it with far fewer stitches, and this time it worked like a charm.<br />
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Lots of details here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/EvelynU/01-ribbed-cardiganEvelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-25399770550425077992012-04-11T11:12:00.007-07:002012-04-11T11:14:20.284-07:00More pictures of my favorite afghan<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iSfDrP0czmk/T4XJ8W0OsEI/AAAAAAAACB4/4PZ9vBVmLdg/s1600/bookmarks%2B009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iSfDrP0czmk/T4XJ8W0OsEI/AAAAAAAACB4/4PZ9vBVmLdg/s320/bookmarks%2B009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730208139652804674" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0usS0OeJZnI/T4XJ4lPfI_I/AAAAAAAACBs/IRv9QznZWqQ/s1600/bookmarks%2B006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0usS0OeJZnI/T4XJ4lPfI_I/AAAAAAAACBs/IRv9QznZWqQ/s320/bookmarks%2B006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730208074805748722" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bwr39uvwHR4/T4XJz_1maEI/AAAAAAAACBg/OuISqC-HPYk/s1600/bookmarks%2B004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bwr39uvwHR4/T4XJz_1maEI/AAAAAAAACBg/OuISqC-HPYk/s320/bookmarks%2B004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730207996045584450" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GIVmQLdTuE0/T4XJvdOE-GI/AAAAAAAACBU/BpsA8yY3qEM/s1600/bookmarks%2B003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GIVmQLdTuE0/T4XJvdOE-GI/AAAAAAAACBU/BpsA8yY3qEM/s320/bookmarks%2B003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730207918033533026" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YsR-AOnwpk4/T4XJrSJzLTI/AAAAAAAACBI/J-SJWnPZwHc/s1600/bookmarks%2B002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YsR-AOnwpk4/T4XJrSJzLTI/AAAAAAAACBI/J-SJWnPZwHc/s320/bookmarks%2B002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730207846343322930" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-toXDjKA8KwE/T4XJnJSxcFI/AAAAAAAACA8/e6zug8sez7U/s1600/bookmarks%2B001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-toXDjKA8KwE/T4XJnJSxcFI/AAAAAAAACA8/e6zug8sez7U/s320/bookmarks%2B001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730207775245561938" border="0" /></a>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448384368162945172.post-40859219021889414232012-03-31T16:00:00.017-07:002012-03-31T16:38:18.670-07:00Whole lotta knitting going on<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V3ELTyJo68M/T3eNk6nEWAI/AAAAAAAAB_E/RvEEF072X5E/s1600/end%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V3ELTyJo68M/T3eNk6nEWAI/AAAAAAAAB_E/RvEEF072X5E/s320/end%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726201116572801026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JOh9iYkjuI0/T3eNd1ZvTGI/AAAAAAAAB-4/4he2V4hehWU/s1600/end%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JOh9iYkjuI0/T3eNd1ZvTGI/AAAAAAAAB-4/4he2V4hehWU/s320/end%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726200994915634274" border="0" /></a>Ok, let's start with the largest sigh of relief first--this is the first, and possibly last, afghan I have knit. I have a house full of afghans that I crocheted, but knitting is somewhat more time-consuming than crocheting, and I didn't think I would ever knit an afghan.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MP02Wz5SyX0/T3eNYXc2nhI/AAAAAAAAB-s/QyO_Hzm-ARo/s1600/end%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MP02Wz5SyX0/T3eNYXc2nhI/AAAAAAAAB-s/QyO_Hzm-ARo/s320/end%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726200900976287250" border="0" /></a>But then there was a 75% off sale on Cascade 220 wool yarn, in a color that pretty well matches my couch, and wool is cozier than acrylic, and I saw <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/leaf-lace-blanket">a pattern for a cute baby blanket,</a> and it just seemed like a good idea. Last October!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wsDbksUIlI4/T3eNSJ-OMeI/AAAAAAAAB-g/_fYo9eAP724/s1600/end%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wsDbksUIlI4/T3eNSJ-OMeI/AAAAAAAAB-g/_fYo9eAP724/s320/end%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726200794278932962" border="0" /></a><br />So I got going on it, and then Christmas came along, and I put it aside, and then there was considerable traveling in January and February, and while whipping a sock out of your purse to knit on a plane has a certain panache, whipping out an entire afghan has much less panache.<br /><br />So it was threatening to turn into an aborted project--and then in February I made up my mind to just power through it. It still took another 5 weeks or fairly dedicated knitting, but I bound off last night and it is currently blocking, smelling sort of wooly. I hope to take this with me to the nursing home, when I am old and befuddled. I call it Amber Waves of Grain.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lz4YRjhioWE/T3eNOd92LXI/AAAAAAAAB-U/CdiBFRpc160/s1600/end%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lz4YRjhioWE/T3eNOd92LXI/AAAAAAAAB-U/CdiBFRpc160/s320/end%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726200730926591346" border="0" /></a>In the interim, I knit these socks, Trekking XXL, in a colorway that was one of about 3 available at a small quilt shop in Newport Maine that only grudgingly carries any yarn at all. I would never have chosen it otherwise, but it turns out that I love it!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Np15MLTc2fo/T3eNHnKUaPI/AAAAAAAAB-I/bIKG3T4WqQk/s1600/Baby%2BKnits%2B003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Np15MLTc2fo/T3eNHnKUaPI/AAAAAAAAB-I/bIKG3T4WqQk/s320/Baby%2BKnits%2B003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726200613135739122" border="0" /></a>I have also discovered the fun of knitting for babies! Jelena at work was expecting, and I decided to whip up a sweater from some yarn that I hand-dyed several years ago with koolaid. It's called something like <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garter-yoke-baby-cardi">Stupid Easy Garter Yoke Baby Sweater,</a> and it was fast and fun and only semi-ugly--variegation is almost always semi-ugly. but the colors! So cute!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Qgi681Z4jI/T3eSKi5jUiI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/_ExoW5zBHRo/s1600/More%2Bend%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Qgi681Z4jI/T3eSKi5jUiI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/_ExoW5zBHRo/s320/More%2Bend%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726206161089417762" border="0" /></a>Also cute as a curious little <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pinwheel-purse-4">Origami purse!</a> Not actually functional for carrying around, but a cute place to stash a small collection of coins.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-na02M_6BWjk/T3eMv5vupnI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/2dsvprUOdYs/s1600/Knitting%2Band%2BCooking%2BFebruary%2B2012%2B007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-na02M_6BWjk/T3eMv5vupnI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/2dsvprUOdYs/s320/Knitting%2Band%2BCooking%2BFebruary%2B2012%2B007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726200205807625842" border="0" /></a><br />Then I got busy on a *pair* of sweaters for poor Jenny, who is having boy and girl twins. This yarn was also hand-dyed by me, this one with Wilton Food Coloring. For the girl, I decided on the famous <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-sweater-on-two-needles-february">February Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmermann.</a> It was fast and fun.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wyBkB9KUpcw/T3eM2TeVDiI/AAAAAAAAB9k/cx_Owh42E2w/s1600/Knitting%2Band%2BCooking%2BFebruary%2B2012%2B005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wyBkB9KUpcw/T3eM2TeVDiI/AAAAAAAAB9k/cx_Owh42E2w/s320/Knitting%2Band%2BCooking%2BFebruary%2B2012%2B005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726200315793182242" border="0" /></a><br />And then I got creative and used the same pattern, but instead of lace, I used a dish cloth pattern for a textured body for the boy twin.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--oJJcAC_LDA/T3eNBjt25bI/AAAAAAAAB98/Lg-xa29H_og/s1600/Baby%2BKnits%2B008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--oJJcAC_LDA/T3eNBjt25bI/AAAAAAAAB98/Lg-xa29H_og/s320/Baby%2BKnits%2B008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726200509131842994" border="0" /></a>Same but different is always cute, and baby clothes are always cute, so this was a sure thing!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xCx6Wz6G24c/T3eM9JFMO-I/AAAAAAAAB9w/k7isffW61wM/s1600/Baby%2BKnits%2B013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xCx6Wz6G24c/T3eM9JFMO-I/AAAAAAAAB9w/k7isffW61wM/s320/Baby%2BKnits%2B013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726200433262476258" border="0" /></a>And all unknown to me, when I chose this color yarn, the baby shower was held on Saint Patrick's Day! Perfect!<br /><br />Finally, a sweater vest that was less than a total success. I got the yarn at the Torrance Fiber Fest the first week in November, and I love it--it is called Fez and is 15% camel and the rest merino. Soft as a cloud....but...<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhiH__dbEhw/T3eSSSxkCDI/AAAAAAAAB_o/c4S3--GHka8/s1600/More%2Bend%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhiH__dbEhw/T3eSSSxkCDI/AAAAAAAAB_o/c4S3--GHka8/s320/More%2Bend%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726206294199896114" border="0" /></a>a sad tendency to pill. And to look ratty, almost instantly. Also, due to user error, I didn't start the neckline soon enough and ended up with a crew neck rather than a lovely scoop neck, as the pattern indicated.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oShBVyy-d6I/T3eSWFMITqI/AAAAAAAAB_0/sm96UvQyHew/s1600/More%2Bend%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oShBVyy-d6I/T3eSWFMITqI/AAAAAAAAB_0/sm96UvQyHew/s320/More%2Bend%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726206359272705698" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And also, the waist shaping isn't in quite the right place, and the end result is that this is a warm hug of a sweater vest that makes me look 20 pounds heavier than I am, and I am quite heavy enough, thank you!<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s-rzU_1kzrM/T3eSOzl6CHI/AAAAAAAAB_c/s9YWmigunGk/s1600/More%2Bend%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s-rzU_1kzrM/T3eSOzl6CHI/AAAAAAAAB_c/s9YWmigunGk/s320/More%2Bend%2Bof%2BMarch%2B2012%2B001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726206234289899634" border="0" /></a><br />Still, it is so cozy!<br /><br />So, all those projects are off the needles, and I have nothing left to knit! I cast on a wash cloth today, in desperation! But I *do* have a gift certificate at Twist, and a couple of sweater patterns in the queue...I think I can remedy this problem tomorrow.Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741685768249974860noreply@blogger.com0