Finishitis

OK, so everyone talks about startitis in knitting, how we can't find our mojo and find just the right project to jump start our desire. But what about the serious ailment of finishitis, where you have now started so many projects there is no way you will finish any of them in three life times.

Now I am not talking about the usual UFO's every knitter has languishing in the bottom of her knitting basket. No, I am talking about the knitter who within a matter of days begins 8 projects, because she wants to see how the new yarn from the recent fiber festival looks in lace or the project you just have to start for a sweater for you husband because God forbid you not have a easy, shmeasy stockinette project on the needles for potential movie dates.




Even though you haven't been to the movies since way before Christmas. (I know this because the Neilson guys called yesterday to survey me about new movies and I was sooo long from seeing a current film he quickly said thanks but no thanks, pretty boring life when the Neilson guys don't even think you are interesting. They get paid to find everything you do interesting.)

And then there are the projects you cast on just to test drive a new lace stitch pattern and before you know it you have knit the beginning of a beautiful shawl but abandon it for cables.






The cables are part of the top down Aran you have designed for your 20 something daughter and then abandon because she won't be back from Costa Rica until May and certainly won't be wearing this puppy until next October.



Then there is the baby sweater you must start for the baby shower this weekend. (That one is actually close to the finish line. It is pinned out and drying right now.) But what is a baby sweater with out a baby hat to go with it. So that one was cast on last night in a moment of such weakness I could weep.





Then the kid Silk haze crack Falling Leaf scarf that I am teaching within a month so of course I must cast on for the sample of the scarf right this moment. (Do you see the theme of "right this moment", running through this post.)

Oh, and let's not forget the STR Holidaze colorway knit into a beautiful Old Shale pattern sock, inspired by Anne Hanson's latest sock gorgeousness. The woman is an evil temptress, don't you think.




And the pattern I promised a friend I would rewrite for her with charts for her cables rather than the Marquis De Sade directions that came with a kit she purchased in Canada 3 years ago and has stalled mightily. (No joke, these directions would have given Einstein a headache so you can imagine what they are doing to my pea sized brain.) I have thrown the reams of written directions away and am just charting from the grainy, out of focus 4" x 5" picture on the front of the pattern.This required a little drive around the park to see how the cables look compared to the picture.

Oh, and the very hip and stylish Chic Cable and Lace sweater from SweaterBabes.com. Gorgeousness, but not a bulky enough yarn, so the gauge is not quite right. Of course, I knew this 9 1/2 " ago, yet I continued to knit in the hopes the gauge would bloom in the width I really needed. Now that it is an 11" cowl I am willing to admit defeat and find another yarn. ( In my defense I almost never work with yarns at this gauge so it is like traveling in a foreign land without knowing the language. That's my story and I am sticking to it.)

There, I feel much better now. This must be what confession feels like. I have admitted I have a problem but I don't see any solution in my future. I just signed on to teach 5 new classes which will all need samples knit before I can teach.

Is there a cure for finishitis?

And did I mention I started sewing tote bags because obviously I have sooo much free time. I need professional help...maybe if I start running with scissors ...

Design through Pharmacopia

So, I have been battling a bronchial infection for going on three weeks now and the cocktail of medications prescribed is having very positive effects and not all of them medical. The insomnia induced by the steroid I am taking is life altering. At 1:30 am when I went to bed last night I was sure I could have powered most of the county I live in, I had that much juice. Luckily, for me the steroid does not make me hallucinate just keeps me wide awake with nowhere to go.We have a good friend who hallucinates like mad when he has to take this particular drug.I just had that one dream about of in-Vitro babies but I am thinking that was a normal reaction to the birth of octuplets in California.

No, my reaction is much more productive. I have designed a new hat and wristwarmer pattern, another pair of Valentine Day wristwarmers for a friend and the correct way to finish an Aran that has been giving me issues, some new lace shawls, three new garden beds, an herb garden design and a flier to send to prospective gardening clients. Then after I solved the economic crisis and contemplated World Domination I dosed off for a few hours. Wide awake again at 4:00 am I considered just getting up and getting on with my designs. The doctor's orders that I need rest did nothing to calm my speeding mind but I did force myself to stay in bed for a few more hours.

Now if my fingers will fly as fast as my mind did. I am not recommending or condoning any kind of pharmacological intervention on the days you have nothing in the design bag but I will let you know where this goes.

Another interesting side effect of the drug soup is the possibility of tendon damage (and I won't even go into the exorbitant unfunded cost of this antibiotic by my overpaid Health Insurance company, that is a rant for another day). My doctor, whom I love, started me on the steroid before he knew how resistant this particular bacteria was. Once started you can't stop steroids so here I sit, afraid to blow a tendon (are there tendons in our brains??) while my Weight Watchers butt gets bigger everyday. I can't wait to take a deep breathe and get back on my bike.

I will keep you posted about all these designs...

Franklin was commenting the other day about his "process",describing how his workspace looks while in the middle of the "process".

I thought I would share a shot of my desk which is clean for the first time in months. Of course, now that I actually see the photo it looks like the workspace of a demented mind who doesn't know her way around of a vacuum but to me it is a vast improvement.



My girls can attest to the fact that this is pretty neat for mom.

Here is a little germ of an idea. I'll let you know if it grows into a full blown bacteria.


And here is my Brooklyntweed shot of a new Aran for Mace. OK one real slap in the face of these drugs, aside from the obvious inability to type, is that I cannot think upside down and circularly. I had the great idea of working St. Patrick from A Fine Fleece from the top down, with a nod to Janet Szabo. Everything went along swimmingly until i got to the join the front and back and work down circularly point. Four attempts later I threw in the towel and proceeded with each portion done separately. Now I am not a girl who minds seaming so this is not a huge problem and after the time I invested in trying to keep the cables twisting at the appropriate times and rounds where they didn't have to twist, and the appropriate rows and keep the cables going in the right twist when they are upside down. OK so I admit I am not the Omnipotent leader of all my knitting. I put the front back on one needle and I got my groove on again. Humbling, I tell you, humbling.





Pretty, huh? Whadda think, Mace?

Houston, We Have Launch

Well, it finally happened. The oldest little chick has left the nest. She got herself a wonderful job in Norfolk, VA and we moved her down last week. She starts tomorrow. How cute is her apartment???

She will be completely embarrassed that I am showing pictures of it in this state, it looked much better within hours of this shot, but isn't beautiful, granite counters, folks. I don't have granite counters.

Her bedroom is full of light and has this wonderful deck right outside her door.



The living room is small but it will be cozy.


I think it is a wonderful place to start a new life. The neighborhood is very, well, neighborly. Virginia is the friendliest state. Everyone stops to talk and these are long chats not the quick nods you have up north. All in all a great place to begin her new life. And she got a job in this economy in architecture, I'm just saying. (Can you tell how proud we are.)

We will move onto other things now so I can stop thinking about her empty room upstairs.

I have started a Janet Szabo inspired FLAK sweater for DD#2. The yarn is Devon from Classic Elite, unfortunately, it is discontinued and I am not sure I will have enough to finish. Short-sleeved wool Aran, anyone?




The yarn was left over from this Gansey.





I knit for a very good friend a few years ago. He and my husband built me a beautiful chicken coop in trade for this sweater. He is a very large man( this is 61" at the chest) so I bought lots to be sure I would have enough. I thought I had a ton left over but all the cabling is really eating it up . At this point I think I will stop working on the back, pick up for the front (this is worked top down). See how far I get and whether I will have enough left for the sleeves. Seems awfully heavy for a vest and I know she wants a really cozy warm sweater soooo.... if anyone out there has any Classic Elite Devon in color Brixham Brass #9363 (it is a kind of brassy, mustard color) who would be willing to part with a few skeins I would be eternally grateful and willing to pay dearly. She loved this yarn and the color will look amazing on her.


I also ordered this Malabrigo Sock Yarn from Webs back in October so what a surprise to receive this in the last week. Of course I want to stop everything else and be alone with this but I will soldier on and finish all the heavy wooly things I must with this as the shiny holy grail of knitting at the end. I think it wants to be a shawl don't you?



Isn't it drool worthy??

Have a great week.

The Inauguration

How proud are you to be an American today? I hope you all watched and prayed and were profoundly moved today. Say what you will about this country when we do it right, we really do it right.

Yes We Can!!!

When the world gives you snow, make socks and shawls and vests.

This isn't even the worst of it... we have had 6" more inches of the powdery stuff fall on us since I took these pictures yesterday. The dog is having a hard time finding a spot with enough clearance to take care of "business" if you know what I mean. And he is a Labrador, not a breed usually considered too short to take care of "business."
Mace, you have to imagine this with another 6" on the deck. This is perfect skiing snow, light, fluffy and powdery. Too bad my skiing days are behind me.

I finished my Norwegian Woods Shawl from Sivia Harding. I love, love, love this shawl. It is drapey, and beaded so there is weight and it is gloriously beautiful in Handmaiden Sea Silk. I wore it to church on Sunday and got a few compliments. The only real downside, and this is a problem with all triangular shawls, is the point highlights a part of my anatomy I try to hide. DH said he thought it was beautiful and bragged to our girls about it so they would be impressed. Gotta love him. I don't even think he likes lace but he has been very sweet.

The beading was really fun an easy. I just crocheted them on with a wee tiny crochet hook rather than stringing all the beads on before I started to knit. Much easier, and the beads stand at attention just the way they should. More pictures on my Ravelry page.


Also finished DD#2 vest but not before she left and she wouldn't be using it in Costa Rica. The tempts are in the 70's there so no need for the woolies. Am happy with how it turned out and think it will be becoming on her.

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Debby Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed
Color: Grape
Needles:US #5,3.5 mm Addi Turbos

I have also finally finished Caty's Fair Isle vest but need her to model it for the full effect. She is happy with it so I am happy.

Finished a pair of socks out of Sundara sock yarn, yummy, while watching the inauguration today so I am feeling very chuffed at all the finishing taking place.

Started another pair of socks during the AFC championship game on Sunday, GO Steelers, but am not happy with the coarseness of the yarn. It feels very stiff and hard and am not sure washing will soften this up. So back to the drawing board for those.

Have started another pair in Schaeffer Anne so am certain they will be soft and squishy.

And just for Mace... another snow shot.

Happy New Year

I hope you all had a lovely holiday and are looking forward to the new year.

Finally can share all the things I spent the last month hiding from my kids and consequently all of you. (That sounds like I have tons of readers, actually I think my kids are the only people paying attention...)

A pair of gloves for DD#1. She asked for gloves but I don't think was expecting anything this elaborate. She loves them and was showing them off during the holidays.Very bright girl our Cate, she knows the correct way to warm the cockles of a knitting mom's heart.

These are knit at the smallest tension I have ever knit a garment, 9 stitches to the inch. I loved making them, especially playing with the design but my hands were very cramped after working all those fiddily fingers.

Mittens for DD#2. I also changed these up a little . The original pattern is in Selbuvotter but of course couldn't leave well enough alone and added a corrugated, two color cuff and some Latvian braids just for the fun of it. She also loved them so another home run .
This is a scarf for DD#2 made with Knitpicks Gloss. Gorgeous fiber which had been percolating in the stash for a while so was thrilled to use it for something other than the another pair of socks.


A cabled vest for DD#2. She has been clamoring for cabled garments so thought this would fill the bill quickly. My hubris knows no bounds. I started this about a week before Christmas thinking that such a big knit would whip along and I would crank this out before she came home. Of course I crashed and burned. I would have had a chance if I hadn't ripped the blinking thing out 3 times each for the front and back trying to get the neck opening started at just the right place and the cabled situated just so.

I am happy with it now and she was very happy with the fit. "Negative Ease" is her new favorite phrase. Unfortunately, she has abandoned us for a semester in Costa Rica and has no need for woolies. She even left before it was dry so I couldn't get any money shots.


Yes the little stinker has moved to the Cloud Forest Mountains of Costa Rica where she will be student teaching in the special ed classroom and helping with science education throughout the school. She is over the moon happy and so we are less anxious. She has called twice and regaled us with stories of the warmth of her host family, the intensity of her immersion Spanish and the beauty of her surroundings, to say nothing of the temperatures in the 80's. It is 24 degrees, gloomy with freezing rain here in western PA today so I am relieved and jealous.

DD#1 has also flown the nest... she is interviewing for architecture jobs in Virginia Beach and looking for apartments. So far 2 concrete offers and another interview on Friday so things are looking up all around. Of course this means she will be moving very soon. This nest is emptying and I am not sure how happy I about this.

Another Door Opens

We spent last night doing one of the most remarkable things a parent can do...we watched our oldest defend her architecture project in her FINAL REVIEW!!! She will be graduating from Carnegie-Mellon University next Tuesday and we are the proudest parents.

Caty has always been an amazing kid, certainly to us, but what an awe inspiring thing to watch your little girl shine like the professional, polished young woman you know she is. I can say with all objectivity, she really is amazing. For the uninitiated, working toward an architecture degree is a grueling process. Many sleepless nights, 5 years of agonizing over the smallest detail, mind numbing boredom followed by flat out panic, development of artistic, engineering and verbal skills, and criticism that would eviscerate a lesser mortal. Every project is reviewed by a panel of professors and professional architects. It often seems the whole point of the review is to destroy the student.

Caty has been through dozens of reviews and she handled this last one with grace and humor. She defended her design so well. In the end the architects were very happy, her professors were complimentary and her mom and dad were ecstatic. Shouting and gesticulating were not allowed but I know we both wanted to jump on our chairs and hand pump. Tom Cruise has nothing on us.

And why is she so amazing you may ask, well, aside from the fact that she is my daughter and therefore everything she does is amazing, she finished her 5 year degree in 4 1/2 years and she is still considered one of the "sweetest girls" you ever could meet. (That's what others say about her, not just her mom.) If she weren't my daughter I would still want to be her friend, she is that incredible.

Congratulations Catydid, well done!!