Y’all met the Etiquette Grrls? They are from New England so we have a few differences of opinion about when one is allowed to start wearing linen, straw hats and summertime shoes (it gets a bit hotter a bit earlier down here), but they’re usually right on the money.
Copyright
Things every knitter needs to know about copyright. The appendix about knitware design is especially informative. And then, in case you have written any of your own patterns: Creative Commons.
peppermint joy
Merry Christmas!
I knew south Alabama grocery stores wouldn’t let me down! We had to stop at the house on the way back out to the Farm so that I could find a spoon in all of our unpacked boxes and eat some in the car. Today, I love Christmas. We also helped Great Gran put her tree up. You’ll notice that the lights and decorations stop before they make it to the top. This is because the tree is 9 feet tall and Great Gran and I are not.
The grey vest front is progressing. A little slowly, I admit. I am reading a new library book and I knit more slowly when I am reading at the same time.
Reindeer
On the way to Atlanta for Thanksgiving, we stopped in Montgomery at East Chase like we always do. This year (since the mall was finished) they had their Christmas decorations up. If you look closely, you can see me and the dog.
Sock Form
Here’s a nifty little treat for sock knitters – instant sock patterns! Just add water.
knit your bit
The Red Cross has made some of its WWII knitting patterns available for download. I acquired a bunch of these fragile leaflets in a stack of “vintage” knitting patterns that belonged to my great-grandmother. She’s written notes in the margins to help herself along. Unfortunately, Gran-mother doesn’t mention anything about what the “Red Cross needle gauge for socks” is. Either way, they are fun to look at.
Now I am off to start the front of the gray vest.
soldier hat
Well. I knit the hat all the way to Atlanta, frogged it because it was too big, and knitted it all the way back to Bay Minette. Ta-dah! It’s done.
Do I look like a soldier?*
So off in the mail to Iraq tomorrow. I hear it gets chilly at night.
The new Knitter’s came in the mail today. I don’t know what their deal is lately, but there hasn’t been a thing in that magazine for three issues that I would seriously consider making. It’s not because the patterns are too trendy, risque, old-fashioned or aren’t challenging … everything in the magazine is just so freakishly ugly. Just hideous. Surely I’m not the only subscriber who feels this way? I am more intrigued by the ads than any thing else (the ads, and Perri Klass). I like interesting articles as much as the next guy, but I want something to keep my hands busy. I don’t think I am renewing my subscription. The Books-A-Million in Daphne carries Knitter’s. I will just flip through a copy too see if there is something worthwhile before I buy.
*Do you like how I edited out all of the clutter in our attic using the magic of Photoshop?
PS I flipped through the magazine again. And I retract my statement about nothing in it that I would consider making. The felted bag with the spirals on page 88 is mildly interesting.
progress
Well, I am all finished with the back half of the gray vest.
It wants for blocking, but it’s finished.
Just in time to go to Atlanta for Thankgiving Day. I am taking the purple Magic Stripes socks (Yes, they are still unfinished. It’s not like I’ve been anywhere to work on them!) and my soldier’s hat. Since I am only at the gussett on the second sock and just past the band on the soldier’s hat, that should be plenty for in the car and visiting knitting. Afterall, we are only going to be gone two nights. I mean, how much could I get done in two nights? Maybe I will throw another ball of sock yarn into the glove box…you know, just in case.
Happy Thanksgiving, ya’ll.
grey arms!
I hit 15 inches on the gray vest yesterday. Exciting things happen when you get to 15 inches.
That’s right: armholes! An interruption in the trance-like state of stockinette. Well not really, but twice each row you get to look like you are doing something fancy with your needles. If you are super-extra-special bored, you can get out your stitch counter and count up to six even though you can clearly see the decreases with your naked eye and count them sans counter with no difficulty whatsoever. You’ll notice that she (and by she, I mean Julie Gaddy, the designer) has me making decreases “wrong.” It is the same way around the v-neck of the sweater so that some interest is added to this plain plain plain vest.
mailman!
Look what the guy in the rural mail truck brought:
Neat, huh? There is: Jawoll from Lang in oatmealish, dark brown and charcoal for socks; one ball of 1824 Cotton in maize to go with some leftovers in chicory and fennel for a stripey bag; and 2 balls of 1824 Wool in raven to make a hat for my adopted soldier. Thank you, Yarn Forward! When you told me this morning it might take as long as 21 days to ship from Canada, I was very sad, but then here my box came in the mail! AND the mail was an entire hour early. See? Yarn Miracles happen every day.
The gray vest is at 11 inches and counting.