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Adult Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann update: another 10 double-decreases whittled away on Thursday. Because I don't have a photo to show you, I thought perhaps you'd like to look at some completed ASJs.

Best bet for most to view, the Knitbabysurprise EZ knitters. You'll have to join the group, but the photos are fun and the tips are so worth it. This group has a public site here, with additional photos.

A lovely one with a Pi Shaw photo as a bonus here. The beginnings of Dot's in handspun. One by Sarah. Here's one by Liz.

And some cute Baby Surprises!

I think mine is working out splendidly in the Noro Kureyon. In fact, mine is my favorite! :-)

Techno-Linkapalooza

Hot socks, warm feet, smart wool. And No smelly socks.

Linkalinkadingdong

We're enjoying watching these projects progress—

Intarsia: Shobhana's TomTom progress

Fair Isle: Brent's Burrastow

Lace: Antonio's Silk SOB

Pups

Della says Spread a Little Sunshine Every Day.

Do you have a three-day weekend? We do. Happy Friday, happy weekend, and happy knitting!

Return Tray to Upright Position

Did you have a wonderful wooly Wednesday? I hope so; I certainly did. A nice day, good friends, and your lovely comments more than made up for my grumpy post about Unsolicited Comments from Strangers on My KIPing—thank you for chiming in!

My visiting-from-New Jersey pals and I went to the greatest local museum, and while the art collection is small and superb, the floor tiles gave me the greatest idea! Look! Spanish Fair Isle motifs! Some three-color rows, but.

These tiles line the walkways of the building that houses the art collections; here is the courtyard-heart of the place.

Isn't it great to sometimes act like a tourist in your own environment? While none of us got any knitting done, we did get some shopping in, and when I got home, I had nice mail, too.

Any day with Rodins, green Rowan Wool-Cotton, and new patterns in the mail is officially splendid in my book. You know what else is splendid and speedy? The service provided by Jill Vosburg of Just One More Row. I ordered the Lightning Lace Jacket pattern on Monday, and it arrived on Wednesday. Sweet!

Birches!

Yes! My Rowan Kidsilk Haze (RKH) "Jelly" really is that green! And from the comments and emails, it sounds as if there is a gracious plenty of a population for a new Birch-along. I have my Adult Surprise by E. Zimmermann and the Knitted-Stitch sweater by Meg Swansen to finish, but after that, I'd be delighted to Birch-along with you. Just takes three puffs of the RKH and Rowan No. 34. Let us know when you'd like to start. I'm thinking July? Maybe August.

Pups

What to get for the pet who has everything? Check here.

Thursday. Back to work for me; we hope your day is swell. Little Jack says Go for the Green!

To and Fro, Fro and To

The Adult Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann, brilliantly conceived in Noro Kureyon by the intrepid Terri, is taking a lot of time to knit. I can't figure out why; it's just garter stitch. But there are a lot of stitches on the needles right now; and even though I knit a bit every evening and KIP (Knit In Public) at every opportunity, I am still working double-decreases. I have a few more miles to go, then the design will take another interesting turn.

I KIPed on the ASJ while getting my hair cut today. Comment from an ancient woman: "I'm waiting until I get old to do that." Comment from an elderly woman: "It makes me hot just looking at that." Comment from a middle-aged woman: "I don't have the patience to do anything like that." Comment from Jerry the salon tippler: "Is that crochet? My grammy knows crochet (hic)."

Wassup with that?

I thought knitting was the new yoga, and that all the celebrities were doing it :-) I had to knit with my eyes closed and with one hand practically behind my back to impress these people.

By the way, here's some of my new haircut. I'm gradually returning to what I think of as my natural hair color (and I'd prefer that you didn't argue with me about it).

Sister says I am the cutest Cyclops ever!

Regarding the ASJ, you can see that I've added another couple of inches, and you can also see that I have added some new mohair-silk yarn to my collection. It's Rowan Kidsilk Haze, in the deliciously green color "Jelly"! I love this color! It's to knit Birch later this summer.

I missed the Birch-along last summer, but I'm here now. There were so many pretty Birches around the knitblog-ring that I can no longer resist. Better Rowan than Never.

"Jelly" is Little Jack's favorite color, too.

It's Wednesday! We've got the day off, and we're going to go hang with our pals who are visiting from Jersey. Would you KIP a bit, and see if you can get some more appreciative responses from our adoring public than me? Cheers!

We Are the Wool

Busy busy here knitting back and forth on the Adult Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann. Several blog readers have asked where to find this pattern, and I'm pleased to direct them to Schoolhouse Press. The design is from Spun Out #1, Summer 1981, and you can have your very own copy for a buck. Meg Swansen recommends working the Baby Surprise Jacket first in order to see how this design comes together—you can do that for only another buck and a bit of wool. That's what I did, and I'm glad; I think knowing how to knit the BSJ makes the ASJ all the more easy. The ASJ directions are, as EZ used to say, pithy.

Morbid Thoughts

So. We were reading this story from the Salt Lake Tribune, thinking how pleasant it was that the author *didn't* write "Knitting! It's Not Just for Grandmothers Anymore!" A bit of history, the difference between knitting and crochet, a little bit of an interview with our hero Nancy Bush--very pleasant reading indeed. The last paragraph shifts the mood; the author tells of a prodigious knitter who actually died stitching the toe of a knit sock together. (Not from stitching the toe of the sock together, I hasten to add.) I reproduce it here:

When Groves became ill, she continued knitting swatches of new yarns to be displayed at the craft business she had created. Moments before her heart gave out in November, she lay in a hospital bed, stitching up the toes of a sock a nurse had knitted. Groves was laid to rest with a prized skein of blue cashmere wool and two fine ebony knitting needles.

Laid to rest with a skein of cashmere and a pair of ebony knitting needles. Isn't that marvelous? And really, I find it only slightly morbid on my part to think I'd also like to take my ebony needles with me, and my beloved Georges Picaud puffs of black angora plied with silk. Or a colorful skein of Colinette Point Five might be nice, too. But what if someone got it wrong? And I spent Eternity as a dearly departed with a skein of Red Heart Super Saver? Will there be acrylic in heaven?

Pups

The pups got to romp around with their Geoffrey Monday afternoon, and a romp with Geoffrey is always a wonderful thing. He's sweet to the pups, and that's always another wonderful thing.

Cheers. It's Tuesday. Della says C'mon. You Know You Want To.

What a Wonderful Wool

I knit away on the Adult Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann over the weekend, and have about 42 double decreases remaining. I'm enjoying the Noro Kureyon (color no. 71), in fact, I think to myself, what a wonderful wool. It's a wonderful design, too. Pre-Falkenberg, but it's looking rather elegant so far, I must say.

For those who have knit the Adult Surprise Jacket, is the double-decrease creating a miter? Is the ASJ perhaps the beginning of mitered knitting? We don't know, but we like knitting it. I like what the Kureyon is doing with the skinny stripes that flow together. Today's photos were taken Sunday afternoon in bright sunlight; the colors are fairly true.

Cool, right? I've realized that I need to work on it more to see significant progress, so I'm making it my primary knitting this week. Unless I change my mind. Last week's limited knitting broke my knitting stride, so to speak. I've had a hard time getting back into my daily knitting groove. But I feel so full of creatknitivy that I want make more and faster progress on my two big knit projects, so that I can feel less encumbered when I let my imaginknition run amok.

Machine Knitting

When I think about knitting machines, I think about the ability to crank out yards of stockinette. But apparently I've been seriously misinformed about the utility of a knitting machine—take a look at these Vanity Blankets. I love knitters!

Pups

The pups and I enjoyed blackberries and sunshine this weekend. But now it's Monday. Della says Put Your Toys Away.

Wishing you a wonderful day, and a wonderful wool.