How can I have watched Law and Order all this time and not seen the version HE was in? Sigh.Ahem. Back to our regularly scheduled programming. I am steaming right along on several projects, completed something, and have learned some awesome new things this week. First, one FO, the skater beanie, of my own basic pattern (not that it's rocket science):
Learned to shape a crown in 1x1 ribbing too--ravelry comes through again (someone's pattern with the info I needed to model mine on). Love the way that looks. I used stash remnants of brown (almost gray brown) and green superwash wool.Then, last Thursday, Kathy helped me get the Easy Drop Stitch scarf going right with a very quick lesson at Purlescence, where she was working for the afternoon.
I had just grabbed a ball of something variegated (Malabrigo), some #9 needles, and my wits, and between helping customers, she showed me that sometimes YOs are picked up and knitted, but other times they are dropped. In this pattern, just drop them. Simple! I came home from our tutorial so empowered that I cast on a second scarf out of yarn that I'd just purchased at Purlescence*, this lovely Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend. More sport weight, less fuzzy, a little more elegant perhaps.
So I have a fall scarf and a winter scarf in the making. Woo-hoo!*Seriously, folks. Who goes into a yarn shop (especially one as fabulous as Purlescence) and doesn't buy any yarn???
Then, I got well underway with Super Secret Project #1, which I cannot divulge at all except to say that I am using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes and feeling like quite the competent knitter these days (it being a rather major undertaking) and have also learned the very simple and very useful ssk and ssp techniques for decreasing. [huge smile and a wink]
Here's a little yarn p*rn for you.
Got this squishy Organik from GranolaYarns--if I seem to patronize her shop frequently it is because Heather's yarn selections are so similar to my own tastes. I am thinking of a felted bag/purse but am not sure I want to felt yarn that is so very gorgeous. Idears? It's about 450 yards.
And this Herrschner's deal was too good to pass up--Bazic Wool for $3.97 a ball! There were actually a good number of shades to choose from, too. My brown (bark) turned out a little too orange, but I am going to be brave and knit with it knowing that some recipients look fine in/actually like that shade. I loved knitting with Bazic (remember my Diversity scarf?) and am amazed to find, on others' blogs and ravelry project details, that some people don't like the way it feels. I see this being something for a baby--a bold, courageous, march-to-the-beat-of-his/her-own-drummer sort of baby. ;^)Detecting a trend in my color interests these days??? Yep, something about blue, green, and brown that just gets me every time.
I have not had any shoulder pain this summer, nor any other (probably) repetitive stress pain. This might mean I'm not knitting too much, but DH might dispute that.
Speaking of DH, huzzah!
Midpoint scans show his cancer tumors are shrinking and have been reduced by about 40%, and several other things that are in the works sound very promising, such as a second opinion at Stanford (one of the best lymphoma research sites in the world) recommended by his oncologist just so we can cross all t's and dot all i's, not to mention that he's involved with Team in Training, running as an "honoree," and has done 9 and 12 mile runs in the past few weeks with them. He is going out to run at Rancho with his friend today, in fact, the day after his 4th chemo treatments! Now, there's tenacity. There's seizing the day. There's the man I love.
~Happy knitting, all!
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