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Dear Ellen,

Well, the Parade of Homes is wrapping up today.  Over the course of the week we had about 4,500+ visitors come through our home.  Reports are that there were many nice comments and our builders are very happy with the number of leads that the Parade has generated.  We’re all a bit glad that it’s coming to a close.  The builders will get some of their lives back — and next weekend we’ll actually get possession of our home!

I finished up my Global Connections socks.  I called these Global Connections because I knit them (mostly) on two 13 hour flights to and from the Middle East and the colorway is “Global”…perfect.  The original pattern inspiration is from the   Faceted Rib Socks in the Little Box of Socks by Charlene Schurch and beth Parrott.  I modified it to be knit toe up.  The stitch pattern yields a very cushy fabric, but it wants to be a tighter gauge than the stockinette of the sole.  Wet blocking resolved the difference, but in the future I think I’d knit the sole on a smaller needle.

These used my basic recipe for toe-up socks which normally involves a set of wrapped turns as part of the turning of the heel.  (K across to the turn point, Kfb, K1, w/t.)  I came up with an alternative with which I’m rather pleased.  Instead I knit right up to the turn point, make a lifted left leaning increase and then turn without wrapping.  I slip the first stitch (the lifted increase) and continue knitting to the next turn.  The effect is smooth uninterrupted stockinette stitch, accomplished without having to wrap or pick up wraps later.  Because the pivot point is that lifted increase stitch, which is not stitched on the return, it provides a nice smooth transition point.  And the stitch count is increased without the unsightly bump of a Kfb…a win on all counts!

  I also got moving on a simple little scarf which is a minor variation on Anne Hanson of Knitspot’s Campanula Scarf, so I’m just calling it my Campanula Scarf Variation. The yarn is 90% Suri Alpaca and 10% Merino.  It feels incredibly luxurious as it slides through my fingers.  I’m enjoying the knitting a lot.  When I got tired of following the lace pattern I grabbed some leftover yarn from my Einstein bathrobe and cast on Another Purple Hat.  I’ll figure out who needs this Warm Hats Not Hot Heads project later.  I also wound the yarn for a project that I hope will be at the standard for submission to Knitty.  I plan on bringing swatches, design notes, pattern and product to Sock Summit for my class on “Making the Next Monkey.”  I expect to get started tonight!

I’ve got to run…we have a neighborhood pot luck dinner tonight, so I’ve got to get moving.  (Remember pot lucks?  They’re a lot like hot dish suppers in case you forgot!)

Love, Jan

Dear Ellen,

I know you think I’ve abandoned you, but in actuality I’ve just been practicing good emissions control (EMCON).  Work has been a little busy of late…Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Japanese disasters, government shutdown preparations (almost a shame we don’t get to put that work to use — NOT!)…and I’ve been detailed to the Secretary of Defense’s staff to try to help figure out how to transform the DoD CIO organization.  I figure I should get double credit for the last few weeks.  Maybe they’ll up my bonus this year.

Despite my long hours, we have made room each weekend to drive up to Fair Winds.  I’m pleased to announce the completion of the interior painting!!  (First go — second go will be when they come back to touch up all the dings and marks caused by the other contractors between now and completion).  We’ve been bold with color and the energy inside is amazing.  They’ve also started the stone work on the exposed portions of the foundation.  We intend to head up again tomorrow and will hopefully find the exterior trim completed as well — and this pile of hardwood nicely spread out on the floors.  It’s gorgeous random width hickory — the staining will bring out the awesome grain and give it a warm medium honeyed brown color.

The pineapple is a sign of welcome and as I’ve said, we hope people really do feel welcome here.  We have some evidence that the deer are feeling welcome.  I may need advice on how to keep them from eating all of my flowers and vegetables.  I’m told this very scarred trunk is the result of bucks rubbing their antlers…I’m thinking there’s at least one pretty good sized buck out there.  I’ll watch for shed antlers when I walk in the woods!  Ruby likes the new place.  She was pretty good about staying out of the red mud.  In the next week or two we should have top soil spread and some sod down…I’ll worry less about bringing the dogs with us once that happens.

The driving back and forth has given some time to finish several knitting projects.  Here are my completed Cushy Cables Socks.  I’m writing up the pattern as the “Twisted Pair”.  It’s a good name for socks designed by a telecommunications geek.  Also finished is my Golden Shawlette which I made as part of the Stash and Burn Holden Shawlette KAL.  Finally, I got Primula blocked out and I really like it.  I’ll work on that pattern too…some modifications are needed to properly balance the edges, but otherwise I really like the changes I made to the pattern that inspired it, an antique full-circle coffee cloth.

Another pair of socks is on the needles, as is another shawlette…and I’m thinking about a shrug to wear to Craig’s wedding and a baby gift for a friend who finally got pregnant after about 6 years of trying.  I hope you’re having yarn-ey fun in Germany!

Love, Jan

Dear Ellen,

It’s hard to believe that a few weeks ago I thought I was going to finish up my TGIF and my Woodland Vines and be without a project to work on.  Ha!  I still haven’t finished either one of them!  And I’ve gone on to start plenty more.  The TGIF looks pretty much the same as the last time it was shown.  I’m still screwing around with the buttons.  I redid the button band and am much happier with it, and I thought I found the perfect buttons.  They’re large antique bakelite in a muddled green color that sets off the color of the yarn remarkably well.  The problem is that they’re shank buttons…and heavy…too heavy for knitted fabric.  I’ve screwed around with them and figured out a way to mount foam discs on the back to provide stability by sinking the shank into the disc.  That didn’t help their weight though.  With four of those mommas on one side it was pulling all lop-sided.  SO…I took off the top button and closed the buttonholes.  I had six buttons to start with, so that meant I had three to put over the bottom three buttonholes on the other side.   So now they’re decorative buttons.  I’ll place some kind of an I-cord or sash closure on it after I figure it out.  And then I’ll get a picture of it…for now you’ll have to look at the photo I included of progress on the Woodland Vines.  It’s about 70% done.

As to those other projects.  I’ve got two more pairs of socks going.  One pair is for Dale.  Each one takes a long time because he has size 13 feet.  They’re a simple, but enjoyable knit.  The yarn is a nice merino-cashmere blend, so what’s not to like?  The other pair are the ones I’m making out of that Noro sock yarn I whined about a week ago.  I finished the first one, but am finding it hard to motivate myself to cast on the second one.  I’ll get to it though.

I also started a simple lace scarf based on an Estonian lace stitch pattern in an alpaca lace weight that I bought at the Estes Park Fiber Festival about 2 years ago.  It’s really lovely to knit and the reason I got tempted into buying the lace weight yesterday.  I cast on enroute to Australia — the little project bag has aboriginal designs on it and was purchased at the National Museum in Canberra.  While in Canberra I bought a sweater’s worth of lovely Australian sourced and milled blue faced leister.  To make it a truly Australian sweater I cast on Fiona Ellis’ Cables and I-Cord Sweater from the Australian knitting magazine Australian Knitting.  (They are very innovative with their titles.)  I don’t plan on doing the I-Cord part though.  And I’m knitting it seamlessly in the round vice in pieces.  It’s bottom up.  I’m about  3-4 inches into it.

I’ve also knit up almost a ball of Knitpicks Risata in a serial swatch to try out stitch patterns for a sweater for Dale.  I included a bit of stockinette to check gauge.  I showed it to Dale to see which fabric he might like.  You guessed it.  He wants the stockinette.  Oh well, please the customer, right? I chose the Risata because Dale wanted cotton.  I convinced him that a blend of cotton and wool would be better.  It has some polymide and elastic in it too.  Knits pretty nicely, so it will be good brainless knitting — and a lot of it.

I’ve finished the swatches for Master Knitter Level I.  Well I have finished the knitting.  I still have to block them.  I also have to write my essay and knit the color work project, but I think there’s a reasonable chance I can finish in 2010.

And finally, I have two projects I have to get onto the needles if I’m to finish them in time for their gifting destinations.  One is a headband made out of bulky weight yarn to copy one with which the Chief Petty Officer in our office fell in love.  It should only take an hour or two and maybe another to make a flower to embellish it.  I’ll make it out of the purple yarn.  The burnt orange is for a newsboy style cap for my flag writer as a farewell gift.  She’s transferring in a month, so that one gets priority.

I did finish a project.  It’s a simple little neck warmer out of the leftover sock yarn that I had used to test knit your Hat for Warm Necks and my Scrap Babies preemie hat.  I’ve worn it all day to keep my swollen neck* warm.  It lives up to its purpose.  So, in all these weeks I finish one tiny project…and now have 3 sweaters, another to come and a few smaller projects to keep me off the streets. I guess I don’t have to worry about running out of things to knit after all.

Love, Jan

*Sinusitis and strep throat have joined forces to enlarge my lymph glands.

Dear Ellen,

As soon as we were off work on Friday we jumped in the car and headed north to Fair Winds.  Turns out if you can be moving out by 5 PM you can have a tent set up by 8 PM and be sleeping to the lullaby of the forest by 10 PM.  Soloist was a very vocal owl.  He/she was loud and persistent and must not sleep much because I heard him as we set up camp, while drifting off to sleep and throughout much of the day on Saturday.  Our picnic area is now picnic-able and the area of woods that will be the backdrop of our great room windows is cleared of the heavy brush.  We have plenty more to do and we’re loving every bit.  As usual, Max and Ruby had a rough time of it.  Max had to have much ear scratching and Ruby wore herself out giving rides to grasshoppers.

I took your encouragement seriously and spent part of the weekend working on a design for submission to Knitty.  We’ll see if it is finished in time, but I made good progress, so am hopeful.  Dale really likes it, but not the color.  I may have to find an alternate yarn to knit it up in for a male version and then the pattern could show both.  It is more snack knitting, but of a complex nature.  I do have one item I can show — I finished the Crescent Beach Shawlette and got it blocked.  I’m very pleased with it as a light shoulder warmer or pop of color with a jacket.  It’s small enough that it’s a very quick knit and interesting enough that it’s a fun knit. 

Sure wish I could stay home and knit, but alas, my work week beckons.

Love, Jan

Dear Ellen,

I realize that this post must have had you immediately wondering why I would make mention of my luncheon habits , but actually I was referring to the tour I took last Friday of the mighty warship USS PROVIDENCE (SSN 719).  PROVIDENCE is, of course, Allen’s submarine.  I flew up to the city of Providence* on Thursday evening and on Friday did some business at the Submarine Base and then Allen gave me a tour of his boat. **  I was so proud — mostly of the fact that I didn’t fall down any ladders, but also of how well Allen is obviously doing on board as the Supply Officer.  We spent the rest of the evening walking around New London, having pizza and laughing at funny web sites like Regretsy, The Man Repeller and Texts from Last Night.  Ah, a great mother/son evening.*

The next morning I drove him up to his mechanic’s house in Hebron so he could pick up his 1973 Innocenti Mini who had been in getting a new fuel pump.  We took pictures with the mechanic’s red minis (larger and smaller!) and then headed out for breakfast and to see me off at the airport.  A very nice visit.

While on the flight I started a new scarf.  You may recall that I made a Sparkly Scarf for Ava several months ago — and mom Katie made the comment that she so wanted one too.  She’s not going to get an identical one, but I’m taking the leftover yarn and making her a Lamina with the same beads. It may have to be a pattern repeat or two shorter than the pattern calls for, but it will be plenty long enough to be a nice accessory. And with all the sweaters I’ve been working on, I need some snack knitting!  I’m calling it Katie’s Sparkly Scarf because I am so creative.  If you look at the cast on edge, you’ll be able to see a bunch of live stitches on a stitch holder.  The instructions called for a provisional cast on so you can knit half in one direction and then return to knit the other direction (after picking up live stitches and unraveling your provisional cast on).  I figured, why not just use a toe-up sock cast on and put one half the stitches on a holder so you don’t have to screw around with any of the silliness of the waste yarn and all.  I expect it will work out perfectly.  Stay tuned.

I’ve decided to go ahead and post pictures of the sweater I made last year for Allen.  (Remember, I was going to submit the pattern for publications, so couldn’t put pictures up?)  Well, I never submitted it as I decided it needed some tweaking before I would do so. Plus I’m going to knit something similar for Dale, so will use his as the submission…someday.  It will be different enough to qualify as a different pattern.  I learned a lot from making this one for Allen and am quite pleased with most of it, especially things like the applied I-cored neckline, but there are other areas that need adjustment (like shoulder width, scye depths, that kind of stuff).

Today has been a quiet day.  I took the dogs for a nice long walk and enjoyed just being.  We’ve got wild grapes all over everything along the trail that the dogs and I follow.  Some honeysuckle and wild snapdragons too, but mostly wild grapes.  The dogs pretty much ignored the flora and me.  They were far too involved in conversations of their own.  I love how much they like each other.  I could have used more nap time, but the day was pretty good regardless.

Love, Jan

* Sorry for all the bizarre new spam we are sure to get.
** Notice we fully capitalize the names of our naval vessels like PROVIDENCE (in order to make them appear even more powerful).  We do not fully capitalize the names of cities like Providence.  It’s a Navy thing.
**For you landlubbers — NO, not you laplanders! — we call submarines “boats” and we call ships…well, “ships.”