The pinks, yellows and greens have been well-represented over the last two months. I have seen beautiful handmade creations, stunning photographs, and inspirational color-inspired projects of all shapes and sizes. It is truly amazing to see what can come out of such a simple idea.

Thank you for continuing to support Project Spectrum, and for continuing to inspire me with your beautiful work.

Blacks, reds, and metallics may be a challenge for some and a welcome home for others. The beauty of PS is expanding your thoughts on color, and stepping outside of your natural realm. I say this to myself too - I have knit many things, and taken some photographs, but have not yet challenged myself with the colors. I am looking forward to this next color group for this very reason; it is time to kick it up a notch!

Please start sharing your red, black, and metallics bright and early tomorrow! Post them on your blogs, on your forums, on the Project Spectrum Flickr group, or just simply be aware of these shades in your everyday life. Feel free to share your experiences - I would really love to hear!

… … …

Lunch time conversation with a co-worker… she shares her new obsession of Ancestry.com. She is meticulously researching her family history after some Memorial Day weekend talks with her parents. The more she talked about it, the more I wanted to learn more about my own history. She warned me that it was a massive time suck, she warned me that it would mean phone calls to many living relatives. I just couldn’t pass this by…

And within a few hours, I had quite a lineage set up!

My great grandmother’s family

The internet has completely revolutionized this field. There are digitized state, county, and city records. There are ship manifests, military pensions, and certificates galore. With a little data entry and a few clicks, you can start linking into the research of others, slowly building a ginormous web of names, dates, and family. From the research I have done, I have confirmed my “European mutt” roots: England, Wales, Germany, Austria, and even one ancestor from Sweden!

Once you put in a few generations of names, this program even allows you to check for “famous ancestors”…

Lilliputians, Victorian, inertia, Transcendentalism, baby. Right there.

-Chart 2 / Chart 3

…and my personal favorite…

Jane Austen and I have the same greaaaaaaaaaat grandfather!

With so many writers in the family, I hope that my little blogging career could be considered continuing the tradition

Have you ever done any family history research?

So, you are warned… major time suck… but, it just may be worth it!

**Just a note, a disclaimer of sorts:  this is a fun and engaging way to spend some time, but I know there are missing links, and possible “wrong trails”.  I am not certain of more than anything past 5 or 6 generations back (as that research has been done by others in my family the “old school” way of archival visits).  However, it is fun to think what could be, and if you want to lightheartedly learn more about your family, this is a good way to do it.  My career as an archivist has taught me many things, and I know that documents can be forged, lost, and forgotten.  But right now, this is making me smile, and not doing any harm!

I am shaking my head here; where in the world did this month go? I had such high hopes of finishing the lingering Project Spectrum knits on my needles before the month’s end. Alas, my needles are still full of pink, green, and yes, even two blue projects from the last color triad! Some catch up time is desperately needed…

I was right on track with the Shades socks, but then I hit that bump, and never recovered. Second sock is cast on, but I didn’t get back to it because of Wren, and the swap scarf. Seeing Katy’s finished ones makes me realize how much I need to finish my own! One sock to go - I think I can do that fairly quickly.

The Verdant Shrug - my token acrylic project . I worked steadily on this project, although it did not get much blog time. I am almost finished with it - only have to pick up stitches for the ribbed facing, seen here on the pattern. I do like this deep green with the subtle striping.

The Canyon Hiking Socks are coming along too - I am working on the calf stripes right now for sock two.

I won’t be too hard on myself, however: I did manage to finish a pair of socks AND a cardigan in these two months!

…I think it would be wise to clear these knits out before starting some of the bigger projects I have planned for June and July…

Did you reach your pink, green, and yellow goals?

What are you planning for the black, red, and metallics months of June and July?

After a few false starts, the blue zig zag scarf for my International Scarf Exchange pal is coming along quite well. I always run into problems when I have to cast on hundreds of stitches. I use stitch markers, and I still lose count. This one was a challenge in particular because of the yarn’s texture. I stuck with it though, and now I am nearing completion.

Two more rows of the light aqua, and then I add the fourth and final blue periwinkle colorway. I hope my pal likes this scarf - her questionnaire did not provide a lot of information about her preferences. I think I will be lucky to have enough yarn leftover to make another (perhaps a little smaller) version for a headband, belt, or summer scarf.

The scarf will be ready very soon, and I will have time to post it before the deadline. My pal lives in Asia, so the sooner I can mail it, the better. I haven’t heard from the knitter who is making my scarf in quite awhile - I hope I have a scarf to look forward to as well!

… … …

The long weekend started off with a Friday night show in DC. Kris and I went to see one of our favorite singer/songwriters, Damien Rice, at Constitution Hall in the city. We got there early enough to do some sightseeing before the show. Across the street from the concert hall is this little place… You may recognize it.

I have lived in the DC area for many years, but this is only the second time I have been to the White House grounds. The first time was as a child to view the “Nutcracker Christmas” tour during the Bush, Sr. administration. We didn’t go inside this time, but we played tourist and snapped some photos.

Woman feeding the birds & squirrels, Lafayette Park

Damien Rice put on a wonderful show. There was no opening act, so he just walked onto the candle-lit stage and started to play his guitar, and later the piano. His albums take up permanent residence on our .mp3 players, so it was a real pleasure to see and hear him live. (links to some of his videos) It was mellow, thoughtful, passionate, and the perfect way to spend a Friday night.

My Canyon Hiking Socks are practically knitting themselves - the joy of worsted weight socks! The pattern, from Greetings from Knit Café, actually calls for a light worsted yarn (Rowan Wool Cotton in the book) on size 4 needles. I opted for a slightly heavier yarn, and went up to a size 6 needle. I wanted to accomodate my “shapely” calves, while also working in enough negative ease for the socks to stay up at my knees.

The yarn is the ubiquitous Wool Ease, in Dark Heather Rose. It really is a lovely colorway. I am using a recycled thrift store yarn for the contrasting stripe/heel/toe, visible in some of the pictures above, but best seen here. I like the burgundy on pink look.  The yarn has been in my stash for a very long time - nearly four years - since I first started knitting.  It will be good to have it cleared out.  The socks are so quick and so cute, that I am thinking they would be a good remedy for the other worsted weight remainders in my stash too!

By the time these are finished and off the needles, however, it will be too humid and hot to actually wear them hiking.  They may have to wait until fall for a true debut.

Summer is a good time to knit socks - fairly quick and transportable knits for the beach, road trips, the like - but I rarely wear socks during the season.  Maybe I am just stocking up for the coming fall and winter!  I am participating in Jessica’s 2nd Summer of Socks this year (it is a lovely way to revv up for Socktoberfest too!)  Will you be joining the fun? 

I have some lovely socks planned for next month’s Project Spectrum color triad:  black, red, and metallics.  Here are the glorious stockings I am excited to cast on for…

The Over-the-Knee Stockings from Vogue Knitting, Fall 2006 issue. I’ve got the Cascade Fixation, I just need to decide on the embroidery colors… I love what Robin did with her version of the stockings!

The past few months can best be characterized by the term yarn gluttony. I am one of those people who feels guilt over the size of my yarn stash… I try to be a minimalist and lessen my consumerism in many other areas of my life, why not do it with my yarn as well?

I think I talk myself into it by saying “oh, it is my vacation”, or “this only happens once a year”. I have to make a pact with myself - knit only from stash yarns. I have SO much to work from - and I can promise that about 80% of my yarns have assigned projects! I already know what I am going to make with it, so why not work with it?

I would only buy new yarn for the most special of occasions. I am giving myself one free pass: some luxurious alpaca from Peru during my August trip. (I mean, honestly, I can’t go to Peru and not get alpaca, you realize that, right Erin?)

It’s time for another yarn diet. Starting now, and ending when I feel like it. I am going to use this time to fall in love with the yarns in my stash all over again. I have some works in progress to finish up, but in the mean time, my mind is already thinking about my next big project…

A few of my plans…

The Von tunic, the middle sweater, is probably on the top of my list. I love the shape, and I have the beautiful Peace Fleece yarn just waiting to go on the needles. I bought this yarn at this year’s Sheep and Wool festival.

Since it is kind of red and kind of purple, it would fit in well with the next two color triads for Project Spectrum! With all of that stockinette, I am estimating it to take awhile anyway…

Nordic Memories, the first sweater, is from an old Interweave Knits - Winter 2004, I think - and always caught me eye. I liked the little bits of stranded colorwork. I am planning to make it in similar colors: dark brown, with ecru and a violet for the trim. All of the colors are Jo Sharp’s DK Wool. I bought this yarn at my local yarn shop’s fall sale - it was all 40% off!

You may remember the final sweater - Aftur, the yoked Icelandic pulli - last year and really fell in love with the pattern. When I was in North Carolina visiting my sisters, I bought the yarn for it at the yarn shop in her town.

…and that is just some the sweaters I have planned during my stash reduction…

it doesn’t count all of the socks!

This seems to hit me every year after the Festival - and this year, I am going to make a dent in the stash!