Hogwarts Scarf

From the newest student at Dogwarts School for Canine Witchcraft and Wizardry, a special bday shoutout to my nephew Gus. Hope you like your scarf!

Pattern: Hogwarts scarf, designed by Lauren Kent at atypically.knit
Yarn: Cascade 220 wool
Needles: Size 7 DPNs

Catching Up

Having a real job is leaving almost no time for knitting or blogging! Here's a quick pic of the ripple scarf I completed from from One-Skein Wonders. I actually had 2 skeins of this Paton's denim marl--enough for a slightly longer than one-skein scarf and those fingerless mitts there in the background (also from O-SW: scroll down to the previous post for a close up or click here). Both have come in handy during the past week of cold windy weather here in eastern PA.

Spring Break Knit-a-thon: Photo Update

More Questions

Geeta asks a question that perhaps others have also wondered--what good is tenure if it doesn't leave more time for other things like blogging? And knitting? Katie, meanwhile, asks what good is tenure if it doesn't leave more time for dog-related activities--like, say, playing with your dog in the snow?


Obviously neither Geeta nor Katie understand that tenured persons still do things like attend committee meetings and prepare syllabi for the new semester which begins in just a few days. I have, however, been doing just a little knitting. Mostly socks (I can't seem to stop), and then a section or two of Branching Out, and then I decided that I didn't like the garter edge on my Italian chain rib scarf--it was curling up in a fairly unattractive way--so I knit a swatch without (the one on top) just to see what it would look like:


And I decided that without was better, because the edges curl under nicely and you don't even notice them. I have 2 skeins of this yarn, so maybe I can make a hat or gloves or something else to match the scarf.

Winter seems finally to have arrived, and there was enough snow yesterday morning for Katie to make a snow angel-dog. . .

. . . try to catch snowflakes on her tongue . . .

. . . and successfully guilt me with pathetic looks like this into taking her for a walk.

New Year's Visit with Old Friends

Last week I packed up a few knitting projects and headed to Pittsburgh (PA) for a visit with family and old friends, including GK who says she checks my blog "every day." (Hi Geet!) Before I left, I started a couple projects to take with me. Below is the beginning of Branching Out (from Knitty) for which I'm using a really lovely yarn that I found at Fearless Fibers. After a few false starts (when the instructions say "cast on loosely," they're not kidding!), I got the hang of the pattern, which I think looks great in this yarn. This is my first attempt at something lacey, and although it's turning out okay (all those bumps will go away after blocking, right?!), I decided it was just too complicated for travel-knitting. SO--

I started another scarf with some Paton's yarn I'd bought a month ago because I liked the combination of blues (the color is denim marl), and I thought the marled effect would work well for a nice long scarf.
I wanted a simple pattern with long lines to show off the flecks of light blue. I consulted Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns and decided to try the Italian chain rib, which so far is giving me the effect I wanted--which isn't evident from the tiny picture above. I'll post a better picture later.

On Thursday, GK and I spent a cosy afternoon at Knit One, a wonderful shop in Squirrel Hill where we did some knitting and shopping. Even though I really didn't have any more room in my suitcase, I caved and bought some sock yarn (hey, it was on sale!) as well as some pretty Louisa Harding yarn (Kimono Angora and Kimono Ribbon) to make the (very girly) gloves pictured below (apologies for the bad photo--it's dark and rainy here, and I had to use the flash which is reflecting off the cover and makes it look like the sun is rising over the model's head).
After leaving Knit One, we headed back to GK's for Chinese take-out and a great visit catching up with MK, JG, and Miranda (who, although she looks a lot like my Katie, is much much calmer).

Work In Progress

Here are a few things I'm currently working on. Clockwise from top left: (1) Double-moss stitch sock from Sensational Knitted Socks (this time it only took 3 or 4 tries to turn the heel--woo hoo!. (2) Irish Hiking Scarf. (3) Felted Tea Cosy (from Knitty, spring 2006)

None is especially difficult, but the scarf is only my second project with cables (yeah, baby). And the sock--well--I believe it might possibly be the most beauteous first sock ever knitted. Here's a close up:

Some Finished Projects

Here's a picture of the bday scarf I made for C. R., who agrees that she would, indeed, have peeked if I'd posted anything prior to her bday, which was this past Wednesday. C. R. has been this way since college, and it's good to know that some things don't change. :) (Happy bday! Now get to work on your felted tea cozy!)

Pattern: Easy 1 Skein Scarf from S n' B Happy Hooker
Yarn: Paton's Classic Merino Wool, Black

Late yesterday afternoon I also completed the "class sock" project from Sensational Knitted Socks.

This is my first ever sock, and I kind of can't believe I did it. This morning I cast on for an actual sock I can wear--one of the 4-stitch sock patterns from SKS. In the meantime I'm considering possible uses for my practice sock.

In Progress (*still*--!@#$!): Irish Hiking Scarf

I discovered a couple mistakes in my beautiful IHS and decided to rip and re-knit. So, alas, at the end of the weekend my scarf was about the same length as it was at the beginning of the weekend. :(

On the positive side, I finished another project for a certain friend who has a bday coming up this week . . . I'll post a photo later, since I know that friend well and I know that even if I just post a link to a picture, she'll peek.

Irish Hiking Scarf

Pattern: Irish Hiking Scarf

Yarn: Karabella Aurora 8, #44, Sky Blue

Posted for Chawne who asked how progress was coming along. Yes, I could just walk down one floor to the Math Department and show you, but I'm too lazy--so here's a picture, taken yesterday. As of this morning, the scarf is about twice as long. I love this pattern (thanks to GK for calling it to my attention!). Perhaps because this is only my second cable project, my stitches are lookin' a little wobbly! but they're getting better as I go along. Practice makes perfect, I guess. Also, my cable needle for the first cable row was too big, so I switched to a smaller one. Live and learn. Can I think of any more cliches? Possibly, but 2 is probably a good limit for one post.

Outside, there is much noise coming from our neighbor's garage which, it appears, is getting a new roof. There's nothing I like to hear more when I'm trying to work than constant hammering. NOT. Katie, however, has managed to nap on, her doggy sleep undisturbed.

One Skein, 3 Runs, No Q

I was out of town at a conference the weekend before last, and now I feel like I'm behind on everything. Yeesh. But I had enough time in the airport and on the plane to complete a whole scarf. Well, almost. It's the "One Skein Scarf" pattern from Stitch n' Bitch crochet, and I used Patons Classic Merino Wool in leaf green as given in the pattern. The project was just as easy as the pattern promised, though my gage must have been a bit off because I ran out of yarn just as I was rounding the last corner with a mere 3 shells left to go. So I had to run out and buy more yarn in order to finish. But I did, and I'm really happy with the finished project. Now I can't decide whether to keep or gift it. I do love the color . . . .

And I accomplished one other thing recently, of which I'm kinda proud. This past weekend, Katie and I competed in our first ever agility trial. We had 3 runs, none with qualifying times (not to mention with many faults), but we definitely had fun trying. Kate surprised me by holding a stay at the start line when asked. That might not sound like much, but for us it's big. And although she did take a quick tour around the course on the first run, she came back to me and stayed with me until the end. On the second and third runs, she was so excited that she took the last obstacle and kept on going! Cute, but unfortunately, the rules say that I have to leave the course with my dog under control. Oh well. I'm thinking we'll do another trial in January which will give us lots of time to work on that little problem. :)

Easy Ribbed Scarf

So much of academic work involves rewriting and revising that sometimes I crave the experience of starting a project and then completing it. Of course I chose this career because I enjoy working through big, complicated projects and ideas. But every now and then, I want the satisfaction of saying that I finished something.

So today, before I begin work on the umpteenth revision of a paper I've been working on for awhile, here is a picture of a finished knitting project. Yes, it was easy. Just K2 P2. But it's finished and ready to be worn. Well, "ready" just as soon as the weather is cool enough for a really really warm scarf. The pattern, which is from Stitch n' Bitch, calls for Brown Sheep Co's Lamb's Pride Bulky. I used Charcoal Heather. Except for the color, it looks just like the photo in the book.

Thinking about fall

In Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard writes about the moment when she feels the season changing--I can't remember now if it's winter to spring or summer to fall. Although I don't think this morning was the moment for us (it's a little early), fall-ish weather seems to have descended on eastern PA, at least for the time being, and in a good way. Ever the fashion-conscious canine, Katie rushed to the winter closet and grabbed this scarf.

Trial preparation update: Kate and I submitted our entry form for the upcoming trial--we signed up for three runs. I figure by the third try, Kate, the most distract-able of dogs, will be focused on the course and not on everything else around.

Final thought: this is, of course, a day with a sad history and legacy. I'm going to try to steer clear of the TV and seek other, quieter, ways of being mindful about past (and current) events.