for janet, there is alhambra. and for the others, there was cake.

yesterday was a busy class day; everyone is ramping up their knitting of small projects to stockpile gifts for the holidays. i finished my brown sock and a hat, several people were working on mitts (i think it’s safe to say that delicato is a class favorite).

during the afternoon class, a few of us stretched and pinned susie’s casino shawl in my blocking living room.

look at the beautiful late-autumn palette in that yarn . . . this is fearless fibers laceweight cashmere (sadly not being produced at the moment, but we keep hoping) in colorway exotic wood. sigh. it feels just as yummy as it looks.

susie’s favorite part is the top edge with its gently scalloping border. here’s a nice shot of the whole corner, where you get a little taste of everything—top edge, side edge and body stitch

we were just so excited to get this thing on the wires and pulled out so we could get our first look at it’s final beauty. we did the sides first and were pinning the scallops along the top border when we found a nasty little surprise

i think susie would have had a complete meltdown if she was alone. but she was with janet and me and we were all over that puppy . . . “we can fix it!” (like it’s some kind of prize); “aw, that’s nuthin suze!” (like we see torn shawls every day)—it’s not exactly rubbernecking if you know how to fix it . . is it?? there we were, bent right over it to get a closer look while susie turned toward the bathroom, deciding if she would be sick right this second—or not.

i put a few pins in to secure the loose sts—it turned out it not to be a tear, but a dropped stitch in the knit-on edging. i told susie i wanted to wait til it was dry to fix it; she said she’d bring the leftover yarn by in the morning.

once i’d finished my pattern writing for the day, i set to work on the hole

i figured out what happened and which sts were affected (only a few as it turns out). the good news was that it happened on the knit-on edging, where it attaches to the base of row 1 of the shawl body, so a couple of the loose stitches were the base of that row and those can’t run very far. i gathered up the loose sts row-by-row on my pins and figured out how to knit them back together into the pattern

i had to back up twice to look at the same thing which wasn’t going back together quite right, but eventually i solved it.

once i had it down to the last ssk, i pulled a 6-inch piece of spare yarn through those loops and sewed them down to the stitch they should have originally connected to

then pulled the ends of that to the wrong side and wove them in.

a little spot-blocking and stretching should make the whole thing match any other equivalent section. here’s a shot of the adjacent, intact section that did not need repair

the only thing i couldn’t manage was working the joins from the wrong side, as it would have been done originally; i just couldn’t seem to operate without seeing the face of the fabric. so there is a very slight variation in how the join looks in the repaired section. i’m ok with that, though.

all’s well that ends well. this is going to look beautiful on susie—brown is her color. i made her promise to do some modeling shots when she picks the shawl up (and don’t think you can get away with coming after dark susie!).

last night i started my second woodsmoke sock (that’s the sock i showed the other day) and the wiggle scarf

the scarf is wide-ish which i wasn’t sure i’d like, but i do, because the yarn is SO very comfy. i’m planning on devoting my late-night knitting time to this one for a while.

today i also did some cooking because we were getting so low on made-ahead meals. we’ve eaten sandwiches several times since friday—oops. david doesn’t care, but i get tired of a steady diet of meals that aren’t well-balanced. so i made soup

using the last of the fresh greens from my garden. i went out sunday and cut down the remaining chard and spinach that were growing (bright green against a sea of brown), so i could make a pot of greens and beans. we like ours with chick peas.

then i baked a big batch of macaroni and cheese—enough to put several casseroles in the freezer for another time. mmm, and that’s what we had for dinner.

ok now, time to get away from this darn computer and start my evening knitting.
see you tomorrow.

Filed under: food and garden, lace/shawls, projects
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PLEASE NOTE: patterns purchased after the date of the corrections automatically include the following updates

BEE FIELDS
7/19/07
in the set-up section, row 2 does not have a beginning bracket. row 2 should read:
R2 (RS): BO2, k1, yo, sl1 k2tog psso, yo, k2, yo, k2tog, SM, [yo, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, yo, SM], k1, repeat between brackets, k2, yo, k2tog, yo, sl1 k2tog psso, yo, k1, CO2

CASINO
10/15/06
page 4 under “Shape Point�
row 8 of the first part should read: P1, P3, P1
also, on row 9 of the first part , and rows 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, and 11 of the second part, there is a
“sl1, K1—psso� that should be “sl1, K2tog, psso�, so that these instructions should read:
Row 9: K1, sl 1, K2tog—psso, K1
Row 10: P3tog

then in the second part of that section:
Row 1: BO 6, K5, K2tog, K1, SSK, K6 [15 sts]
Row 2: K2tog, SSK, K1, YO2, K1, sl 1, K2tog—psso, K1, YO2, K1, K2tog, SSK [13 sts]
Row 3: K4, P1, sl 1, K2tog—psso, K1, P1, K3 [11 sts]
Row 4: K2tog, SSK, YO2, sl 1, K2tog—psso, YO2, K2tog, SSK [9 sts]
Row 5: K3, P1, K2, P1, K2 [9 sts]
Row 6: K2tog, K1, YO2, sl 1, K2tog—psso, YO2, K1, SSK [9 sts]
Row 7: K3, P1, K2, P1, K2 [9 sts]
Row 8: K2tog, K5, SSK [7 sts]
Row 9: Knit across
Row 10: K2tog, sl 1, K2tog—psso, SSK [3 sts]
Row 11: sl 1, K2tog—psso

10/29/06
on the chart for the Spade pattern, page 6, row 6 incorrectly begins and ends with 5 purl stitches; it should begin and end with 6 purl sts.

DELICATO
1/17/06
near the top of the mitt, just before the beginning of the eyelet rib begins, there is a decrease rnd that contains an error. the instructions for this rnd should read:
Next rnd: Work lace panel row 1 over needle one, increasing 1 st at center of needle; on needle two, K1, K2tog, knit to end; on needle three, knit to 3 sts before end, K2tog, K1. [56 sts total]

CLOVERLEAF LACE MITTS
1/15/07
pattern row 4 is mislabeled as row 3; row 3 should NOT have any YOs, and is the same as rows 1, 5, and 6.

1/17/07
near the top of the mitt, just before the final 6 rnds of ribbing, there is a decrease rnd which contained one too many decreases. that rnd should read:
Next rnd: Work lace panel row 6 over needle one; on needle two, K1, K2tog, knit to end; on needle three, knit to 3 sts before end, K2tog, K1. [45 sts total]

FINE CABLED MITTS
11/3/06
On the first increase round after the 3� of K2P2 ribbing, it says to end the round with (K1,P1) once(twice). It should be K2,P2.

MATH WHIZ SOCK
06/08/07:
at the top edge, where the instructions say Begin Pythagorean Pattern (see page 4 for charted pattern)

MORNING GLORY WRAP
4/20/07
page 3, in the chart for the hem edging, row 12 (WS), stitch #12 should be NO STITCH; there should be p3 before the marker, not p4. written instructions on page 2 are correct.

4/24/07
page 4 in the 4-row finishing for the mesh section, row 2 at the end, the butterfly edging should read: R2: k3, p1, k4, yo, k2tog, SM, k50, SM, k2, yo, k2tog, k2, yo twice, k2tog, k1. the chart is already correct

SUMMER FUN SOCK

07/18/07
on page 1, the row-by row openwork pattern does not match the chart, and is missing row 2! the pattern should read:

Begin Openwork Pattern (see page 4 for charted pattern)
Rnd 1: p1, yo, p2tog, p3* repeat from * to * around

Rnd 2 through 6: p1, k1, P4* repeat from * to * around

Rnd 7: p4, yo, p2tog* repeat from * to * around

Rnd 8 through 12: p4, k1, p1* repeat from * to * around

WING-‘O-THE-MOTH
5/20/07
Row 5 of the corona edging for the SHAWL should read:
Row 5: K1, [SM, P1, K2, SM, *K2, P23, K2* repeat from * to * next marker, SM, K2, P1, SM], K1TBL, repeat between brackets, end K1
chart is correct
9/18/06
wrong stitch count after set-up for corona edging—correction in bold on set-up row 2

Begin Corona Pattern for Shawl Edging
Setup:
Row 1: Knit to center st, K1TBL, knit to end
Row 2 (RS): K1, [SM, YO, PM, *K11, Kfb in next st, K10, K2tog,* repeat from * to * 7 times, then K11, Kfb in next st, K11, PM, YO, SM], K1, repeat between brackets, end K1 [439 total sts, 216 between side markers]

9/17/06
written instructions for scarf/doll shawl (page 4) have an error on right-side rows 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 these rows SHOULD read (and the error is in bold—it affects only 2 numbers per RS row):

Row 6: K1, [SM, P6, SM, *P11, K4, P12* repeat from * to * next marker, SM, P5, SM], K1TBL, repeat between brackets, end K1
Row 7: K1, [SM, YO, K4, YO, K1, YO, SM, *(K1, YO) 3 times, K8, K2TOG, K2, SSK, K8, (YO, K1) 2 times, YO,* repeat from * to * next marker, SM, (K1, YO) 2 times, K4, YO, SM], K1, repeat between brackets, end K1
Row 8: K1, [SM, P3, K6, SM, *K5, P8, K4, P8, K6* repeat from * to * next marker, SM, K5, P3, SM], K1TBL, repeat between brackets, end K1
Row 9: K1, [SM, YO, K8, SM, *K13, K2TOG, K2, SSK, K12* repeat from * to * next marker, SM, K9, YO, SM], K1, repeat between brackets, end K1
Row 10: K1, [SM, P4, K6, SM, *K5, P7, K4, P7, K6* repeat from * to * next marker, SM, K5, P4, SM], K1TBL, repeat between brackets, end K1
Row 11: K1, [SM, YO, K3, (SSK, YO) 3 times, SM, *K1, (YO, K2TOG) 3 times, K5, K2TOG, K2, SSK, K5, (SSK, YO)3 times,* repeat from * to * next marker, SM, K1, (YO, K2TOG) 3 times, K3, YO, SM], K1, repeat between brackets, end K1
Row 12: K1, [SM, P5, K6, SM, *K5, P6, K4, P6, K6* repeat from * to * next marker, SM, K5, P5, SM], K1TBL, repeat between brackets, end K1
Row 13: K1, [SM, YO, K10, SM, *K10, K2TOG, K2, SSK, K11* repeat from * to * next marker, SM, K11, YO, SM], K1, repeat between brackets, end K1
Row 14: K1, [SM, K1, P5, K6, SM, *K5, P5, K4, P5, K6* repeat from * to * next marker, SM, K5, P5, K1, SM], K1TBL, repeat between brackets, end K1

8/27/06
on chart B, the row numbers incorrectly skip number 11; rows should be numbered 1 through 39

8/24/06
in the fir cone pattern section, rows 5 and 7 have stray “SMs� in the bracketed area. thse rows should read:
Row 5: [K1, SM, YO, K2, *K1, YO, K3, Sl 1, K2tog—psso, K3, YO,* rep from * to * to three sts before marker, K3, YO, SM], repeat between brackets once, end K1 [57 sts]
Row 7: [K1, SM, YO, K3, YO *K1, YO, K3, Sl 1, K2tog—psso, K3, YO,* rep from * to * to four sts before marker, K1, YO, K3, YO, SM], repeat between brackets once, end K1 [65 sts]

8/25/06
row 9 of the corona pattern in the WRITTEN instructions is incorrect (the chart is CORREECT). row 9 should read:
Row 9: K1, [SM, P3, K2, SM, *K2, P7, K11, P7, K2* repeat from * to * next marker, SM, K2, P3, SM], K1TBL, repeat between brackets, end K1

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(foreword: i fully intended to post this much earlier in the day, but i have been gone from home practically since i got up this morning. so instead, i’ll split the post i had planned in two—part for now and part for the morning. otherwise, i’ll probably fall asleep in the middle of writing it.)

well, it’s been a remarkable and rejuvenating year. i know you REALLY want to read all my innermost thoughts and revelations about it, and wade through pages of navel-gazing, so let’s get the dirty task of announcing the winners of the BLOGIVERSARY DRAWING out of the way first, and then we can talk, m’kay? (i know—it’s hard to pay attention through all this, but please bear with me).

first up, the fearless fibers superwash merino sock yarn, in colorway smoke, and the smoke socks pattern

goes to kaitlin!

the next prize is the winner’s choice of a skein of fearless fibers superwash merino sock and the delicato mitts pattern, and that goes to

amber!

the alpaca cloverleaf (AKA “mistake”)mitts in handspun alpaca

go to ann-marie!

another pair of (correctly-knitted) cloverleaf mitts

will go out to melanie s. (who seems to be blogless, at least from her email)

Laurie has generously offered pattern and materials to knit her fiber fish mittens

and these will find a home with kara p. (who also mentions no blog in her email)

the bundle of paton’s classic merino dk/lt. worsted—enough for a sweater—from me.

will go out to paula in california

aija will send three sets of her gorgeous stitch markers

out to ridgeley, elaine l., and nancy s.

and last but not least, chris at Briar Rose Fibers will be sending this Abundance! Worsted weight Corridale, 850 yds

to lene

congratulations to all the winners and thank you all for entering.
over 400 entries were mailed in which blows my mind—last time i had a contest it drew a whopping 35 entries and i thought THAT was astounding!

and now, thoguh i intended on blathering about the year past, it will have to wait for tomorrow—i am exhausted.
i’ll be back in the morning full of chatter about what’s in the works.
thank you again for making my birthday lovely!

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as it approaches, i think of the weekend as a luxuriously long stretch of time in which i will get caught up and accomplish much. on friday night, i immediately begin to rationalize, wanting instead to just veg, or to cook a good meal. saturday, i take a little extra time with each task, allowing myself to be a little lazy, or to put off one thing and then another—”just til sunday” (cough . . . including this post, which is WAY long delayed . . . i swear, i kept meaning to do it . . .).

and then, of course, sunday night comes.
i find myself wishing i had used the two days a little better, or more efficiently, because indeed, so many things on my “list” are well . . . still on my list.

and here it is monday morning—the days off already seem far in the past.

it would be easy to whine about working all weekend and say i didn’t get anything at all done (which is what i almost wrote this morning). but then i took my camera on a little trip around the house and found that i had done plenty else, and that in fact, some of what i did was relaxing, fun, and personally rewarding. (and unrelated to my job).

friday night we worked a little late, and i caught up on some paperwork. because i had gone for a haircut that afternoon, and driven right by the italian market on the way home, AND stopped to pick up ingredients, we had all the stuff to make pizza.

mmmm—nothing like starting the weekend off right. i adore pizza.

by the time we did that, and cleaned up (well, david cleaned up), it was time to head upstairs to relax, knit, and watch TV. i finished up one gray mitt and started the second—these will go into the prize pool for the blogiversary drawing.

the yarn is a fuzzy, lustrous gray alpaca handspun that i knit a sweater from two years ago. this yarn has weight—so these are dense and warm. i went with the small size, and the heavier yarn is producing a slightly larger glove, which is perfect for one-size-fits-all (i still used size 2 needles).
i like the cables running all the way through. if you have this pattern and want to do the same, simply cast on 52 stitches to get started instead of 48, and establish the cable pattern on needle one as described in the section AFTER the ribbing, while working the K2, P2 rib over all the other stitches.

and speaking of mitts, stephanie has been experimenting with the delicato mitts and has made them in a beautiful alpaca yarn gifted to her by her husband. now, they did come out a little loose on her delicately proportioned hand, but this problem can easily be fixed by using smaller needles, or finer yarn. i myself like mitts to fit snugly, though that is never much of an option on my rather more amazonian appendages.
(you know that really big guy that stands along the the highways, offering up an enormous muffler in his hands? yeah. my hands are like that).

it tried to snow all weekend, first in a very pretty way on saturday, then in a weak, gray, flabby way on sunday. today, the snow seems to be finding its strength, and it is actually accumulating out there.

see? you can now only glimpse the tips of the dry grass.

saturday i had classes (yoga for me, purses and sweates for them), and i worked on smokin’ sock two while i taught. i didn’t think you’d need to see a picture of those again yet,

but then, when i put them side by side and saw how happy they look together, i knew you would want to share the moment. they are approaching the final run, and i couldn’t be happier.
and since i had to be at my desk all day on sunday, these guys saw a little airtime too.

i know. you can’t tell. (but it makes the sock happy to appear once in a while, so keep a lid on it).

i have spinning news too, and some progress on the starlight evening wrap. but i think i’ll save that for tomorrow. this is getting awfully long and i feel like i’m not making any one point. i’m allowing myself to get distracted here and, speaking of the starlight wrap, i think i need to attend to that now. . .

Filed under: Uncategorized, projects, spinning and fiber
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