A Blanket for Your Trouble Part II (Randy Anderson, the "most Charlie Brown" blanket ever)

I wrote a while back that my floor was creating a blanket for our RA. If you recall, the only stipulations were that the squares be 1'x1' and hopefully in a worsted weight/Caron Simply Soft. Well.....take seven knitters (my dear friend from Courtney's other floor was kind enough to contribute a square) with different tastes and knitting style and you get an extremely strange concoction that one could hopefully call a blanket. You can see it for yourself, the thing has got character. As for the name Randy Anderson, that spawned from late night delirium as my dear floor mate Maria and I kneeled out in the hall finishing up the last of the seaming. In our late night giddiness, we came up with a ridiculous story to tell Courtney (RA) if she happened upon our work. "What about the RA? That stands for our friend Randy Anderson, who is the receiver of this blanket. You see he can use it as a blanket or a net if you look at that amorphous blob in the top right corner....." (I'm sorry Lauren I could not resist! I really do love the turquoise amorphous blob.) Anyway, I guess you had to be there.

   We even presented it to Courtney in style. Lauren and I went down to her room, and Lauren hid while I coaxed Courtney out of her room (yeah she thought I was being a creeper too don't judge me.) When she came out, Lauren jumped out and quickly secured a blindfold over the eyes of a very confused RA. Laughing and assuring her that she could trust us, we led her up the stairs and into our common room where everyone waited with the blanket. Our favorite honorary floor mate Zach (Lauren's boyfriend and only male with the seal of approval of the pack to inhabit our floor) graciously removed the blindfold so I could capture the picture of her face when she saw it. She was quite thrilled, as were we all that she liked it so much. A true Christmas joy, and a miracle that only such knitters can accomplish.

And a thank you to those knitters:

   Patty: For your beautiful pattern work and excellent color choice

   Jess: For your diligence, your square looked perfect

   Julie: For being a damn quick and lovely knitter!

   Lauren: For taking a risk and making that ridiculously wonderful "net"

   Maria: For the center of the blanket and staying up with me to seam it (Randy Andersonnnnnn!!!!)

   Evelyne: Without your square, we never would have had a fully finished work

   

And special thank yous to Jess Dugger for being our constant support and Zach for removing the blindfold!

Have Knitting Will.....ummmmm

When one sees this picture, there is no need to explain too much. This is me. There is some  aspect of knitting in every single one of the carrying-devices that I took home. If I looked any more like an art freak (the painting under my arm really added the final touch) then I would be unable to go out in public. Going home is certainly a chore when sharp needles are involved.

I Made it Snow

This Friday, I was wildly unproductive. I still had the 4 research papers to write that I listed previously...but after being let out of work early, and determined to be productive, I...failed.

I took a shower, and eagerly took up my book. I read about 30 pages...and zonked out for the best two hour nap of my life. When I awoke, I was too bleary-eyed to read. So I watched The Daily Show, and made some paper snowflakes. 

I cut the snowflakes from scrap paper, mostly poorly printed pages of Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents. This amused me greatly. I slipped one under my friend Shawna's door, wishing her snow; she's from Chicago, and already misses the snow they had on the ground at Thanksgiving. But mostly, I wanted snow for myself. So I made lots of snowflakes. And taped them to my window.

Sure enough, late Saturday night, Nate called me to tell me there was snow in Connecticut. Early Sunday morning, it came down hard, and when I awoke, it looked like this!

Okay, it's not much, but it was pretty, and I did make it snow. That's the important thing.

Now, if I only I could make it not so freaking cold.

So much work...so little out of it...

Here at Hampshire College, we do not have final exams. No, we are too "enlightened" to waste our time sitting for three hours filling in little bubbles. This is wonderful, and what drew me to the school...unfortunately, the guided tour of the campus never mentions the alternative to final exams: final papers.

And unfortunately, I didn't listen to my advisor Christoph (what a cool name, I know) at the beginning of the semester when he warned me how reading-and-writing-intensive my semester would be as it stood, and that I should drop one of my classes in favor of something less...wordy. AND, unfortunately, the 800 or so pages that I have been reading did not give me warning enough as to what was coming.

I have four massive research papers due, each with a cumulative portfolio, within the next two weeks. This is merely for my venting purposes, so you may ignore the list:

Due Dec. 11th: 12 page paper on Infantile Amnesia for Neuropsychology. Portfolio included.

Due Dec. 12th: 12 page paper on the problems of reading Sylvia Plath autobiographically for Alienation (Christoph's class)

Due Dec. 16th: 15 page paper on the limitations of conventional diagnosis in psychoanalysis, using Plath's poetry and exploring various avenues of interpretation for Critical Psychology. Portfolio included.

Die Dec. 18th: 5 page paper on the social implications of Bigger in Richard Wright's Native Son. Portfolio included.

So, I have been reading a lot. Researching a lot. At the end of the semester I think I'll be returning maybe 20 books at once. But with all this reading, I feel as if I've accomplished little to nothing so far, as I haven't put anything useful down on paper.

What does this have to do with knitting? Everything. I've become obsessed with possible projects; looking at the colorful scrap yarn hats I could be constructing, the socks I'm almost done with, the rest of my Christmas knitting, countless sweater patterns for Janterm...even thinking about knitting relaxes me. Hopefully I can channel this amount of focus on knitting elsewhere...namely to the four topics listed above.

Happy end of semester!

Two Tams in a Pod

Take two sisters, myself being one of them, and imagine two tams that perfectly reflect each one and her respective personality. Here is the twist: the two tams are the same exact pattern, knitted on the same needles, and created by the same knitter. It is amazing to me that, with a simple change in yarn and recipient, a pattern can look completely different. This was the first pattern that I have knit more than once (and there is a small chance I could be whipping up another one), yet the experience could not have been more different. The first time was with a variegated alpaca/merino blend that looked different with every row. I thought on myself and how wonderful this would look and feel on my head on the cold days that would eventually surface no matter where my future took me. The yarn slid through my fingers like butter, and while the pattern presented challenges, I wrestled out a rather wonderful hat that I wear more often than underwear (you can decide if that is an exaggeration.) 

In the case of my sister's, the yarn was perfect for her. Pure Peruvian Highland Wool in the deepest wine merlot color. (It is a good thing I picked up more than one skein and the yardage is so excellent or else she would have been SOL, because there is no way I would have parted with it otherwise. Even the one skein was a test of charity, and I only....okay, enough of this.) Anyway, on the rare occasion I actually knit for another, I try to consider them in every stitch. This was easy enough considering the yarn mimicked my sister's persona to a tee. So clean and lovely looking, yet with habits that could drive one to vexation (mainly sliding off the needles the minute I turned my back upon it.) The pattern in her hat seems clear upon first sight, yet the moment the light shifts it looks like a completely different picture. I thought on my wonderful sibling, walking through the wind and the snow with music clutched to her chest, and the tam faithfully holding to her cranium keeping it warm and her hair in place. The Peruvia slid through my fingers like cloud fragments, and though I faced challenges again, the hat looks just as lovely as its predecessor and my sister absolutely adores it.

The main comparison I wish to make is how much these two hats are the perfect physical representation of our relationship as sisters. We have different yarn, completely different looks and attitudes, but we share the common love that comes from being of the same blood and from sharing common experience that no other can ever come close to understanding. Hats off (yes that pun was fully intended) to sisters, especially mine!   

A Blanket for Your Trouble

So, my RA is a pretty nifty chick named Courtney. She is the RA for both my floor (6th) and the 5th floor. Although she lives on the floor below, due to the amount of crap that goes on in the 6th floor, she is often upstairs for a visit. Granted none of the girls involved in this project have been apart of any of the problems she has had to deal with, but we still feel like she is the only thing that keeps peace among some of the girls in our little tower. We decided that it would be lovely thing to make her something for Christmas that would express our gratitude for maintaining order. In order to accomplish this feat, my little knitting group (aka five other girls living on my floor) decided it would be a cool idea to knit a blanket for her. We would each do two squares at 1'x1' and then patch them all together to make a really nifty piece that we all made together. We also decided that there would be no set pattern or color scheme. The only stipulation was that we would all use a worsted weight and most chose to go with Caron Simply Soft. I myself chose this brand in Soft Green and Iris. 

  While everyone else eagerly sought out the niftier stitch patterns, it occurred to me through a conversation with my floormate and fellow knitter Lauren that it would be really cool to have two squares with the letters R and A each on a square. Since I have had the most years knitting, it fell to me to accomplish this part. I waited until I got home to start, and it is a rather crazy experience. Considering I lack graph paper and the patience to draw up a pattern, I am creating the "R" square purely on instinct and prayer. As you can see by the picture, it looks a little wonky, but I am not daunted. I merely chalk it up to the point in the process in which I am currently working. It is the, "middle, but not really where every choice that does not function with the first part looks like crap" part of the process. Let's hope Kp can pull this nonsense through with the Help of a certain Lord and Savior else this is going to be a very sad looking "R" indded.

Let It Snow!

I'm ready if it does! I wanted a nice white hat with snowflakes on it to keep me warm between classes in the occasional Massachusetts blizzard. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a nice snowflake pattern that used only one color...so I made my own! I quite enjoy it. On the off chance that you will, I have also included the (painfully easy) pattern.

Snowy Hat

Materials:

-120ish yards of worsted weight yarn (I used less than one skein of Cascade 220 wool)

-1 set size 6 US and size 8 US circular needles 

-3 stitch markers (preferably one different than the others)

-Tapestry needle to weave in the ends

Gauge:

Meh. I don't do gauge. I have a small head. If your head is larger and you are concerned about this, add more stitches between the charted stitches, or more above and below the snowflakes.

Chart:

Hopefully self-explanatory. Knit the white boxes, purl the grey ones.

Pattern:

CO 80 sts.

Join for working in the round, and place different marker to mark beginning.

Rnd 1-10: [K2, p2] to end of rnd.

Rnd 11-15: K to end of rnd.

Rnd 16: Set-up round. K 9, place marker, k 40, place marker, k 31.

Rnd 17-47: K to marker, sl marker, follow the chart for 31 sts, k to marker, sl marker, follow the chart for 31 sts again.

Do this until the snowflake is done. Yay, it's pretty.

Rnd 48: K to end of rnd.

Rnd 49: [K8, k2tog] to end of rnd.

Rnd 50: K to end of rnd.

Rnd 51: [K7, k2tog] to end of rnd.

Rnd 52: K to end of rnd.

Continue in this fashion, knitting one less before decreasing each time until 16 sts remain. 

Last rnd: [K2tog] to end of rnd. 

Finishing:

Break yarn, leaving an 8" tail. Draw through remaining sts and pill tight. Weave in ends.

There, I think that makes sense.

Hampshire Socks

I love them.They are beautiful and off-beat and so delightfully Hampshire.
I bought the yarn (Zitron Trekking XXL) right after I applied to Hampshire, and have only now had the pleasure of knitting these small pieces of hippie heaven up. Hopefully they will keep me warm when we conserve energy by keeping the heat low.
Even Nate likes them.

But I love them. I'm even wearing them right now.

Why Bother?

Right now, I am sustainably happy--that is, I am continually finding myself smiling, sighing with joy, loving life, and feeling accomplished. I'm somewhat ahead on my school work...that's fleeting, but a fun fact nonetheless. I'm making real friends, and establishing real relationships with professors and staff here at Hampshire. I'm contributing to class discussions, and not afraid to voice my opinion. In all these complex classes I'm taking, I'm not only learning how to understand their deep ontological meanings, but also my own; I'm finally starting to understand myself, and how I fit into the world that I'm learning about.

Great. I'm in a bubble of free-thinking isolation. I'm happy...but mostly because I haven't really ventured outside it much. We had this huge celebration when Obama was elected, and it seemed a little appropriate. Someone described it, pretty accurately, the next day in the dining hall: "It was like having cancer for a really long time, and finding out that a new treatment might kind of be working." Well, we really need to start that treatment, because the world outside Hampshire is having some hideous side effects to whatever it's on now. 

The economy! Good God, we acknowledged the problems two months ago here and moved on, but they sure as hell exist, and are only getting worse. My parents are college educated, hard working people. They are both at risk of losing their jobs, because their companies aren't receiving enough profit to pay their employees. What will happen in four years? Growing up, a college education meant a guaranteed paying job after graduation, and only those without an education risked working minimum wage. My parents, a lot of people's parents, a lot of PEOPLE in the work force are college educated and beyond. And they are losing their jobs. I'm happy now, but I gotta ask--if I'm no longer promised a career for an education, why bother?

Ohh, to make this about knitting, yes--I am knitting a LOVELY pair of socks (Slippery from Knitty, Winter 2007) with some delectable yarn that I have been dying to knit up since before I was even accepted to Hampshire College. I am knitting them in class, and people oggle. I love them. I might actually finish them, too.

Also, many, many hats...but more on that later.

A Cowl to Soothe a Worn out Soul

My mind is tired. My heart is tired. I am generally feeling raw and slightly bedraggled. Still, I am not all at a loss. Yesterday, I experienced losing something that I never really had in the first place. I allowed myself to wallow in the loss for a time, but then a strange notion occurred to me, "I have been doing way too much cerebral knitting and my psyche needs some instant gratification." Remembering the gorgeous malbrygio that was currently being used for an unsuccessful pair of mits, as well as an excellent pattern for a cowl (Caterpillar cowl by Anushka Tay/free pattern available on her blog) that I had only done once before, I knew exactly how to work myself through. You see, the something I lost was basically a relationship that could not go forward. Sometimes, when one can't go forward, one returns to a point of success in order to remind oneself that they are capable of surviving anything. My last cowl was beautiful. Granted it is attached to a tank top, but it was still a success in itself. I needed a straight knit. No patterns, no thinking, no complications, in the round, and good for amazing variegation. I finished it in one night. By the time it was finished, my soul was well, and I had let the "what if's " and "if onlys" float from my heart like ash caught in the breeze. It is well, and my neck is very snuggly.

All Hallows Cleaves

It is strange how some projects sleep until we find a need to finish them. Such is the case with the garment Cleaves (free pattern on Knitty.com). I started this piece back in June. It is a very unique garment that is a combination of cowl and sleeves; almost like the reverse of a vest. I was immediately captivated by its simple pattern and beautiful design. Knitting upon it sporadically I managed to finish 1 sleeve and three quarters of the second before the project basically went into my big knitting bag for a long hibernation. Though I wished to finish the work, there was no burning desire that inspired me to continue the process. Then came this October in Maryland. The days passed lazily by, only to suddenly turn chilly in the lateness of the month. The thought kept occurring to me as I wrestled with coats and sweatshirts, "I need a better outer garment. The weather is just too cantankerous for such normal modes of maintaining a stable body temperature." (Yes that is an actual thought that manifested in my brain, judge me not!) Enter in the memory of the unique knit that just happened to be sitting under my bed. Once I started on it again, I knitted like a woman possessed for two days and quickly had it completed. I understand the picture I have put here is hardly adequate, but I pray it will do for now.

There is something very powerful about this piece. I find it hard to describe, but I suppose it is because it looks so strange. Comments I have received on its appearance have ranged from Final Fantasy, to Seuss. Yet, I put it over my head, set up the ruff, and I feel strangely beautiful as well as strong. I know it sounds rather dramatic, but the piece is bold in its direct violation of normal garment appearance. Therefore, I feel bold and revolutionary within it. It is funny that I finished this so close to Halloween, a night devoted to looking rather out of character. This work is not out of character for such a night. Cleaves is a garment that I feel is closer to my character than most other clothing I will ever consider wearing. It is/I am unconventional, bold, and lovely.

SUPER Study Buddies

So, the boyfriend has been doing stellar work through the most complicated Physics E&M and Circuitry and CSE classes this semester...and now he's facing the prospect of even more, and even more insanely difficult classes NEXT semester and beyond. 

Well, it was our kind-of first anniversary this weekend, so I wanted to do something kind-of sweet for him, especially because he's been working so hard and deserves a little break.

That's where Captain Capacitor, and his faithful sidekick Resisty, come in!
God love Anna of MochiMochi Land for fabricating these PAINFULLY CUTE pieces of circuitry. I gave them to Nate in hopes that they would help him study. Superheroes have been known to do that, you know.

Unfortunately, they've been more of a hindrance than a help in the boy's faithful studies. Snippets of our conversations and correspondence include: ...too cute...those eyes...why does he have to have a cape??? Why the cape???...

Okay, maybe I went slightly overboard.

Knitting Myself Through Nonsense

Up from the bottom, wrap.

  Look at the situation logically

Take the right needle and stab through.

   If the situation was logical, one could do so

Lift the stitch off the left needle.

   Continue on as you can, for there is no other logical option.

Repeat.

Greetings from Hampshire College

I love fall. Especially when I'm in New England when it's happening.

Photos taken at the Hampshire College Farm Center, October 14th, 2008.
My friend Dan and I decided to celebrate our return from October Break with a walk in the autumn sun to see the sheep.




We found them:

Why would anyone ever choose to be educated anywhere else?

My Goal:

To knit a sweater over JanTerm break.

My Only Slightly More Immediate Goal:

To finish those damn knee socks.

My More Immediate Goal:

To knit hats, scarves, and gloves for charity before it gets too cold.

A More Immediate Goal Than That:

To finish all my Christmas presents.

After Completing This Goal:

To finish the five projects that I currently have on needles.

A Goal That Needs To Be Addressed Rather Immediately:

To finish my summary of a neuropsychological report of infantile amnesia in pre-schoolers for class tomorrow.

Another Goal, Temporally Unaffected:

To get a larger white board on which to write all my goals.

"In Nature's Wonderland"

This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to go on a retreat with the Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU). I truly needed this getaway for I had felt rather jumbled and emotionally distorted of late. There were a number of factors involved, but suffice it to say confusing people and misplaced affection had put me in dire need of a mini vacation. So, on Friday, I took care to pack my knitting (along with the four other bags that I apparently needed on a trip where I was only staying two nights) and I set off with a sense of anticipation. Arriving that night was generally stressful and edgy because I accidentally left my knitting bag in the car and I had to do a great deal of waiting before anything officially happened. I was quite vexed with myself. But then came the next morning. The schedule established a "quiet time" in the morning from 8:30 to 9. This was supposed to be a time where we went anywhere within the camp and just took time to really be with God. I awakened rather irritated, but I dutifully made myself up, grabbed my bible and my knitting bag, and went off to find my place. Walking along, I saw many were headed to the beach overlooking the lake. Rather sad that there would be so many people about, I headed there myself. Luckily, the Lord was keeping an eye on my sanity. My eye was drawn to a path on the left. Curious, I followed it. The path ended at a long bridge. As I trod upon the planks the bridge wound through a small swamp with cattails and long grasses growing up out of the murky water. The sound of geese drifted through the trees. The sky was the bleached peach and cerulean of early morning. The bridge ended at a small dock that overlooked a pond which was surrounded by high pines and cedars. The air was crisp, the kind of crisp that makes one think of freshly peeled apples. I settled on my haunches, and all I could think to do was pull my sweater out of my knitting bag.

  I had succeeded in finishing the back the day before. I laid this across my lap and proceeded to cast on the front. As I worked, the sun broke through the thin clouds and cast an ideal light upon my work. I looked up to see the bog simply steaming in this almost angelic glow. I felt an overwhelming awe in the simplicity of that raw light and untouched nature. The yarn in my hands felt warmer,richer, as my heart swelled with the sight. I could feel the edges of God, gently smiling at my wonder. It had been a long time since I had felt so truly close. My fingers worked, loving the connection of every sense with the experience of existing in the sublime.

Debatable Knitting

So, I didn't plan on blogging right now...I'm too busy with school work to blog. However, the system is currently down, and I can't read what my writing assignment is, and I'm sitting here at the circulation desk in the library with nothing to do except cover for my inept colleague...

But on that note, I have been knitting this scarf. At Webs (the most amazing LYS a knitter could dream of), I found this lovely fingering weight yarn dyed by the Kangaroo Dyer as if it were specifically for my mother--the woman has an unnatural obsession with lime green and hot pink. So, I bought the yarn, knowing that she would of course appreciate another pair of cozy socks for Christmas. Well, this was before she came up to college and simply gushed over my Lace Ribbon scarf (which I admittedly have also gushed over), and said that she would like a scarf just like it. Out the window goes Heather's plan, as she examines how unpleasantly pooly the yarn intended for socks is getting with each scarf pattern she attempts. I, of course, refused to do the Lace Ribbon scarf again, for fear of death by monotony, even though that pattern would undoubtedly be perfect. 

Then, out of the blue--an idea--a crazy, wild, somewhat logical idea...if I couldn't find a nice scarf pattern to knit up with my sock yarn...then why not...maybe, possibly...a sock pattern? It was just crazy enough to work. Linda Welch's "Spring Forward" socks immediately came to mind, and set me off on a knitting paradox. It's a sock pattern; but it's a scarf. It's a springy pattern, and an even springier colorway (wow, I can't believe "springier is even a word); but it's intended to be a Christmas gift. 

Oh, and I knit it while watching the debate.
It was really the only way to occupy me while John McCain spoke. I also yelled at the TV as if I were my father (or Kristen's mother) watching a football game. Yay, politics? I had a point to this when I originally took these photographs...but anyway, I suppose it provides even more irony to the scarf--it's dainty pink and green was formed into delicate swirls while I watched the zigzagging, course lies of red versus blue on my TV screen. 

Oh, and vote Obama. Please. Do us all a favor.

Do Feminists still love knitting? Answer: Indeed they do

I am one who can admit when I have harbored a misconception. Here I freely admit that I was off about how my teacher and feminists in general perceived the wonderful art of fiber crafting. Sitting in class some time after my original post, I continued knitting on my lovely socks (which are now complete!!!!). My professor was lecturing on something or another when, somewhat suddenly, she gestured to my DPN's and said,(please understand I am paraphrasing) "Knitting, that was also very important in the early feminist movement. I had a student, a very good student, who knitted and she actually went on to start a group in Baltimore based around it, but knitting was used in CRG's (consciousness raising group) quite often." I managed not to let my jaw drop, but I was quite flabbergasted. In truth it made sense. After all, fiber crafting still brings women (yes I know men knit but for the sake of argument bear with the classification) together so much in this century, and heaven knows we all talk much more freely when our hands are busy. I found myself rather ashamed of my earlier presumption, and I have started to do a little digging on the subject. I am a little stymied at the moment, but I have every intention of going to speak to my professor soon to see if she can tell me a little more. The point here is, knitting is embraced by many in the feminist movement and it is as much apart of the legacy of the movement as it is part of the history of the world. Remember that the next time you pick up your needles, and may it remind you that you belong to a rich tradition that has woven itself into the core of centuries and centuries of human ability. 

Maggie: A Hat of the Streets

So, seeing as I currently only have one project on my plate--a pair of socks that was exciting the LAST time I made them, but is currently very boring with yet another sock to go. Therefore, I decided to indulge myself just this once. I've had this lovely alpaca (Classic Elite Inca Print, to be exact) sitting in my stash since I came upon it many months ago, on a yarnage expedition with SuperKnitter and my co-blogger. It was in this lovely, cramped little store called the Yarn Garden in Meriden, CT. Anyway, I was drawn by the delightful colors--they're earthy, but in a bright, autumn-y kind of way.

Little did I expect that I would actually have the hat I anticipated to knit by the fall! I wanted a simple pattern, something that wouldn't be obscured by the variegation, as well as something that I could knit mindlessly during class. Max's Staircase Tam by Robin DeWeese was just such a pattern. Unfortunately, after casting on and knitting the ribbing, I noticed that my size 8 circ was not, as I had thought, 19", but rather something along the lines of 29"...not good for a hat. But I could no longer wait! The warmth, the softness, the autumnal glory of the yarn would not leave my hands willingly. So I...improvised. Basically, it involved shoving a lot of stitches on some very short DPNs, and securing the ends with rubber bands...

I suppose I should get back to the hat. Yes. It is named for the thoughts that I dwelled upon while knitting it. In my lit. class, namely The Novel in the U.S., 1900-1945, we have just finished reading Stephen Crane's Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (which is neither a novel, nor of the 20th century). The pathetic jerry-rigging of my needles reminded me of the tragic heroine's attempts to use bright cloth and ribbons to dress up her family's dismal Bowery apartment. I also imagined, romantic that I am, that this hat would be the type of thing Maggie might wear while wandering the friendless New York streets in the dead of winter. I'm a romantic, I know. Anyway, this hat is therefore dedicated to Maggie, as well as to the professor who let me knit the entire thing during the discussions of the novella.

Scarf-ly Pride: Or, Too Many Tissues

Blegh, I have a cold. Everyone on my floor was getting sick, and I did my best to avoid them. I even went home this weekend, thinking I was in the clear, and all fine and healthy, when suddenly, my allergies took a phlegmy turn for the worse. Pleasant, yes? Well, me, my red nose, and my box of tissues that is transported from class to class across campus have not had much time to knit.  (I am OBSESSED)!

We have had time, however, to admire the joy that is, in my mind, my greatest knitted achievement. You see, I am obsessed with scarves. Not even so much the knitting, as the wearing. Nothing feels more secure than walking around in a mild spring breeze, the brisk fall wind, or bitter winter weather than with a fluttering length of loveliness dancing around your neck. And so, naturally, since the age of five I have been hell bent on knitting the perfect scarf. Back in the day, they would usually result in holey, misshapen blankets for my stuffed animals. When knitting returned to me with such fiery passion in high school, I made multiple ugly scarves, itchy, fluffy, too long, too hot, and too boring. Lately, I haven't had time to knit anything that includes the tedium and dedication that a scarf requires, and have resorted to socks and other cozy winter garments that aren't nearly as fun to wear. 

And then the Lace Ribbon Scarf came into my life, in a cloud of sunset-colored yarn, smooshy, delicious, ambiguously neutral yet vibrant...I am OBSESSED with this scarf, to the point where sensible rambling is not sufficient...I must ramble incoherently now, as well! Well, it's soft, and smooshy, and I blocked it on my bedroom floor when I went home for the weekend; in perfect spirit of the perfect scarf, the yarn blocked in the most perfect fashion. It's perfect. I love it. I will wear it all of the time, and it's specialness will never diminish as my first wonderful, good, best, superlative, amazing, once again smooshy scarf. 

...If only it would get down past the 70's this week, I could actually WEAR it.

Look! LOOK!

Hey, hey, look! LOOK! I have only one project right now...I'm knitting ONE THING!!! Do you know how exciting that is? The last time I didn't have multiple projects was last summer...over a year ago...and the minute I learned how to knit socks, that went out the window. ONE project! ONE! And it's a pair of knee socks for me, ones that I've been knitting since last December and have put last to other projects for other people! ONE PROJECT! Can you believe it?

I guess I should start knitting Christmas presents now.

A Great Milestone

So, college is a pretty fabulous institution. It is funny how I built this place up in my mind, and I have found it to be even better in practice. I can't thank the Lord enough for teaching me time management when I was in high school because now I find I am able to garner time for things like reading and, of course, knitting. Still, I felt rather accomplished when the other night I crossed a great threshold in the realm of fiber crafting; I have discovered a way to knit and read my text books at the same time. Seriously, I had heard of many knitters who could do the unimaginable reading and fiber crafting at the same time, but I had never considered myself capable of dividing my attention so. But that was before my Women's Studies course. 

Reading 24 pages out a text book is fairly brutal, and made even more so by the fact that is is 24 pages filled with crazy terms and definitions basically bashing our society. I was fading, barely comprehending the sentences when suddenly, the preverbal light turned on in my cerebral area. I quickly grabbed my lap desk, two jumbo binder clips, and my knitting (a lovely Towson spirit scarf being carried out in the form of a basic stockingnette with a garter stitch border to lessen the curling.) I clipped the book open on my lap desk so that it would stay open, but I was still capable of turning pages. I attacked the book with far more enthusiasm now that my fingers were engaged.  I felt so ridiculously smart and accomplished I almost called all my knitting friends right there just to tell them about the experience. But, alas, I figured I found it more amazing than anyone else ever would. So, I will content myself with posting it here, and hope that those who happen to stumble upon it might find it just as wondrous as myself. WARNING: If anyone in high school or middle school is thinking about trying this please be warned: the binder clips do leave very visible marks on the pages and if you do not own the book I would highly recommend seeking an alternative route to reading and knitting at the same time.

Attention Deficiency

So, I'm in this awesome course this semester, and Intro. to Neuropsychology, which breaks down the brain and the mind and their inner workings, both tangible and elusive. Fun stuff (for me, anyway). Unfortunately, my professor, Jay, while an awesome guy, has an extraordinary sense of the brain's capabilities. He feels that attention is his class should not be divided, because he knows how much attentions lack the minute they are divided beyond the normal fields of left and right spheres of vision. Thus, I am not allowed to knit in his class. Sadness.

However, while I may not be able to carry my knitting around to my T/Th classes, my M/W humanities professors, Christoph and Michele are both very open to knitting while discussing the philosophical implications of "alienation", or the supposed "Great American Novel"...did I mention that I have really, really cool classes this semester? My only downside to all this in-class knitting is the novel a week and then some that I'll have to cram in, thus leaving much less time to knit! Ah, well...at least I'm almost done with Nate's socks.

Do Feminists still love knitting?

Today was an epic day; the first day of classes. I awoke eagerly, packed my bag, and hoarked a Nutri Grain bar as I booked it across campus for my first class. In all classes, I worked on my heelless socks, but as I sat knitting in my Women's Studies course, I began to quiver slightly inside my flats. The professor spoke of activism and how our society represses it. She spoke of how the class was founded on the hard labor of feminists before us and how if we did not want our world shaken up, we should leave the class. Through all this my fingers continue to knit. Her eyes shoot to me occasionally, but no more than the others. Still, I could not help feeling slightly guilty when she informed us that we were all living under conservative views. Is knitting still considered a repressive hand craft by the reformist feminist? (I just learned what that was tonight as I read my assigned chapters.) Should I be concerned that I am obsessed with a practice that happens to be an age- old art practiced by women living under a patriarchal sexist system where women are just as sexist as men, but benefit less from it? Answer: No freakin way!

Big Knit On Campus

So, here I am, at Hampshire College! Yay! It's exciting to be in the presence of the unwashed activist masses. As you can imagine, I've encountered many knitters over the past week of orientation, but as far as I can tell, I am the most devout. I've had hippie after hippie simply OGGLE at the pair of socks I'm knitting for my darling boyfriend, marveling at the intricacy of my craft--in all honesty, it's one of the easiest sock patterns I've ever encountered. It is true that I swelled with pride upon mentioning that I had also hand-dyed the yarn, which sent the observers into fits of bewilderment.

So, it's nice to be embraced by a community that appreciates natural fibers, and self-sustaining crafts, and people who enjoy climbing trees and knitting in them, as I did in the apple orchard yesterday. And now I sense the now-familiar aroma of cannabis wafting through my window. Ah well. I can't wait to start teaching all of the 20 people (if they show up) that I've promised I would teach to knit, or to knit socks instead of scarves, or their first hat...I feel like the expert on campus!

How I miss you

Dear Co-blogger,

   I miss you so intensely and I do want to talk more in "person." Your videos made me laugh so intensely that the two others in my room at the time were rather concerned (though they tried to mask it with silence). It also made my heart ache a great deal because seeing you only reminded me how intensely far away from all of my lovelies I really am right now. Granted it was my choice, but I do crave your presence. I was actually rock climbing on the day you sent me the videos and I only just got my internet working tonight. So, I do not have a skype yet, but who needs that when you have ichat??? Yes, I have a screen name and I can ichat so, I will message you with all the appropriate crap and we will set up a time to speak further. I hope Hampshire is everything you were hoping it to be in its entirety. Towson is really wonderful. Great hardships, anxiety coming out my nostrils, and loving every minute while still missing you. 

KPE

YIKES!!! What was I thinking????

So, on ravelry there is this big event called the ravelympics. It is basically where you can choose to sign up for a particular event and then you have to knit a project that satisfies the requirements of that event in the time period from August 8th to August 24th. The creators asked for the contestants to choose an event category that would challenge them so I decided to do something I was familiar with, but would actually be somewhat challenging to knit in the time span. I entered the Laceweight Long Jump, and I chose to knit a lace stole. 

Now, I know I have complained about lace knitting in an earlier post, but I am really starting to get into the groove of it. I am knitting a lace top (so flipping pretty I will post pictures once I am capable of uploading them) at this present time and it has really taught me to calm down on my crazy perfectionist knitting side that only appears when I am knitting lace. Knowing the pattern I wanted (the Cheshire Cat Stole available for free on Purlescence.com) I eagerly awaited August 8th to cast on this puppy.

Little note about knitting a gynormous lace project in a small amount of time: try not to choose a pattern that has 127 stitches per row with 32 row pattern charts that need to be repeated 15 times in full. Eeep! Do you know how nerve racking it is keeping track of 127 stitches? I though 87 was a chore, but now I run to that project looking for something to calm my aching brain. Alas, it seems the great talent of KP biting off more than she can chew is coming into play yet again. Still, it is not all a loss. The pattern is actually very clear and simple to follow with only one pattern of stitches that is just repeated throughout the row. It is just time consuming. However, considering I am on vacation with my daddy and I have a good deal of time to spare, I really think if I just set myself to the task, I can and will get it done in time for the end of the ravelympics. Still, having Jesus on my side is not going to hurt me too much either. 

Missing my co-blogger terribly, and impatiently waiting to start college. Farewell all!

KPE

This Ugly Bag or Catching Memories in the Stitches

When you see this bag, I can already see your facial reaction. It scrunches in puzzlement tinged with disgust, or vice versa. The combination is very wrong. I took a yarn with every neon color under the sun save purple, and what color do I decide to use for the strap...purple. Not even a neon purple, but a miraculous hue that is savory and tasteful. What streak of insanity could drive me to this extreme? I have my reasons (my main being the prevention of having said bag snatched) but it is not the appearance that I want to speak of here. I wish to talk about what this bag has captured within its  stitches. 

When we knit, it is not simply about fiber and needles, we are also keeping a journal of our creative phases. Some can pick up a brush and keep track of their souls on a canvas. Others choose pens and pages to record their words. I do possess some ability in these arenas, but I cannot do them consistently. I write my thoughts, but only when unique. I paint, but only after months of simmering and contemplation. I do not express myself in these realms until I consider what I have worthy of expressing. Knitting is different for me. It is a constant state of creativity where I create my own work using the foundations of someone else's idea. 

This bag particularly rings true since, although the pattern was generously gifted to me by a fellow raveler, the bag has become mine just by virtue of my hands creating it. The bag is mine because I cast it on DPNs rather than circular needles. The shape is unique because I had to decide the width of the base. The stitches are even because I knit most of the body while watching a rather ridiculous movie in Cape May with some of the best friends I have ever had. The strap is of my own invention, and it makes me giggle to think of the look on another of my dear friend's face when she said bluntly, "It is hideous, you know that right?" (she is such a gem!) 

The point I am trying to make is that the difference in every knitter's work is not in the tension, gauge, or overall technique. It is in how much of ourselves we are willing to poor into that particular entry of our fiber chronicles. 

Digging

So within the next month I am faced with completing the impossible task--organizing 18 years of acquired crap that has been stored in a rather large bedroom, and attempting to fit it in a very small shared space otherwise known as  dorm room. 

Currently, my room is...a mess. It's buried in yarn and pay stubs and school work from three months ago and books...so many books. And yarn, yes, yarn to the point where I can't even find my three skeins of beautiful wool and silk that I found in a discount bin in Cape May...where is all my stuff!? Oh yeah...under other stuff.

On a side note, whatever happened to SunnyD? I think it's one of those beverages that you're not allowed to consume after the age of thirteen...See, I'll never get my room clean, or organized, or packed into a much smaller room, because I'm such a procrastinator! This blog post is not about knitting at all...it's about avoiding the inevitable while blogging and watching What Not To Wear on TLC. I'm really really unbelievably thrilled to go to college...it's just such a pain to get there. And because of this, I'm not even knitting right now, except to avoid cleaning. Thus, this is my blog post.

Only Took a Little Water Weight

Finished the tam made out of that gorgeous alpaca I gushed over. Sadly, unlike the picture on the pattern, the tam had a weird little "point" at the back where it should have lain flat. I was rather disappointed, but it occurred to me that I might be able to block it out. With some coaxing, possibly a well placed prayer, I wet the middle, pushed it flat to the towel, and then I put a ten pound circular weight on top of it. Hoping that would be enough, I left it until earlier tonight. To my delight, the tam's rather elfin point had been thoroughly quashed and it now sits oh so nicely on my head. I am glad considering my sister wants one just like it in a delicious Peruvian Highland wool and I certainly would not want to disappoint her with a hat resembling something worn by one of Santa's "little helpers." A lovely piece that I am proud to say I knitted. 

Obsessions with Color and Texture

Seems pretty rudimentary doesn't it? Color and texture. Any artist would tell you that they love such things. For me, it is something that I never get bored with, and I never stop loving the way these two facts of art and knitting create the basis of my passion. There will never come a time when I will not look at the hat I am knitting now and not sigh over the pure breathlessness of the colors in its fibers. It is Handpainted Alpaca by the Painted Sheep (yes she does have an etsy shop and you cannot get better quality or color) and the colorway is Larkspur. Larkspur is a Mediterranean flower that is mainly light lavender but it does have some other colors intertwined into it. The Painted Sheep has created this unbelievable blend of lavender, mint, and silver. The saturation of the colors is unbelievable in its perfection. 

In the case of texture, you cannot beat the softness of this stuff. It is a blend of Alpaca and Merino. There are some soft fibers like silk and angora that, though I love them dearly, feel really slimy. It is just a fact. But alpaca is the softest stuff I have ever touched, and merino squishes like a thousand beautiful thoughts bound in your hands. Together, they create a fiber experience that is akin to knitting with butter. I have started making a hat with this stuff, and I can hardly put it down for love of its feel as it slides through my fingers as I knit or love on the stitches. 

I guess I love the comfort the texture and colors of this yarn give me. The colors are peaceful, but not in the cool range. This tinge of warmth in the lavender and mint is calming and welcoming while the silver feels like a vein of sophistication spread throughout. The texture is soothing and does not irritate like wool, but it has some grip unlike other soft fibers. I know it seems like I read too deeply into this, but I profess to be a person who knows herself. For me, every stitch with this yarn is God's small voice still saying, "I love you, see? I sent you this yarn as a tiny love note to remind you that I am there." It helps me now, and I pray one day, dear readers, you can find the same in something that you happen to love. God gives us little love notes, like flashes of faerie wings, if we know when and where to look.

On a less sappy note, has anyone ever considered that the word "bloggage" sounds like a side effect to a gastro intestinal disorder? Farewell lovelings!

Oh My Lace!!!!!

Ahhh lace, the art of making pretty holes. If only I could put them in the flipping right places!!!!! I have only been seriously knitting for about a year and a half (not so seriously since the 8th grade) and I desperately love every kind I have encountered thus far. I was the kind that went straight from scarves to socks with very little trouble; okay my gussets were atrocious, but who looks at the gusset? Anyway, I wanted to attempt a lace project and, being the naive and oh-so-attracted-to-nature-inspired-knits person that I am, I took the suggestion of other teenage knitters and chose a scarf pattern called Branching Out (courtesy of knitty.com). I casted on with no fear.....and soon found myself in a world of much grring and knashing of teeth. 

For those unfamiliar with lace, it is basically adding systematically placed yarn overs in and among your regular knits and purls. The problem is, unlike other kinds of knitting, if you do not have the correct stitch count by the end of the row, you cannot just go back in on the next row and create or annihilate the offending stitch. It destroys the pattern and will make your supposedly artfully placed holes look like, well, less than artfully placed holes. I am on edge for every row, carefully following the pattern, trying very hard not to expect the worst, and then hold my breath for every time I count the stitches, praying there will be the right amount.

So why soldier on with it? Even my dear co-blogger, after witnessing a rather nasty outburst on my part, said forcefully, "Just put it down!" As much as this frustrates me, I can't put it down. Nor can I keep myself from buying laceweight and oggling patterns of beautiful holes in such nice arrangements. I do not walk away from a challenge simply because I cannot surmount it within the first few repeats. What kind of knitter would that make me? I'll tell you what it would make me; a cheap yarn floozey who only sticks to awful pilly yarn and runs at the first sign of a yarn over. Not me, dear friends. I will not allow a little frustration and some creative curses (snark-ended guttersnipe being my favorite) keep me from my goal of a lovely artfully holy scarf.