Snakes and Ladders gansey, and a new project

I finished the Snakes and Ladders gansey from Beth Brown-Reinsel's Knitting Ganseys, it was off the needles on Friday and blocked and dried last night. It will fit Anne in the autumn, so there will be more photos of this sweater to come when it's actually on the child. I used Elann's Devon and had the right gauge, but next time I make a gansey it will be with a true sport or DK yarn. The Devon calls itself a sport weight, but I'm using the left overs for socks, it's really near a fingering weight. I'm still pleased with it and can't wait to see her toddling about in it.

We are going to DC Children's Hospital on Wednesday for the CT scan to find out if the hemangioma has swelled into the eye cavity, then we will see the specialist the following Tuesday. We were to patch the good eye so as to train the bad eye, but she can't even open the bad eye when the good one isn't open. So, no Dread Pirate Anne for now. My boy has a cold and has had to rest most the weekend when we finally get nice weather, so I pulled out some puzzles and checked out Bill Nye episodes from the library. When I lived in Seattle, Bill Nye lived in my neighborhood and I met him at a political event. My parents are friends with a gal who worked on the show and has her own science books and experiments for kids out, and my parents met Bill Nye at her wedding some years back. When I watched the show in the 90's I didn't realize they taped quite a bit of it in Seattle. When I watch it now, my son and I can point out places we've been to. I believe that dinosaur puzzle was a gift to Jonah from a family I babysat for in Lake Forest Park.

I still have a few unfinished things to get going on, but I bought this yarn last summer for a cabled cardigan I put down on graph paper. It's a 12 month size and should fit Anne in the winter. I couldn't wait to start it any longer. There are only a few other things to finish up so I don't feel too bad about it. I whipped out a sleeve last night watching an Inspector Lynley mystery. I would have done more this morning, staying home from church as Jonah's sick, but housework was the sqeakier wheel.

Postage Stamp Quilt

I have been scattered with this blog, I realized that I had been rushing to get this quilt done, but never put the photos up here. If you've seen them before, I apologize. I am trying to get things organized and put all my crafting here and transition it out of Livejournal, so there will be double posting for a bit. If I get another shot or two of the quilt with the baby, I'll add them to this post. Please bear with me!

Snakes and Ladders

One sleeve left on the Snakes and Ladders gansey from Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel, I started this in October but I put aside the knitting to finish Anne's postage stamp quilt before she arrived. I seriously thought we were having another boy, and I intended this for Neil Adrian, not Anne Margaret. A happy surprise, though. The gansey is in Elann's Devon color 667, which they don't seem to have in stock at this time but I have plenty left over, a good ball and a half. I might have to get a ball in another color to make striped socks. What do you think, chocolate brown and lemon chiffon? Maybe Antique Blue or Dusty Plum with the brown? Anne will also get a pair of socks to match the gansey, probably plain stockinette.

Brown is my favorite color, I like so many (pale blues and greens, bright red...) but when it comes down to it, I'll have to pick a deep brown. So many shades and hues, pale and milky and rosy like baby's skin, dusty like a mongoose or scaly and variegated like the cobra. Woody and warm (I won't go into the bears now, that's another post), earthy and cool. But I'm a brunette and prejudice to it. If I were blond, I'd probably gravitate to yellow, or coppers if I were a redhead. Definitely more brown to come, such as the yarn in the mail as I write.

I've (minimally) organized my knitting log/record book, and it contains most knitting projects from 2003-2006. Records from 1995-2002 are shoddy, regrettably. I'll start new for this year since the book is bursting at the seams and I'm not happy with it anyway. I'll be in Philadelphia mid-May for sisters-in-law's graduation party, one is finishing an art school and the other a PhD in dance history - what amazing talents they have. Maybe I'll find a record book there, nothing at home besides chain stores or overpriced boutiques. The first weekend in May is the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival, the whole family is going this year. I will have tons to share on that. The end of June will see me and the kids back in Michigan for a few weeks to be with my family, my husband will be working and saving up hours so we can drive to Montana next summer to be with his family. His dad has sent links to job openings in and near Helena as not-so-subtle hints that we might move closer. Even if I were back in Seattle monthly trips would be more feasible. Can you tell I'm getting wander-lust again? Though I never really liked this area to begin with, besides the Blue Ridge just to the west and the small towns like Waterford, Hamilton, Harper's Ferry, and Berryville.

Retro Rib Done, Anne's Socks

I've made quite a few work-in-progress shots of these socks, but it's only to keep me pressed to finish them. I do like them very much, it's all the other projects needing completion that I feel compelled to hurry and get the second sock out of the way (the first one was finished last summer!). The Regia Bamboo was a sturdy and cotton-like yarn to work with so there was less give than an all wool yarn. Now I'll have to see how it wears. I received the yarn from a secret pal swap, along with Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks. I had a hard time settling on a pattern for the Bamboo yarn, I ended up trying needles from 0 to 3 and found I liked the fabric best with US 1's and went looking for a pattern with the same gauge, or at least work in the pattern in some way. I've been meaning to do Interweave Knits Winter '04 Retro Rib socks for some time, so I settled on this with side cables to allow for the extra stitches I needed - not sure I like the cables with the rib pattern, though. I'd do this pattern again without it. I wanted to use as much of the yarn as possible, so I made them toe-up with short rows, leaving a long tail for a sewn bind off. No yarn left over, which I'm thankful for as my stash of scraps and left-overs is taking up a lot of space in storage.




I've found good use for some of these left overs: baby socks. I am fed up with the store bought socks that pop off my daughter's feet. They either fit in the foot and spring off the leg, or they fit in the leg and are too big in the foot so no matter what, they fall off. She measures 4.5" around at the ankle quickly increase to 6.5" below the knee. 34 sts for the foot and ankle, then increase 2 sts every other round up the back of the leg 11 times to 56 sts. They may look a bit funny, but they fit much better than the springy white socks that jump overboard at every chance. I'll be finding little white socks around here for months. The yarn is Regia Cotton Surf 5411 worked on US 1 with a bit of the purple shade in the toe as I was playing with reinforcements, but she doesn't really need it now.

Progress on socks and other things to finish

This is the view out the window in the living room from a morning or two ago. I was taking a bunch of photos to play around with resizing and lining things up on a page. I am not very skilled with this whole coding business, but I'm not doing too bad considering that less than ten years ago I was typing everything up on my typewriter and didn't even know how to turn on a computer. I like the colors in the sky, so I might as well share it.

Only 3 more rounds left to go on the Retro Rib socks, though who knows when I'll get to finish them. Anne can either sleep for 4 hours or 4 minutes, and I'm never sure which one it will be. The yarn is Regia Bamboo 1066/Jamaica if I haven't mentioned it before.

Oh look. Here's the Retro Rib sock sitting and waiting for a sewn bind off. And what's that beside it? Another project? I know I swore to finish all my WIP's before starting anything new, but...but... Ok, you got me. I'll have these to show soon, they are custom fit socks for Anne after I've had enough of the stupid store bought socks that pop off her feet all the time. More on that later.

The yarn for Anne's socks is left-over Regia Cotton Surf 5411 (I now call it Horrid Pink, it'd be ok if the light pink weren't so salmony orange). I used it in 2005 to make my first pair of socks since I started knitting over 10 years ago. They were a bit too big, but washing and drying in the machines helped. I don't really love them, I sort of tolerate them in that they are my first short row socks and my first socks in real sock yarn (don't ask what my very first socks were made of). I used Priscilla Gibson-Roberts yarn-over method, and I've used the wrapped stitch short rows for other socks as well. I don't have a favorite, but I do like toe-up over top-down for the short row socks.

This photo is too much like that of the Yarn Harlot but I was surprised that I caught myself knitting while cooking. I never do things like that, I generally don't take my knitting out of the house with me, either. But it had been One of Those Days, not getting enough done and the baby was finally napping so I grabbed the needles while I waited for the pasta to cook. Not only was I knitting and cooking, I was swaying. I must have been in some zombie state not to realize it right away, though I'm glad no one came in to find me cooking, knitting and swaying back and forth in the kitchen. That's vegetable soup on the stove, by the way. It's a basic recipe, but it's the way my grandmother made it for years and I won't make another variation of it.

Along with all the other projects I need to finish, I want to make the kids sets of these bears from an old Sirdar pattern book. I had to do quite a bit of hunting to find a pattern for bears in 3 sizes for Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Google and Ebay are wonderful. I was also sent a pattern for Fiber Trends Nuts about Squirrels from my mother in law from Montana who knows how much I love these guys. I'll actually have to buy fun fur. The thought disturbs me.

Then there's the child's cabled raglan pattern I created last summer and bought the Elann Peruvian Highland Wool in Starlight Blue for it. It's fun to knit for a baby, and my older son is just starting to come around to wearing something handknit. Maybe. Then there's the 50 cent copy of Learn to Knit that started it all. I think this is where my mother learned it from, but she gave it up after one scarf for my father. I found the book and some aluminum US 10.5's and acrylic that reeked of camphor in an old camphorated wooden chest my dad acquired in Thailand while he was in the air force. I guess that's the Thai version of a cedar chest. My first attempts were hideous and way too big. The first yarn I bought was Lion Brand Homespun (never, never, NEVER again). Eh, you have to start somewhere. I've tried to keep records of what I've knit, scraps of the yarn and the ball band but I know I've missed quite a bit. I'll drag out my record book sometime, though I need a better system. I do like how blogging helps organize it, but there's nothing like having something you can touch. One more thing on my list; organize a better record book.

Jessica's Mittens

My sister-in-law, Jessica, knit these convertible mitten/gloves for her brother (my husband) some years ago - sometime between 1994 and 2004. I found these while cleaning closets yesterday and remembered he wanted a loop and button to secure the flaps down, which was easily remedied with a bit of wool and spare buttons. They are very big on me, it looks like my pinky finger is amputated when I wear them, but my hydrogeologist husband is away doing field work this week and he isn't a very willing model anyway. The yarn appears to be all wool, a DK to worsted weight. They are very well made and highly practical, they were intended for use while cross-country skiing.

Our Weekend

The birds have come back and Jonah is eager to spot any new robins, mockingbirds, and mourning doves. The birds and squirrels will come right up to our patio door and taunt the cats and we like having them so close to watch and study.

Things are finally greening up, a welcome change. I love winter very much, but come the end of March, I am ready for spring. I just got these shots before the Nor'Easter blew in. We didn't get as much rain as New York and New England, but enough to make a cozy indoor weekend out of it (besides the soggy trip hauling groceries home). I've made much progress on the Retro Rib sock, only a few more repeats before the cuff.

Speaking of that sock, there it is peeking out of the knitting basket while I break for pie and coffee. With all the rain, we needed an apple pie. And some songs to calm the baby to sleep, such as An Acre of Land and Spanish Ladies. There are many versions of both songs, but here are the ones I know:

"My father left me an acre of land
(Ivy! Sing Ivery!)
My father left me an acre of land
(And a bunch of green holly and ivery)
I ploughed it with a ram's horn
I sowed it with a thimble
I harrowed it with a bramble bush
I reaped it with a penknife
I sent it home in a walnut shell
I threshed it with my needle and thread
I winnowed it with a handkerchief
I sent it to mill with a team of great rats
The carter brought a curly whip
The whip did pop and the wagon did stop"


"Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish Ladies,
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain;
For we've received orders for to sail for ol' England,
But we hope in a short time to see you again.

We will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors,
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea.
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England;
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty five leagues."

Or, the New England version:

"Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish Ladies,
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain;
And let us be jolly and drown melancholy
And hope in a short time we'll see you again.

We'll rant and we'll roar like New Bedford whalers
We'll rant and we'll roar on deck and below
Until we spy the New Bedford light
When straight down the Channel to anchor we'll go."

My mother sent me my old bonnet that a friend had made in 1980, and here it is on my daughter, 27 years later. I have pretty little dresses to go with it, but it's too cold for that now. We are thoroughly enjoying the cool spring because we know how miserable it will be in just a few months. The Nor'easter should be blowing in our way later today, so the only things planned are the library and a few errands to run while my husband ties up loose ends at work. He will be gone again next week for field work, I am hardly without him so business travel is hard on me and the kids.

Robert tries on the bonnet, but looks more like Miss Moppet. I am lucky to get in a bit of knitting with this scalawag (how interesting the origin is) in everything and while nursing a baby. It has been years since I last nursed my son, a time when I didn't do any knitting at all, but I have no complaints or regrets about that. Anne is old enough to feel, stroke and grab on to me or my hair while nursing, we are both enjoying the time together.

Retro Rib and Blogging with Cats

The modified Retro Rib socks in progress from Interweave Knits Winter '04. The yarn is Regia Bamboo, color 1066 Jamaica, worked on US 1 dpns.

The written pattern is for cuff down socks, but I wasn't sure how far each ball would go. I only have 2 balls, one for each sock and it was gift yarn and I don't want to go through the hassle of hunting down another ball and not getting the same dye lot. To solve this issue, I am making the socks toe-up with YO short rows as illustrated in Priscilla Gibson-Roberts Simple Socks: Plain and Fancy so I will have enough to complete the pair and not run out with an inch of toe left to go. When the yarn starts running out, it's time to make the cuff and cast off. Also, I had started these socks on US 2 DPN's and didn't like how loose it was. I moved down to US 1's for a firmer fabric and modified the number of stitches for circumference and placed small traveling cables up the sides of the leg to compensate for the extra stitch count, but I'm not certain I'm very happy with the cables next to the boxy rib. After going down a needle size, the toe-up method will really help when I run out of yarn. I tried an invisible cast on from the Simple Socks book, one different from the usual provisional cast on I use, and I left the waste yarn in place (the black dashed line in the toe) until I'm done, because it's kind of nifty.


Here's what really happens when I take out the camera. I have an audience.

Then when I go to type, I get the other cat up in my face trying to dig into my kefir and blueberries. You'd think the blueberries and ground flaxseed would be enough to keep him out. The cat is a kefir and yoghurt fiend.

Baby's first knit socks

They're a bit big yet, but we've had a cold spring so far.


Anne will be 12 weeks old tomorrow. She's already seen several doctors and specialists about her eye and birthmarks, but we want to be as least intrusive as possible. We will be watching her eye development very closely. She is a very happy baby, a very special little girl.

I am working on my second modified Retro Rib sock and planning on digging into the next old project. Still, I am plotting new ones and getting excited about the upcoming Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival the first weekend in May. I may have to pounce on getting some sock yarn I'm watching on Ebay, there were only 5 left yesterday and no one else seems to carry it. More on the Retro Rib sock soon, I'll need distraction from the yarn decision.

Another pair of Father and Son socks

Father and Son socks, IK Fall '06, Knitpicks Essential solid in Ash, a bit less than 2 balls, US 2 dpn's. These will be shipped out to Montana very shortly, where they can be worn year round.