Saved by Knitting

I knit because I like it, not much for the finished products. Right, for example, I am making a pink baby blanket even if I know nobody who is having a baby girl. I just had some yarn in my stash that I thought would make a very nice light baby blanket. Did I mention that I am making it in fingering weight? It will take me forever.

But since I have gone back to work full time in an office where I am supposed to look professional and put together everyday including Friday, I have a new appreciation for my large drawer of shawls and lacy scarves:



After five years as stay-at-home-parent who was never home but running around volunteering for everything and everybody and the previous five years working for a company where the dress code was something along the line of jeans and t-shirt, I owe three dressy pants (one of which I bought for the interview) and a hastily put together colletions of black, grey, and white (one!) blouses that lasts me exactly from Monday to Friday when I get to do my laundry. But, wearing everyday one different shawl or scarf, nobody notice that I do wear the same outfit oever and over again.

After, would you look at anything else but this?


Raspberry Gaenor

or this?
 
Plum Shawlette

Yes, I know, I could go shopping, but this working thing it is time consuming! Oh, wait, I did, in February, at Stitches West:

Again? Seriously?

Last Tuesday I ran out of yarn for my Plum Shawlette. So I weighted the whole thing (104 gr), I frogged until the increasing part was 50 gr (to leave myself some wiggle room), and I re-knit all of it.

And again ......

And the weather report was lying

Not a drop of rain yesterday in San Francisco, cool weather for a quick trip to the city: Artfibers, lunch at Mixt Greens, naturalization interview, and back home.

Everything well but I ran out of yarn for the Plum Shawlette:

The day I have to go to San Francisco

Snow in Rome

My Facebook wall is floored with photos of Rome under the show. With 35 cm (less than 14") of snow, the whole city has come to a screeching halt, quite understandably it was the first time in 26 years.  As we say, a Roma nevica ogni morte di papa ("in Rome it snows every death of a pope"- not translatable, similar to "once in a blue moon".)

Anyway, what I do not understand is the complains. Blocked at home? Pull out your knitting ...... in solidarity of my Roman friends, I plan to finish my Plum Shawlette today:

6th annual World Nutella Day

The kids think it is really serendipitous that this year the World Nutella Day happens the same day as the Superbowl: Nutella is such a nice contrast to all the junk food they will be eating.



Usually when 3pm approches on Superbowl day, I withdraw into my room, close the door, look for something more interesting to watch on tv (and this category is pretty broad), and knit or spin until it is safe to go out. This year this perfect plan has been derailed by my kids extending invitations to watch the Superbowl with to several friends, including some friends of mine. My daughter decided that we need to introduce our recently moved year friends from Italy to the Superbowl. I am just hoping that they will not take it as a reason for running back home.

The Predictable "2011" Post

Finished Projects 2011, a set on Flickr.

From my handy Excel spreadsheet, here are the 2011 stats:

Yarn knitted: 16,377 yards and 43 projects
Yarn swapped out or gifted: 6,647 yards
Incoming yarn: 18,654 yards

Balance: -4,370 yards (negative number is good, it means that I actually manage to consume more yarn than I acquired.)

Interesting facts:
- in 2010 I knit about 16,000 yards as well;
- at this rate, I have 5 years worth of yarn in my stash.

Check your math

Actually, the exact title for this post should, "Check their math."

Version #2 of my Short Sleeve Swirl Cardi (the first one went really wrong too but we won't talk about that):



Since the demise of the first version, I decided to use a pattern from the DROPS design website. I really like almost all their designs, even if the English translation of the patterns are sometime, how should I say this? Interesting, meaning I cannot understand what the heck they are saying. But that was not the problem, the problem was the math, that, I believe, should work the same all over the world.
I looked at the pattern and I decided to make the size XL - 110 cm = 43".
First mistake: I did not notice that in the schematic it was indicated that the XL has a bust of 43" and hips of 130 cm = 52". Now, my hips are not 52", they are actually narrow than my bust.
Second (huge) mistake: I did not check their math. For the XL size I was instructed to cast on 288 sts: at a 5.25 sts per inch, that gave me 55" circumference for the hips and, at 6.25 sts per inch, 46" circumference for the bust.
Uhm ...... to the frog pond (again!)
My dilemma is now this: do I re-size correctly this pattern that I like (most if it, I changed the sleeves because they were coming out really weird and I made them raglan style) or make something else entirely?
In the meantime, I made a hat with some handspun of mine:

Scarves

Scraves, a photo by lux2night on Flickr.

It looks like I have become obsessed with making scarves - I just wound more handspun to make two more.

Cut my losses

Two years ago I acquired a rigid heddle loom, Harpie, and I have not used in almost a year because this project was stuck on it:



What was wrong with it? I warped a fuzzy aran weight yarn on a 10-dent heedle. Not a good idea, but I decided that I would make it work anyway, not to wast less than $15 of yarn I bought at Michael's.
One year later, it is still not working. Cut my losses:

My poor neglected blog

I was actually pleasantly surprise to see that last time I posted was in July, I completely forgot those posts from Italy and I would have sworn that last post was from before the summer.

Anyway, I am back home and I can't believe that it is the middle of October already!

Principessa started high school (Go Bears!), Paperino middle school and we are all terribly busy.

While I was still in Italy I finished my Vivace Cardi that took all summer:

 

And since back I made another pair of socks:

 
Look how different the colorway is even if from the same dye lot! I would have made really mad if I were knitting a shawl .......

Stats year-to-date for 2011: 30 projects, 10,749 yards of yarn knitted, 5,604 yards given away, 8,920 acquired, stash balance: -7,4,34 yards.

Firenze Socks

Firenze Socks, a photo by lux2night on Flickr.

Done and spoken for, on the feet of the recipient.

Firenze Socks

Firenze Socks, a photo by lux2night on Flickr.

First sock done, second one enjoying the view.

When in doubt, cast on a sock.

Firenze Socks, a photo by lux2night on Flickr.

Isobel

Isobel
Originally uploaded by lux2night
Not sure .......

Il Gomitolo in Modena

Il Gomitolo in Modena
Originally uploaded by lux2night

Found a darling little shop in Modena, all of this .... 3.5 euros!

Matter and Void

Matter and Void
Originally uploaded by lux2night

My Matter and Void Shawl if following me all over Italy. I am hoping to finish it on the train ride back to Rome on Sunday.

Cadet Socks

Cadet Socks
Originally uploaded by lux2night

Socks finished on the plane ride to Italy, not exactly for wear right now!

Two Monts After and Counting

My last entry was Marsh 15th? Really? It is just about time I come up for air. Let's what happen in the last two months and half .......
On March 25th about 300 grandparents came to visit for Grandparents' Day, on May 6th about 600 people came for the 50th Anniversary of La Entrada, in between an online auction, and saying yes to be the secretary of one foundation and one of the VP of another, no wonder I had no time to blog.

Since I posted last time I weaved in the 105 ends of the Sesia Ribby Pulli and I actually wore it a couple of times (courtesy of crazy Californian weather):



I made a sweater for my neighbors' new baby:



and a poncho to wear to the 1969 Spring Auction:



My friend Hollis gifted me with some wonderful cashmere that became Juno Regina:



I made her socks in return:



Finally, I brought Paperino to the movies to see "Pirates of the Caribbeans": 2 hours and half of my live I never will get back, but I made a hat:



7,143 yards of yarn knit in 2011 so far. And now on planning for the six weeks in Italy .......