increase techniques

baby sweater sample, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I made up this baby sweater for a class I'm teaching. I decided to use it to show the increases and how different increases look:



If you click through to the flickr page you can see the notes (hover over the picture) that explain the different looks.

my swap package (finally!)

swap bag from gekko, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I'm so excited that you're all just going to have to deal with the mac-cam pictures! I had this delivered to my office address since I was dealing with moves and mail problems this summer... so yeah, the camera is at home. I finally got my package from the first sock swap! My partner disappeared into the ether so my fellow moderator gekko stepped up to the angel plate and sent me a great package!!

Aside from this cute bag (stuffed with goodies) there was also:


Cute needle bracelets!


Yarn! (From left to right: Araucania Ranco Sock, Handspun Merino (looooove the colour on this!) and Black Sock yarn (I believe it is Patons Australia Patonyle to match the toes of the socks to the afterthought heels I will be putting in))

And, of course:


SOCKS!

I love love LOVE my package. Thanks again, for EVERYTHING, Gekko!!

and done

angel wings, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Angel socks left-over from the first sock swap.

Yarn is mini mochi, violet rainbow (for something with that name there ought to be a bit more purple, no?), US 1 dpns, and pattern is blackrose from knitty.

gratitude + wips

practice sweater, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Today (or yesterday depending on your family traditions) is Canadian Thanksgiving (or until I move to the states 4+ years ago, just "Thanksgiving") and it seems like a good time to do some catching up on what's on the needles and to talk about some things I'm really grateful for.

Above is the practice sweater I'm working on to teach different increases to a baby-sweater class next weekend. Not the knitting I should (or want) to be doing, but knitting none-the-less.

In the knitting I need to be doing, we have up next the "angel socks" that are left from the first sock swap.



This is sock #2, past the heel as you can see, so should be done and ready to send off shortly. Let's not even talk about the socks for the second swap... actually, they'll be worsted weight and not due until end of Dec, so really, they can wait a minute.

In the knitting I want to be doing:



Note: I am well aware of how dorky I look in this picture.

An anniversary scarf for the boy. In part, I want to be knitting something for such a great guy, but really, it's kinda selfish too: the Woolarina cashmere blend yarn is absolutely LUSCIOUS to work with.

Now: Gratitude!

This is the first time I've been able to be back for a Thanksgiving weekend in Canada in at least 5 years. I LOVE fall in Ontario. I miss it more than just about anything else. It's just not the same anywhere else. No, REALLY:



So I'm really glad that we could come visit and the boy could see just how beautiful it really is.

And I'm grateful for said boy... it's been a great (almost) year and we decided recently to get engaged!!! The wedding will be next Spring which gives us just about six months to get everything together... so it's been a busy weekend. But I'm very excited and I can't wait to start this new journey together.

prize #2

prize, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

This was marked as delivered by USPS as of Thurs (so I really hope that's true!) to Silver, the prize winner from my 400th post contest.

I'm home in Canada for a very busy thanksgiving weekend (and have lots to be thankful for!) so not much knitting going on, but I do plan on doing a thankful post shortly.

KAL, or the tipping point

Malabrigo Worsted in Oliva, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

this has been in my stash for over 2 years?! how is that even possible??

So the girl's from the knit group in Madrid (MadridKnits) are going to knit Abalone all together and I want to join them from afar... and use up this luscious malabrigo that has been sitting in my stash since April 2008 (how? how is it possible that malabrigo can be unknit for so long?!)

Here's a picture of the original abalone:



I'm thinking of adding sleeves and possibly a button to hold it together in the middle (which would necessitate adding more to the side panels as well...). Considering I have almost double the amount of yarn as called for in the original, I don't think this should be a problem.

Am I crazy to take on yet another project? I currently have 4 on the go (plus one in need of blocking to be considered finished) and the Sock Swap is underway once again...

last day!

Today is the last day to sign up for the International Sock Swap. It's also the first day of a week and a half of flying around back and forth, first to Nashville for a conference this weekend and then back for a couple days next week and then to Canada for my first real Canadian thanksgiving in 6 years!! So forgive me some radio silence... I'll post if and when I can!

angel socks

angel sock, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Due to a couple of flakers over in the International Sock Swap I'm knitting a pair of socks for an "angel" package. I'd like to get them out asap so that none of our good swappers miss out. I'd be sad to see anyone work so hard to put a beautiful package together and not get anything in return.

The good news is that 99% of the group is a great bunch and a ton of them stepped up to the "angel" plate. The 3 missing packages are already being taken care of (can I just mention that one of the missing packages is mine, so even moderators are not immune to flakers!) and lots of people have volunteered to be on standby for the next swap! (Which starts this Friday! So exciting!)

Anyway, the socks! Pattern is Blackrose from Knitty, Winter '08; yarn is mini mochi and needles are US 1s.

Mods: Only worked lace pattern on the cuff for two reasons: speed - plain round foot is faster and easier to work on and because I just couldn't seem to memorize the pattern. Maybe because it's only worked in a panel rather than around the entire sock? I don't know, but this one just evaded me.

Hope to have the second one done by the end of the week so I can post it early next week! It has a bit of a journey ahead of it, so I'd like to have it on it's way as soon as possible!

we all need a little elf in our lives

P1020427, originally uploaded by toastbrot27.

To insure there is no confusion, no this is not my hat. It was knit by toastbrot on ravlery. Click it to go to toastbrot's flickr page!

For her prize, Susie chose the ribba cap by Wooly Wormhead.

Isn't it so cute and elven-like?!

Happy knitting Susie!

drum roll please...

this is post 400!!! Which means........ PRIZES!!!

The first prize is easy: Susie, of useless beauty designs gets the prize for directing the most commenters. Susie: you get a paid-for gifted pattern from ravelry. When you know which one you want, send me a message with your ravelry name and a link, and I will send it right along!

The second prize, that of the most creative commenter, is a little more difficult to decide. Everyone had great suggestions... So, I'm going to cop-out and use a random number generator to pick the winner. So... the winner is........

SILVER of quicksilver crafter! Once you let me know your favorite colour I'll be sending you a skein of locally dyed yarn!

Thanks for playing guys! And for reading! Let's hope we're here in another 400!

something else new

multicoloured rose, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

startitis? I don't know what you're talking about!

Yes, ok, so I just showed you something new in the last post. But, sometimes knitting is born out of necessity and since we had a few flakers (including my partner, and I organized the thing... so yeah...) in the sock swap, I'm knitting a sock for a participant who didn't get a package yet. We're still holding the new swap starting Oct 1, so if you want to sign up, don't get turned off by a couple bad apples... it really is a great group and they're heeding the call for "angel" knitters, just in case this happens again.

So, hence the need for yet another project on the needles. (Don't ask how many, it isn't polite.)

Pattern is Blackrose
Yarn is mini mochi, sent to me by crystal palace (to make up for some socks that felted, so let's hope that isn't a problem with these!!)
Needles are US 1 dpns

P.S. If you've been counting you'd know that this is post 399! Which means that I'll be closing comments on the contest post shortly and posting the winners of the 400th post contest in a day or two!!

something new

l'anniversaire, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

why yes, it does look like it's smiling at you, doesn't it?

For our one year anniversary, which (especially gauged in knitting time) is coming up quickly, I decided to make the bf a new scarf. If you recognize the stitch pattern that's because it is the same one used in the recently completed barcelona socks, with a seed-stitch border.

Pattern: adapted from Barcelona socks (rav link)
Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm)
Yarn: Woolarina's Lux Sock 2 skeins (knitting 2 rows from one skien, 2 rows from the other to blend the colours a bit).

2 skeins of lux sock is quite a bit of yardage (500 to be exact) so I'm pretty sure I'll have lots of yarn left over. And yes, I already have plans. *Cue evil laughter*

95% done

95% done, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

The mojo-inducing textured shawl is all done, minus a good blocking. And while I'm not always the biggest proponent of blocking, I think this shawl will really benefit from it, both in terms of size and to straighten out the kinks a bit.

Will post a pic when it's all blocked and pretty!

it's back!

mojo maker, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I'm in love with this project! And, the best part, is that I totally want to knit it alllllllll the time. Like, really.

It's the texture shawl recipe following chotda's notes for the set up rows. (it's a very loose recipe, I don't think she even states a cast-on #, so if you want to make it you should check out some of the finished scarves and follow someone's notes.)

I was really inspired by the two textured shawls recently made by one of my madrid knitting buddies, Siona.

The yarn is the zitron unisono that was sent to me by Susan a while back.

Needles: US 9 metal (wish they were wooden) circs

I hope this means my mojo is back for good, but for now I'm content knitting away on this shawl!

death of a robot

death of a robot, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Legs, check. Arms, check. Giant mess of intarsia - er, body......

I really had high-hopes for the knit picks Mr. Roboto Kit but I didn't count on hating intarsia with the passion of a thousand burning suns. I like fairisle just fine, knitting round and round with 2 skeins sitting side by side, great... but the messiness of one full skein + four little balls of yarn being flipped back and forth, yuck.

I think this project was a major contributor in my knitting malaise. My intentions were good, the outcome is cute, but me and this project just weren't meant for each other.

Speaking of malaise-inducing projects:


why yes, that is quite an awkward angle

I have one of my leg warmers done! Don't get me wrong, I really like these, but they're a little boring to work on.

The good news is this: I'm actually starting to get excited about some holiday projects. I'm thinking I might spent a bit of this long weekend re-organizing the stash and seeing if I can't find some stash-busting, holiday gifting type projects to start working on. I'm also excited about the Second Sock Swap and all the new members who have joined in the last week. There's still plenty of time if you've been hemming and hawing!

sans computer

Well, I've been without my computer for a few days, nothing big, all for external fixes as opposed to the "omg my harddrive blew up!" type of fix.

In the mean time, my knitting mojo is still MIA. So I don't really have much to show in that area, BUT I did want to let people know that the second International Sock Swap is underway over on ravelry. Anytime between now and Sept 30 you can sign up by filling out the questionnaire.

Hope you can join us!!

prizes!

I promised that I would have prizes posted today and I meant to take a picture while at my fave yarn store but completely forgot while I was there. So... I'm borrowing the following picture from lovelyarns site to tempt you all:



Prize #1 (for the most creative suggestion) is a skein of locally dyed sock yarn in the colour family of the winners choice! (You win, I email you, you tell me your favorite color and I pick you out a skein of beautiful yarn!)

Prize #2 (for directing the most people to comment) is a paid-for gifted pattern of your choice from ravelry. (You win, I email you, you give me your ravelry name and the link / name of a pattern you want!)

There is still lots of time to enter (this is post 393 and the winners will be announced in post 400... at least a week or two!) so enter here and send your friends!

Sock Swap Take 2!

**Note: For those of you waiting patiently for prize info for the contest, I need to take some pictures, but I'll try to get it up tomorrow!**



The International Sock Swap is coming to a close (final day to send out packages is Aug 31, 2010) and it has gone so well and there has been interest both from current participants AND new members to do another swap... so the second swap will take place starting Sept 1!

Questionnaires will be due by Sept 30, 2010 and partners will go out shortly thereafter, with knitting and package sending happening between Oct 1 and Dec 31. This time we are making "bed/boot socks" out of worsted (preferably superwash!) weight yarn. There are tons (222 free patterns on ravelry) of worsted weight sock patterns, ranging from complex to the most basic. We decided on worsted weight by vote, but I think it is a great, quick swap project for the period leading up to the holiday season.

If you want to join in the fun you have from now until the end of Sept. Right now, head on over to the ravelry group and join us. Sept 1 I will send out reminders to those who are already members to fill in the questionnaire. Hope to see you there!!

Contest!

OK all, I seem to have misplaced my knitting mojo. I'm just not feeling it right now. And since we're coming up on 400 posts (this being post 391), I figured I'd ask a question: What do you do when you feel out of the knitting grove?

Prizes will be given for the most creative / interesting answer (as judged by moi) and to the person who entices the most people to answer (details to follow).

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your ideas for jump-starting my knitting engines. For multiple entries, post a link to this contest on your own blog (or anywhere else you might think it useful) and come back and tell me about it. If people also mention that you sent them along in their comment, that's another entry.

And the big question: what are the prizes?! Well, for that you will have to stay tuned!

Doctors without Borders

fish scarf, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Much like when Haiti was in crisis, I have decided to donate 50% of my pattern sales from now until the end of Sept to Doctors without Borders to help their relief efforts in Pakistan. Of course, Doctors without Borders can use the money for whatever relief effort they see necessary, but it is the situation in Pakistan that is pushing myself and other ravelers to pitch in our part, no matter how big, or small, it may be.

So, if you've ever liked any of my patterns, including the Fish Scarf, 3/4 Jacket, convertible cabled mittens or heroes scarf, now would be a great time to buy them! Or go check out the other ravelers donating proceeds to charitable causes!

this post is brought to you by the letters I and R and the number 4

That would be Insomnia, Robots and 4am... the time I realized that whole sleep thing just wasn't working out for me.

Why Robots, you ask? (I mean, the rest is pretty self-explanatory, right?) Well, for one thing I'm working on Mr. Roboto from Knit Picks right now as a gift (actually there will be two robots in the end) for the boys of a friend that I'll be visiting short(ish)ly.

And, sometimes in the infinite wisdom of insomnia, I surf etsy for new fun things, like Sleepy Robot 13. I first saw Robot and Toaster are Friends and instantly fell in love:



Really, how could you not?!

Another personal fave: Robot in a Dragon Suit:



And one that I know will be popular (even if not my fave):



Super Mario Robot!

Enough with my late night / early morning rantings... have you found any unsung etsy gems lately?

time for change

barthelona!, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I never would have thought that I would enjoy knitting a pair of cotton socks... but I loved this yarn. It's a knitpicks yarn called comfy fingering, 75% cotton, 25% acrylic and while I was worried about it being rough and inelastic, it was neither. I don't normally use cotton, especially for socks since I tend to wear socks more in the fall - early spring, rather than in the summer. But the boy needs to wear socks and shoes for work year round, so he requested a pair of cotton ones.

So we have another finished pair of socks... and I think I need a break from all things sock related. I even left the leg warmers - not technically socks but not different enough - at home. Fortunately I did bring a project that is something quite a bit different but I actually need to get some conference papers written, so maybe the knitting will be backburnered for a little while.

Pattern: Barcelona Socks by Helen Waittes
Needles: US 1 dpns
Yarn: Knitpicks Comfy Fingering, 1.5 skeins.
For: the boy

Mods: I started on US 2s (as per the pattern) and ended up with a giant cuff. So I ripped it out and started over on size 1s and it turned out much better. I also added a repeat to the cuff to make it slightly longer.

groundhog day

guess where I am..., originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Remember yesterday? Yesterday when I said I was about to run out the door and head to Canada to visit family for the first time in 8 months? You can probably guess from my expression - and the background - in the above picture (taken approx 2 mins ago) that that didn't happen.

Once again (check this 2 year old post out) I'm stuck in the airport, knittin' a sock. Our flight was delayed for weather and then mechanical problems last night, and eventually (after a hope raising taxi around the runway) canceled. I decided it wasn't worth trying to fight with the other 100 or so passengers for the standby positions on the late night flights last night, so I went home, had a decent night's sleep and came back this morning. Unfortunately there is MORE weather today and we're running almost 2 hours behind. Fortunately they did give me a first class ticket for this flight and a voucher because I refused hotel accommodations.

I really hope we get going soon... in the mean time, I'm sure to have a decent amount of knitting done by the time I get home!

running out the door...

one down..., originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

going home today to see family for the first time since Christmas... which seems ridiculous and unbelievable... but that's what a semester overseas will get you.

Just wanted to show off that one of these is done as of last night! Hopefully there will be a matching pair by the time I'm back here in 10 days... and possibly a few other small things in the back of my mind that I want to have done in the next few weeks... nothing like leaving people in suspense, right?!

not making fun*

barthelona, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

You know how sometimes you really dread having to do something and then when you actually do it you realize it's not so bad after all? That's how I felt about these socks. The boy asked for some cotton socks, because he really likes the socks I've made him so far, but the ridiculous heat and humidity of summer here means that wool socks are completely out of the question. I haven't done much knitting with cotton because I normally don't like the feel of it... so I figured I would order some cotton sock yarn from knitpicks so that I wouldn't be too put out if it was totally hating it. (Knitpicks = ridiculously cheap, yo.)

Here's the kicker: I actually really like this yarn! It's soft and smooth and has great stitch definition! And this pattern (Barcelona socks) is super easy and memorizable (unless you continuously knit in public and talk to people rather than pay attention to what row you are on.... not that we know anyone who does that...) but gets even the most advanced knitters ooh-ing and aaaah-ing over how complex it looks.

*I am calling these "barthelona socks" because of the boy's love of this hipster pup. And yes, the "ce" sound really does sound lispy in Castilian Spanish.

knitters are awesome

package!, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Just in case you forgot (although I don't know how you could) knitters are the awesomest, most generous people you can know. Today I was at my soon-to-be-ex-residence, cleaning up and putting things in the car to be taken to goodwill / the post office when our postal carrier walked up and handed me a package. I had completely forgotten that Susan, who won a prize in the 300th blog post contest last year, asked me for my address so she could send me a little something back... I really wasn't expecting such a great package!! So THANK YOU, Susan!

There is a skein of Zitron Unisono (100% washable merino with Aloe Vera and Jojoba!), a package of paper / book clips shaped like flowers, birds and butterflies and a great art magnet of the St. Paul's Market.

Speaking of blog contests, this is post 384... maybe I should start thinking about a 400th post contest soon...

one foot on either side of the Atlantic

la penúltima y la primera, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

One of these socks was knit entirely in Spain and the other entirely in the US... and yes I do know which is which! The one of the left foot is the Spanish sock and the one on the right is the American. How can I tell? Well, somehow the first one ended up with 3 pattern repeats on the top of the foot and the second with 2. It's like I cast on an entirely different number of stitches that just happened to correspond with the pattern repeats. I have no idea how it happened but they both fit (although the right one is slightly more stretched out than the left) so I'm just going to leave it alone. I know that is less-than-perfectionist of me but I would probably have to pull out and re-do the entire right sock and I just don't have it in me.

Pattern: Lindsay by Cookie A from Sock Innovation.
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Natural
Needles: US 1 dpns
Mods: Moved the seam stitches to the back of the leg, somewhat visible in this picture, as detailed on my project page.

delicious, delicious yarn

woolarina lux sock, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I went to my fave LYS yesterday after a long morning of trying to sell off most of my worldly possessions (yard sales are GREAT, by the way... you put out things you want to get rid of and people bring you money and then take away the things you don't even want anymore!) and saw this Woolarina Lux Sock. It's a sport weight, 80% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon "sock" yarn, but I think I'm going to use it for a super soft, super warm (and potentially washable? the merino is superwash but I worry about the cashmere...) scarf for the bf for our 1 year anniversary. The anniversary is not until Nov, but I couldn't pass up this yarn... and I'm trying to think about things like Christmas gifts, etc, earlier than December this year...

still not socks

not socks, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Back on the other side of the Atlantic, I'm still working on my "not socks" leg warmers. I'm about 1/2 way through the first one, mostly due to a few hours of knitting on the trans-atlantic flight. I had heard that British Airways would not allow knitting on their flights but I decided to give it a go anyway and no one said a peep, even when they brought by food or drink services.

It's crazy hot and humid here... so unless there is air conditioning in your house or favorite stitch 'n bitch there isn't a whole lot of knitting going on!

needled prizes

manu2, originally uploaded by wazzag.

This is a picture of the pattern, Manu, that Kim picked as her prize for naming my socks. I am actually really thrilled that she picked this pattern because it is by a designer that I have great amounts of respect for, Kate Davies, who writes the blog needled, in which she not only chronicles the story of her knitting and designs, but also talks about her recovery from a stroke (yes, she's only in her 30s) this past February. I have days when my (as far as I know) perfectly intact brain has a hard time doing the math for my designs, and she is churning out far more complex patterns than I... check out owls or paper dolls or the adorable get off my cloud.

Thanks again Kim, for the name and for picking a design that let me talk about someone who deserves the props!

And the winner is...

Original image from MadridKnits.

"La Penúltima" by Kim (aka beanershnump on ravelry). I think it is a very appropriate name given the reference to it not being the last time I will be (or knit) in Spain. I really loved all the suggestions but this one tugged the appropriate heart-strings! ;)

I'll be sending you a message on ravelry, Kim, to find out what pattern you would like sent over!

recuerdos de españa

I set this to post later, so by the time this shows up on the blog I will be in the air, heading back across the Atlantic...

As a child, my family traveled a lot... I didn't realize it at the time, but by a lot I mean A LOT... way more than the average family. By the time I was 12 I had seen most of Europe and quite a bit of the US and Canada. I used to love the little souvenir shops, and would often come home with those spoons that have a picture of the town or the flag of the country... and for a while it was dolls. I had dolls from all over the world, dressed in traditional outfits.

As I got older I was less and less interested in the material souvenirs, but once in a while I can't help myself. Aside from the wonderful memories that I have of the great people I have met here, I am also bringing home a few small things to remind me of my time here in Spain:


A thimble with a working windmill from Almagro (not really useful for actual sewing, but cute and reminds me of Don Quijote!)

and, in honor of the Spanish Soccer team:


YO SOY DE LA ROJA! (Hopefully by the time this posts they will have won the world cup!)

Next time I post I'll be back on the other side of the Atlantic! Check out this post to enter my sock naming contest before the 14th of July... I didn't put any limits on it, so feel free to leave as many comments / names as you like!

Not a Sock

me, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

In the time I've been in Spain I've dedicated probably 90% of my knitting time to socks. Considering that, once upon a very long time ago, I declared myself not a sock knitter (something I think we can all agree upon as being completely false now) you might be wondering why... well, in part because sock yarn is small - you only need one skein generally for a pair of socks - and therefore easy to pack.

And while this new project might look like a sock... it might even be made out of sock yarn (Dream in Color Starry in black pearl and grey tabby) and on sock size (US 1) needles... but it is not a duck... I mean, sock!

Nope, not at all... not even though the pattern is named "114-33 Yoga Socks / Leg warmers in fabel". Leg warmers are NOT SOCKS, people, trust me. Even if I make the "yoga sock" version (undecided as of right now) I still say they are not really socks. NO HEEL. NO TOE. = NOT A SOCK.

Or at least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself...

inspiration, where art thee?

lindsay #1, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I'm feeling totally uninspired as to what to name these socks, aside from their given name "Lindsay". And Lindsay has never been a favorite name of mine... as a kid I was picked on and there always seemed to be a Lindsay in the group. So I'd love to change the name but I can't think of anything.

How about a contest? Leave a comment with a name (doesn't have to be human, could be anything) that you think is suitable for this sock and I'll pick the name I like the most and send the winner a ravelry pattern (paid for of course) from their queue or wishlist. (Make sure you leave your rav name, of course!) Open until July 14.

In other news, I have also started a new project, one that, in fact, is not technically a sock... but it's not far enough along to show off quite yet... exciting stuff, no?
----------
No sé que nombre debo dar a este calcetín. No me gusta el nombre que le ha puesto Cookie A (la diseñadora) pero no puedo pensar en nada.

Ayúdame! Deja un comentario con un nombre (cualquiera) que te parece adecuado a éste y si elijo el tuyo te mandaré un patrón pagado de tu "queue" en ravelry. (Deja en el comentario tu nombre el ravelry también, por supuesto!) Abierto hasta el día 14.

En otras noticias, he empezado un proyecto nuevo... que no sea calcetín! Pero sólo tengo los puntos montados así que tendrás que volver luego a verlo...

and back again

back again, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I'm back in Madrid from the festival in Almagro and, given how hot it was, I got some knitting done in the afternoons while trying to stay inside in the airconditioning.

Fortuitously the Makin' Cookies group on rav happens to be working on Lindsay for the month of July as well and I didn't cast on until the day of July 1, so I can knit along with them!

knitting, the universe and everything

In case anyone doesn't read Mason Dixon, check out the below video on how knitting relates to the cosmos and life in general.

Almagro

encaje (tatting) en Almagro, España, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

About 6 or 7 years ago I came to Almagro, Spain for a week long intensive theatre course with some classmates and my to-be MA thesis advisor. It was the beginning of my love affair with Golden Age Spanish Theatre, probably one of those moments that put me on the path to where I am today, completely unconsciously. And here I am, back in Almagro, many years (and a couple of degrees) later to see some of the plays I spend my days studying.

Almagro is also in the heart of Castilla-La Mancha, where Don Quijote lived and adventured. It has a long tradition of "encaje", aka tatting as pictured (along with Quijote memorabilia of course) above.

The plays take place late at night (they are all outdoors, in patios placed between the houses and during the mid-day it hit 40 C (104F) yesterday, so daytime performances are almost impossible) so I'll spend my morning checking out two museums that encapsulate two of my big interests: the Museo Nacional del Teatro for my scholarly side and the Museo del Encaje for my inner fiber-arts lover.

socks on a train!

S1051094, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Not nearly so alarming as Snakes on a Plane (I'm assuming, I haven't seen the movie, although I would be alarmed to find actually snakes on a plane) but knitting (and taking pictures of said knitting) on a train this morning did get me some odd looks...

Socks are: Lindsay from Cookie A's Sock Innovation in Malabrigo Sock (Natural/Undyed) on size 1 US dpns.

Country side is: desert-ish, somewhere between Madrid and Ciudad Real.

sock swap complete!

sock swap complete!, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

In spite of a couple distractions my socks for the International Sock Swap are now complete! I'll be putting together a package and shipping it off later this week... but first I'll be heading to the Festival de Teatro Clásico to see some plays as part of my "research"... yeah... that's it, "research".

Socks are:
Mojo in Jojoland Melody Superwash #ms12, on size 1 (US) needles. They still lack heels, but that will be up to my partner if she even wants to make them... they feel great even without heels in them... I would definitely recommend this as a pattern to make for someone who's shoe size you are unsure of.

And yes, they are fraternal twins and I think they look trés cool! (Hopefully my partner feels the same way I do about non-matching socks....)

ETA: If anyone wants to join us for the 2nd swap, starting in Sept/Oct, check out the group page. You can still vote by going to post #14 of the "future swaps" discussion... so far "boot/bed socks" (aka worsted weight socks) are in the lead over slippers and regular socks (aka fingering weight).

for me?

S1051089, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

My time in Spain is almost done, which is both happy and sad at once, and as a going away present, one of the dear friends I have made through knitting here in Madrid, Siona made me a pair of Susie's Reading Mitts (same pattern that I was making for my roommate) which came with a bag with the logo and url of the group, MadridKnits.

Mi epoca española está por terminar, cosa que me hace sentir feliz y triste a la vez, y como regalo de despedida, una de las buenísimas amigas a quien encontré gracias al tejer, Siona me tejó los Susie's Reading Mitts y me regaló uno de los bolsos del grupo, MadridKnits.

Nunca os olvidaré, chicas!

redux

cascade heritage redux, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

This morning, in an act of frustration (read: lack of internet access) I ended up doing some cleaning and now have a lovely ball of cascade heritage... out of this:



It's a bit sad, but really, I had to admit that I was never going to finish these socks. And because it freed up the needles I dove into the only two books (remember? no internet) I had available (Cookie A's Sock Innovation and Jared Flood's Made in Brooklyn) and cast-on a new project... but it's not far enough along to take pictures yet.