Time Warp Fiber

This project was a long time coming. More than two years, actually. I started this in summer 2006, when I was wanting to learn lace and charts, neither of which I had done much of yet. I carefully copied out the chart from yummyyarn and color coded it. I made some progress, and then got caught up in other things. I'm like that with knitting, no project monogamy here. And, with all that happened in the intervening time, I keep picking this up for a few repeats, and then putting it away and forgetting all about it. As a result, this little scarf has been knit in many apartments, planes, visits to Virginia and Tennessee. Quite a lot of life caught up in its stitches. As an FO, it's nice, if not perfect. The yarn, BSA Alpaca Silk, blocks very nicely and has a nice sheen. I used every inch of two skeins, but it's still on the short side for my taste, a bit over 6 feet (about 2 meters). I like longer scarves to wrap around my neck, but this might be a nice indoor accent scarf, should I ever have occasion to dress like a grown up. Also, this makes two finished green scarves in a row. Check back for details about another on the needles. 

A very long term scarf, finally finished and blocked. Wish I had used a slighter bigger needle for more length, but it's still nice. 

A bit later than I thought, but I am blogging again. And presenting a finished object, no less. This is the second clapotis I've made. I'm not usually much for the same patterns that the whole knitting world rushes after, but I'll admit a deep admiration for anything Kate Gilbert. This pattern, for example, is so simple and adaptable but still fresh and interesting. In this case, I've used a larger needle size, a 6.5 mm (10.5 US) and done just two sets of increase rows. The finished dimensions are about seven feet by ten inches. I haven't worn it yet, but today was the first cloudy, cool day, and tomorrow, it's actually supposed to rain. Horrifying, I know. I'm concerned no one will remember how to drive. The scarf is lightweight and fluffy and warm, and I think it'll be a good one. Mostly, it's special for the process. Here it is in pictures.

I ripped off the title from a Jonathon Coulton song. I couldn't resist.

I've actually made several pairs of these, but these are the only ones that made it in front of the camera before being shipped.

Carry-along plain jane socks a la widdershins. These little guys have been on the needles since december. I was much more charmed by the yarn in the skein than knit up. The colors remind me of winter in North Carolina, all browns and yellows with little peeks of green. They'll be my reminder of living there, especially that last winter. I hope they soften some with washing.

So,lots of news. First off, I actually have a job, if not the ideal one. I'm going to be teaching at a summer program until august, at which point I will re-examine grad school options and other job thoughts. But hooray employment. I'm sure you'll hear plenty about my students in the upcoming months.

FOs! Two of them. The first is actually a crochet project, a rarity for me. This whole thing started with my missing SAFF 2005, and having Laura surrogate shop for me. (she comes up a lot, major fiber enabler) One of the things she brought back was for ounces of an incredible heathered garnet merino. I spun it the following summer into thick and thin singles and waited for it to tell me what it wanted to be. The answer came a year later,  it needed to be a scarf, and I thought a simple single crochet would jive well with the textured yarn. I started it that summer 2007, and then kind of forgot about it with all the madness of that fall and winter. But I picked it up again et voila: a scarf. It's a little shorter than I usually make (I like very long scarves to be able to skim my more ample curves) but it might do better as an all day piece, for inside and out. And of course, it's delicious in color and softness. Quite a journey for that scarf, over years and thousands of miles. It makes it all the more special. 

The second FO has less history. It's one of the many pairs of plain socks I started to keep me company on the most recent trek out CA. I bought the yarn last summer in Santa Monica, at the fabulous wildfiber, actually having it in mind for someone else. But then another sock yarn called that person's name to me and the yarn went into the stash. Being Cherry tree hill, one of my favorites, it didn't languish long. While purple is not my favorite color, there is something fun about such loud socks. 

However, all the good news has been a little overshadowed for me. Now that we have good insurance, I've been playing catch-up with my healthcare, which was spotty at best through my childhood and teen years. The worst of this has been dental.  I am terrified of the dentist. Like I would rather face three Balrogs armed with only a squirt gun terrified. I bravely went and had a cleaning. I even didn't have a panic attack in getting fitted for a crown. But then came the referral to the oral surgeon. My blood pressure rose just going into that office. And then she informs me that because my wisdom teeth should have come out 7 years ago, they have tangled with the nerves and caused major damage and infection. Huge pain, enough antibiotics to disinfect Chicago, and a CAT scan later, I schedule my surgery and sign ten different things acknowledging how high risk the surgery is and how they won't completely sedate me and how it will cost my soul to pay for and they shove me out the door. It was all I could do not to crawl under the car and cry. Of course, this surgery interferes with my job training, so my brand new boss is already not pleased with me. And I have nightmares about having no teeth or no feeling in my head or medical bill collectors throwing tear gas into my apartment. So, my hypothetical reader, if you choose to spawn, have their teeth taken care of at an early age, lest they face the indignity of being a grown up, educated human who fears nothing so much as a green smocked surgeon with a pair of pliers. 

Plain jane cuff down socks, EotP heel, extra long for my high arches. Anatomical toes of course, and excellent yarn, even if it's not my favorite color.