The Presidents’ Day holiday allowed me to spend time finishing up some projects. It also afforded me the time to pull out all the stops and snap some special photographs of said knits:

Santiago Shawl
Pattern based on the Verona Shawl by Morehouse Farms
Yarn: Handspun single ply wool from Santiago, Chile – a gift from my dad
Needles: Size US 9s
Measurements: Length – 5′ 5″  / Width – 2′

Stockinette stitches for inches and inches.  Every moment was welcome and savored.  I truly enjoy the simplicity of stockinette, and this will not be my last shawl in this fashion.  My Verona shawl is my most wearable knit – at least once a week in three seasons of the year – and this new Santiago shawl (named after the city where my dad purchased the yarn) is sure to follow in the same footsteps.

Like Verona, this shawl also has a story.  I started this shawl last summer, just a week or two after I contracted Lyme disease.  It had not hit me full force yet, but as I got sicker and sicker in late July and early August, this shawl was one of the only things that I could work on… the simple stockinette was comfort when my mind and my heart couldn’t handle anything else, and when I was scared about what the next day would bring with it.   My knitting was slow, but I pressed on with the shawl.  When I got healthier, I set the shawl aside – and it sat in my knitting basket for many months untouched.  In January, I picked it up again.  And now, it has a new purpose.

It tells the story that I need to remember about sickness and health and about the importance of being mindful in everything I do.  Mindful of each breath in and each breath out – every knit stitch and every purl stitch.

The yarn was wonderful to knit.  It was raw and over spun in sections and crunchy and flubby and perfect.  I love to be reminded of the source when I am knitting.  In this case, the source was some lovely ivory fleeced Chilean cordero.  My dad bought this yarn for me when I was a new knitter – back in 2004 – and it sat in my stash for a long time.  I am so happy that it is now this amazing shawl.  Thanks so much for making this possible, dad

As I bound off on the shawl yesterday, I had the inspiration to focus on the natural ivory of the yarn, pairing it with some white clothing.  From there, I wanted to experiment with some photographic elements, and I asked Kris to help me put together a photoshoot.  We picked up a Strobist Kit with remote flashes last year.  Kris uses it a lot for his aquarium photography and I have used it occasionally for both light box photography and FO shoots.

There are different kits available for different kinds of DSLR cameras; we chose the one that works well with the Canon Rebel series for my Canon Rebel XTi.  It includes the remote flash, the stand, the umbrella, as well as the hardware needed to hook it all up.  Since the initial purchase, we also picked up another remote flash secondhand, and bought a second umbrella.  So, when I chose the corner of the stairway landing for the photography shoot, I knew it was going to be a good spot with lots of light.  White walls, space for the umbrellas and stands, and lots of walls for the light to reflect.  All I had to do was style the photograph… white tee, shimmery lip gloss and a hair clip!

The overexposure of the photos was the key.  We turned the flashes on the highest brightness level and the umbrellas really reflected the light.  After the shots were complete, I processed my photos (as I do for *all* of my photos) through Adobe Lightroom software.  Very minimal processing on the shots because they really turned out better than I expected.  I increased the clarity of the shot so that you could see the stitch definition on the shawl, as well as the distinction between my skin and the wall behind me (ahem… I have been called an albino before…) Other than these small modifications, the photos are natural and raw…

…just like the yarn of the shawl!

How great is it when you find people who share the same interests and passions as you do?  it is like that instant connection and you just feel like “yep, this is perfect!”  I gotta say, it is too funny that I have found a community through knitting (and through the blog and Ravelry) that share such similar interests and hobbies as I do:

Knitters who love hockey?  Knitters who practice yoga?

Ah, life is complete!

After meeting some fabulous yoginis who love knitting last weekend, it was all about meeting hockey fans who knit this weekend!  Many thanks for Judy for spearheading the awesome NHL Sticks n’ Stitches matinee game between the Washington Capitals and the Ottawa Senators! We knit, we cheered (we had so much to cheer about!) and had such a fun time together!  and it is always fun to actually *be* with the people that you talk to so much online!  Amy and I talk all the time through forum posts, emails, and private messages, and now we got to have a whole afternoon together!

(Judy, Jessica and her BF, Kelly, Melissa, me, Amy, and her adorable daughter J)

A full house – surprising on Super Bowl Sunday

The Caps Drumline – entertaining before the game and during the 2nd intermission

[All Game Day Photos Here!]

It was the perfect day for a game!  The weather was downright balmy after the below-freezing temperatures of late and Kris and I got in to the city with time to spare before the game.  We met up with the peeps and headed to our seats where we were highly entertained by both teams – and the final score was 7-4 win by the Caps.  So exciting!  and the Caps’ big star, Alexander Ovechkin definitely put on a show – he got a hat trick!  So much fun!  I hope we can do it again soon – maybe next season?  Even if you have never been to a hockey game before (or know nothing about the sport, the atmosphere is so much fun!  … even when your husband’s beer spills on your coat after you celebrate a magnificent goal… )  And while my #1 team is the Pittsburgh Penguins, I definitely enjoy watching the Caps play – they are my solid second team – and it is wonderful to see them having so much success right now. 

To commemorate the fun Sticks n’ Stitches game, and because I lack any Capitals gear, I decided to cast on for a cowl to wear to the game.  I finished my cowl quickly with the bulky  Chinese yarn that Kimberli gave me back in 2005 – it is a great variegated red and maroon wool and really worked up well in the seed stitch. Simple, easy, and warm.  I love to wear red and black together!

…and then we promptly got home from the hockey game to head to the Super Bowl party – we had time to change the red to black and gold for the Steelers.  Football doesn’t usually hold my attention as well as hockey, but last night’s game was one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory.  So happy with the final results!  What a sporty day!

It was almost one year ago that I finished the Easy Street Pullover in Malabrigo, and I finally got around to use some of the leftover yarn from that garment to cast on for a simple scarf.  I took the ball of yarn with me to San Francisco and started working on Yarn Abuse’s slip-stitch pattern on the airplane.  So simple yet very striking in the lovely indigo colorway.  I continued to work on it while I was in my conference sessions, and on the plane ride home.  After sitting for a short spell while I caught up on garment work, I quickly finished it and paired it with the lovely handcrafted wooden pin that I got at River John Needles in Nova Scotia.

I wish I had had the foresight to pick up more than one of these pins.  The simple design and neutral color would have matched a number of different shawls and wraps, and it would have made a wonderful gift.  I did, however, pick up three sets of handcrafted needles – two sets of double points and one set of straights.  They are all so smooth and beautifully done in birch wood.  The woman working at Lismore Sheep Farm that day told us that it was her husband who was in charge of the sanding process on the needles, so she knows that they are extraordinarily smooth. 

So… you wanna try some of the River John needles for yourself?  I have a size US 10 1/2 (7mm) set of double pointed needles to give away – perfect for winter hats or cowls.  To sweeten the pot,  I will throw in the one remaining skein of this lovely Malabrigo worsted colorway, perfect for any number of small projects – scarves, hats, cowls, or a small purse.  If you are interested, please leave a comment!  I will pick a name at random and announce it during the next post!

When I can’t decide which one I want to do more, I try to find a way to do them both.

The “toe trick” works best with hardcover books, and with simple knitting.  The real skill comes with turning the pages with your feet   Of course, my usual middle road method is knitting while listening to audiobooks, and reading a few books on the side.  Of late, however, I have been reading many a “real” book, almost to the point of devouring them… much like my pre-knitting days when I could polish off a few books a week.

This simple stockinette project is made using the lovely handpsun yarn that my dad bought for me in Santiago, Chile in 2004.  It is a single-ply natural wool, bought from the market.  Complete with little bits and pieces to remind me that this is real.  I love that.  I am using the ever-so-simple Verona pattern that produced my favorite and most-worn knit to date:  the Verona Shawl I made last year. The shawl is my reading project, so, with all of the books that I am reading, I figure it will grow quickly.

I finished the book pictured above last night – I had a hard time putting it down. The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama follows the travels of the Tibetan spiritual/political leader, and provides a more realistic and intimate portrait of the well-known figure.  The author, Pico Iyer, writes in such an engaging way, structuring the book around the life of the Dalai Lama with chapters like “In Public”, “In Practice”, “In Private”.  He has lengthy discussions with his family, his followers, and the man himself.  It was a beautiful book that taught me a lot about the Tibetan struggle, Buddhism, and the human condition.  I definitely recommend it.

Like I said, I have been devouring books… I read these three books while I was in Nova Scotia – long layovers and canceled flights are good for something (well, especially since I left my knitting in my *checked* baggage). The Wild Trees made me wish for a redwood backpacking/camping trip.  The author follows several scientists as they conduct tree canopy research, and invent new ways to scale the tallest of trees.  Michael Pollan’s “oldie but a goodie” The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World was impossible to put down.  I talked about it so much that Kris is now reading it too.  Basing the narrative on four different plants: apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes, Pollan studies how these plants actually used humans to propogate themselves.  Interesting little twist, eh?  Such a good book.  The third book, Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It, investigates the bottled water industry and its effects on ecosystems and health.  The author, Elizabeth Royte, travels to the small Maine town where Polar Springs water is actually pumped out of the ground – and because that water is being bottled and sent all over the globe, it is not replenishing the local aquifers.  We learned about this book from the No Impact Man blog, and picked the book up.  Kris finished it quickly, and I started reading it on the plane ride home. 

It definitely has me thinking about water in a new way.

Sure, I have consumed my fair share of bottled water, but even before I read this book, I realized that this industry was having a very real impact – and not for the better.  My main concern was the plastic bottles and how a large majority of them were not being recycled, but rather ending up in a landfill.  After reading the book, I learned that the problem is even deeper than that, effecting other people’s supply of water, and fueling an industry that is not really concerned with the health of their consumers or of our planet (despite everything that their marketing says).  I encourage you to take a look at this book… and to take a look at your own habits.  My Klean Kanteen has been working quite well for me for awhile, and I feel pretty confident in my filtered water out of the tap. 

…I am now listening to two different books, and reading a new one…

I can’t be stopped!

How are you spending your free time on these long summery nights?

…tidbits…

• Today is the deadline to sign up for the Project Spectrum AIR ATC swap! We only have a few participants, and it would be great to have a larger group… sign up now!
• I found a new triathlon that just suits me better – and I am planning to do this one with my sister! I have updated my Training Page with more details…

We traveled to Canada during the height of my recent cowl craze, so naturally, I made the very wearable neckwarmers. I had grand plans to knit many more cowls than I actually did… but I came away with two good ones that I knit, and one beautiful one that was given to me by Ingrid. Good thing too, because there were a few times when I was downright COLD!

I finished the first cowl a few days into our trip. I used two yarns that have lived in the stash for so long that I don’t remember when I get them! This cowl is called the “Keji” Cowl, because I finished it right before we explored the Kejimkujik Seaside Adjunct.

I just cast on with the Classic Elite Montera and the unlabeled mohair yarn and knit it right up, throwing in a few purl rows here and there to make the rolling less apparent. The cowl is warm and wispy, and kept me warm throughout the walk. A few times, when the wind was whipping up around us on the beach, I pulled her right over my ears and had a good bit of insulation. Cowls are so versatile!

After finishing this cowl, I had a few false starts – I wanted to try Nova’s new Birthday Cowl, and I am still planning to do so – but I couldn’t pay enough attention to the pattern… so I stuck with easy stockinette and ribbing. That seemed to work best, as I was already in a highly distracted state (ooh! look at that beach! look at that moose! etc.)

The cowl that Ingrid made for me is so pretty – I just love the muted colors. She gave it to me right before we went on the boat, so I was able to wear it all day! The cowl that I made for her ended up being too big, but she was able to loop it around to have a snuggly neckwarmer.

I started on the second cowl the night after we left Yarmouth, and I worked on it until I finished it toward the end of our trip. I took along several balls of yarn for knitting, among the mix was the Fibre Company Terra that I picked up at MDSW last month. This colorway was called “Green Tea”, and while there is a slight tinge of green, I see much more gray here. So, I found good inspiration for Project Spectrum’s AIR element. I played around with several stitch patterns, and decided on a twin rib variation, really showcasing the yarn. I had two hanks, so I wanted this to be a nice long cowl. By the time I bound off, in the small village of Sherbrooke on the eastern shore, north of Halifax, I knew I had a winner. The yarn was amazing to work with. I have some other Fibre Company yarns in my stash, and I look forward to working with them too.

A classic twin rib that showcases the unique blend of merino, alpaca, and silk. When I posted the first photographs of this cowl, I had interest in a pattern, so I present you with my second cowl “recipe”: Sherbrooke.

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