Last Alaska-related post.  I promise.  (I can almost hear you now: Lolly… you have been back from nearly two weeks!  Don’t you have other things to talk about?)

The Perseverance Trail is a network of trails that start right above the downtown area of Juneau – you can take various routes and reach the top of Mt. Roberts, climb up Mt. Juneau, or go in between the two to view some lovely waterfalls.  We chose the last option – along with Alli and her doggies, we persevered and hiked the miles through some beautiful country.  More wild berries.  More scenic photo opps.  More fun companionship.

~

Inspired by this wonderful day on the trails – and as a tribute to my time in Alaska – I knit a shawl.  That’s what knitters do.  And I am calling this shawl “Perseverance”.

Perseverance

Pattern:  My own free design – on Ravelry!
Yarn:  Cottage Craft 1-ply “Black Cherry” colorway
Needles: Size 4.0mm/US 6 24″ and 36″ circular needles

I think I need to knit a bright green version of this to properly display the colors of trail… but the structure is more what I was after… and I achieved it.  The shape is a basic triangle, with textured stitches:  basic stockinette, half-linen stitch, reverse stockinette, and garter stitch.  I played with the idea of tiers – or switchbacks, as I think of them – to emulate the mountain structure of the shawl.  And the increase ridge down the middle even resembles a waterfall!

Another stashbusting knit, I purchased this yarn in 2006.  It’s a great 1-ply from a little outfit in New Brunswick called Cottage Craft.  I used their 2-ply Maritime Blue colorway to make my Street Smart Hoodie, and it was a great yarn that has worn really well.  I believe that this yarn will be the same.  It was great to knit with, and it really shows off the half-linen stitch patterning. This pattern would work equally well in a drapey yarn, or one with some more heft.  It’s very customizable!  If you make one, please link to it on Ravelry so I can see the results!

…and if you want to make it, you can queue it up here – and download the pattern!

~~

PS — So many thanks for your thoughtful comments on my “blogiversary” post the other day.  Heartwarming and encouraging!

Juneau’s climate is tailor-made for handknits.  The temperature is pretty consistent, and while we were there, it didn’t rise above 60 degrees.  You need warm and dry feet – make socks.  You need to cover your neck and chest – make a scarf.  You need to keep your head warm an dry – make a hat.  Easy enough.  You do have to factor in the whole wetness factor – because it rains approximately 150 inches a year (it’s a rainforest) but you just choose your fiber accordingly.

I did just that – and came away with two winning accessories that served me well during my time there.

Yvaine Shawl
Pattern: Yvaine – free pattern from Femiknisty
Yarn: The March Hare fingering weight, colorway “Driftwood”
Needles: Size US 8 circulars
Ravelry Notebook Page

I did start it here, but I finished it there – so I am counting it as an Alaskan knit   The pattern was simple and very fun.  I really enjoyed the triangular shawl knit process and watching it grow.  Yvaine had some textural elements too, so it varied a bit.  The yarn really made it sparkle, in my opinion.  Loved this variegation the first minute I saw it at MDSW last year.

While in Alaska, I also whipped up a quickie hat.  I needed some warmth, and I also wanted a little variety from the one other hat that I had brought with me.  So… the Misty Juneau hat was born!  I brought this Spirit Trail Minerva along with me (a purchase from MDSW a few years back) and I made this beanie hat in two days.  And surprise!  the day I finished it – was a misty Juneau day!

I improvised the pattern – very simple beanie design with a wide ribbed brim.  Then, I did reverse stockinette the whole way because I liked the way it looked.  Here’s the Ravelry Notebook Page.  The yarn has a more violet tint than the photos show, with these small streaks of gray in it.  I doubled the yarn, and used a 16-inch size 8 circular needle.  Tried it on as I went along and bound off when it was long enough.

On the plane ride back to Maryland, I made a lot of progress on an improvised “design” using the basic triangular shawl shape.  It should be finished soon, and I will be sharing the pattern.

We had an amazing time in Alaska, and it was hard to leave!  I do hope to have another chance to make it back to Alaska to see more of the state – it’s a very special place!  I am still uploading photos on Flickr and will be in the upcoming days, so if you would like to see my Alaska set of photos (well, what I have so far!) you can see them here!

Returning to her roots.

Not that it’s been that long… but I have had a wandering eye of late.  For the most part, the eye has been wandering over a book page (or a few hundred).

The knit that brought me right back into the fold? A simple triangular textured shawl.  Nothing jaw-dropping(ly)spectacular, but a fun knit nonetheless.

Another stashbuster, of sorts.  I picked up this handpainted superwash at Maryland Sheep and Wool festival in 2009.  It’s a small indie dyer with a great color (she’s on Etsy here - even has one skein of this same colorway in stock : “Driftwood”)  Love the yarn and it’s knitting up better than I imagined.  The pattern is Yvaine (and here’s the Rav link), an alternating stripe stockinette/seed stitch triangle that is knit from top long edge down to the point with a series of increases.  It’s relaxing and refreshing.

I knit so many scarves, shawls, and wraps in my early knitting days.  I still enjoy this type of knitting very much.  It seems that my desire to knit sweaters last year reached an all-time high, and while I still have *many* sweaters that I want to make, I am quite excited about many of the shawl patterns I am seeing on Ravelry.  And I have plenty of small yarny batches (1-2 skeins here and there) that are perfect for shawls and scarves.  I am not particularly into intricate lace patterns with lots of charts – and I like a more modern look.  Additionally, these shawls seem like the perfect portable project with my upcoming summer travels (Alaska, etc.)  You’ll will be seeing more of this one, and some others soon…

They may be a little gnarly and not quite the prettiest of the bunch – but they are OUR strawberries!  This is our magical third year, and our little backyard patch has produced a pretty steady stream of these juicy delights.  When Kris and I get home from work, we spend a good hour piddling around in the garden – weeding, harvesting, watching the plants grow.  It’s amazing to see the progress day to day.  We pick our choice ingredients and then go in for dinner.  The best part is when we can make the harvest part of the dinner!  Our most abundant harvest right now is our salad greens - so we have delicious green each night.  This heirloom variety provides yummy diversity (and some laughs at the names of the lettuce – “Amish Deer Tongue”!)  Add some strawberries and a balsamic vinaigrette, and you have an instant meal.  Perfect.

I have been reading like a speed demon – and if you keep up with me on GoodReads, than you know that I have been devouring graphic novels… still loving this genre.  I read the newest Sookie Stackhouse guilty pleasure, Dead in the Family,which left me a little non-plussed, but entertained.  I have plans for much more reading this summer – I am going to the library once a week trading in the ones that I read for the new ones I had on hold! Another book review post will be coming soon.   I should be turning my eyes to the shelves full of books in my house…

Also watching season finales of some favorite television shows, name “LOST” and “Chuck”.  I was happy with both, for the record

The downtime would usually translate to more knitting time, but I haven’t been picking up the needles that much lately.  I am continuing my stashbusting efforts, but it seems like a lot of other things are vying for my time… and winning right now.  I did finish this scarf – a simple garter stitch number that was knit  side-to-side.  I used a wool/alpaca/silk blend (Elsbeth Lavold Silky Flamme).  I am calling it my Tree Bark scarf because of the ripply texture [Ravelry Notebook page].  The yarn has some thick and thin places which adds to the effect.  I threw in a couple of purl rows for some interest.  I like it, and it will be nice this next fall/winter.

I joined a new gym and am enjoying their “theater” room where you can work out on the equipment (ellipticals, treadmills, stair climbers, bikes) while watching a movie on the big screen.  What a novel idea!  They play fun movies too… I just got back from the gym and they were playing Mrs. Doubtfire, which I hadn’t seen since it came out.  So silly that I found myself laughing out loud more than once while on the treadmill!  I have a great friend who goes with me, so it’s fun to have that little standing date together each weekend.

My youngest sister is in town this weekend, and we are all looking forward to the visit from Mimi, Daniel, and Baby V at the end of June.  This coming Monday, my dad leaves for a 4-month assignment in  Juneau, Alaska.  …and you know me well enough to realize that the wheels started turning in my head planning a trip to visit!  We don’t have a date pinned down quite, but we have every intention of going.  Should be a great opportunity to see my dad, and for some amazing photography!

After a good deal of reluctance, I decided to join Twitter.  now I am wondering why in the world I waited so long.  I heard a lecture last week at a work-related conference that extolled this social networking tool and I realized that it could be a good thing… so, I gave it a try this past week.  And yeah, it’s great.  So, if you want to follow me… I am there.  It’s like mini-blog posts!

In our culture, experience and “seasoned” professionals are so valued… but think about it.  Is there anything more exciting than being a beginner?  Only when you are a beginner does the world seem wide open – youthful idealism – endless possibilities – an insatiable urge to know and obtain more information.   Everyone has to start at the beginning.

When we are starting something new – no matter what it is – we often apologize and say “Oh, I am sorry, I am only a beginner”, or “Excuse my ignorance, but…” and on the flip-side, some people exaggerate their knowledge or experience, feeling that it is a competition of who knows more.  Why do we feel this need to apologize for being a beginner?  It’s okay to be a beginner and to NOT know things.  Embrace the beginning.  The beginner mind is open and ready.  …and even as you become more experienced, you can hold on to that beginner mind, feeling the excitement of trying something new.

When I started to knit in 2003, I fully embraced the beginner mind – and because of my background and general interests, I tend to research the heck out of things.  So, I checked out nearly every book at the library about knitting.  Then, I took my search online – and that is when I found the wonderful online world of blogs, knitting forums, etc.

…and so it begins with crochet…

I am excited.  If you follow me on Goodreads or on Ravelry you know that I have been queuing crochet books and patterns left and right.  I am reviewing some right now, and will be happy to share reviews here, if you are interested!

You may recall that Christa taught me some crochet basics while I was in Vancouver.  From there, I have been practicing on my own with my “go-to” beginner project:  the scarf.  So far, I am loving it.  I love using yarn and my hands in a new way, albeit not *that* different, but enough to notice.  My scarf is a simple simple fishnet pattern – single chains building on each other – and a lovely local handspun wool/mohair yarn that I picked up a few years back at a local wine/craft festival.  (Interesting tidbit:  if you happen to be heading to the Homespun Yarn Party today, this vendor will be there:  Ewes-ful Fiber !)

Maybe I am just noticing it a bit more since I am now “into” it, but there is a crochet revival going on.  There are some lovely patterns coming out now, both in books and magazines and by independent designers.  It’s an exciting time to be a beginner with so much inspiration!   I look at these patterns and marvel at them, realizing that I am not quite there yet on the skill level (but that’s okay – I am a beginner!) I have something to work towards

It worked with knitting, and I have an inkling that crochet will be the same way.

…now to revive my “beginner mind” with weaving… my loom is gathering dust in the corner.  I feel like I have forgotten a lot of the basics for weaving, so I need to do some more reading or get some tutoring…

This is my year to really focus on some stashbusting (yeah, I always say that) – I feel it’s gotten out of hand – and with all of these new ways to use my yarns, this task seems more manageable.  My stashbusting efforts will be focused for the next few months on a knit/crochet-along with my fellow hockey-lovers over on the Puck This! Ravelry forum… we are doing another Stanley Cup Stashbusting event from April-June (when the Stanley Cup is awarded) during the rounds of playoffs.  If you are interested in joining us, check out the forums!