Of Beanies and Babies

I hope you enjoyed your long holiday weekend. We spent a marvelous holiday with a dear friend and her family. Do you have friends that, regardless of how often you see them, make you feel like it was just yesterday that you last talked? Lois is like that. A kindred spirit for sure.

I managed to get a few beanie patterns done over the long weekend. These will be posted out on Skylark Yarns in our Free Patterns later today.

The first is the Lace Rib Beanie. It was meant to match our Lace Rib Fingerless Mitts pattern out on the site. Fun, quick, and toasty in Pearls, our alpaca/bamboo worsted weight yarn. This is the Skyline Drive colorway.

The second is a baby version of our Bubblewrap Cap. This required some tweaking to fit a wee one's head, and is made in Luminescence, our super soft and not-the-teeniest-whit-scratchy alpaca and soysilk blend in a DK weight, shown here in Harbor Mist colorway.

My photography skills don't do this little darlin' justice. He's the six week old son of my husband's friend and co-worker.

Hope that Monday is not too harsh for you. It feels a little like a rude awakening after all that time off, but I am working to keep it all in perspective, understanding this to be the yang of a wonderfully yin weekend.

Blue skies!

Les Oiseaux Laceweight

Just got in some scrumptious new colors of our Les Oiseaux alpaca/soysilk laceweight yarn! These are just yummy colors. Currently working up Susan's easy breezy Forest Canopy Shawl (picture tomorrow maybe of my WIP) in the Aspen Bark colorway, but might just need to get something new on the needles in Windswept or Sweet Lilac over the holiday weekend.

Had a marvelous time divesting myself of unwanted stash and of course, acquiring more, from the grrls in SnB at Bonnie's this weekend. Thanks Bonnie!

All things Estonian

Last night, SL Knitting Guild hosted knitter and author Nancy Bush. My friend, blogless Sandy, and I had a lovely dinner out and then moseyed over to hear Nancy's talk. This very talented woman talked about Estonia, it's people and geography (and how the land is covered with lilac and lily of the valley), and mostly, about it's knitters. The focus of the evening was the lovely lace shawls knitted by the women there. Nancy had a marvelous trunk show of pieces she has been collecting since 1995 and her first trip to Estonia. She is working on a book due out next fall, and based on what we saw there, it will be full of fabulous patterns!

Nancy is offering an Estonian Lace Knitting class in Colorado next fall, and I'll bet it's worth every penny and fills up in a flash. Find more details at her site.

Blue skies!

Actual Conversation

Daughter (eyeing latest Vogue Knitting): Sweet!

Ten minutes pass.

Daughter (who wants everything she sees): Ooh. oooo. Mom, will you make me this sweater?

Mom: (admittedly with slight sarcasm) Want to learn to knit? (translation: do you really want it or is it just the flavor of the day?)

Daughter (insistent at side): Mom, show me some yarn. I want to knit, like right now.

Later.

Mom: This scarf will teach you the purl stitch. (She had previously only done garter stitch things). Purl starts with 'P.' That's your memory key. P means point the needle at the stitch.

[Note: This actually worked great as a way to teach her how to remember the purl stitch, and which direction to enter the LH needle stitch from.]

Daughter: Look Mom, I'm doing it. I can purl!

Progress: About 1.5 inches of K3, P3 scarf.

Sigh. It's a long way from a sweater, but hope is not lost.

Skipping a Generation

My father is a very talented watercolor painter. He was a painter when he met my mother, but didn't think he could raise a family on what he made. So he joined the military, and sublimated his artistic side for 30 years. When he retired, he attended the Art Institute of Boston. I was about 12 at the time. He used to bring home any assignment that wasn't life drawing or painting, and ask me to do it for him. He was only interested in those two classes, but others were required for his certificate. So I did the work for him, and he'd come home and say "Hey Babe, you got a 'B' on this or an 'A' on that." It was fun.

I never did get his painting chops, though I spent summer days in the garage, painting over his failed oils with my acrylic paint set. How I loved going to the art supply store on Saturdays with him! I still get weak in the knees over color, and love art, but his drawing and painting talent escaped me.

My daughter however, I think might have his talent. Here is one of her paintings, done in 9th grade art. I am proud and jealous of this ability.

When all else fails, knit! (or finding the bluebird)

It's been quite the few weeks here. In addition to my brother's passing, we discovered that we must move out of our home. The state will be taking it to widen the road. Although we just put in a new kitchen and love living here and hate to move, the state paying fair market value will be a blessing, as the road out front just gets busier, and faster, and scarier every day. So we are preparing ourselves for a move. Which, by the way, the state will pay for. You can't know how that eases my mind. In the 20 years of my first marriage, we moved 14 times. I'm kinda a pro. But heck, I'm ready to let someone else do the work!

So I have taken this ball of pure potential from my stash (again) Superwash merino sock weight from the Royale Hare, purchased at SOAR in 2005. I was hoping that the colors would work into a nice faux fair isle. NOT! The weekend we went to Bryce and Zion Canyons, I began mittens for my daughter. This colorway was chosen for her, and she loved this, but I couldn't let this ugly pooling go.

So I frogged and searched for a new pattern. Enter Susan's simple ribbed fingerless mitts. Thanks for the inspiration! Look at that lovely spiral. Success!
I think knitters know a lot about making the best of life. When things go wrong, you just frog and start over. Several years ago, I found this little statue of a bluebird for a quarter at a yard sale. I couldn't let it be, though I am so NOT a frou-frou figurines kind of person. This little bird perches in different places in my home, and when my heart gets heavy or blue, I remind myself that the bluebird still finds things to sing about. My mentor. Cost: 25 cents. Value: Priceless.
Blue skies!

Fluidity