A Case of The Blahgs

Arctic Lace Vest
Originally uploaded by littlekidd.

I am in awe of knit-bloggers who update their blogs both regularly and creatively. Lately I don't qualify. Got a little grief yesterday from one of my knitting students about my conspicuous absence here in the 'sphere. I'm just not feeling very witty with words.

Given the choice wouldn't you rather be knitting than blogging? It's all about perspective. If someone had a gun to my head right now I might be pursuaded to go downstairs and tackle the gi-normous pile of laundry... growing more organic by the minute. Definitlely NOT on my list of "things I'd rather do."

So, in that context, blogging seems thrilling. I've been doing plenty of knitting, after all. Here's my vest in progress from Arctic Lace. It's big -- I can't even fit half of it in the frame and show the detail, so I opted for detail. It's Silky Wool, bottom up, knit in one piece to the armpit. You get the idea.

I love the pattern so much I think I might use it to make some kitchen curtains. Or maybe if this vest doesn't turn out I'll just stick a rod in it and hang it in the window.

Needing something small to break the 300-stitch per row monotony, I whipped up Odessa this weekend. What a super little pattern. That Grumperina knows her stuff! I forsee many of these going out in Christmas packages later this year.

Gotta jet and pick up our little man at school. I guess the title of this blog entry was the most creative part. Don't say I didn't warn you. Thanks for making it all the way to the bottom.

A Photo and a Poem

Peace.
Originally uploaded by littlekidd.

I love this picture for a million reasons. It captures the essence of "Grandma Cindy," in one of her favorite Portland places. She and Grandpa John came from Boulder for a visit a couple of weeks ago. We visited the Chinese Gardens on one of those perfect sharp-sunny spring days when everything is so pretty it makes your eyes hurt.

In this picture Cindy is wearing a Clapotis shawl I gave her for Christmas. She has her beautiful silver hair clip. This is the view of Grandma Cindy that makes me think of a poem I read on the bus here. (Yes, instead of adds for Alka-Seltzer on the insides of our Portland buses, we have poems, courtesy of the city. It's pretty cool, and VERY Portland.)

I shared this poem once before on this blog, but it's worthy of a second look, now that there's a picture to match. Grocery store or Chinese Gardens, it's all the same universe.

I Confess
by Alison Luterman

I stalked her in the grocery store:
her crown of snowy braids held in place by a great silver clip,
her erect bearing, radiating tenderness,
the way she placed yogurt and avacados in her basket,
beaming peace like the North Star.
I wanted to ask, "What aisle did you find your serenity in,
do you know how to be married for 50 years, or how to live alone,
excuse me for interrupting, but you seem to possess
some knowledge that makes the earth burn and turn on its axis"
but we don't request such things from strangers nowadays.
So I said, "I love your hair."

Sizing Me Up

Eye on the Prize
Originally uploaded by littlekidd.

... or hopefully down.

I started this sweater in January. it's from Interweave Knits Winter, 2004. On the cover a beautiful Asian woman is wearing this Kristin Nicholas design made in brown and green diamonds with red and yellow trim. It was the first issue of Interweave I ever bought and I saved it, hoping for a day when I'd be daring enough to knit the sweater on the cover

I toned down the color scheme a bit and LOVE the result. The knitting is fine, but slow. I knew it would be slow, kind of like losing weight. So, I decided to knit it a size small and lose the weight to fit into it at the same time.

Well... progress on both sweater and body has been slow. I had hoped to finish in time to wear it to my 20th college reuion in June. Since I have become distracted from both the knitting and the body projects, I am not optimisitc. And I keep making excuses in my head like, "It will be HOT in June anyway! No time to wear a sweater!"

So I've been making other things. Socks and lacey things out of Donna Druchunas's Arctic Lace. It's a small book, but it packs a punch!

I'm motiviated this morning to shed a few pounds. Maybe I'll get to work on that sweater again too.

Felty Easter!
Originally uploaded by littlekidd.

Happy Easter! We don't celebrate the religious version in our house... just the dyed eggs and bunny chocolate version. Here's a felted basket I made for Zack. He picked out the colors. Sure says Easter to me. The number one Bunny will drop his goodies in the basket tonight after Zack's asleep.

This is my friend Cheri's pattern. If you like it and want to make one for next year, you can pick up a copy at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop in Portland.

Getting ridgey with it

Lizard Ridge
Originally uploaded by littlekidd.

I'm here... I'm here.
I've been woefully neglectful. Sorry. Time to sweep up the e-dust bunnies and clear the cobwebs from my own head and start writing again.

Been knitting up a storm, but I had a period a couple of weeks ago when I just didn't want to knit. It was horrifying, really. Happened once before, right after Christmas. I think slamming through that Darth Vader sweater in Superwash wool did me in. It's a cool Darth, but not a great-fitting sweater. I have yet to make a great fitting sweater for Zack.

So, I decided to knit something that doesn't need to fit. This is the Lizard Ridge blanket in process. I'd like to give it to a friend as a housewarming present. The color scheme is completely random, as I'm mostly using up Kuryeon I had lying around.

This Noro helped me find my knitting mojo again. So, I cast on several other projects and this one has been languishing. The library called to say it was my turn to check out Arctic Lace by Donna Druchunas. Wow. If you like lace, run -- don't walk -- to buy this book. It's thoroughly wonderful. I'm making the vest on page 147 using Silky Wool and a size 4 needle.

Lately I've been working on a felted easter basket for Zack, designed by my friend Cheri. Zack picked out the colors and boy are they bright -- like a box of sugary Peeps. Makes my teeth hurt to knit it, but I'm almost done. I'll spring the final version on you in a few days -- chocolate bunny and all.