The Song-Knitter

Moving!!!

2011-08-15T03:03:00.005-06:00

Dear "Songknitter" Readers,

Changes are good right? After an inspired brainstorm in which my whole family played a part, my step-sister, Lauren, and I have decided to try a co-blogging adventure...and thus, the "grump and frump" blog was born...come check us out at http://grumpandfrump.blogspot.com/ ...I may show up back here from time to time, but most of my posts from now on will be on the new blog...see you there!

Love,

"TheSongknitter" AKA "Frump"

Ishbel...

2011-07-29T13:31:00.002-06:00

Finally blocked this yesterday and though the yarn is humbler than many of the Ishbels I've seen on Ravelry, I think it turned out quite nice (Knit Picks "Shadow" in colorway "Vineyard". We're currently having a lovely anniversary staycation...Tom took several days off and we've been just doing whatever feels right in our favorite place...home. Strangely, I've been drawn to cleaning out the messy areas of our life (cabinets, the spare room) and Tom's working on the garage...it seems that we're super happy doing those things on our own time instead of when company's knocking on the door or an emergency arises. Headed to the store for weekend provisions...plenty of time for cooking up delicious meals and grilling...savoring summer and the garden. Changes still brewing in blog-land, but we're not quite there yet, so I'm still here in my old format for now...more soon.

Sunflowerset with ants...

2011-07-24T17:33:00.002-06:00

Mornings and evenings bring a sigh of relief around here...otherwise, it's a string of mid to high 90 degree days with no air conditioning except a small, almost pointless portable swamp cooler on wheels...this picture captures my outdoor time this summer...mostly after the sun goes down. It has been a long time since I've posted anything here, but things have been going on...a new pup, lots of knitting and sewing, scheming, and even a little singing activity. Stay tuned for an update in the next week or two and a new and very different direction for blogging activity in these parts...

Hand-Made Sunday: 4-10-11

2011-04-10T19:32:00.014-06:00

Sundays are for making things around here. Thrifting, cooking, composing, knitting, dyeing, digging holes, building, organizing, sewing, crafting, planting, growing, imagining, dreaming, playing. Once a week we remember who we are and who we want to become. Here are some of the things we created on this sunny (supposed to be rainy day)...

It started with a long over due mitten mending project for a girl at my school. Apparently her dog ate the cuff of her mitten and she has been sad ever since. Sadly, it was over a year ago that she asked for help and I'm just now getting to it, but there you go. The cuff looks a little wonky but a clever jacket sleeve will hide it from the general public. Next, there was a bit of plying whilst Tom made an omelet and went about his Sunday calls...this is some roving that I bought the first time I went to the Estes Park Wool Market...from The Dudley Spinner.

After his phone calls, Tom got back to work on the old-timey garden gate you see here. Made from old barn wood and even older hinges, it will keep critters out of the vegetables and give us something to look at from the kitchen window until green begins to creep into the view. You will also notice the very stylish hooky thing...this is an iron implement that he made several years ago (pre-Jenny) during a historic blacksmithing workshop. We also have a wall sconce in our living room from the same session.

Of course, there was also knitting. Between crafty projects and cleaning up various messes from the past week, I kept picking up the "Herringbone Poncho" from Last Minute Knitted Gifts and checking out the bird feeder activity from our very large living room window/aviary observatory. I've become quite the birdwatcher...today was the usual parade of house finches, black-capped chickadees, stellar's jays and grackles. The little downy woodpecker did not make an appearance...

probably nesting.

The big project of the day, however, and my reward for paying bills, was my very first solo dyebath project...excluding the Kool-Aid dyeing I did a few years ago. I boiled up an enormous batch of coffee and dumped some pre-soaked KnitPicks Bare Wool of the Andes into it...it's still in there...and will be for a few days of heating and cooling. Hoping to make Melissa LeBarre's "Tea Leaves Cardigan"...although I will have to rename it "Coffee Grounds Cardigan". In the meantime...there is some homemade guacamole (I really need to get a molcajete) and wine in a jelly jar at our inherited picnic table(came with the house)...more soon...j

birdwatching...

2011-02-22T19:18:00.002-07:00

This is Jane Richmond's "Sedum" in a discontinued yarn: Rowan Chunky Print. I can't stop wearing it, so I'm going to make another. It really is a great pattern...I see that the designer just updated the pattern and added sizes and is now charging a reasonable sum for it. Although I knitted this from the free version of the pattern (no longer available), I'm planning to buy the pattern to support this lovely lady's time and effort. Also, I've really gotten into birdwatching lately and though it would be a good name for the sweater. OK...running down to the market to get some oil before they close so we can have our once weekly popcorn and Ovaltine dinner. More soon...

milagro nest

2011-02-18T15:55:00.003-07:00

This is a little felted nest from the book knit-a-long that I made last summer because I couldn't help myself...I love the round shape and the bright spot of color in the crook of the japanese lilac. After windy days I have little game of "find it" because it most certainly has blown into some secret cranny of the yard. Spring is getting so close. Seed catalogs arrive every few days in the mailbox, the sun is finally up for my drive along the foothills to work, miracles underway. Tomorrow I will be 36...6 years ago I moved to colorado...3 1/2 years ago I married the loveliest man I've ever met...1 1/2 years ago we bought this little "mining shack". What milagros will I encounter as a 36 year old woman? A long time ago a dear friend read my palm and said I'd be a little lost for awhile, but things would come together when I was about 35. Only one more day to find out, but I'm pretty sure she's right...this is where I'm supposed to be, what I'm supposed to be doing and who I'm supposed to do it with...

Mmmm...coffee...

2011-01-09T16:38:00.002-07:00

I've been re-photographing some of my older knits and here's the latest. I made it about 7 years ago...hard to believe...but still one of my favorites...a Debbie Bliss pattern and some really yummy chocolate brown Cashmerino Aran. If it ever wears out I'm knitting another one exactly the same...

Kornisse...

2011-01-09T16:33:00.002-07:00

These have arrived safely at their new home in Santa Fe. Luckily we had a bit of snow for a fun photoshoot before they left. They are just about the cutest knitted thing I have ever come across and there will be more of them to come. It's snowing again here and very Colorado-y. Just about to make up some soup for dinner and get cozy for some more knitting. Tom has been building a cabinet for our new dishwasher and I've been tidying up around the house...typical Sunday around here. More soon...j

Midnight Showing

2010-12-20T10:08:00.002-07:00

It's been a few weeks since the event, but I just wanted to say how cool it is that my brother goes to the Harry Potter midnight showings with me. This time, his housemate threw a pre-show bash complete with a trivia wizard's duel, wand shop, and golden snitch hunt. We ate breakfast for dinner, indulging in "Snape Sausage", "Hermione's Hashbrowns", "Potter's Pancakes" and some cleverly labeled wine bottles (AKA "Polyjuice Potion" and "Verita Serum"). For the last movie this July, I promise to get a photo of us in our rival house scarves (he insisted on a Slytherin scarf), but for now, here is my Gryffindor scarf in it's taller than me glory. Now I want to knit Hermione's "Obliviate" fingerless gloves from the last movie. I am such a geek. What will we do without Harry Potter midnight showings to look forward to?!

blue eyes...

2010-11-13T15:15:00.002-07:00

Love this picture of Tom...it's his Saturday glass of wine in the adirondak chairs look...he's salvaging old doors to pretty up our little house today...we are still missing Booper...after a month it's getting a little easier, but I still look for her every time I open the front door. We are well into fall and have had bits of snow this week...you can still see it sneaking in the corners of the yard. How amazing to live in these mountains and watch the weather come in. Life is good...

FO: Linen Cardigan

2010-08-06T19:16:00.002-06:00

OK...this is the second post of the day, but had to show off the garden and the sweater I've been wearing for two weeks now...it is from a Classic Elite booklet and the yarn is Rowan Linen Drape (more details on Ravelry)...on my right...those are the beans...Tom built a lattice of cedar 4X4s and hemp strung in between and now we have a wall of beanstalks growing at the end of the garden...you have to walk around the wall to actually get into the garden, which I think is very cool. My next project is to do some web-surfing and find out when (and how) to harvest our beans...there are tons of pods already and you can see plenty of new bean blossoms in this photo. I really need to get out there and take some more pictures of the garden while it is in it's glory...off to do that now.

FO: Woven Scarf

2010-08-06T17:58:00.002-06:00

Katie taught me how to use my loom ( a two year ago xmas gift from Tom) while she was visiting...I couldn't stop...and soon after she left, a scarf emerged. I have all sorts of plans for weaving now...coasters, shawls, fabric for a seat cushion...just need Tom to make me a warping peg so the set up is a little easier. I've switched to knitting smaller projects since it's so hot lately. More on those next time since I finally photographed a bunch of them this afternoon. A fresh batch of pickles is glowing on the kitchen counter and we're having buffalo burgers and grilled zucchini for dinner...I love summer here...

Radishes...

2010-07-07T16:21:00.002-06:00

These make me so happy! I've been pulling up a few at a time to munch on as they grow big enough. They look so old-timey garden-ish in a bunch like this. They are also very good for you...or so I've been telling Tom...he doesn' t like them at all...only the spicy bit at the end. I keep trying to sneak them into his salads for lunch but he's on to me. For someone who grows his own vegetables, there sure are a mere scattering that he actually likes. The one that pains me most is tomatoes...he avoids uncooked tomatoes at all costs while me...I pick them off the vine and eat them right there in the garden with some salt and a little sun on my shoulders. Little by little. If I pile a huge piece of mozzarella and some fresh picked basil on top of a tomato slice he will eat it. No wonder Booper's such a picky eater...she learned from him : ) More soon, j

Sewing FO: Summer Blouse from Weekend Knitting

2010-07-06T15:52:00.002-06:00

OK...finally, here's a modeled picture of the summer blouse. Also, you can see the contrast binding around the collar and placket in this picture. Hot today...looks like it could rain though. Just about to head into the guest room and clean up a bit more of the junk...we are getting ready to paint it. Then the only room left needing paint is the bathroom...I am still at a loss as to what color will look good with the blue and yellow tile. I feel like we already have quite enough of both of those colors in the house and I'm avoiding white...though it would be the easiest choice. Maybe they will be done by the time you arrive Katie : ) More soon, j

Knitting FO: Meseta Alta Shawl

2010-07-02T10:28:00.002-06:00

I have to thank Katie for getting me the gorgeous book this pattern was in...I love this shawl! The yarn is an alpaca-merino blend from Mama Llama in a color called amber. It is just a little bit springier than most 100% alpaca and makes the wrap feel just right in my opinion...warm and soft with just enough drape. Just peeking over my shoulder you can see a lace panel that runs right down the middle of the back...I'll post a better picture of that soon. Knitting this was very fast and the lace chart was easy to read. I enjoyed the whole process...but my favorite part of the whole project is the fringe...perfect for spinning around : ) As far as shawls go, this is my favorite knitted piece so far : ) And I just read that the authors of Shear Spirit are working on another book...the pictures I caught a peek of here look so good...more soon-j

Seedlings...

2010-07-01T14:35:00.002-06:00

These are the purple basils, coreopsis, and marshmallow seedlings that survived the weeklong downpour a few weeks ago. I love how strong and green they look...but still small. These will help us fill up the front beds along the flagstone walk and my dyer's garden (Tom started digging it last weekend). Slowly our little sanctuary from the world is emerging. It will probably be a few years, but with the sunflower fence growing by the hour (we can't afford a real one yet), we sure will be able to pretend for a few months. I've been trying to take pictures of some finished knitting this afternoon and had to capture this...it really is such a snapshot of where we are right now in our journey...growing, trying to take hold, a little bit vulnerable to rough weather, but strong and green and hopeful...more soon-j

Spinning up Estes...

2010-06-30T10:08:00.002-06:00

This is 2.1 ounces of fall kid mohair I walked away with from the Kai Ranch booth at the Estes Park Wool Market this year. It is a two ply that I spun up a little quick and carefree because I really wanted it to look warbly. On the same rainy afternoon (I couldn't stop), I knit it up (without finishing the yarn!) into a little cowl to wear under my jean jacket collar this fall. I will post about that after I get cleaned up enough to do a photo shoot...but I will say I loved the pattern for the cowl...it is perfect for small quantities of handspun and very versatile...one of those knitting patterns you can sort of live in. More soon, j

Sewing FO: Summer Blouse from Weekend Sewing

2010-06-29T14:05:00.002-06:00

Inspired by Katie, I've decided to go on a sewing binge. I ordered this fabric last year from Purl-Soho, but can't remember the name. You can't see it, but there is a navy blue contrast binding along the inside of the neckline and the placket. Like most people who've made this, I would make it again with some adjustments...add some length, take in a bit of the fullness and possibly lower the neckline...but I still love it...so nice for the 90+ degree weather we've been having lately. I didn't feel like modeling it today, but realize that might be helpful for people deciding whether or not to make this or what modifications to make, so I will add a modeled picture in the near future. I do love all the details...especially around the placket. More soon...j

Pirate booty...

2010-06-09T09:30:00.008-06:00

Since my mom's arriving soon, I want to post this awesome birthday gift she made me...it's a small project bag with a machine embroidered yarn "skully" pirate...and the banner over his head is emblazoned with a righteous "Yarrrrrrrrrrrrn"! She even lined it with a fabric that has a "coral" design and gave it a very treasure-y looking drawstring cord. The project sticking out of the top is my Ishbel shawl...I love it! My mom is a professional seamstress...looking forward to crafting together and trolling around the Estes Park Wool Market with her and my lovely knitting friend Dawn this weekend...Katie, wish you could join us! OK, back to finishing my coffee (now cold but still somewhat effective) and heading down to Denver to galumph with mom and brother. Garden pictures soon cause it is so green and we've been having fresh sweet homegrown salad for the past 3 weeks...

Rainy evening photo shoot

2010-06-08T19:44:00.003-06:00

This sweater is actually blue, but I loved the moodiness of the black and white setting and the thunderstorm light. The pattern is from Sarah Dallas' Scottish Highland Knits and the yarn is Rowan Yorkshire Tweed DK in "Slosh"...which is a gorgeous royal blue with magenta flecks. It took at least 6 months of knitting...but I really love how it turned out. It's a little fiddly to wear because the fronts are a bit heavy and pull the shoulders too far forward, but I don't mind too much...it is like a blanket with sleeves. OK...gonna watch Harry Potter movies...best thing to do on a rainy day...that and chocolate chip cookies. More soon...

Three years ago...

2010-06-03T15:38:00.002-06:00

...I started this blanket. Now that I'm on summer vacation and we're not moving or getting married or something...it has become finished. I am extremely proud of it and it has a place of honor at the foot of our bed where I can keep a close eye on it when Booper is on one of her mad midnight puking sprees. There are about 4-5 sweaters' worth of yarn in this. For the most part it is Bartlett Fisherman 2-ply, but the light blue is Philosopher's Wool. The pattern is "Curve of Pursuit" from Wooly Thoughts, but we are calling it "Tasha's in Heaven" in honor of Tom's dog who passed away a few years ago. The design represents 4 dogs chasing each other in circles forever...we thought Tasha would just love that. I haven't measured it, but it is huge. Now that it isn't looming unfinished in my project basket, I've started spinning like mad to make room for anything lovely I might find at the Estes Park Wool Market next weekend. I don't have a very big spinning stash, so I should be in great shape by the time I get near any new fleecy temptations. More soon...

New haircut, hippie dress

2010-04-21T17:56:00.002-06:00

pirate names...the sequel

2010-04-20T19:13:00.003-06:00

Tom's pirate name is:

Iron Tom Flint

A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you are a tough person. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!

pirate name

2010-04-20T18:39:00.003-06:00

My pirate name is:

Mad Jenny Cash

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Mom's Black Forest Birthday Cupcakes

2010-04-10T14:30:00.002-06:00

These were incredible. I wish they weren't back in South Carolina : )

Mom's Birthday Shawl (Day 78)

2010-03-19T16:07:00.002-06:00

Leaving soon for a little birthday visit with my mom. Can't wait to give her this beauty. It's "Melody's Shawl" from Morehouse Merino and unfortunately this picture doesn't show off the fringe because that's the best part. We've got about 8-9 inches of fluffy snow in our yard and piled on the fences and bird feeder. Strange that yesterday was about 60 degrees and now this. I've got a sore throat and the beginnings (I hope not) of a sinus infection. Tom made homemade chicken noodle soup a couple days ago and I think I'm going to heat some up in a bit. More soon...

cut from the same cloth (day 45)

2010-02-14T12:39:00.017-07:00

Jolly Roger Valentine Pajamas:
I used two different patterns for these. Tom's are from a Butterick pattern (large) and mine are from the "wide leg lounge pants" (medium) in Amy Butler's "In Stitches". I plan on wearing mine all day. Tom says his are big enough for BOTH of us to wear all day. It is Valentine's Day, after all....

Jeff and Vida were rockin' good last night. Can't wait for the next High Street concert. We do love living in Lyons.

I've woven in about half of the ends of the Curve of Pursuit blanket...still waiting for yarn from Bartlett.

a new song and "the" blanket" (day 44)

2010-02-13T06:41:00.004-07:00

I've been mulling over the song I started in January and it is somehow writing itself on my morning commute. I haven't started the Patty Larkin video yet, but we have a nice cozy Valentine's weekend in progress here and I think I may dig in over morning coffee today or tomorrow. My other "to do" items this weekend are to make Tom and I some fun pajamas (my Valentine's Day gift for the both of us) and to weave in the ends on my Ravelympic project (the "curve of pursuit" blanket)...maybe that yellow card in our mailbox is for the rest of the yarn from "Bartlett Yarns" so I can finish it. We are finally going to hear some live music tonight...Jeff and Vida...just a block from us at Rogers Hall. I just peeked at their website this morning and am REALLY looking forward to the show. A girl we met at our neighbor's potluck and music night last summer plays in a duo called Coyote Moon and they're opening tonight. Sunday we are going to try making something ridiculously delicious...scallops with basil and lavendar essence...we always cook in on Valentine's Day. Maybe more later today if I've got pictures of the Valentine Pirate Pajamas...oh yeah...I didn't mention the pirate thing...you'll see ; )

FO: Undead Monkey Socks (Day 24)

2010-01-24T22:20:00.003-07:00

OK...it's been awhile. We've had company and then this week at work was "difficult" and I just now finished entering grades and progress reports. Lots of excuses is what I've got. But here is one good creative thing. I finished some socks this weekend! These have been in the works a long time...since I was sick with a nasty flu for about a week, quarantined from work and with my husband away on his annual backpacking trip I desperately picked up some sock yarn in a luscious color (lorna's laces "black purl") and started hacking away at Cookie A.'s "monkey" pattern. And then things got happier for awhile and I put them aside for several months...but lo and behold, as soon as I had stress out the wazoo again this week they got cranked out and finished. I promise I promise I promise...some songwriting content tomorrow. For now...sleep.

Sweater Repair, Part 1 (Day 10)

2010-01-10T10:29:00.002-07:00

After 4 days of not blogging I bring you some mending. Since I have decided to take a break from Tom's Aran until I have some time to really plan and think it through (aka "brain = not mush" time), I thought that the least I could do is repair his favorite work sweater...an old khaki wool army sweater he found years ago in a thrift store. As you can see, it has developed "air vents" along the shoulders and under the arms. I found directions for reweaving a sweater here and am giving it a try. He really missed it this weekend as it is part of his usual weekend wardrobe. In the writing arena, I have continued to write my three pages of morning stuff and most days have written at least one image in my image book. Tom and I are headed out for a short hike later this morning to try out his new boots, so maybe some more image collecting in the Rocky Mountain foothills. Otherwise, this week completely shut me down in terms of working on the first song. Just too much work stress to do anything but come home and collapse on the couch until I pass out. Not really even much knitting going on this week. I'm guessing that it is just "first week back" syndrome and next week will be better. Off for a trek to the store for coffee (we are out and it is a necessity on the weekends around here) and then some morning writing. More soon...

Recipe for a Song (Day 5)

2010-01-05T23:00:00.007-07:00

The original "song recipe" was given to me during a math class by my friend Amanda. It was my senior year of high school and my parents were going through a divorce. We were both in jazz chorus together and she must've seen I need something to help me vent. So she instructed me, "tell me the first ten words that come into your head", and as I spoke the magic words, she wrote them down on a scratch paper and handed me the list. "These are your songs," she said. I brought them home and pulled out my mom's old folk guitar and strummed the only chords I knew...G and C...maybe A minor every once in awhile. And my songs were born. I remember one about shoelaces and another about chocolate chip cookies. And somehow they carried what I needed to say about how it feels when your parents split up and you're a senior in a small town high school who likes to sing and is confused by boys and friends and emotions that you don't know how to express. Since then, I have used this formula for writing a song countless times. I use it frequently with my students who can't seem to find an idea to write about. It works every time. Seriously. So thank you Amanda (who is an amazing banjo player and singer with her own old-timey band) because you changed the course of my life. Just for fun, I wrote down my current recipe for a song...it is the great, great grandchild of Amanda's recipe. Instead of a single word these days, I'm starting with an image from my image book. But it is basically the same idea. I think I'll type up the whole recipe and post it tomorrow because it didn't all fit in the picture, and you might just want to try it out someday. It really helps.

Kitchen Before (Day 4)

2010-01-04T19:44:00.002-07:00

OK, I'm cheating. Rest assured that I have written my three pages of morning brain drain and have fiddled around a bit more with the song I started last night. And I am blogging. But it will be a wee blog post. I'm tired. I just started back to work today after a two week break and all I want to do for the rest of the night is sit on the couch with this glass of wine and my new cookbooks that just arrived from amazon.com. That's it. I just don't have it in me to take a writing related picture or write a writing related post. So I leave you with this picture (from the archives) cause you're gonna need it. This weekend I will, finally, transform our dining room into a workshop...and finish painting the cabinet doors! Oh...and see that stool in the corner by the sink? That stool is there because it's the only place in the house my cell phone gets reception.

More tomorrow...

Establishing a routine (Day 3)

2010-01-03T18:23:00.003-07:00

In addition to writing three pages of whatever comes out of my brain over coffee in the morning (some might call it journaling), there are two other types of writing that I do regularly. The first is my "image book". Last year, during a writer's workshop with a CU professor who came to one of our writer's group meetings, I was introduced to the brilliant concept of an "image book". Basically, you just set aside some time every day to capture an image from the world around you. The only rules are to "show, don't tell" and don't go over three lines of text. Since then I have experimented with these little morsels of writing and they appear scattered throughout my writer's notebook and on small bits of paper all over the house. This year, however, I have decided to try out a small book just for collecting images. The one you see here is a slim Moleskine with graph paper pages (I love handwriting on graph paper in the same way I love typeface mixed with oil paint...a sort of New York City skyline meets Central Park organic-ness). I've also been trying out taking the "image book" for a walk...just a quick one around the yard or a more extensive ramble around town...and so most of the images I've collected so far are very much rooted in the natural world. I like this very much. It is really helping me to pay attention to the small beauties that are everywhere. Actually, I think that using a blog as a daily image book would be a very lovely way to document a year and I might try it once my year of challenges is up.

On the knitting end of things, I've set aside the "Old-timey Aran" until I have a little more brain power. Right now I'm finding it soothing to work on the "Curve of Pursuit" blanket (or the "Three-year Blanket" as I like to call it). I think my ultimate goal is to have the Aran done in time for Tom to wear it to the Scottish Highland festival in Estes Park this September. Plenty of time to go nice and slow and enjoy the process. Meanwhile, I don't feel too guilty because finishing "The Blanket" is my goal for February.

More soon...

Tom's Old-Timey Aran (Day 2)

2010-01-02T20:35:00.002-07:00

This is what I've been playing with today...photocopies of aran patterns Tom likes from the Walker treasuries. We've decided on a raglan shape (though it's not as traditional as the saddle shoulder) because he's a pretty active guy and doesn't want too much bagginess under the arms. Might interfere with chopping wood and building things. Yeah, he's old-timey, but I like him that way. I'm following the guidelines in Priscilla Gibson-Roberts' Knitting in the Old Way. You can also see the yarn...Bartlett Fisherman 2-Ply in "dark sheep's grey". It smells good. Very ripe and sheepy. Needless to say it is suitably rustic for Tom. And that's all I've got today. We had one of our double feature movie days with my brother: Avatar 3-D in the IMAX followed by Sherlock Holmes. Think I'm going to work on the "Curve of Pursuit" blanket tonight because my brain's a bit too pulpy to chart out cables. More on song-writing tomorrow.

The Magic Desk (Day 1)

2010-01-01T16:53:00.002-07:00

I think I should start documenting my year as a song-writer by explaining the place where I write the most...my desk. The desk itself is an old library table discovered by my mother in one of those sweetly junky antique stores which dot the hills of Western New York. I claimed it and begged my mother to drive it up to Vermont in the winter of 1997, where I was living in an old farmhouse with some co-graduates of Middlebury College. That winter, as we heated the house by wood-furnace and wood stove, baked oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies, and went for moonlit cross-country ski excursions in our backyard, I scribbled in my journal on that worn dark surface. I wrote the first song for my CD there, after a long walk on the back roads counting concord grape vines in the trees. The next year, my little magic desk went into storage as I adventured off to Santa Fe and was waiting for me two years later as I dragged my weary self back home to regroup and live with my mom for a bit. Soon, the desk started gathering treasures. Candles, seashells, heart shaped rocks, seed pods, tea bag quotes and fortune cookie wisdom, a stack of inspiring books, milagros, and vintage buttons. Every small item has a story about a particularly lovely walk in the Santa Fe foothills or a friend who is far away. After five years of soul-searching in Western New York, I packed these up ever so carefully to make my journey to Colorado. Since then, I have moved my little magic desk and packed and unpacked my small treasures four times. It is always my favorite part of moving to a new place. And now here we are in Lyons, CO...where we are likely to stay put for awhile, and the desk has a place in the corner of the guest room. This morning, for the first time in months, I lit my candles and, surrounded by pocket-sized treasures, scratched out three pages of writing. A beginning.

As every teacher knows (part two)...

2009-12-31T10:23:00.002-07:00

And now, on to the monthly knitting challenges (there is some spinning and weaving thrown in as well). Again, I am giving myself permission to change up the order or add a new challenge, but the goal here is to grow in 12 new ways as a knitter this year...

January: cables (design and knit Tom an aran sweater)
February: ravelympics 2010 (finish "THE blanket")
March: spinning (wash, card, and spin grey fleece)
April: zimmerman (knit the grey fleece into my own "seamless hybrid")
May: weaving part one (take beginning rigid heddle class at Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins--may change due to when class is offered)
June: lace (the "Cold Mountain" Shawl)
July: weaving part two (first woven wrap)
August: entrelac (the "Lady Eleanor" Stole)
September: heirloom (aran tree skirt)
October: spinning barberpole (morning surf scarf)
November: spinning sock yarn (drop spindle)
December: spinning laceweight (old shale shawl)

In addition, I have joined the Ravelry groups "10 Shawls in 2010" and "ravelympics 2010" and other than the materials needed for weaving, I will be stash-knitting this year (and that means no new yarn...the only exceptions being for gifts, WIPs, and something special from the Estes Park Wool Market this June...and only if absolutely necessary). There it is. I am committed to knit and write my way to a happy place. Now I'm off to make Cindy's "portuguese cheese bread" and get ready for a night of homemade pizza at the Donovans'. See you in 2010.

As every good teacher knows...

2009-12-31T08:48:00.005-07:00

you must start with the end in mind. Where do I want to be at the end of 2010? After that last post I tried to go to sleep but my brain was still buzzing with ideas for monthly knitting and song-writing challenges. This is what I've come up with for my year as a song-writer. I am going to give myself permission to edit this list if need be (especially the last four months...I'm not sure how realistic that time-frame is), but I will hold to the principle of a monthly challenge of some kind...

January: take stock and establish my writing routine
February: lushify my arrangements (the Patty Larkin video)
March: steep myself and my loved ones in live local music
April: play four different open mic venues
May: explore home recording and you-tube
June: lushify my arrangements pt. 2 (the David Wilcox video)
July: get a local (paid) gig
August: participate in The Song School
September: select songs for album two
October: record album two
November: create a website dedicated to my music
December: actively search for local gigs

Look for part two of this post sometime today or tomorrow...the monthly knitting challenges.

When you can't sleep...

2009-12-31T02:14:00.008-07:00

So, in my experience, if you wake up at 1:30 AM with a thought in your head that won't go away you should probably get up and do something about it. This is because those 1:30 in the morning thoughts can be profound...or just enigmatic and strange...or sometimes they can answer some question that's been making you itch for years. Either way, if you don't do something about it you're gonna forget the details and it will melt back into your unconscious or subconscious or whatever. Sometimes just writing it down on paper is good enough so you can get back to sleep and mull it over later. Sometimes you should follow more drastic measures...blog about it. I've written my fair share of 1:30 AM thoughts on various scraps and bits of paper, but this is the first time I've blogged about one. And I'm blogging about it because the "thought" was very much blog-related.

For the past month or two, I've been gathering ideas to re-energize "The Song-Knitter". It started when my Teachers As Writers writing group seemed on the brink of final collapse. Due to systemic change in my school district (and all the professional development and man hours that tend to accompany systemic changes), our writing group disintegrated person by person until there were three trusty and true members left. We tried to write together several times this Fall, we really did. However, poor driving conditions and long distances between dwellings made our writing group a physical impossibility. We agreed to try taking our writing group on-line. We have become bloggers. Well... technically I already had a blog up and running, but up to this point it has mostly been a catalog of knitting projects with an infrequent nod to baking and organic gardening . Hence my search for a way to infuse my blog with some actual writing.

At first, I thought I would just continue to blog about knitting...only more eloquently...after all, there are some brilliant knitting blogs out there. Then, I discovered Molly Wizenburg's A Homemade Life and thought maybe I could write a memoir like hers, but with knitting patterns at the end of each chapter instead of recipes...and I would use my blog to try out that format. I loved that idea for awhile. I even made a list of 25 possible chapter titles. But I lost interest and it faded into the background. Most recently, I toyed with the idea of creating a year-long "Julie and Julia" inspired challenge to learn how to custom-make dresses...I was going to call it "The 52 Dress Challenge" (one finished dress each week). That was the idea that revved me up the most, and I had even started pulling out my sewing patterns and fabric stash, but sometime yesterday, I lost the spark.

So that brings me to my 1:30 AM thought. If you haven't noticed, the "Song" part of "The Song-Knitter" has been blatantly absent for most of the blog's existence. My original design for this blog was for it to be a place where I could explore connections between knitting and writing songs. But, let's be honest here...I haven't really written many songs since the blog was born. But I want to. Desperately. I want to get back to that happy place of writing and performing my own songs. And so, my 1:30 AM thought is simply this:

In 2010, I will blog about my journey as a singer-songwriter and knitter.

Yeah. Simple, I know. And why did I think this was an epiphany? I guess after all of the ideas for freshening things up here I came back to what I wanted to write about in the first place. I am now hatching a list of monthly challenges for songwriting and knitting this year...but I'll share that tomorrow, because right now I really need to sleep.

FO: Lauren's Recycled Bag

2009-12-23T07:49:00.003-07:00

An x-mas gift for my step-sister Lauren...I want that girl's style! She could wear a long t-shirt with some cowboy boots and a vintage hat and look stunning. And I think she's actually worn something like that before. Anyway, according to Dawn, a gift can be from the knitter/felter AND the knitter/felter's significant other if said significant other helps to choose the colors...and since I mananged to get Tom into the thrift store to help me comb the ladies' clothing racks for 100% wool sweaters that might be cool enough to felt for Lauren...this gift is from both of us...along with a book of Charles Bukowski poems. It is basically the felted, recycled sweater project from Leigh Radford's Alterknits...the only change I made was to fold in and sew the top corners of the bag to make it more like a tote and less like a sling with floppy, gappy sides that would be sure to release the contents of the bag.

FO: Juliet Vest

2009-12-06T10:58:00.003-07:00

Originally uploaded by theSongknitter

OK...so the Annie Oakley inspired photo shoot didn' t really materialize. There's still snow on the ground and I'd much rather stay in my warm house than go out there today. But it was going to be good...a denim skirt, my boots and a jump shot in front of our little pink mining shack with the cow skull...very wild west. Instead, this picture shows the reality...how I will usually wear this vest...with my unwashed hair in a little hairband (made by Katie), a long cozy grey shirt, my favorite jeans, and some coffee. There are more pictures of the front on Ravelry, but I thought this one showed the lace detail the best and I am trying to up my writing content and just keep it to one picture per post. The pattern is "Juliet" from Zephyr Style, and the yarn is some bulky handpainted merino from www.handpaintedyarns.com...I love the brightness of the last skein (you can see it at the bottom of the lace portion)...I should probably have tried to blend it in, but I'm glad I didn't...the contrast makes me smile.
I've been reading through Elizabeth Zimmerman's The Opinionated Knitter and am so astounded by her adventurousness. She makes me want to ski again and go on long camping trips...I sometimes hate how "gear oriented" skiing and camping have become...but the way she and the "gaffer" did it...seemed much better...simpler...just knit up some warm hats and socks and strap your skis on and wander around in the woods for a day. Think I'll curl up with the rest of my coffee and some knitting and absorb a little more of the Zimmerman. More soon, J

FO: Blanket Cardigan

2009-11-22T08:36:00.003-07:00

This finished blocking last weekend and I've worn it twice already. It's a boxy fit, but not too loose and I love all the extra fabric to play with around the collar. I tried it with a shawl pin closure and that seemed to make it a little less able to fall off my shoulders during the course of the day. The pattern is from Sarah Dallas Knitting and is made with the recommended yarn: Rowan Wool Cotton. Blocking is magic for this yarn...it really smooths out and becomes this springy organic fabric. Actually, all of the pieces were finished weeks ago, but I've gotten spoiled by a lot of my "no seaming" projects lately and couldn't bring myself to finish it. There is a lot of stockinette here in black, but I don't mind that...it's a bit soothing. This weekend we are getting ready for Thanksgiving and a visit from Tom's mom. I just walked down to the grocery store yesterday and then realized I'd have to walk back with my 16 pound frozen free-range turkey. Luckily it was only two blocks and a beautiful day. Today the cleaning continues and we will undertake a massive grocery store mission. Usually when we both go to the store our total cost doubles. My wrist has been hurting this week, so I may try not to knit for a few days, although I really am almost finished with my "Juliet" so maybe I'll take a break after she's done. Looking forward to an Annie Oakley inspired photo shoot. Also really looking forward to having some time off this week (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday). Off to do my job as the coffee wench...

FO: Cabin Socks

2009-11-15T13:48:00.003-07:00

Another snowy Sunday and some photographing of knitted items. There's something magical about all that snowy mid-day light in the dining room. Tom and Booper are napping and I'm thinking about bundling up to get a few items to make soup (Colombian Potato soup) and get a little fresh air in my lungs. And I will wear these socks. I've been wanting to try Toasty Toes for a long time and this seemed like the perfect pattern ("Cabin Socks" from The Knitter's Book of Wool by Clara Parkes). I have two more enormous skeins of this yarn and think I might just use the same pattern for both. I finished these on the airplane back from Santa Fe last Tuesday. I forget the name of the colorway, but there are lots of reds, purples, blues, greens, and browns. All rich jewel tones...quite stunning. More soon, J

FO: Clapotis

2009-10-28T13:25:00.004-06:00

Finally got around to photographing this one due to a snow day today. I really love how this turned out...the colors are so pretty. It is also very easy to wear. And fun to knit. I could see making another one in solid black as a very versatile accessory. Now I'm sipping hot chocolate with a little cayenne pepper and wondering what to work on next...craving a tweedy sweater, but the one I'm currently in love with requires a needle size I don't have, so perhaps today will be a day to make headway on the 3 year blanket...or maybe I could finish seaming the blanket cardigan...or something new. So far we've got about 7 or 8 inches of fluffy white snow and it keeps coming. There is chicken with mushroom soup and some vermouth in the crock pot and Booper is curled up in her perfect crescent mode...Oh and I just rediscovered one of my first sweaters ever...a basic brown tweed drop shoulder roll-neck pullover that I was going to frog for something else, but it seems to be perfect with snow day attire of jeans and one of Tom's flannel shirts. More soon, j

FO: Snow Country Prayer Shawl

2009-10-11T12:24:00.003-06:00

In the bottom right corner of this picture you can see the remnants of our first snow. Yesterday, the accumulation got up to about 6 inches, but has been steadily melting since then. We've been enjoying a lovely cozy weekend of knitting, baking, watching movies, and cuddling. This shawl is for a friend of mine who has been having health issues. Now that it's been blocked and photographed, I'm looking forward to getting it in the mail to her with a nice handwritten note. Now it's on to finishing Colleen's birthday gloves, the Clapotis (for me), and our neverending titled log cabin blanket (just got more of the blue so I'm ready to rock!) Happy Sunday!

Jumping at Chautauqua...

2009-08-06T11:42:00.001-06:00

No knitting content here. Cranking out some baby hats and working on a prayer shawl. It is so green here I can't believe it...

Borscht is really really red...

2009-07-30T17:22:00.003-06:00

Of the 6 new projects I decided to cast-on for last week, I finally picked one that I'm going to crank out for a while...the "Blanket Cardigan" from Sarah Dallas' book "Knitting". Here is the back. I love the energy that one stripe, plus the cast-on in grey, give this sweater. It has a really clean, modern look...very different from my usual knitting projects...which tend toward retro and romantic things. But lately I have been craving this meat and potatoes endless stockinette type of project...it is very meditative for me.
Booper will not keep her eyes open for pictures!

Since we had beets, I decided to try some borscht last night...with a fresh loaf of gluten-free bread (from one of Pamela's mixes). It is the reddest food I have ever eaten! And very different from most soups I've tasted...earthy. But good! Tom and I both decided it was very different...but good. I used the recipe for "whole beet borscht" from the Laurel's Kitchen cookbook.

I am going to order the books for our writing club grant today...this is our second year...and I am hoping this year to really get some songs out of it. I'm missing having a place for my desk to actually keep my notebook and set up a daily routine for writing. Maybe when the little house is fixed up I can set up a corner in there.

More soon...

Red-Chile Peach Custard Anniversary Pie...

2009-07-28T16:04:00.004-06:00

Today is our second anniversary. Since Tom and I met each other through letters (long-distance), we have a tradition of handwriting a letter to each other for our anniversary...better get going on mine soon though cause it's almost four and he'll be home any minute.

I'm bringing out the big guns with this dessert (Colorado peach season is in full swing)...Tom's making our first date dinner (homemade shrimp pesto pasta).

I finished his "bribe" socks last night (pictures soon as I can get him to model)...but that's not his gift. Since it's the "cotton" anniversary, we're getting these!

FO: Cheshire Cat Leg Warmers

2009-07-24T11:15:00.005-06:00

These are so yummy! They are the "Look Back Leggings" from my favorite knitting book of all time: Weekend Knitting (by Melanie Falick). It was one of the first books I bought...on a trip to visit my Dad and step-mom in Santa Fe. On that trip I made two pairs of the handwarmers (and many more since then) while sitting at the cozy kitchen table. The yarn is the same as used in the book...from Morehouse Merino...so spongy and soft. And of course, all I see when I look at these are Cheshire Cat stripes running up my legs...in the background you can see a bit of our new hickory floor and the paint in the dining room (our favorite paint in the house)...Tom still needs to add baseboards and some trim around the door frames, but it is very much livable right now.

As for songwriting, nothing new since my last post. I haven't even picked up my guitar : ( But RockyGrass is this weekend and maybe the inspiration will float up out of the canyon down there and into our yard. Good friends are coming for a visit tonight through Sunday and I'm hoping there will be bonfire action...

Had a fever last night of 100 degrees F...and a bit of a sore throat. A little better this morning, but still not back to normal...so it's back to bed for me with some tea and Tom's second "Plain Winter Sock"...

More soon...

FO: Saturday Market Cardi

2009-07-21T14:50:00.005-06:00

Finally posting about this one, though it's been done for a few weeks and I've worn it at least three times since then. The pattern is Allegoro Loose Knit Cardi, a free pattern from one of the CEY web-letters that I've been getting in my email. I followed the pattern almost exactly...I only made the sleeve a little bit longer and left off the garter stitch borders and hem. The yarn is All-Hemp6 and the color is "deep sea". I really love this little cardigan...it's perfect for the hot weather we've had lately (although today is all misty and cool...very un-Colorado).

I've been picking up the Martin a little more lately. Tom and I sat together in our new living room one night last week and played a bit...I cranked out three "song seeds" that I might do something with later. I think this might become my new favorite musical game. You just pick a few simple chords and start with an image and then go...very spontaneous-like.

House news is that the hickory floors are in and most of our furniture...it is starting to feel like a home...

More soon...

FO: Celtic Boob Vest

2009-02-07T15:59:00.005-07:00

OK, finally posting a picture of this one. It's the Gathered Pullover from Interweave Knits in Elann Peruvian Highland Worsted. For more details see me on Ravelry. I decided to play with a prop for this photo shoot...try getting the airborne apple in the frame at just the right moment with the auto timer. Very fun Saturday activity. I'm currently working on another vest for my mom...the Nederland Vest from Knitscene. Photos soon. As for music...which has yet to make an appearance on this knitting and music themed blog...my guitar is actually dusty. I think I need to seriously get under those strings and dust away the evidence of my not playing. Perhaps the guitar should be featured in more of my photo shoots. At least get it some play time that way because I'm am not motivated at all to play these days. Is it artist's block or pure laziness? I actually started penning a small handheld 'zine at a teaching workshop this week and it is called "The SongKnitter"...maybe it will make an appearance here soon. That's really all I have to say except that I really love how this little vest turned out. The reason for no sleeves is really that I was just done knitting it. Pure and simple. L A Z Y.

FO: Sam McGee Socks

2009-02-01T18:56:00.004-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted. These socks have been finished since Christmas. They are the "Twilight Socks" from 2 At a Time Socks and the yarn is Knitpicks Sock Memories in "Yukon". I love them. The colorway is perfect for this time of year. Very wintery. I named them Sam McGee for the poem by Robert W. Service. Sam probably would've appreciated a nice warm pair of wool socks. OK...on the knitting two socks at once, I liked it after about 5 inches. Before that though, I was so frustrated that I put them down for about 5 months. I think I'll try it again someday but for now I'm knitting a nice, easy pair of one at a timers on dpns. We are celebrating my brother's birthday tonight with some Willamette Valley wine, a strawberry, maple and grilled chicken salad, gluten free homemade bread and the Super Bowl. Next week I'm hoping to have a photo of my mom's argyle golf vest...maybe it will even be modeled by her as she's coming out for a visit on Thursday.

FO: Liesl

2008-10-25T13:53:00.004-06:00

Finally posting a picture of this, though it's been done for over a month. Lovely October garden light for this photo shoot. We are enjoying an Indian summer afternoon. This morning we hosted a cozy writer's group meeting at my house with hot mulled apple cider and pumpkins stationed around the house...and now Booper and I are being industriously lazy while Tom turns over the compost in the back of the yard.

Highland Games: Estes Park, CO (September 2008)

2008-09-26T22:15:00.003-06:00

Photos courtesy of our friend Eric (thank you!) A good time was had by all...turkey legs, Irish dancing, Irish Wolfhounds, "Nessie", "The Black Knight", splintered lances (but no "unhorsing")...a very successful "knitty crew" outing...

Folks Festival: Lyons, CO (August 2008)

2008-09-10T23:03:00.005-06:00

OK...Friday night was cold and rainy, but we were troopers and sat there in our rain pants eating soggy sweet potato fries from Oscar Blues waiting for Patty Griffin...definitely worth it! Then, on Saturday, we dragged ourselves out of bed and back for a great line-up...and the sun came out for The Waifs and Greg Brown. During his second or third song, Greg Brown actually told us all to turn around and look at the rainbow. Looking forward to next year already...

Fruits of the Garden...

2008-08-04T15:44:00.004-06:00

Right now the garden is gorgeously producing edibles and we are racing around trying to catch up! It is amazing to me that I can pick a whole batch of zucchini and then a few days later, there's more to be harvested. And the pumpkins are rising like a big green wave over everything...floating with orange blossoms! In the pictures are my first batch ever of Aunt Debbie's pickles, some kale sealed and frozen for winter soups, Tom's Amazing Pesto (sealed and frozen), gluten-free zucchini bread, and the giant Darth Vader pump-King growing in the very center of our garden. More photos soon...we've got radishes, ears of corn, coneflowers, butterfly bush, and bee balm...and TOMATOES! Lots to look forward to. Now I need to transfer Tom's yarn from the sudsy first bath to the vinegary second one. More later.

FO: Simply Marilyn

2008-07-31T16:25:00.004-06:00

This is my favorite handknit to date! It's been finished for a few years, but here are the pictures anyway...the pattern is "Simply Marilyn" from Interweave Knits and the yarn is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky.

FO: Franken-bear

2008-07-31T09:17:00.004-06:00

Tom requested something handknit for a friend's baby and since we weren't sure exactly how old the baby is now...I went for something a bit ageless! I used up bits and pieces from my stash of organic cotton and love how the colors all settle nicely with each other. The pattern is "Baby Bobbi Bear" from Blue Sky Alpacas. The yarn is all Pakucho Organic Cotton from elann.com (when they used to have it).

Adjustments...

2008-07-27T11:36:00.005-06:00

OK...after wearing this a few times and being fiercely annoyed at how this jacket kept sliding around on my shoulders, I decided to fix it. I threaded a strip of vintage-y looking fabric through the seed stitch border at the neckline and now love it much more...I'll try to get a good pic of the front...it really is a cute jacket...and now has a sort of vintage-y flair to it...

FO: There's a Little Witch in Every Woman

2008-07-27T11:13:00.006-06:00

Finally posting photos of this one...it's been done for about two weeks and we finally did the photo shoot last night. I used about 4 skeins of Colonia 140 ("rocas de mar"...really rich greens, golds, and browns) from Handpaintedyarns.com and the pattern is the "Single Button Serendipitous Cardigan from "Hollywood Knits" by Suss Cousins. I knit the 36" bust size and the only modification I made was to omit the button hole (I used a fun owl shawl pin instead!) I love how this turned out...it reminds me of some of the sweaters Sandra Bullock's character wears in the movie "Practical Magic."

Lushness and Backpacking

2008-07-26T01:39:00.007-06:00

The garden is out of control beautiful right now...and extremely productive! The pumpkins are taking over an entire walkway in the middle of the garden. Tom has it closed off with planters of tomatoes so we remember to walk around the side. Here are some of the goodies as of two days ago...some of them will be ready for eating soon! The first is one of our pumpkins, the second is a "pickle" cucumber just about ready to go into my first batch of "Aunt Debbie's Pickles" and the third is my favorite...it is a whiskey barrel full of potatoes! We have three of them around the garden. Tom read about growing them "in layers" so you get a shitload of potatoes. You put the seed potatoes in the first layer of soil and wait for them to sprout and grow a bit, then add more soil and let the leaves grow higher, and then add soil one more time until the leaves literally spill out over the top of the whiskey barrel. Tom dug some "new potatoes" out last weekend and we at them boiled with lemon pressed olive oil and some salt and pepper...I've been thinking about asking him to dig up a few more!

Also...Tom and I went on an overnight backpacking trip last weekend! We hiked up Beaver Creek and found a gorgeous spot just before the Buchanan Pass trailhead. I tried bringing knitting (two socks at the same time on one circular needle...my first try at this method), but the mosquitoes were eating me and I gave up! Tom made an unforgettable dinner of salmon, veggie pasta, goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, basil, and spinach...Hope we can get out there again soon!

FOs: More Sweaters...

2008-07-26T01:35:00.003-06:00

FOs: Sweaters

2008-07-26T01:28:00.003-06:00

Again...this is all old stuff that I'm trying to catalogue on Ravelry...I promise a real post soon...and some songwriting material!

FOs: Some Felted Bags

2008-07-24T11:38:00.004-06:00

My Latest Project

2008-07-24T11:17:00.004-06:00

OK...so I've been knitting for a fairly long time...eight years, in fact. I've knitted quite a few scarves, hats, gloves, socks, sweaters, bags, etc. during that time, but my blog is only just a baby. My latest project is documenting as many of those "un-blogged" items as I can before work starts up again. Tom has been helping me with photo shoots in the garden as soon as he gets home and the light is still good. Another one planned for tonight. So if it seems like I've got a lot of FO's all at once, that's because they've been done for a very long time! I'm trying to document them on Ravelry as well, with more details as to sizes, yarns, colors, issues with the pattern, etc. For now, here are a few of the scarves.

FO: Shetland Triangle ("Innocent Little Shawl")

2008-07-23T22:20:00.004-06:00

OK Katie...not sure where you are, but I had another sleepless night and had to finish!
I'm really happy with this shawl...less than three skeins of elann.com "Baby Cashmere". I knit the pattern exactly as written and loved it. I could surely make another one of these if any of my friends or family members are interested : )

FO: Vertigo Scarf

2008-07-23T22:11:00.005-06:00

This was a really fun knit...easy movie fodder with a nice "drop" stitch finale. I love this yarn...2 skeins of SWTC Karaoke from the stash. The pattern is called "One Drop Scarf" from Robin Dodge.

FO: Great Pumpkin Shrug

2008-07-23T18:33:00.005-06:00

Finally did a retake of the photo shoot after I blocked the funky seam...it's very cozy and slouchy. I'm pretty sure I love it...especially how the front curves around (see detail shot). Not sure I love how the front bunches up in that last picture (courtesy of a somewhat tight bind-off)...kinda makes me look like the "Great Pumpkin"...and can you see our pumpkin patch in the background?
The yarn I used is "Twirl" from KnitPicks in "rust"...from my stash...the pattern is "Cozy Moss Shrug" from "Runway Knits." It was quick and fun to knit...all in one piece. Only took a couple days. More photos of the pumpkin patch soon...there are all sorts of little green baby pumpkins growing in there!

Some Stuff I'm Working On

2008-07-16T15:38:00.003-06:00

The recycled plastic bag from Erika Knight's Simple Knits With A Twist and the Pinwheel Baby Blanket from Larissa and Martin John Brown's knitalong...

FO: Two Berets

2008-07-16T15:30:00.006-06:00

Two little hats I finished this winter..."Mist" from A Yorkshire Fable and "Ash" from the Kim Hargreaves website...

FO: Tequila Tank

2008-07-16T14:46:00.004-06:00

Another sweater I've made this summer. The one skein tank from Leigh Radford's book...made from two skeins of SWTC's bamboo in "Tequila". See me on Ravelry for more details.

FO: Crocodile Cardigan

2008-07-16T14:38:00.007-06:00

For more details on this project see me on Ravelry.

Honeymoon Scarf: one more picture...

2008-07-16T11:02:00.003-06:00

This one was my favorite...draped over a cow skull a la Georgia O'Keefe...

Shetland Triangle

2008-07-16T08:56:00.005-06:00

Finally a picture of progress on the two-person shawl-along...I'm using elann.com Baby Cashmere and just attached the third ball. The only thing left to knit is the border. Take a look at Katie's shawl here (she's the other half of the two-person shawl-along.) This has been my insomnia knit...anytime I can't sleep (which is often this summer) I add another repeat or two to the pattern...which is easy to memorize and slightly contagious...I could easily be persuaded to knit another of these...

FO: Honeymoon Scarf

2008-06-16T06:47:00.012-06:00

Yarn: Magallanes (Araucania yarns) Color #302
Quantity: 1 skein (198 yards)
Purchased@: Woolen Treasures, Loveland, CO
Pattern: "Cross-Stitch Scarf" from Designer One Skein Wonders
Started: 6/2/08
Finished: 6/15/08

Thoughts: I started this scarf on my honeymoon in the Wet Mountain Valley of southern Colorado. I wanted to play with color and an interesting stitch pattern and ended up weaving in all of the good feeling of that place. The crossed stitches look like crazy little hearts to me...all of the heart rocks we found on our hikes and walks near the Sangre de Cristos. There is a lot of blue...the rivers and lifeblood of the valley. The red is the mountains themselves and the sunset bottles of wine shared at the cabin at Eagle Peak ranch, the gold is the fields of hay...baled and ready to nourish the other lifeblood of the valley...ranching. I hope we will go back soon.