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Herringbone

Herringbone is an ancient pattern; I didn't know that when I embarked on this latest pair of gloves. Examples of herringbone in silk, for example, date back to Ptolemaic Egypt. Who knew? Not me. The Shroud of Turin is woven in a herringbone pattern, and numerous Norman walls were built in a herringbone pattern. I like knowing my new gloves have historic possibilities. Tell me more about herringbone!

The free pattern for these gloves is, as I mentioned previously, in Japanese. However, the authors have been so scrupulously careful with the graphs and schematics that it's pretty easy to simply follow the charts. The charts are beautifully clear and easy to read. I wanted to show you the glamorous gusset that I knit today, but I neglected to recharge my camera battery. So all I can show you is the front, with partial thumb.

While the originals were knit in Rowan 4-ply, I decided to live it up with a Koigu handpaint and a Koigu nearly-solid. I think the Rowan 4-ply, as Minako and Noriko are using, yields a much more elegant glove, but the Koigu definitely adds a kick. I'm not certain what makes this pattern so difficult, but it is—I swatched and started it three times before I got it right! I encourage all glovers to give it a try, though; it's challenging, and very much on the same level as the Sanquhar glove pattern, from the same brilliant knitters who designed the Herringbone glove.

Pups

The pups are especially full of themselves, because they had a package delivered to their own personal attention Thursday afternoon. I let them open it (with supervision) so they could find their surprise goodies from the Adorables, Donald and Gerry. Much tail-wagging and bouncing here! Woofs and snaps to all the Helfrich family members!

We wish you a merry Friday, and a happy weekend!

Inspiration

There I was, knitting away with gray and rust wool, when I came across some very inspiring links. I know they'll inspire you, too, so I offer them here.

Sheila is in the process of creating an extraordinary Fair Isle design based on Chippendale furniture; her swatch already shimmers magically. Go look!

Noriko, who is knitting the difficult Herringbone Gloves along with Minako and me, provided the link in yesterday's OMG-Fair-Isle-Sighting at Tanishi House. Spectacular "Sea Pink" Fair Isle Cardigan. Wednesday afternoon I realized that Tanishi has an entire gallery of Fair Isles that she has knit, and they are all spectacular. Please take a look; you'll enjoy the view!

I'm completely overwhelmed by the talents of all knitters, and in love with their knit interpretations. I tossed the gray and rust wool aside and grabbed some handpaint to rework my Herringbone gloves, and finished the cuff. Today I have the difficult thumb gusset to manage, and then I'll show you a photo on Friday.

In other news, I tamed my stash, which was bordering on the chaotic. It had been troubling me ever since Anne posted that link to those horrible (shudder) photos of out-of-control clutter. I feel ever-so-organized now, and much happier.

Pups

It's Thursday! Little Jack says Who's Your Pal?

Stay warm, everyone, and be safe on those roads. Happy knitting!

All About the Bucket

Monday's entry showed my pre-felted version of Bonne Marie's new Bottoms-up Bucket-o-Chic. Here's my bucket, felted and wearable on a rare cool day in Austin:

Pollen count is extremely high, so please pardon the dark circles under my eyes and my puffy face! Please focus your attention on the flat top and non-curling brim shown here:

And this photo is just to show you how *everybody* wants a Bucket-o-Chic:

That Mikey has a heart of gold. And Bonne Marie has the golden touch as far as this new Bucket-o-Chic goes. The brim is still knitted double, and I had no problem with it flaring or curling or waving. Very fun knitting—thanks, Bonne Marie!

In other knitting news, my Herringbone Gloves are fighting back. I've got to rip back about an inch of herringbone, and then I'll see what I have to do next. I decided to make this first pair in good old dependable J&S shetland jumperweight, and in the grey and rust wool left over from the Giant Latvian Mitten Cardigan.

Pups

Mike and Della say It's Wednesday! Get Rowdy!

Have a good one.

Stop In the Name of Glove

I stopped everything yesterday to speedknit Bonne Marie's clever new "Bottoms Up" Bucket-o-Chic; it's made all in one piece and is a bucket-o-fun! Here's mine before felting:

That's size XL in the felted version; knit with Schaefer's Miss Priss in colorway Greench. After 11 minutes of agitation, the top looked like this:

Isn't that cool? Looks like a Doppler of a Caribbean storm! I followed the directions to the letter, and my new hat is drying now, with a flat top and a perfectly flat brim. I'll show you a photo tomorrow.

Herringbone Gloves

Turns out Minako and Noriko are also working on Herringbone Gloves. I've ripped mine to begin again with a different color combination. Sometimes handpaint (even Koigu—how can that be?) looks blotchy to me. While I was admiring Noriko's work, I followed a link on her site to the most incredible Fair Isle—you simply must go take a look. It's fabulous, and it has a zipper, too! Thanks, Noriko!

Counting Carbs?

Check the label on this zero-carb snack. Let's never mention this again, okay?

Pups

Tuesday! Little Jack says Try not to be in a Mood, and leave those Ostriches alone.

Happy knitting!

Radar Glove

The Austrian gloves from Spinnerin Vol. 158 are finished! In knitting this vintage pattern, I found myself knitting along to Brenda Lee, Dean Martin, and Rosemary Clooney, and all of us were singing those forgotten songs. I'm glad this glove pattern hasn't been forgotten. I'm sure I'll be using this cuff pattern on many gloves to come.

It's hard to tell in a flat photo how completely charming the cuffs are, so Sister graciously agreed to model them for you (please hold your applause until the end):

and more lovely cuff-iness:

Isn't she the greatest? She took me to lunch, too, at my favorite taqueria!

Next?

I've started a new pair of gloves using the free herringbone glove pattern from these wonderful Japanese knitters , but I'm not sure I like my Koigu color choices. We'll see.

Pups

Mikey says It's Monday! Put your toys away!

Have the best knitting day you can; we'll see you tomorrow!

Addicted to Glove

Might as well face it! Perhaps it's the weather here, but I can't get enough of gloves (again). Austin seems like a good place to enjoy small wooly projects in winter—I think summertime must be the big knitting season, since everyone can work inside in the a/c. It's just too warm in winter, at least for me.

I've finished the second lace cuff, and am delighted to report that it matches the first. I tweaked the pattern a little for a sharper flare on the first one, but didn't make notes, of course. Now if I can reconstruct the thumb shaping and increases, I'll have a new pair of gloves by the end of the weekend. Sweet!

New Vogue (Winter 2003/04)

Best parts are the article by Meg Swansen ("Fussy Knitting") and the KnitBits. I especially liked the little news-bite on the 2002 donation to the Rwandan Women's Initiative of 60 Ultimate Knitting Machines. You can read more about this Rwanda Project here, and there's a 2003 press release with cool photos here, and you can see a video and read a bit more from the UN's perspective here. Who knew?

Pups

Friday seems to be the sweetest word around here every week. The pups and I have big plans for romping; we hope your day is swell, and that your weekend is wonderful.

Mikey says It's Friday! Let the joy be uncontained!

Gallimaufry

No time to work on my gloves Wednesday, but a couple of hours to work on other people's knitting. Girl Scout peoples, to be precise. Wot larks! And how energizing! It's been a long time since I hung out with little girls, perhaps even as long as since I was a little girl—they're fun, aren't they, even by the dozen! It was intriguing remembering my own first knitting experience (wrestling with the needles, accidentally adding new stitches, dropping stitches, twisting stitches, etc., and seeing these beginner errors replicated so easily by the troop) in parallel with their first knitting experience. I had a great time being the knitting overseer, and am looking forward to the next session.

Rowan

You probably knew this already, but I didn't: when you subscribe to Rowan Magazine, they send you a wooly present! Mine arrived today, and it's a kit for a Tumbling Blocks pillow by Kaffe Fassett. Cool!

Noted

1) Do you think we could request that this thing be able to knit?

2) Cool templates for paper crafts, but with interesting potential for other crafts.

Questions

Vanessa asks how the pups are doing on their diets, and I sez: About as well as I am. They are extremely empathic (and still a bit pudgy, no doubt in solidarity with me).

Theresa asks if Here Be Wyverns graphs could be converted to texture work, and I sez: Absolutively! In fact, I plan on giving this idea a spin over the weekend. I'd like to see a dragon in seed stitch, for example. That would be pretty cool on the back of a glove, right?

Chery asks if I've worn my Giant Latvian Mitten Cardigan here in Austin yet, and I sez: No way! Texas is too warm; too warm even for me to wear my growing glove collection.

Chelle asks if I often knit vintage patterns, and I sez: The current glove project is my first vintage pattern (I think), but I plan to knit more, more, more vintage stuff. I think many of those 40s and 50s and even some 60s patterns are fabulous. And still stylin' after all these years.

Pups

Little Jack says Gung Hay Fat Choy!!

One Glove

One glove finished, and the cuff on the mate begun. All this from one skein of Koigu!

I like this glove design very much, am happy to have found it, and am enjoying the knitting. What a change from last week! I guess this Koigu wanted to be Vintage, not Estonian lace. I'm glad it made up its wooly mind.

Here Be Wyverns

My copy of this wire-bound book by Nancy Spies arrived today and I'm very impressed. Charted-knit knitters? This book will be loads of fun for you. Over 400 graphs of patterns charted from medieval sources, including imaginary creatures, animals, water creatures, architecture, birds, people, lettering, overall designs, borders and what Spies calls "Odds & Ends". The odds and ends include designs charted from Pictish stones, Viking age weights, cope fabric, medieval tiles, and illuminations. Additionally, all of the charts have source documentation, so that when you knit (needlework, weave, etc.) them, you've also got an interesting story to tell. Isn't it marvelous that these designs from so long ago can live again, and tell their stories again, in our knitting age! Read more about it here. It's a resource book with enormous potential for creative knitters.

Girl Scouts!

They're everywhere this time of year! However, Wednesday afternoon, rather than listening to short cookie saleswomen, I'm going to assist at the Austin Knitters and Crocheters Guild's project to teach a dozen Girl Scouts basic knitting skills. I hope they get a badge for knitting. Heck, some days I'd like a badge for knitting myself. I expect to have heaps-o-knittin' fun with these scouts, and feel very lucky to be able to participate. "Each one, teach one", remember?

Pups

Mike, Jack and Della have been living large while the sun's been shining the past couple of days. They keep trying to make friends with Skipper, the neighbors' huge yellow cat, but Skipper wants no part of it. That's how it goes sometimes.

Little Jack and Mikey remind you that it's Wednesday; You're Halfway There!

Freeway of Glove

I'm speeding along on this glove, because I need to make its mate before I forget the changes I made to the pattern! Gloves fly when you're using US 2 needles; a huge improvement over the 0000s we were plodding along with before on Laura's Sanquhar-style gloves.

Several of you have asked about the publication containing the Austrian Gloves; it's a Spinnerin booklet: Knit Knacks for the Family, Volume 158, edited by Alice Carroll. My copy was purchased from Laurie recently, and the glove pattern was a lucky bonus, since I bought the booklet for the goofy hat designs on the cover.

I'm not sure if anyone has asked about how to avoid holes at the base of the fingers, but I'd like to tell you what's working for me with this glove. The pattern calls for the knitter to pick up three stitches at the fourchette area; my advice is to pick up as many as you need to ensure there are no gaps. Even doing this, I still wound up with a hole at the base of the ring finger, and it was easily snugged up with a duplicate-stitch sort of closure. The circular suture, a trick detailed in Lucy Neatby's new book, is also a good remedy, but I forgot to use it on this particular glove-hole.

Even unblocked, and with the thumb stitches still waiting, you can see that the bases of the fingers look pretty tidy. Check with Nanette, Master Glove and Mitten Knitter, of course, for a more educated knitterly opinion, but what's working for me is adding stitches to that area, then decreasing them on the following round.

Pups

Jack and Della say It's Tuesday! Look lively there!

Unconditional Glove

My un-knit Koigu lace glove from last week has been revived in a new incarnation. One of my recently acquired vintage knitting booklets has a pattern that simply cried out to be gloved, and so I answered the call on US 2 needles. This 1950s pattern is called "Austrian Gloves" but I believe that's some artistic license on the publisher's part.

Thumb and little finger stitches are waiting on strings while I knit the other fingers. I'm fond of the way this pattern flares at the cuff, then swoops in at the wrist. So far, this fits perfectly, but only because I made adjustments to the thumb gusset depth and width.

Isn't the cuff glovely, and isn't the Koigu a refreshing shade!

Another Store-Bought Sweater Bargain!

This one on Ebay. Do take a look at what an argyle with a history can bring! Thanks Metafilter!

Stash

Anne's Saturday link to a set of wild photos gave me a serious case of stash-remorse (and a raging case of the heebie-jeebies). I'm still considering how best to clear some space in my personal Wool Room. I notice around the knitting blog ring that a small number of bloggers post unwanted stash for sale or trade...have you tried that? Is it a happy experience for all involved?

Pups

After a mostly rainy weekend, the sun finally appeared and dried out the grass and concrete enough to suit the pups. (They hate getting their bellies wet, and they are rather lowrider-ish.) We hope your weekend was perfectly luscious with lusciously perfect weather!

Mike, Jack and Della say It Looks Like Monday Again! Keep your belly dry.

Can I Tempt You?

I am recovering from falling off my knitting horse, so to speak, and Thursday night I even worked on some lace. But I'm taking it slowly; I've made more knitting mistakes in the last five days than I've made in 20+ years of knitting, and I still don't know why! So no photo; I don't want to jinx myself, or commit any unintentional acts of knitting-hubris. Instead, we'll have some indulgence.

Temptation: Tea Cosies

I am delighted to learn that many of you have tea cosies. More knit ones, please! I'm expecting a vintage pamphlet any day now from Laurie that is full of knit tea cosies, even though I don't have a teapot. I'm tempted! Here is a link to a gallery of celebrity-designed tea cosies (although I must say I prefer the knit poodle), and this link will take you to some very special blended teas, including Earl Grey with Triple Bergamot. Mmmm. Bergamotty! Say, do you tea drinkers really pay upwards of $36 for a quarter-pound of tea? A quarter-pound of coffee lasts about two days around here. You extravagant tea-drinkers, you!

Temptation: No More Swatching

Knitters, are you bored with your knitting? Too pooped to purl?
Why not buy ready-made? Hurry! You can save $5,066.01 on this Dolce & Gabbana Women's Knit Sweater ! Oh, I can't stand it! Here's a photo:

and a close-up!

Originally $6,240.00, now only $1,173.99! Act now to avoid disappointment!

Pups

We're very glad it's Friday. It's been a mostly frustrating week. But we're happily hurrying toward the weekend (especially Mikey), and we wish you a joyful one.

O Happy Friday!

In a Sknit

I've had another curiously unsuccessful knitting day, and so I'm in a bit of a sKnit. I'm not sure what is causing my 100-fold increase in knitting errors, but I've made an appointment with the ophthalmologist, just to cover all bases.

So! I amused myself with swatches Wednesday evening, none of which, despite many changes of needles, were the right gauge for any prospective projects. I finished up my knitting by reading my favorite "comfort knitting" book, Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac. I find her writing very soothing, and keep a copy on my night table so I can dream of Pi Shawls and Ganomy Hats.

Perhaps I can amuse you today with this:

It's another vintage pattern from Laurie, and it's the classic tea cosy in the shape of a poodle. While the photo is in black and white, I can only hope this was knitted with a nice pink wool. Tea cosies, by the way, can be easily converted into toilet paper roll covers, in case you are the crafty but shy type who doesn't like guests to see your toilet paper. (It seems to me, though, that you'd certainly be calling attention to that extra roll if you covered it with a poodle.)

If you haven't seen the amazing toilet paper roll covers at Lucy Neatby's website, then rush right over. The TP roll covers are about half-way down the page, and were featured in the 1998 Knitting Exhibition held in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

I can't imagine how the concept of a TP roll cover was born. Did some knitter run out of other stuff to knit, perhaps? (By the way: If you'd like to knit an up-to-date tea cosy, FiberTrends has a nice Amelia Carson design called Nanny Meier's Tea Cosy, No. 214.)

Oh! Quick Poll, please, of the tea-drinking knitters: Do you have a cosy for your teapot? Is it knit?

Pups

The weather here has been humid and warm, and the cedar trees are ferociously pollenaceous. Or something like that. Anyway, the pups' vet says they are probably having some reaction to the local so-called cedar-fever, as am I. Could that be what's affecting my knitting? The pups' knitting seems fine.

Jack and Della say Welcome to Thursday. Cheers! And Happy Knitting.

Knitted Karma?

Is it possible I've incurred the Knitting Deities' wrath? I very rarely have to unknit anything, but after the lacy shawl fiasco, I picked up my lacy apple green Koigu Vanalinn gloves, and what do you know? Another set of dreadful errors appeared to my completely disbelieving eyes. So I ripped the glove back to the beautiful double-cast on, then drifted about the house heaving lacy sighs, then threaded a big needle with cotton yarn, and set to work.

Here's the beastly Beauty and the Bias after ripping out five inches of work:

The pattern is correctly reestablished, and I am within the correct stitch count range (there are some vagrant yarnovers trying to pass themselves off as stitches). All of those k2togs and ssks and yos, though, gave me a giant headache, so I've set the shawl aside to resume tomorrow, when my eyes feel a little less scorched. I like this design, and I love the Helen's Lace, so I don't want to abandon the hours I've already put into the project. And yes! I will be keeping the lifeline in place!

Let's move on to something more blog-cheerful.

New Vintage Patterns!

Once again, all from Laurie at Vintage Knits. First, the Angler's Delight:

And next, the coveted Seahorse Guy Cardigan:

Is this the bomb, or what? I love this goofy sweater.

And finally, for Rachael, the Beavers, complete with chewed up logs and maple leaves, and with beavers on each front:

O Canada! You knock me out!

Now, if I can only find the design called Hoedown, I'll be in vintage-knit-heaven.

Pups

It's true my cute little doggies like to wear snazzy bandanas and the occasional silly hat. But we are all seriously concerned with this Pug. What does it mean for a pug to wear a hot pink eyelash sweater? Mike, Jack and Della don't know, but they continue to keep a wary eye on the neighborhood.

Wednesday! Tralaa-tralee! Have a happy one, and don't let knitted karma getcha.

Knit a Little Learn a Little

Many times lately I don't seem to have time to get back to my blog during the day, and comments pile up. (How I thank you for that! Comments are always much appreciated!) Yesterday's comments about Wraps Per Inch, though, deserve special thanks. . . Knitters, You Rock! Mary got the WPI tools rolling early, and there were many fine explanations offered for why I do/do not need a specialized tool for measuring WPIs. Paula very kindly provided this link to Yarn Fwd's website, a treasure-trove of information about yarn thicknesses and WPI, including why you don't want to measure mohair in this manner. Mary (the other one) and Judy? Check it out for why you would want to check WPIs, but you're both correct: you'll still need a gauge swatch!

Graceless Lace

Beauty and the Bias, the little shawl so close to completion, suddenly transformed itself into Beauty and the Beast today. First, I omitted a knit row. How bad could that be? Not bad at all, until I picked back to the beginning of the row, and dropped a couple of yarnovers and k2togs. Still, how bad could *that* be? Pretty bad, because when I knit across, I somehow missed a couple of the dropped stitches, and they ran in a horrible manner, in several places, back several inches. Gack. Had I been using a lifeline, as in Mary's fine explanation, I would be facing an easier task. But I was busy thinking about WPIs, and didn't run a lifeline. Groan. Say, have you ever browsed through Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer's pages on Repairing a Lace Disaster? These pages and photos can definitely give hope to the hopeless lace knitter.

Pokemon

Nope. Not the Jamaican proctologist from Bonne Marie's Monday Morning Mirth, but a crafty cool laptop design, complete with how-tos. Don't miss the link to the HelloKitty laptop.

Pups

Mike, Jack, and Della say It's Tuesday! Keep an eye on the neighbors!

What I Did for Glove

Remember last week when I told you I had only 44 lace rows left to knit on the Beauty and the Bias shawl? Well, apparently my mental abacus is a few beads short. I've been knitting and knitting on the thing and it never seems to get finished. So I redid my math, and when I told you it was 44 rows? It was actually 176. D'oH!! No wonder it's taking this long!

I'm almost halfway to the middle of the second half (this shawl is knit from the bottom of the right lapel to the bottom of the left lapel). And I've decided that I shouldn't have used the US6 Addi Turbos, but instead, a *stickier* needle. I'd forgotten since my last lace project that the Addis are a little too slippery for me with laceweight yarn. About the yarn, the Helen's Lace from Lorna's Laces? It's 50% wool and 50% silk, and I've found it lovely to knit.

But. All lacey-lovely-ness aside, I am really having to be stern with myself in the knitting of this shawl. I'm irresistably drawn back to gloves, and in fact, can scarcely resist the Koigu green lacy one that I left off on in December. I'm determined to finish this shawl though. Sigh. The sacrifices I've made for glove.

Kilt Secrets!

There's an interesting article about tartan history at The Scotsman currently; it seems that the historical colors aren't as native to Scotland as has been previously thought. Good read for the textile lovers and Kool-aid dyers among us.

WPI Secrets

Will those of you in the know about Wraps Per Inch advise me, please? There is a gadget for measuring WPI available (scroll down to the bottom of Tools), but I'm wondering if I can't just use a ruler that I have around here somewhere, rather than paying $9.99 plus shipping. More and more publications seem to list yarn by WPI, rather than by a weight classification. Do I need one of these? Do you have one of these? Do you find it useful?

Kitty Secrets

This link has nothing to do with knitting, but this cat is so darn cute!

Pups

Mikey says It's Monday: Flow with the go!

Potpourri—Part 3

I've been knitting diligently on the Beauty and the Bias shawl, but still haven't finished. It's been a busy week, and I'm finding that getting through an eight-row repeat is a major accomplishment! I'm looking forward to the weekend and some quality knitting time.

Vintage Knitting

Did you know that in the late 1950s, Mary Maxim Co. put out charted sweater patterns called Knit-o-Graphs? They are wildly campy and very '50s. I've been collecting them whenever I find them. Here's my latest, Dancing Blades:

Here's a closeup of the fun part:

Did you ever?? All of these vintage Mary Maxim patterns featured "theme" knitting...for example, I have a pattern for a bowling enthusiast's sweater, with lifesize 10 pins and bowling ball and a big guy throwing one down the lane. Some are boating-themed, and some are hunting-themed, and some are just plain goofy, like the one I found recently that has giant Canadian Beavers knitted on the cardigan fronts and back. I think they are completely whack and utterly delightful! The originals call for "4-ply Northlands wool" but I think it will be easy to substitute.

Twined Knitting

I was scrutinizing the preview photos posted on the Schoolhouse Press website for some insight into this technique...the blue sweater in particular seems very mysterious to me. As I understand it, twined knitting is knitting with "two ends" of yarn, so you could achieve various interesting effects from only one skein of wool through knits and purls and twining. However, the blue sweater indicates there are some very cool innovations to this technique. I've ordered my copy and am very eager to see it.

Pretty Knitting

Since it's Friday, maybe you'll have some extra surfing time? If so, take a look at this knitter's impressive gallery of stranded and textured sweaters and accessories. Very nice work!

Pups

Thanks to all of you who wrote or commented suggesting Kongs with a dab of peanutbutter. The pups tried this today and they were nearly witless with joy to discover peanutbuttery goodness inside the Kong! And I was very happy to see them take nearly 20 minutes over less than a teaspoonful of the good stuff.

Whoooeee! Friday! We wish you a happy one, and a lovely knitterly weekend.

Potpourri—Part 2

Still knitting along on my Beauty and the Bias shawl (you remember—the Lump-o-Lace), so we'll forgo the progress picky again today. Instead, we have more knit-scented potpourri; waft along, okay?

Backgammon Set

Jessica writes that she knit the backgammon set from page 52 of Weekend Knitting, and found it tedious because of all the ends that needed to be woven in before finishing. Has anyone knit this besides Jessica? She's looking for hints on how to make it less painful to finish. As I look at it, it appears to me that you could only use an intarsia method for the knitting, but couldn't you simply stitch a backing on the obverse of the thing? That would cover ends. And I'm lazy like that. Is there a more elegant solution for Jessica? Please let us know.

Oooh! Oooh!

Scramble over to Schoolhouse Press to see preview photos from their newest book, Twined Knitting. This looks like a must-have for me; I'm intrigued by the photos of the sweaters, where the stitches appear to be traveling in all different directions. Unexpected Knitting and Sweaters From Camp were two of my most favorite books from last year; I'm practically salivating over this new SP title.

Lifelines

Lace knitters talk about them, but have you ever read a really good description of how and why you'd want to use a knitting "lifeline"? Mary has an excellent explanation with photos of her recent experience in ripping out rows in Luskentyre.

My Cool New Hat-Blocker

Sweet! Heavy greenish recycled glass, lifesized, and $15 at Pier One!!

Pups

The pups appreciate all the dietary advice they've been receiving, and request that you sugarcoat it. Peanutbutter-coating it would also be lovely.

Little Jack says It's Thursday! Keep your tail high!

Potpourri

Knitting on my lacy-thingie is very meditative, but alas! it's slow progress toward having something to show for my knitting—or rather, something to show you! It won't really look like much more than a Lump-o-lace until it's finished and dressed—that's just the nature of lace. So! No Beauty and the Bias update photo today. Luckily, we have a veritable potpourri of other things to chat about.

Afghans for Afghans

Have a look at the photos on the website that document the December delivery to Kabul of wooly items knitted with love by US knitters. You know who you are, and you rock! Next delivery deadline is March 5, so if you have knitted hats, mittens, blankets, or socks to spare, visit the website for guidelines.

Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falik

I didn't buy this book (ISBN: 1584792914) when it first came out because I thought it would be patterns for 2-stitch-per-inch-on-size-17-needles-gauged sweaters that you could knit in a weekend. Exsqueeze me! I was wrong! I fully intended to dislike this book, but the photos are beautiful, and the projects really are unique! I love the knit-realized idea of knitted backgammon boards and checkerboards that travel in their own knitted bags. Weekend Knitting is about enjoying knitting done on weekend-time, and to that end, includes some recipes for special treats for knitters. The book is remaindered in all the usual places.

Unique Projects

Speaking of unique projects (weren't we?), my wonderful sister gave me some helpful input ("Fabulous!") concerning my project for the Whimsicalong. Last month saw the online conclusion of The Glorious Glove Project; this month, members are working on whimsy-projects...knitting that doesn't necessarily have practical purpose, yet leads to better understanding of a particular knitting concept. I am exploring short-rows and design with my whimsy-project, and will show it to you once my prototype meets with both my approval and Sister's.

Pups

Does it look to you as if Little Jack is wasting away? (He'd like you to think so.)

It's Wednesday! Mix it up!

Lump-o-Lace

Here's my Beauty and the Bias shawl progress!

Isn't knitted lace magical? You create a lumpy bumpy holey-moley thing that dresses out to blingbling bewitchiness! I'm on the downside of finishing this small shawl now, and I'm beginning to look forward to seeing it off the needles and transformed.

Two Mitten-Thumbs Up

In my lump-o-lace photo, you can see the edge of my new book, Nursery Rhyme Knits (ISBN: 1579903487). It's a sweet little book, and two color (or more) knitters will find lots of lovely little charts and an alphabet. There are basic patterns for a hat, blanket, mittens, and a scarf, with each of these items serving as canvases for charted knitted nursery rhymes. Interestingly, the scarf and blanket articles are backed with fabric—the designs are only knit on one side. There are some very cute ideas in this book, and I'm glad to have it for the charts. I think I'd prefer the scarves knitted in the round, though, with the design on both sides. Two mitten-thumbs up for the creativity and inspirational jumping-off points of this book.

Pups

Thanks to all who commented about pet weight loss (and thanks, too, to all who just commented!). I feel more encouraged from your comments at the prospect of trimming the doggies down. Because they are dachshunds, they are prone to back troubles, and keeping their weight down will help keep back troubles away. Or so say the humans involved. The pups keep trying to trick me into extra treats; sadly, I'm very trick-able. (Imagine being outsmarted by dachshunds!) And as Anne quite correctly surmised, the pups were eagerly anticipating gaining weight this coming year.

Action Photo! Mike and Jack are working out by chasing Della.

It's Tuesday! Please don't mention donuts.

Soothing

In looking through my journal entries over the past dozen years, I see that each new year I've started a lace project right after the holidays. This year is no different; I'm working on this:

I'm at the halfway point; only 44 more lace pattern rows and then I'll have a new lacy-thingie. Yarn is "Helen's Lace" from Lorna's Laces, in my favorite colorway of No. 27, Black Pearl. All those big needle-knit Christmas scarves got on my nerves, I guess, despite the swell results. I found myself longing for something moderately complex to knit in a fine yarn, and this project has been very soothing while we've been getting organized for 2004.

California Interlude

My! We saw some magical sights!

This:

And this:

And most magically, this!

In La Jolla, there is a windbreak where the seals can get out of the wind and take sunny naps on the beach. The day I was there, there were dozens, all lolling about and luxuriating in the sunshine. Check these sweet sea-faces:

While these particular seals are not at risk, I still can't imagine anyone hunting any seals for any reason. Seals have marvelously expressive faces and extraordinary agility, considering they are creatures with flippers (new word! Pinnipeds!). More than a week later, I remain completely charmed by the sight of these happy-sleepy seals. Was that lucky or what?

Pups

The pups are a bit grrrumbly about my New Year's Resolutions for them. Each has a few pounds to lose, according to their vet. The pups, however, bark to differ.

Mikey says It's Monday! Toss us a cookie!