thirty-four

Five weeks.

It's really been five weeks.

Well, it's not that I've been lazy. As it turns out, selling a house, packing that  house, and getting everything moved 1,000 miles south is kind of a big task. If you were wondering if we have a lot of stuff, it turns out we do. We had to move approximately 5,440 pounds of stuff. I guess "move" is actually kind of a stretch. We had a moving company do it for us. In any event, it was still a big deal.

James and I are still in the process of selling our house; the settlement closes in a little over a week. Once more, selling your house is a big deal. We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we would sprint towards it... if we were the sprinting type.

We have a house in Lake Mary, Florida now... and I really love it. It's a bit bigger than the house we had in Pittsburgh, and there's a great backyard for the dog. He's still getting used to all the different noises we have down here, so he's been barking quite a bit lately. Last night, there was some sort of animal hissing and yowling in the dark, and the dog and I were both afraid. It could have been a raccoon, a possum, or maybe a really sad cat, but we didn't want to find out. There's certainly a lot of wildlife here in the sunshine state.

It's certainly been an exciting couple of weeks for me down here. Dad and I drove down to Florida on Sunday, August 25. On Monday, August 26, before I had even logged 24 hours in my new state, I was in a car accident. Luckily, I'm not really injured. I have a minor neck sprain, and I'll be going for a follow-up appointment at the PT in a couple weeks. How did it happen? Well, I was stopped at traffic signal, and the light was red. Once the light turned green, the driver behind me drove right into my rear bumper. I don't think they were paying attention. To anything. I was warned about the roads down here; I just didn't think someone would be a bad driver around me so quickly. Sheesh.

Now, about the knitting... There was a two-week period where I didn't knit a single stitch, which also contributed to my absence here, and also my general anxiety level. That dark time is behind me now. Thank goodness. I'm almost done with two different projects now!

I've been working on my third pair of socks. It turns out that I really love knitting socks! The pattern is called (Are you even ready for this?!) Hermione's Everyday Socks. HERMIONE! Did I tell you I live right by Hogwarts now?? I'm using Dream in Color Smooshy, one of my favorite sock yarns, in a nice mustard yellow-ish hue. Here's my project page. Don't they look a little vintage? And I really love a contrasting toe, don't you?

Also, I've been working on another shawl by Veera Välimäki (shocking), who I love. It's called Bolt, and it's part of a Brooklyn Tweed collection that was released earlier this year. The pattern was actually a birthday gift, from my great friend Yvonne. I'm knitting this shawl in two different colors of Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light (even more shocking), Ink and Tern. I've reached the last part of the shawl, where I knit garter forever, but it's been total TV knitting the whole way. Veera's pattern's are never that complicated, but the results are always amazing! I think this is the fourth shawl of hers that I've knit. I really love her patterns. Raveled here.

That's all I have for now, but I feel better finally getting back here. I'll be in California next week, so I may not be back before the middle of the month, but you can be sure I'll have a few project finished by then!

Now I have to figure out what to do with all my coats...

thirty-three

It's all happening!

Well, kind of...

It will all happen, but at least it's started happening.

We are moving to Orlando, Florida! (which, by the way, is the BIG news)

We really love Orlando, and have family there as well. Also, we love Disney World. And Universal. And anything touristy about the area. It's going to be awesome!

So... A few weeks ago (although it feels like forever now), James was presented with a job offer from his company. The offer was great, but would require us to relocate. And this is not a "make the commute shorter" kind of relocation, it's a big one. After discussing it at length for a few days, he decided to take the job.

The following Monday was the most anxious I've ever been, that I can remember. We had decided that James was taking the job, but I still had to talk to my boss. I told him the whole story, and that this was simply an offer we couldn't refuse. I really didn't want to leave my job, and so I asked if there was any possible way I could keep my position and work remote. He agreed (almost immediately), and put the wheels in motion to get this transfer approved. Three weeks later, it's now 100% official, and I'm so excited! I really love my job, and I would have been so sad to leave the position, and the wonderful team.

So now we have one thing left to do... Sell the house. Our house has been on the market for three weeks exactly, we've had 8 or 9 showings, and our open house went very well. So far, we have a lot of interest, but no offers. My cousin told me that it takes (on average) 62 days to sell a house, but I hope it happens a little faster. We are priced to sell, and the fact that we've seen so much interest so fast (at least for our area) is encouraging.

James leaves for Orlando in 10 days, and he'll stay with his sister while I stay in Pittsburgh and try to sell our house. Once the house is sold, I'll pack up the U-Haul with my Dad (and the dog), and we'll drive down to Orlando to meet James. There's still a long road ahead of us, and I'm not looking forward to being apart, but we decided that this option is best.

So, that brings me to my next question... Does anyone have any LYS recommendations for Orlando? I've found a few websites, but it's always better to hear from a shopper, I think. I may be moving to Florida, but I'm still going to knit. And knit. And knit.

Speaking of knitting, there hasn't been much on my needles lately. I guess this whole moving and packing and selling the house thing has slowed me down. That being said, I may lay a little low for a while, but I'll knit when I can (as I always have). I am working on a test knit, but I can't really mention that here... yet.

PS - Has anyone grabbed a copy of the Interweave Harry Potter Knits Magazine yet? I have a copy on hold at Natural Stitches, which I'll pick up this weekend. I'm so excited!

thirty

It's nice to be home again.

I was in North Carolina for work this week, and I had a great time. Well, I had a great time working. Also, I had boiled peanuts! They were... interesting. Boiled peanuts are the state snack food of South Carolina, but we found them in Raleigh. I guess I'll try anything once. Also, there was some extreme weather and hot sticky days, so I'm glad to be home where it's sunny outside and 75 degrees today.

I'm still working on my second sock, but I should be done sometime this weekend. I only have about 30 rounds of the foot left, and then the toe! This was going to be my airplane knitting, but I had other things on my mind...

On June 1, Natural Stitches (which y'all know as my FAVORITE LYS) started their second annual summer bingo. Everyone gets a bingo card that's filled not with numbers, but with different knitting challenges. Last summer, I didn't get a bingo, but that's already changed this year! This morning, I became the first bingo winner this year! As an added prize, they gave me a skein of Zen Yarn Garden's Serenity Worsted in the Bronze Age colorway. The yarn is a merino/cashmere/nylon blend aaaaand it's divine.

While I was at NS this morning, I decided to take the plunge. Well, sort of. I've been going back and forth in my head for a few months about a certain knitting challenge I've yet to tackle. Today, I got one step closer... I bought yarn for my very first sweater. Ever. Like ever ever.

2200 Yards of Yarn!

I bought a little more yarn than I thought I would need, because this is my first sweater ever, but I'm not worried about ending up with a little extra. I picked up 10 hanks of Cascade 220 in Greystone Heather. I really enjoy 220, and it's a great (and economic, *ahem*) yarn for a first sweater, I think. Now, I haven't set a starting date, and it may take some time for me to actually swatch and prepare, so don't panic if you don't see this yarn again until September. After all, summer is just beginning.

Also, I'm still working on my Stash Dash goal of knitting 4,375 yards by August 5. Things are going slow, but who knows when I may decide to knit 20 hats. So far, I'm at 775 yards, but when the socks are finished, that'll be an additional 400 yards towards my goal.

So, that's all I have for the moment, but you can expect a total CAPS LOCK MOMENT when this second sock is off my needles.

Stay tuned...

twenty-seven

Mississippi.

Oxford, Mississippi.

Population 18,916

This past weekend I was in Mississippi. My little sister graduated from Ole Miss, so we drove (yes, seriously) from Pittsburgh in a big van to see her. We didn't really need a van for the three of us; it's more for all the goodies that have accumulated in my sister's apartment for the last three years. My sister isn't moving home just yet, but a good deal of her crap stuff is. Mississippi was wonderful, and it was the first time I've ever been there. Of course, I had a sweet tea with every meal. Also, with every meal, there was slaw, beans, some kind of sauce. The weekend was wonderful, and the graduation ceremony was lovely. I'm so proud of my littlest sister.

Before I left for Ole Miss, I had just finished test knitting a hat pattern for my friend Megan (aka JustRunKnit on Ravelry) of the Stockinette Zombies, but the pattern hadn't been released. The hat pattern, Weather the Weather, is available now on Ravelry, and it's free! Isn't that fun?! All you need is one hank of worsted and you're good to go. I knit my hat with Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd's Wool, since I had a hank in the stash. I love the hat, but the next time I knit this pattern, I'll be using a variegated yarn, as there's a bunch of garter (which you know I love) in the pattern. There's a few more details on my project page, if you'd like.

While I was in the car (for a while) I was working on my Happy Street shawl, and I managed to get a few stripes done. Since we've been home, I've almost finished the shawl. Well, I knit the last few rows yesterday, and now I have a 546-stitch bind off staring me in the face. Wow. 546 stitches. Eek. Last night, I opted for margaritas instead of the bind off, and I think tonight might be just the same. This feels like a Sunday morning task to me... Perhaps with a movie. Steel Magnolias?? Of course! I should have guessed. Pink is my signature color.

This picture is the best I could do for now, since it's all scrunched up on the needle. Hopefully this will be blocking sometime early next week, but we'll have to wait and see. Oh yeah, after the bind off, there's just about a bazillion ends to weave in. That's okay, though, because I'm really excited about the FO.

In other exciting knitting news, I've cast on a sock! Not just any sock, my first sock with sock yarn and itty-bitty needles! I've made a few socks before, but they were made with big chunky yarn on US 10 needles, and just to learn basic sock construction. This time it's for real! Now, I don't know how successful I'll be, as I've only just finished the ribbing of sock one, but I'm staying optimistic. I feel like the time for socks has finally arrived. I'm not expecting progress to be especially quick on this, and if you're curious about it, you can check my project page. Wish me luck!

Until next time!

twenty-six

I do love garter stitch.

It's reversible. It's easy. It blocks beautifully.

Knitting back and forth in garter stitch is, for me, just like meditation... If I'd ever taken the time to try meditation. Knit, knit, knit... Turn, knit some more. When I'm knitting garter stitch, my mind wanders, and I think that's what I like the most about it. I love those moments when my head is clear, and my thoughts are quiet. It seems that as I get older, my mind has less and less time to wander. I suppose that with age comes wisdom, but I never feel that wise. Just old. It's not that I have a ton of worries, I just have a ton of thoughts. There's work, house, dog, and all the little lists in between. Then there's lists within the lists. There is a chance that I'm being a stitch dramatic, but my brain is the only frame of reference I have on the subject.

So, back to the knitting. I went to Natural Stitches last weekend without a single project on the needles, but I knew I was going to start something while I was there. And not just trouble! I brought some stash yarns and pattern ideas, my notions bag and a couple needles, so I was ready for anything. I decided on a shawl (shocking, I'm sure) in sock yarn, and I only needed to buy one more hank.

I started working on a new pattern by Veera Välimäki called Happy Street. As is usually the case with her shawls, there's lots of garter stitch and some short row shaping. I'm using two colorways (curry & gun metal) of Shalimar Yarns Zoe Sock that I picked up at the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival this year. The third is Dream in Color Smooshy in the navy zeal colorway, which I picked up at NS last weekend. The pattern is totally intuitive and working on it is a dream. Sadly, I haven't had much time to work on it this week. I do have plans for lots of knitting this weekend, though. There's some progress pictures and all the fun details on my ravelry project page.

Speaking of lots of knitting, James and I are going on a road trip to Mississippi next weekend. My baby sister is graduating, so we're driving down to Oxford for the occasion. My dad rented a house for the weekend and we're going to be there celebrating my sister from dawn 'til dusk. This trip is going to be amazing! Also, the weekend will be sandwiched in between two extra-super-long car trips, on which I plan to knit until I can't see. To make packing easier and more efficient, I need to make some decisions about what I may want to knit. I'm open to suggestion, as I'm having a hard time narrowing it down. As long as I have the yarn in my stash, I'm good to go. As far as packing constraints go, I'm forcing myself to only take what I can fit in my new favorite knitting bag, that you can see below.

Have I mentioned how much I love this place?

Hopefully, by the next time I post, I'll have knit all the things on my trip, and then I'll be able to show them off!

twenty-five

I'm home... again.

I'm back from my second work trip since the beginning of this month, but I'm not complaining at all. I love visiting our other offices and having the opportunity to work face-to-face with colleagues that are usually just on the phone.

I was in North Carolina for work this week, and I got home on Friday afternoon. As it turns out, I didn't really get much knitting time, since the flight is less than an hour. It was a wonderful trip, though. For your benefit, I won't get into any boring details, but let me just say, it was a great week to be at work. Great job, great people, great time. Okay, that's enough shop talk.

Now for the knitting...

I'm working on an infinity scarf for my youngest sister, Jennifer. I was wearing this one over the holidays, and she really loved it. Well, you know me... any excuse to get some madelinetosh and I'm on board. I started the Summer Wind Scarf just before I went to North Carolina, and I've almost reached the halfway point. I chose this pattern because my sister lives in Mississippi, and it's HOT down there. The pattern calls for fingering weight yarn, and is a little bit lacy. She'll be wearing it more for color than warmth. I totally LOVE the color, and it's something I'd never use for myself. This colorway is a mix of coral and pink called "espadrilles," and it's fabulous. The details are on my ravelry project page, and here's a picture showing my progress so far.

Is anyone else planning on going to the Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Festival? It's the weekend of May 18-19, and it seems like a good time. Waynesburg is a little over an hour away, but I've taken much longer trips for yarn. I've never been to this festival before, but I think I might go, and even bring James! I was planning on going last year, but it just didn't happen. There is one major difference between the last two festivals and this one that will really help me sell this to my husband... beer. Also, there's going to be livestock! It's looking like we'll go, but I haven't confirmed it for sure. 

twenty-four

This morning, the house smells like chocolate.

I love it.

Earlier today, I was busy making brownies. Now the brownies are on the counter cooling, but they won't be ready to eat until tomorrow at the earliest. Not only is this an exercise in will power, but it's totally part of the brownie ritual in our house. When I make brownies, they need to cool to room temperature after they come out of the oven, then they get refrigerated overnight before I cut them. This makes for a nice clean edge, and a much tidier brownie. Thanks, Ina. You're a diva.

I know it's been a few weeks since my last post, but I didn't have too much knitting to show until today. I was in Arizona (for business) last week, so I didn't get much knitting done (with the exception of my mile-high knitting). This past week at work has been a bit busy, and also, I've been totally exhausted. Not sure why, maybe I'm just a little dramatic. Probably. Maybe...

In any event, I have finished a couple items in the past few days. The Piewhacket Shawl was what I knit during my cross-country flights on my Arizona trip. It's a shawl done entirely in garter (I know, I know, when's the last time I knit a shawl that wasn't completely garter??) with lots of short rows, which I really love. The short rows are used to create three triangles, that are then bordered by a little more garter stitch. I used one of my favorite yarns for this shawl, Sweet Georgia Yarns Tough Love Sock in the Peashoot colorway. Sweet Georgia really has the most amazing colorways. You should go check them out. Sadly, I don't have any left in my stash... at the moment. This shawl won't be blocked for a while, as I'm going out of town (again) next week. Here's a quick (unblocked, unwoven, and quite sassy) photo of the shawl, and the project details are raveled here. I'll post a photo on the project page once it's blocked, because the shape is really going to change once I get it pinned out. My goal is to make the triangles a bit pointier with blocking, so we'll see...

Also, I finished a hat for James. It was a quick knit (as most hats are) that started with ribbing and ended with broken ribbing; the pattern is "Graham." I used Berroco Vintage, which I think is a great, affordable wool/acrylic blend. James may or may not be crocheting an afghan out of Vintage in the near (or not so near) future. The hat is green, as are most items that I knit for James, but it's a really great shade. The colorway is "Fennel," if you're wondering. My husband was gracious enough to model the hat for about 18 seconds while I scrambled to snap a picture last night. If you'd like the details and pattern info, it's over on my public project page.

That's all I have for now, but hopefully it won't be so long before I post again. On Monday, I'm headed to North Carolina (for work again) for a week, which is where the brownies will be as well. I'm planning on bringing brownies into the office, but there's always a chance (slim as it may be) that they'll never leave my hotel room. Here's hoping I have enough will power to share them...

twenty-three

I'm going to wear shorts this week!

Well, at least I'll wear them tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I'm flying to Phoenix for work. Work will be awesome, but also... It's going to be around 90 degrees every day! I'm excited for THAT! Especially since we just got more snow a few days ago (even if it is all gone now). Essentially, I feel like I'm going to visit the summer for a week. No, I won't be wearing shorts to work (I do work in an office, folks), but I'll be wearing them at night! If that isn't good enough, I'm going to In-N-Out Burger! Full disclosure, the Double-Double isn't the healthiest lunch you can have... Even fuller disclosure, I'm eating it anyway! I'll be back in Pittsburgh next weekend, and hopefully super tan.

Also, I know it's been a while since my last post, but I've been knitting and knitting, and now I'm finished. Well, I'm finished with this project. I knit a Stripe Study out of Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light, and this yarn is really becoming one of my faves! Honestly, I'm going have to start calling it my "stosh" if I keep buying TML every time I enter a yarn store. Not that I'm complaining...

 

The pattern was fantastic and totally easy to memorize  I really enjoy that in a pattern. I could pick it up and put it down and pick it back up again without even wondering about the next row. It's that simple. I used Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off at the end, because this baby is going to grow when blocked. Now, I'm not 100% done, because I still have to weave in the ends and block the thing, but I'm getting up in 12 hours for a flight, so I'm calling this one done for now. Below is a quick photo I snapped in between loads of laundry, and the Ravelry project page has all my details right here.

Now, I'm in a pickle... I'm leaving tomorrow and I have no idea what I'm going to knit! I have 9 hours of airplane time, so you better believe I'll get some knitting done. What that will be, I have no idea. So, pleasantries aside, I gotta move it friends. Yarn to wind, needles to pack, etc.

Oh yes, I hope you have a lovely Easter.

Eat some ham for me.

Or not... if you don't like ham.

In that case, eat a peep or two for me.

Or not... if marshmallows ain't yo thang.

So in that case, have some chocolate for me.

Or not... if you don't like chocolate.

Now, if you don't like chocolate, I'm not sure what to say...

Call your physician.

twenty

It has been a busy couple weeks.

I've been to the west coast and back, and my trip was fantastic!

Last Tuesday, James and I flew out to California for a "long weekend." It was a Tuesday through Monday trip; that's a long weekend, right? Anyway, our long weekend was riddled with needles and yarn, hooks and patterns, and books and knitting at every turn!

On the flight out, I finished a shawl that I had mentioned starting last time I posted. I don't have pictures yet, and I still need to block, so that doesn't really count today. Next time... However, after I finished that I made a few little Mug Hugs. This pattern was great for worsted scraps. Since I didn't really want to start a big project right before Stitches (even though I did... read on), I made a few of these on the second leg of our flight. Seriously quick knitting, and it's good for the environment, too! Raveled here and here.

We arrived in California and had dinner at my Grandma's house the next night with my Aunt and Cousin. Dinner was amazing, homemade French Dip Sandwiches!! My Grandma (or Nan, in my world) had mentioned to me that she had some of my Great Great Aunt Elsie's knitting supplies, as she had recently passed away. She called me a few weeks before we flew out and asked if I wanted her to hold them out there for me, or just donate them. Well, I'm sure you can guess what I said. "HOLD THEM RIGHT THERE, NAN!" Aunt Elsie was seriously crafty. She was a very skilled knitter, and she also loved needlepoint, crochet, and many other hand crafts. She even helped my Nan knit her very first sweater! Nan had quite a few goodies for me (and even a full set of crochet hooks in my Great Grandmother's old case for James) when we arrived. Here's a few pics.

There were needles galore. I especially love the giant bamboo needles and crochet hooks.

There were many different pattern booklets, the oldest dating back to 1945!! I haven't looked at them page by page yet, but I'm setting aside most of the weekend to pour over the collection.

There was a group of Workbasket Magazines from 1979-1980, and the cover models were enough to make me holler. Their shoulder pads weren't bad, either. I just love these vintage publications!

It was really amazing to see all this stuff, and just to hold the same needles that she held so many years ago. I'm not a great historian, or all about genealogy, but I do love using the same crafting tools that my relatives once used. This was the second time I've received "heirloom" knitting supplies, and I can't express how much it means. It feels quite special, really.

As we still had a few days before Stitches, mom took us to her LYS. A Yarn Less Raveled in Danville, CA is a fabulous store. We met the owner, Mindy, and she was so welcoming. You could tell the yarn selection was carefully chosen, and there were a few items I'd never actually held in my hands before. I bought some madelinetosh (shocking, I know) and decided to cast on a hat that night. I thought, "I can finish this in two days..." Under normal circumstances, that wouldn't be a lofty goal. You know how you get all busy on vacation, though?? Below is the Antler hat I finished on Saturday, out of tosh vintage in the grasshopper colorway. It's nice and bright, and I've already worn it a few times! Details are on my project page.

On Friday, with an unfinished hat in tow, we went to Stitches West in Santa Clara. It was overwhelming, in every sense of the word. There were so many vendors, so much yarn, so many different products, and tons of people. I'm painting this picture for you to try and explain why I only snapped a few photos during the entire event. I was just stunned. In a good way, though. James took a break about and hour after we arrived, as he had scheduled a tour of the famous Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, a mere 7 miles away. This gave him a good three-hour break, as he doesn't get as much joy out of staring at yarn as I do. Everybody wins.

Here's some amazing fair isle hats I spotted, at the Nelkin Designs booth. I love fair isle.

There were so many vendors that I loved, but I wanted to at least mention a few here. I met Karida Collins, owner of Neighborhood Fiber Company out of Baltimore, and she was a delight. Her yarns are just beautiful; you should have seen all the amazing colorways! I was quite impressed and am now regretting that I only grabbed a single hank of her yarn. The folks at Cephalopod Yarns were quite fun and exciting, and their yarns are scrumptious. I've been eyeing them up for a while, but never got to squish the yarn for myself... Until Friday. Also, I stopped by Miss Babs first thing, and that turned out to be the best move of the day. She had a line two booths back for most of the day!

Here's a quick shot of a few of the treats I picked up. From left to right, I got Miss Babs Cosmic Sock in the Mending Fences colorway, Neighborhood Fiber Company's Rustic Fingering in the Logan Circle colorway, and Cephalopod Traveller in the Goodnight, KY colorway. There's also some Tosh Vintage in Betty Draper's Blues and Pashmina in Charcoal from WEBS. I couldn't help myself. I will always need more madelinetosh. Peeking out from behind the yarn is Malabrigo Book 4, a great book with some patterns I will be knitting very soon.

California was wonderful, but any trip to see my mother never feels long enough. We always have the best time.

So, as of this week, my yarn stash has doubled to 28 yarns. I'm totally okay with that. However, the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival is only 16 days away, so I'd better jump on those needles. Well, not jump, but at least pick them up. And knit. A bunch. Not a problem.

Oh yeah, I started another shawl, but we'll talk about that next time... Promise.

fifteen

I do love a good road trip.

Especially when it means I get to knit... a bunch.

We went to the other side of the state this past weekend to visit my husband's family. James is from a teeny little hamlet of a town called Tower City, PA. The population (I'm pretty sure) is still less than 2000 folks, and there isn't a traffic signal in sight. He grew up with his entire family within walking distance of his house, and most of them have remained there. I've been to Tower City many times before, and we've always had a great time.

The drive is about 5 hours each way and I checked out the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows audio book to keep things magical. I love Harry Potter. Probably too much. I wish I was a wizard. At the very least, I'd like to be able to knit like Molly Weasley. She's fierce.

The jewel of Tower City, the gem of Tower City, the apple of Tower City's eye is a little restaurant that we always visit... Nino's. Now, I've had my share of pizza growing up. To be quite plain, I've probably had your share of pizza as well. Ahem. Like Joey Tribbiani, I LOVE pizza and sandwiches. My appetite is probably my most masculine feature (he sheepishly admits with a mouthful of cheese). Well, Nino's has the best pizza I've ever had outside of New York. It's not fancy, it's not expensive, and it's the best pizza (and sandwich) I've ever had. James introduced me to the Chicken Finger Sub many years ago, and I'm certain I haven't thanked him enough. Such a simple concept (chicken, lettuce, tomato), but at Nino's it's all in the execution. The bread and pizza dough are made fresh in-house daily, as is the sauce and everything else there. If you ever find yourself in Schuylkill County, PA you would do well to remember Nino's New York Style Pizza.

As if by divine intervention, we arrived home today right after I knit the last stitch of the last row of my 22.5 Degrees shawl. All that was left was the bind-off. After a wishy-washy exchange with myself (inside my head, for the most part) I decided to bind-off tonight and be done with it. This was the first time that I've ever use Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off and it was fantastic. Usually on a shawl bind off, I go up a needle size or two, but I didn't have to with this technique. That was convenient, as I didn't really feel like digging through my needles. I washed and blocked it, and now all I have to do is wait for it to dry. Ungh. I love the shape of this piece, and I can't wait to wear it. Hurry up and dry already!

In other news, I have a little stash enhancement to share... I know I've been making proclamations about not buying any yarn until a certain west coast fiber extravaganza, and you'll be happy to know that I'm still a man of my word. Leslie and Laura, the hosts of a fabulous knitting video cast, The Knit Girllls, were having a contest in December 2012 (Deep Stash Dive December) and my entry was the Fitful Head hat. When the prizes were drawn, my name came up!! Hooray!! I won a skein of Friday Studios Self Striping Sock Yarn (all the way from Sweden, y'all!) in the Monday Base (75% Wool/25% Nylon) in the colorway "Under the Sea." Have I mentioned that my favorite Disney movie of all time is The Little Mermaid?? It was fate. Kismet, really. Here's a quick pic so you can see the blues, teals, purples and pinks of this amazing yarn.

That's really all I have for now. Well, I did watch the Golden Globes (LOVED IT!) and was not surprised at all when Anne Hathaway took home the award for Actress in a Supporting Role for Les Miserables. Not. Surprised. At. All.

fourteen

What are you knitting?

While I was at knitting group tonight, I started thinking about knitting in public.

I'm no stranger to knitting in public. In fact, there's not many places that I haven't (or wouldn't) knit. I don't knit at the office, I don't knit at the movies (yet), and I don't knit in traffic (I don't think it will ever come to this). I do knit in airports and on airplanes, at coffee shops, by the pool, and certainly when I'm in any sort of waiting room. I have been approached many times about my knitting, and it's always been a pleasant experience. Those who know me personally will already know that I have no problem (at all) talking about myself... Hence this blog. So it's no surprise that, when asked about my knitting, I open up as easily as a pleated plastic bag.

When I knit on airplanes, I'm almost always in the company of another knitter (or crocheter, or hooker, ahem) whether they're seated near me or not. I've even had certain projects identified by the pattern and designer. As in, "Are you knitting the Noro scarf?" or "Is that a hitchhiker?" On one notably pleasant flight, one of the flight attendants was a fellow knitter and she stopped by several times over the course of a flight from Florida to Pennsylvania, just to check up on my progress. I admittedly love to knit, but on these occasions it's felt especially good to be a knitter.

I have found the knitting community to be warm, welcoming, and instantly comfortable; much like your favorite winter scarf, or a handmade afghan that's been handed down from generation to generation. Any time I stop into a local yarn shop**, the employees and patrons alike are always happy to talk to another yarn enthusiast.

That's all for today, really. After reading this, I guess I was feeling a bit smooshy today. Eh, it was probably the weather...

Oh wait, maybe that's not really all. Here's a quick WIP update... My 22.5 Degrees shawl (designed by Martina Behm) is coming along nicely. James and I have 10 hours of car time coming up this weekend, so hopefully I'll get that finished. Well, maybe. I've also just reached the halfway point on the Windward scarf (designed by Heidi Kirrmaier) and I'm really loving this pattern, as well as the colors. Can I be honest? I was originally going to use Bordeaux for the color block, but instead used Coast Grey. Because my husband said so. It was his idea, y'all... And I like it better... He knows me so well.



**Speaking of local yarn shops, here in Pittsburgh my very favorite shop is Natural Stitches. And... they have a blog, too!