All that jazz on the explanade

What to do on a hot and steamy Staten Island night? Knit on the esplanade and listen to JAZZmobile. Akiko Tsurga performed, amazing! Chenda and I soaked it all up. But where was everybody.....?

monkey-in' round

I just had so much fun making this monkey for my friend Betsy's new baby... whooo hoo!, now I need to make one for ME! Been a busy knitting month, took a break from sock-making to work on "Chico"... great fun and easy, from Patons Monkey Business.

It was a month of new babies... and this sweater is for Charlotte. The Pattern is a modified Debbie Bliss hoodie pattern. Knitting for babies is such a hoot.

The packages are going out Monday!!!!

Magical

I love knitting socks! Every time I turn a heel I get a thrill. The magic of sticks and strings turning into something real and useful is so satisfying. This sock is the CLASSIC SOCK PATTERN, from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. The trick is learning how to do short rows. I am using sock reinforcing yarn for the heels and toe on a set of #2 double-pointed needles.

Had a great lunch yesterday with my two Marys! I showed them the "turn" and am hopeful that the next time we have lunch they will have "turning" stories too.

Lastrada -done-whew, the best yet

I have to admit that I long to purl when I am working on Falkenberg projects, but the end result is always fabulous. I love the drape and this sweater can go from jeans to evening. Enjoyed the process but socks are calling!

Crankin' on Lastrada

Right side is finished.!

I just love the construction of this sweater. I have now cast on 475 stitches and am cranking on the left side of my Hanna Falkenberg Lastrada.... I got distracted by a pair of aqua blue socks, and am glad that I am back on course with this.

YouTube videos on socks

Long time coming

Today I finally put the finishing touched on my Pagode sweater. Feels like I've been working on it forever, feels like we are old friends, and now it is new to wear. I am thrilled with the outcome. Yet there is an emptiness in the completion. There is now a hole in my day, what will I fill it with? hmmmm.... I'll have to check my stash. But I really need to get outside into the garden. It's beautiful today.

Recession Rag

Last weekend I asked my husband to clear out his dresser. Much to my surprise he really did clean out his old stuff right then!!! I was faced with a pile of old t-shirts and there was my dilemma. Now I had to actually get them out of the house... or not. hmmmm. I have a very hard time throwing anything away. And I noted that my rag bag was pretty full.

The artist in me noted the nice selection of muted gray colors and thought they might work as a rug for the newly tiled gray floor in the bathroom. I sprang into action, pulled out a sharp pair of scissors and started cutting a spiral of "yarn" out of four of the shirts, winged it with the increases on the corners and VOILA... a week later I have re-purposed 4 t-shirts into a great and funky new rug for the bathroom. ;-)

Ok... so I still have a pile of shirts, mostly mouse-gray. I'm thinking I'll work up another and throw it in some dye.... to be continued.

Mall of America knitting mania

Basking in the glow of a wonderful weekend assisting the Craft Yarn Council's Knit Out at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. Made new friends, saw lots of inspiration. A video shows a fraction of the fun. There was a very funny dog show that I helped out with, a fabulous group of therapy dogs that just loved to show off on the catwalk! Jampacked schedule and lots of freebies from the participating companies. More photos showing the stage, the kids fashion show, 2 of the dogs in the dog show, an overview of the booths, the give-away goodie bags, the Lion Brand Mascot, Warm Up America! afghans, demos and more.

Mary C and Mary R... thanks for having me, I had a ball!!! (pun intended). And Evie... I love you. Hope the shoes arrived and of course, the salami!!! ;-)

Many thanks to my roomie Barbara who is an inspiring crochet artist and founding member of the New York Crochet Guild and a major coordinator and colleage for the New York Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef project. We met at a NYU Institute for the Humanities workshop and collaborated on the installation at the SHOW Gallery on Staten Island.

Knitting fever

or is it cabin fever? the sun is finally shining today. And I am in the final stretch of finishing Tim's pewter-gray sweater with cables and a very different ribbing. This morning almost done, got the shoulders together and did the neck... now to sew up the seams and voila! another sweater.

Can't wait to start the new project, a Mermaid by Hanne Falkenberg.... looks like an interesting project, requiring a lot of patience.

Call me a compulsive knitter. I learned when I was a child from my Mother who was always knitting something. Sweaters, hats, socks. Some that I never appreciated until it was too late. Mom, I do remember that red Mary Maxim that you made for me. Thank you. But what do kids know? I yearned for the "store-bought". Got hand-made and hand-me-down instead. Now I just wish for enough time to make more things, for friends and family and self.

This was the second year of the sock! My friend Mary turned me on to the wonderful pre-striped yarn that knits up delightfully into multi-color delights. I made pairs for me, and friends, and gifted at the holidays as well. Socks are a great, a satisfying diversion that is portable and short-term. And I never cease to get a thrill from turning a heel. They're magical. (And if I can keep my Gordon Setter, Rennie, from eating the reinforcing yarn I'll be doing great--and so will she.)

If only everyone knit (or crochet), or was required to do so! What a different world we would live in.

I'm bloggin

Onward to something new.