One for the wine lovers…

You all know how I love a good bottle of wine.  Ever wonder what to do when you have a great bottle and (shudder) no corkscrew?  Check this out:

Have to admit, part of the reason I love this clip so much is not just that he gets it open, but the shear joy of a great bottle with friends that transcends language.

Happy Monday!

Project Fail, Project Success

Some days, its feels like the knitting gods have conspired against me.  I had a couple of those days earlier this week.  First came a major glitch in my Christmas knitting.  Way back in May, I bought yarn for my niece’s sweater – 5 skeins of Reynolds Soft Sea Wool, to knit Helena.  At the time, the yarn and pattern seemed perfect.  Several months later, not so much.  When I went to wind the yarn to get started, it hit me how light it was.  Very light – no where near the DK weight it claims to be.  A bit of poking around online confirmed my suspicions – its more like a sport or even a fingering weight.  Worse, I realized its not machine washable.  Scrapped the yarn – into the destash pile it goes.  Digging through the stash found nothing else suitable for Helena.  Combined with the growing realization that the pattern was a bit to baby-ish for an almost 4 year old, back to the drawing board I went.  Rather than casting on as planned, I put it aside and went back to focusing on my Crazy Woman socks.  And again with the project fail – the pattern just wasn’t doing it for me.  Too busy for a dark yarn, too fussy to memorize easily, just not right.  Back I ripped.  Haven’t quite decided what to do with the socks, though there’s a Knitspot pattern that may work.

Thankfully, the new Interweave Knits Weekend brought a solution to one of my dilemmas – Wendy Bernard’s Sailor’s Rib Sweater is perfect for my niece.  A simple pullover in worsted weight yarn – meaning that I can use my beloved Cascade 220 Superwash.  I ordered 3 skeins in the handpainted version from Webs, in colorway just right for my favorite girly-girl.   Hopefully, it will be here early this week.  Christmas is how many days away?  Two kids sweaters to knit?  No pressure!  (why I haven’t started my nephew’s sweater is beyond me – I just really want to do my niece’s first and I’m sticking with my plan)

Left with “nothing” on the needles, what’s a knitter to do?  Cast on something simple, quick and incredibly gratifying:

Jared Flood’s Quincy Hat from the Made in Brooklyn book was just the thing to turn things around.  I started this on Thursday night and finished it this morning.  The yarn, Classic Elite Ariosa, a merino/cashmere blend, was heavenly.  The construction – a garter stitch rectangle with I-cord edges, twisted into a moebius and grafted, then crown stitches picked up – was ingenius.  Just what I needed.

I’m off – trying to sneak in a little spinning on this beautiful fall day.

 

 

Saturday Sky

Derring, New Hampshire, October 2009 – Another one of the lovely scenes I took in while tooling around New Hamsphire for Wool Arts Tour.  I love the muted colors and the changing sky.

Happy Saturday!

ECF

Apparently, big kitties like Big Wool.

Tigger has very expensive refined taste in handknit sweaters.

Thankful Thursdays

Carole emailed me earlier this week with a lovely suggestion.  Prompted by Kate, who is including three things she is thankful for during each post in November, Carole’s idea was to use Thursdays to do the same.  I think its a perfect way to share in the true spirit of the season.  I hope you’ll join me!

I have much to be thankful for, today and everyday.  What comes to mind today?

• My friends – so often in the last several months, I have been reminded of how lucky I am to have the most amazing, supportive, loving circle of friends, near and far.  They’ve cried with me, laughed with me, held me close, pushed me forward and kept me going through the good and the bad this year.   They’ve been there for me through the big stuff, when I knew I needed them.  Most importantly, they’ve been there in the moments I had no idea I needed them, with an unexpected word of encouragement, a hug or a simple smile.  And they constantly remind me of just how wonderful my life truly is.  I’m lucky to have all you all in it.
• My family – I’m thankful to have my parents, brothers and sister-in-law, niece and nephew so close.  They give me some of my greatest joys, are a huge source of support and comfort and yes, make me crazy sometimes.  I love them through it all, no matter what and always thankful to have them in life.
• My work – between The Painted Sheep and my full time work, I truly get to do what I love every day.  I’ve said it so many times, when I got to WFC, I felt like I had come home.  I work in the most incredible non-profit, surrounded by amazing, dedicated, passionate people who share my vision for the world.  I get to work on issues that are closest to my heart, to effect change in small ways and large.  Little in life makes me happier than walking into my office.  I never thought I’d feel this way about a job.  Its such a blessing.  And then I come home – to my little business, this thing that is all mine, that fulfills me in so many other ways, to pursue my creative passions.  Sometimes, I look around at my office and studio and can’t believe what I’ve done.  I made my dream of a fiber business come true.  Does it get any better than that?
• and something smaller – this morning I am thankful for stunningly beautiful, crisp, clear, cold fall mornings, snuggled up in my bathrobe with a steaming cup of coffee, a purring kitty and a sock on the needles.

Hope you’re day is as beautiful has mine has started out to be!

WIP Wednesday – November 4

More of my Sweet Pea Coat. This sweater has a story.

Remember how it started? 

Meh – boring gray yarn, intended for a project I didn’t want to knit for someone I no longer wanted to knit for.  It was meant to be something fun – something for me.  It needed life, personality, color.  Some experimenting in the dye studio, a little vote, more tweaking of the color and it became this:

It needed one more thing – perfect buttons.  A swatch went off to Moving Mud and a few weeks later at Rhinebeck – squee!

The knitting, so fast on size 11 needles – start to finish, done in just over 3 weeks.

From boring gray unwanted yarn to this – it came to life.  Its my sweater now and its perfect.

The details:

• Yarn: Brown Sheep Burly Spun, 6 skeins, plus one for the color experimenting
• Pattern: Sweet Pea Coat by Kate Gilbert, from Twist Collective.  The pattern, by the way – flawless.  Well written, detailed, easy to follow.
• Needles: size 11 circulars
• Buttons: 4 1.25″ flat glass XL size buttons, custom made by Moving Mud
• Started: October 10, finished November 2

I wore it yesterday, as a coat over a light pullover.  It was ideal, if not a bit warm on a 50+ degree day.  Bring on winter – no doubt this will be a wardrobe staple.

What’s next?  Christmas knitting!  eep.  Two kid sweaters, less than 2 months to the big day and unfortunately, a major fail in the planning for one of them, that has things stalled for the moment.  More on that later this week.  In the meantime, I’m focused on this

Socks started weeks ago and put aside.  The yarn, my favorite sock yarn, Mountain Colors Weaver’s Wool Quarters in the Crazy Woman colorway.  They’ll match the moebius shawl I made years ago in the same colorway.  My goal for the week – finish the cuff.   And hopefully start a Christmas sweater.

Happy Wednesday!  Off to knit a bit before work…