Broccoli

This week, circumstances have lent themselves to much knitting, primarily because I had to go to a conference for work. I had helped organize for it beforehand, but on the day, didn't have to present or anything. So as I was sitting in the audience, I rummaged in my bag and found a take-along project that I usually knit on in waiting rooms, etc., like when I'm getting an oil change (something else that happened this week). So I finished! And here they are:

Broccoli Driving Mitts

1 skein of Kuigo (a discontinued green)
size 4 DPNs and one tiny clover plastic circular sz 4
suede mitten palms (from Fiber Trends)
This is my One Skein of Koigu Gloves pattern...





and the palms:


Now, a mystery shot of something I'm working on, because I want you to see my pretty Japanese tulip blocking pins! I got these from Knitpixie.com...

DNA-ish

Here is a picture of the latest sock:

DNA-ish, from 1.5 skeins Knitpicks Sock memories yarn in the Cape Cod colourway on size 1.5 Bamboo DPNs



I used two different DNA-ish cables for these socks. The leg has a cable that stands out more than the one on the foot and is more stretchy. But they're both vaguely DNA-ish as befits the scientist that they were designed for!

Sadly, one of my knits has gone to the frog pond ("rip-it! rip-it!"). A blood red scarf I was knitting out of Mountain Colours Ruby River sock yarn:


I was knitting it with a double strand, and when I got to the end, I realized that it looked like one of those heavy, clunky hand-knits that you find abandoned at the thrift store. So now I am re-doing it single-stranded, using the Chevron Scarf pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. (Actually there's nothing last-minute about the patterns in that book...they all take me much longer than the patterns say)

At the bookstore yesterday, I looked through the new Romantic Hand Knits by Annie Modesitt and put it on my 'to buy' list. These are gorgeous, versatile designs - kimono sweaters, lacey pull-overs, long dresses... It also includes a hat that I am crazy about!

My friend Dee, from the LYS, is moving to Vermont at the end of the month. Thats so sad. She and I were the ones who did both knit and crochet and got excited about vintage pattern books and bone crochet hooks. When she goes, it will be back again with the 'rolling eyes response' when I show a picture of a new 1940's pattern book from the thrift store. While they see something with huge shoulders that is hopelessly out of style with its high waist, I see a beautiful body-conscious knit that can be redesigned and easily updated. Dee is also worried about finding new friends who share her interests. She is thinking of leaving the knitting world and going into teaching. Tomorrow is her going-away party. I'm going to go through my stack of vintage books and see if I can find some crochet ones that she'd like as a going away gift. Maybe I can find one about teaching kids to crochet!

the roses that bloom in late summer....

I am a late bloomer. There is no way around it, it takes me longer to step out and open up than most people. Still, I think late summer blossoms are just as nice, don't you?

Nadine sent me a Big Red Box yesterday! Oh, the exotic and beautiful things that were inside, that had traveled across the ocean.... so many, including a CD I have playing right now: "Schokolade" Its all about chocolate but its instrumental and the music and is incredibly soft and soothing! I love it.

And Snake Poison sock yarn! (I think I will have to use Nadine's own pattern that I meantioned before - she created such a perfect one for this particular colour combination).

And more sock yarn! soft blue, soft green.....I will find a "little flowers" pattern for that I think. The pretty subtle colours remind me of forget-me-nots.

and Tea, and Stitch markers, and Gryffindor yarn(!), and Podcasts (oh my!), and, and, Oh...all the things that make a knitter go "yes, this is a wonderful world, isn't it?"

But best of all...and so wonderful that I actually just held this skein for the longest time, just looking and gazing at all the blending of colours... was another skein of Tausendschon (http://www.strickstduschon.de/) sock yarn called Black Rose. It looked exactly like this:

Absolutely the truth! All the colours are there: deep red, blood purple, burgundy, a subtle flash of darkest purplish peach, more red and goldish red.... This colour combination (hand dyed) is pure inspiration! The skein I have doesn't look like the skein on the webpage, which appears more multi-coloured. Mine is all variations on the dark red theme, just like the rose above.

I've alread decided that I'm going to design a special sock for this yarn, perhaps using some of the elements of this image, which I've made into a knitting graph:


They will be knee socks, and the knitted roses won't neglect to show their thorns...When I wear these socks, I'll feel beautiful and blooming, no matter if summer has passed.