Knitting with Sanity on the Side

The perpetual nature of my life is busy.  This fall no less.  Of course, the Lupus, a stomach virus (dear lord), and an ear infection with a side of vertigo wear distasteful . . . but, in the meantime the knitting needles click at night, on the subway, on ferries, in planes, on trains . . . yes, as I go they do too.  Instead of vegetating in front of a tellie, which I've never been capable of, I knit for an hour or two.  Of course, the desire to have sweaters that fit me in the shoulders and hips, scarves that are affordable to my vows of poverty salary in higher ed, and such . . . 

So, in September or so I started duplicating one Chanel scarf.  And as I rotated between it and a sweater, it took some time.  Of course, as I was using yarn from my fantastical trip to the land of Anne Shirley last summer I really wanted it to be perfect.  Well, as good as perfect as I get.  Cabling without a needle hook  . . . I'd never done that before, but I must say once you do a couple of rows you get a rhythm down.  After about four repeats you instinctively know . . . and, it makes the clicking of needles near seamless.  Indeed.  

There is something about having a scarf that, well, you know how much people are paying for it.  Knowing that you did not.  More so, knowing that you spent two days steaming and blocking the daylights out of it, and  . . . okay, so I have an emotional attachment to this one.  Can't really say why, but I do.  Judge later.  

I took my tripod and remote to my balcony on a day I should have been bundled to the gills.  Enjoy these pics, and I turned blue I think.  

The hat and scarf are the same shade of coral . . . but winter light around 3 pm changes them.  ;)  The hat pattern is free, and similar to one I wore the hell out of in my 20s.  

I really do love these.  And . . . I took these last Sunday, for which I put make up on for ya'll.  You're welcome, as the Lupus rash subsided for a few days.  The scarf pattern, and my notes . . . 

I really do love this set.  I make a lot of things, as we know, but I must say I think that time I took on making each row of this scarf, the care and ripping out of stitches, and the memories of PEI last August (making up a musical and dancing by myself in rain while Tanfer laughed ranks up there), and just the outcome of this fabric.  In many ways it is a visit to fond memories, a favorite novel character, an immersion with my current writing projects, a space of my own.

Really.  

By the way, that's a McCalls M6084 cardigan made in some cashmere knit from HM.  HM, the infamous store in the Garment, is always going out of business.  I have some brown . . . the brown is a TBD for Jan or so.  That cardi . . . it's a drapy one, and I didn't hem the edges or sleeves.  Instead, I did a serged edge, which looks good.  Though, the damn thing is huge.  Just huge. It's a "classy" house wear I tell ya.  Though, if my Mom can wear it I'll gladly let her "steal" it.  I'm kind like that.  ;)  What you see here is all you are getting.  It's a quickie hour make, I got the pattern on a 99 cent sale, and . . . c'est la vie.  

On that creme de la creme yarn, I had bought the last four skeins at Northern Watters last summer, and while they said to check back online . . . I did.  They were out, so I emailed them.  They then put in my in contact with the lovely people, LOVELY people, at Belfast Mini Mills.  I ordered one more skein, making five, and . . . well it was a shade off (dye lot people, dye lot!).  So . . . as I noted in another post I frogged the sweater I had started. In all fairness, it was for the best as I have some local yarn that I'm making that sweater with in Jan/Feb.  This yarn, while the sweater below is also from, really wanted to be a hat and scarf.  Of course . . . since I had extra now I made a hat for a friend battling round two of cancer.  Then my Mom said she wanted one, and since I had that extra skein . . . and it is the holiday season . . . What? She knows.  It's all wrapped.  

The hat, a TNT knitting pattern if there ever was one, is the Amy Butler Cosby Slouch.  Yes, I've made five versions of it!  The first two, black numbers.  The third my golden local one . . . Barb's is the first to be made true to pattern.  

 I really love this color and yarn.  I can't say enough, and while I paid 10 CAD from Belfast Mini Mills the new price of 12.50 CAD is worth it.  And . . . if you are patient, and ask, they will hold your order and mail it when they have a truck coming to the US (i.e. CHEAPER POSTAGE).  

And, now that you have my near unhealthy attachment to this coral yarn (which I really want more as I want to make a sweater . . . I have a perfect pattern . . . le sigh.  Maybe soon . . . ) here's the same Belfast Mini Mills Superwash in a variegated gray.  

On Instagram, along the way, there was some photos of my knitting this bad boy while watching Masterpiece  . . . It's the Francis Revisted pattern, no changes.  Took about a month, and . . . I love it.  I've actually worn it about once a week since finishing it.  I call it my PEI in Fall, as a homage to the yarn and that I made it last fall, started when the weather first turned, and finished it about a month later (after frogging the first version, in this gray, of another pattern), and had it just as the weather got COLDER.  

Oh, these pics are called welcome to my hallway, as I froze on the balcony and the dog refused to let me back through the window to take more pics.  Really, the icicles from my nose made me think twice. 

Oh, that's a second pair of Hudson Pants.  Those are in French Terry.  Yes, I made them.  Yes, I love them.  If you want a post on their awesome glory see Heather's manifesto/love letter on them.  And, the only reason I'm not wearing them now is I leave for VA tomorrow and I'm wearing them in route . . . thus, they are drying.  Yea, I know . . . gotta wash the clothes sometimes.  

The first pair:

That's some inexpensive cotton gray and black . . . I was lacking 2" elastic, so I screwed that waistband up (i.e. too gathered in one spot), and I've never bothered to fix it.  Why? Really? They be some good, good lounge pants, sleep wear, and I think I ran in them a few times . . . 

Ok, a couple more of that sweater.  Seriously, I love this thing.  

It's like a soft, cuddly blanket.  Everyone should know the joy of this yarn.  

See, I even wore it with a pencil to be, all, professional.  ;)

Finally . . . purple.  Catskills Merino Wool, from the Union Square Greenmarket . . . they had one skein of purple, and two of the half and half (i.e half the skein is dyed half not, and it's twisted, so when you knit it looks like giant argyles).  

That scarf is two skeins, on a nine needle, at 25 across.  Then I seamed it together to make an infinity, since it was a tad short of a regular scarf.  Of course I blocked the hell out of it to make it flat.  

The hat . . . see my notes here.  It is the Vermonter.  I recommend it.  Easy.  

Yea, this is also my insomnia set.  Why? It's been bad as of late.  Sleeping about four hour a night, if that.  Lying in bed awake it more painful than not. 

I sure do knit a lot.  A lot.  

On that note, I have a handful of things to post, that I have to wait until the holiday . . . gifts they are.  Enjoy yours, as I know I am.  My Dad has stuffed hen waiting on me and his chicken noodle soup is waiting my arrival tomorrow night.  I might be closer to 40 than not, but Dad still has dinner waiting on me while Mom frantically searches Facebook for status updates on my travel route.  ;)

Merry Christmas, even if it isn't PC.