Zeneedle...needleart as life

NaKniSweMo + Do

Maybe adding one more project to my already long list of WIPs wasn't the right thing to do. However, for the last two years I have successful completed NaKniSweMo, which runs through November, and wanted to give it another go. Doing so meant jumping into something I rarely do--starting a new sweater with one already on the needles.

Another reason for knitting a second sweater was my growing bad attitude about Pas de Valse. My love of the process was slipping and I needed to figure out how to put it back on track. The difficultly was in my lack of vision, the inability to see the end of knitting sleeves in the round. If I couldn't find the right method for sleeve knitting the process would fail me.

When I posted about the disastrous methods already used many of you suggested 2 circs. The method had never crossed my mind and I thank you for bringing it to my attention! Two circs has been working very well and knitting the sleeves is now much easier, the process no longer arduous. However, my attitude hasn't completely improved and knitting the sleeves feels like a drag.(Poor me.)

In order to keep on track with Pas de Valse I had to make a deal with myself…if I worked on the sleeves while at SnB (twice a week) I could cast on for Miss BB. The sleeves in the round aren't quite as daunting while visiting with friends and the process has been much more enjoyable. Thus, with the advent of Miss BB the attitude has taken an upward direction.

The minute Miss BB came onto the fashion scene I knew it would be perfect for the Glacier Blue Beaverslide calling from the stash. I also knew it would be a great project for NaKniSweMo and for sweater #12 of NaKniSweMoDO09.  November 1st I cast on and quickly knit through the first couple of inches.  It's going to be a great sweater and I love the yarns beautiful blue fabric. 

It's quite possible both sweaters will be completed by months end. If not, December will be used for any clean up. The goal is within sight!

Giving Thanks

For Carole's Thankful Thursday

• Thankful to be alive.
• Thankful for Smith, who gave 1000% the last 2 months.
• Thankful for friends and family, near and far, who rallied around, lifted my spirits, and were always there for me.
• Thankful to have health insurance, as inadequate as it was it's better than paying the whole bill.
• Thankful for the last few days of a beautiful autumn. The weather has been a gift as is everything else on this list.

No BloPoMo

You may have noticed I'm not joining NaBloPoMo, but I am very happy that many friends, who rarely blog, have joined. It's all I can do to blog 3 days a week, at this point. The reasons are multiple, but mostly my brain is taking its time kicking into full gear. I'm feeling great, have more energy (my heart works better than it has in a year), and I've been eating, eating, eating. Every little thing is improving. It's wonderful to have a new lease on life.

After the cold and snow from a week ago Indian summer is in full effect. The sky is clear blue, the temperatures warm, and being outdoors is a boon and a blessing.  I'm eating it up, gobbling it up, in fact. Walking in the last leaves of fall, and hearing them crunch beneath my feet, puts a smile on my face. Fall will end, winter will be upon us before we're ready and I will do my best to hang onto the beauty of autumn.

With energy renewed I've been reorganizing, reordering and thinking about viciously cleaning out the closets. The winter could be spent making a clean sweep of the house and its hidden "crap". This house has too many closets (yes, there is such a thing as too much storage) and 30 years of "stuff" has accumulated. The time is right for much of it to go. I'll do what I can as I can and enjoy the process of finding negative space.

Knitting time has been cut with my return to work, but it is nice (somewhat) to be in a normal routine. I may have committed to too many projects, but they all feel right and, believe it or not, too many things on the needles has helped my overall knitting attitude. I'm learning all over again that the process is the thing, the key, to happy knitting.

Mystery Solved

As soon as the final clue of the Socktober Mystery Sock was published I finished up the toes of my pair. I love them because they are warm, cozy, and very necessary for the cold weather. It was wonderful to have them on my feet all weekend and they made me feel happy, happy.

Kim dyes the most beautiful yarns and I love the depth of color in Pussywillow. It is a soft mix of browns,golds, tans, grays and soft greens. (They really are grayish green.) On-line the colors show up better in a picture of the skein than in the stitches of the sock. The yarn is durable and nicely warm…perfect for a special pair of socks. 

The Sunset colored yarn from Judy is also durable and beautifully dyed.  I love wearing sunshine on my feet in the dead of winter and hope to have this pair finished by the end of the month.  Unlike the first pair, in which I knit both socks at once, I'll knit this pair in the old fashioned way...first sock then the second. I only had one set of the square needles (which I like very much) and didn't want to splurge on a second pair. Second Sock Syndrome has never been a problem because I love wearing my socks too much.  Sock Mojo may or may not hang around through the end of the year because he heard I had a pair of gloves in the planning.  But, I'm hopefully he won't desert me completely. 

The Next Sweater

As soon as the big ol' Noro sweatshirt was finished I turned my attention to Pas de Valse. With the crochet around the edges finished (which took half a day) and the sweater blocked, it was time to start the sleeves. I tried Magic Loop, but the yarn was too soft, the cords too wiry and the process totally frustrating. This sweater has been a challenge for my post-surgery brain and some of the instructions strike fear into my heart…like Kitchenering the back neck.

I am a scaredy cat when it comes to Kitchener stitch. A sock toe I can do, but when it involves 50 stitches or more, Kitchenering stops me cold. Last week, while working on feeling grown up and trying to stop the lollygagging, I made a goal to finish the shoulder seams and Kitchener the collar. I am, in addition to being a scaredy cat, an accomplished knitter, and I need to act like one.

After referring to Susan's marvelous tutorial (and printing out a copy), I settle down to "just do it". Of course, there had to be a couple of false starts, but once the brain and rhythm kicked in, I was off and Kitchenering! Not only did I finish all 50 stitches without much trouble, I did the whole thing nearly perfectly! This doesn't mean I won't have trouble next time around, however.

So the sweater body and neck are finished and I'm trying to decide which way would be best to knit the sleeves….a 12" circular (which may drive me battier than the Magic Loop) or DPNs.

My dear friend Birdsong is having a contest. Her first grandchild was born recently and she feels like it was a life changing event.  In celebration she'd like to hear about any life changing event you'd like to share.  Her contest ends on November 6th so you have a full week.  Good luck!