Does Absence Make the Heart Grow Fonder?

Miss me?

I was putting together the shownotes for the Magical Earth podcast - because we often talk about our knitting as a metaphor for magic - especially in Episode 15 that I am working on now - and realized that I hadn't been here on Ravelry for quite a while.

Sorry - its not that I don't love Ravelry - but life has been happening - and while there has been knitting - there has also been life.

I will endeavor to do better - and perhaps even take a photograph or two of what I'm working on.

More to follow .... when life and time permits.

Where I am, knitting is also....

Susan

A Triangle for Melissa

One of my favourite quick knits is the Adara Rainbow Shawl - which knits up with spectacular beauty in a variety of fibres, weights and guages - depending on what you need your shawl to "be" - decorative vs functional vs dressy vs casual - so many options... so many possibilities.

Our lovely Office Manager, Melissa is often chilled in winter because there is a window by her desk.  In summer, the A/C vent is a source of more chilling - so I knit her a little shawl in a varegaited sock yarn on 4 mm needles in the Rainbow Shawl pattern.

The problem is - I don't have the ball band to tell you what wool it was.  If I encounter an errant ball band at the bottom of a knitting bag, I will certainly update this space.

The colors were cheery but not garish, purples, pinks, blues, oranges, greens - sort of muted faded circus colours, and knitted in this pattern were so well blended together as to look somewhat like a Matisse Painting of a flower garden on a hillside.  The colors will match most of her wardrobe preferences.

If I can figure out how to make my cell phone camera work, I'll post a picture when she wears it at work.  Today was not that day - it is the "weather gap" week between when the heater/boiler is shut down and the "cool air exchanger" will kick in - so it was a bit warm and stuffy in the office today as the temp. climbed to a whopping PLUS SEVEN CELCIUS.  

please do cheer.  We want to encourage Spring to stick around and I live in the hopes of green grass and shady branches.

Where I am, Knitting is Also ,

Susan

Saki to Me - completed

Completion of an other Circle of Love -the "Saki to Me Shawl" - knit from Noro sock yarn, with a merino border to give it some shape and heft. Check out my Ravelry page for an image soon to be uploaded in completed projects. Eventually

This was something I started simply because I loved the colors of the wool - the greens, blues, purples caught my eye - not as crazy about the coppery parts, but they do add some grounding earth tones to something that is pretty watery blues and greens.

Banded in deep blueish purple Classic Elite Minnow Merino single ply with almost no twist - soft fat cushy wooly border in mostly stocking stitch with a windowpane edge to keep it from curling up. Who would have thought that wool purchased years apart would match so perfectly - from the Land of Macchu Pichhu to the Land of the Rising Sun.

This one is a gift to myself - I can't bear to part with it. It is light enough that on a cool spring evening, it will add a whisper of warmth on naked legs, or on even cooler nights, just that extra bit of insulation over pants or a long skirt. Not quite big enough to be folded into a shawl, but more of a "shruggy" that could settle on the shoulders and leave the arms free for other pursuits (like, oh , maybe knitting or blogging).

I'll likely make another shawl with Noro sockweight yarn, but this time buy 6 balls, not three (yikes - $120 in wool!!! - better watch for a sale) and make a full on shawlish circle of love with more lacey-ness to it.

I LOVE the colorways. and the copper is starting to grow on me. Thanks as always to the Lovely Jacinthe for doing the finishing touches.

Where I am, knitting is also,
Susan

Inspired by the Wool Wizard of Oz

Carpe Lanum indeed.

I need to start this blogging journey by thanking my two dear friends Tamile (knitter) and Randilin (writer) for introducing me to the "Sticks and String" podcast by David Reidy. Even though Randilin doesn't knit (because he chooses not to, and most certainly knows how - I've seen him do it) both he and the lovely Tamile (aka The Crafty Witch) enjoy podcasts (and podcasting) - and when they say "Listen" I turn up the volume.

Sticks and String is an amazingly engaging podcast by Australian knitter, astrophysicist, teacher, spinner, podcaster and environmentalist David Reidy. In 30 minute segments, he delights us with a discussion about his knitting progress each week, does great interviews with other woolmongers and woolgatherers, plays a spot of great music, and is simply and generally inspiring. His essays deserve their own website - their own hard bound book - their own place in the sun. Brilliant. Absolutely freaking brilliant. I almost didn't mind that he gave them up for series 7 to do interviews with the Knitting Divine like Goddess Meg Swanson, and Gods Kaffe Fassett and Jared of BrooklynTweed, the new crown prince of knitting and photography.

I herebye nominate him as "The Wool Wizard of Oz". He may not like this appellation - but it is mine to bestow, and bestow it I have.

I on the other hand, am a humble Pythagorean Knitter. I don't do garments (though I may try a Zimmerman baby surprise jacket). I knit geometric shapes. Almost exclusively. Actually - I can't think of anything I've made in the last few decades that hasn't been a circle, a square, a rectangle, or a triangle - or some shapely variation thereof.

So there you have it. I'll be talking about my projects, sharing what I'm learning, and looking to link up to resources to meet my own considerable needs, and for my own amusement.

Knitting is my meditation. I'll also be sharing wisdom from "The Knitting Buddha" - the calm quiet internal voice that speaks to me when the yarn is running through my fingers and the needles are flying in and out of loops and the colors are painting themselves into a mitered corner.

Oh yes - I do have another blog (or two) that are not generally about knitting - but have decided to separate the strands of my life so I can better focus and not try to be all things to all readers. My sign off is the name of my "life and living-themed" blog - just to confuse you all a bit more.

Where I am, Knitting is Also,

Susan