the afterglow

Posted on Posted in projects, Uncategorized

you know how once in a while some small gadgety thing comes along that solves an annoying issue, and you just want to tell everyone about it?

i am totally in love.

high-capacity document sleeves have stolen my heart.

first of all they arrived on time; who doesn’t love that??
and high-quality, too—a nice weight, good-looking . . . not at all cheap.

later, there was none of the usual wresting around to find a good entry strategy—those extra-long docs slid in smooth as silk.
and after? they just lay there, nice and flat, looking not-at-all mussed.
ok, maybe it was all over a little quicker than i’m used to, but i can get over that. there are benefits.

ahem. yes, well.

that’s 60 bee patterns going out to anne so she can start shipping kits in a few days’ time. way to go pre-orderers. i think you might even have scared her a little (but in a good way).

yesterday we did a photo shoot at my friend kris’s farm where she gracefully modeled the shawl against several gorgeous backdrops—a strong breeze adding some lift to the piece. can’t wait to show them to you friday . . .

so, le Tour has begun and i realized the other day i had not planned out my usual UFO to finish with it. it has become a tradition for me to work steadily on a languishing project as we watch each stage, night after night.

although i have a couple of sweaters on the needles that i really ought to finish up, i think i will stick to getting all these sock designs and the mitts done. i now have four new small projects on the needles to make a dent in and that would be a great goal for the next two-and-a-half weeks, which is how much longer the race will last.

the stripey socks are chugging along, though i only have one semi-decent picture to show. i waited til too late and could only take pix under my ott light.

this is the one where the pattern begins halfway down the foot at the instep and twists up and around the leg from there. i’m going to be doing gusset heels on these, and on this one i’m trying wendy’s version.

i know i’m arriving late to the toe-up gusset heel party, but now i’m ready to jump on the bandwagon. i just don’t do toe-up socks that often, plus, there is the lazy factor. sometimes i don’t feel like getting up in the middle of a good knitting session to look for instructions and i just fall back on doing what i already know. sue me.
i am kinda tired of the short-row heel not staying on my foot very well, though, so i’m finally getting my act together and trying the new way.

on the other sock, with the alternate pattern placement, i’m going to try cookie A’s method that she used in the baudelaire sock. feel free to barrage me with links to YOUR favorite toe-up gussets; i’m all eyes . . .

oooohh! speaking of cookieA, you know what? next june, she and me and miriam felton and susan lawrence are all going to teach at a retreat in Big Sur. how cool is that??

jackie hutcherson is organizing a five-day getaway called lace in the woods

and check it out: for this event, i’ll be working with anne again on another wonderful shawl design which will be the focus of my workshop sessions there (don’t you love it? as we panic about getting this year’s piece organized and on its way we are already conniving about next year’s . . .). we’ll cover a bit of design and a lot of lace knitting, and i am SO looking forward to it.

and blogless kim has already signed up—we are way too excited.
we are already planning which chocolate to pack. in fact, we could make this a chocolate summit. the pinnacle of our year of taste-testing chocolate.

huh, you laugh. we have BOTH lost weight since we started our testing.

guess what i saw yesterday??

and yes, it’s in my garden. last year the first picking was on july 16, which i thought was early then, and we are ahead of that.

and finally . . . we have babies

ok, david just went upstairs to turn on the races, so i better get moving; i don’t want to miss any of it.

29 thoughts on “the afterglow

  1. I love baby gourds! I have some baby squash sitting in my kitchen right now, waiting for some love. (Dinner. Tomorrow. The squash and I have a date.)

  2. I tried to preorder the Bee pattern, but failed miserably. How do I get a copy of this fabulous pattern? I already ordered some yarn from Anne that I want to use, but the pattern is nowhere to be found on the web site. thanks!

  3. Veggies look lovely and so much further along than mine. I must start earlier next year 😉

    OH… did you say chocolate… We have a wonderful chocolate candy maker here and I’ll be sure to bring plenty for us to taste test.

  4. Hmm, I’m between ordering the pattern and yarn or waiting. It’s so hard. I signed up for the crazy Mystery stole and I like the pattern, but I feel like i”m in some sort of race. There’s no real pressure, but with new clues coming every week, it’s hard not to feel behind. I realy want a lace pattern that will have me totally enthralled. I look forward to the release of the Bee pattern. Glad the document covers worked out for you.

  5. Oh, now I will miss the release of the Bee !
    I’m going on a holiday friday ;_(
    Those babies look so cute, I think I couldn’t eat them 🙂

  6. Big Sur is much more beautiful than you would think, just looking at photos. You will have a grand time at the retreat.

  7. Oh my oh my oh my. I’ve already looked at the lodge website, calculated the number of nights and cost of rooms and started thinking about whether anyone here would want to go. We could meet in person! We could eat chocolate together. I could bring New Mexico wine. I think there is no decision to be made. It was made the moment I read you and lace knitting and Big Sur in one sentence.

  8. The retreat sounds wonderful. It’s a little expensive for me (especially when you factor in air fair) but I love that you all will be together!

  9. I’m so glad to hear about someone else watching le tour every night. We’re the same way here and I agree that it’s great knitting time.

  10. congrats on all the pre-orders! it is beautiful!

    that sock is coming along great – those colors are amazing (and I’m not usually a fan of stripey socks at all!)

    such cute baby gourds….my tomato plants shot up quite a bit yesterday – must have been the temps in the 90’s…I know they love the heat!

  11. Those are beautiful squash! I bet they will taste so yummy 🙂 I would love to go to a Lace in the Woods workshop, alas, Robby is still attached to momma, so I must wait! I can’t wait to order my own very copy of the Bee Shawl, I’ve never knit one of your patterns, but I’ve only heard good things.

  12. I’m looking forward to Bee and happy now that I did not sign up for the Mystery Shawl, as I don’t think this aging brain could do 2 at once. Hypotenuse is just about ready to come off the needles :-).

    Beautiful colors in that sock yarn!

  13. Yes, we HAVE lost weight….but wait till the new stuff gets to you in a couple days…. you’re gonna love it (if it hasn’t melted!). And I love that! BloglessKim. It’s got a nice tone…..

  14. Lace in the Woods sounds marvelous! If only it were a little closer to home… (but good news for all the Left Coasters; their states are much bigger, so they don’t have as many festivals and such within easy reach. 😉

    I didn’t see anything on Anne’s site about pre-ordering, but that’s okay–I need to finish poor neglected Hyrna before starting any more lace. 😉

  15. I am glad that things went so smoothly.

    The wee ones are too cute.

    Lace in the Woods sounds like a great time. Wish it was closer. All that knowlege in one place. Sigh.

    The sock looks great. I can’t wait to see what heel you decide to go with. I have yet to figure up the toe up thing. I can knit them, but they never seem to fit me. I can’t get my foot in the foot section.

  16. Will the Bee pattern be available as a download from you as well or only by mail when released?

    I have more yarn that I care to admit to. =)

  17. If Anne was scared, she didn’t show it! I sent her an email (maybe a slightly…uh…adamant email) telling her I wanted to pre-order, and she emailed me back, saying she’d put me on the list. I suggest that anyone else who wants to pre-order just email her, since the kit isn’t listed on her site yet.

    As for that retreat, is that open to anyone who wants to go? (I’ve never done a knitting retreat, so I don’t know the protocol.) It’s only a few hours drive from me and I love Big Sur.

  18. I used Wendy’s gusset heel on my newly finished Redcocos (love them!) and I really like it. It looks great AND fits wonderfully. Have you seen her toe up heel-flap heel? Haven’t tried it yet, but it’s next on my list.

    Knitting retreat…sigh. If only.

  19. Looking forward to the bee too! I did a spinning project last year during the tour, but I just can’t seem to get mysefl organized enough this year! I don’t know why, but right now I feel like the days are shorter than usual, and I can’t cram everything into them.

  20. Boo hoo I wish I could be in on that retreat and meet you in the very worst way 🙁 Those stripey socks are really melting my butter! I just love those soooo much, I’ll probably have to try toe up socks again with this one after all. It’s going to be a kit right? Always more to want to knit, LOL!

  21. Very intrigued with your new socks. Cookie’s Baudelaire heel is quite elegant. I needed to start it even sooner than she said for the high arch thingy.

    That retreat sounds wonderful and gorgeous.

  22. I’m going to miss Bee!! I’m not going to get a kit! I just know it! I have been saving for this so it could be my birthday treat and the update is going to be on the 15th! That’s a SUNDAY. OH MY.
    I don’t think I’ll be able to check the update of the shop on Sunday…I’ll miss it. 🙁

    *pouts*

    I am excited anyway…and HOORAY for getting the pattern all finished. 🙂

  23. That looks like a fabulous sock pattern, very different? Is it one of yours? if so, what is it called, I’d love to try it too. thanks

  24. OH! I really want to go to Big Sur! I’m just not good at planning so far ahead. Much contemplation is required.

    As for the Bee Shawl, I think I’m going to wait for you to offer it as a stand-alone pattern. I think I found the perfect yarn for it. It’s 100% silk. Mmm.

  25. Oh, the retreat sounds like great fun!

    The veggies are too cute for words. I hope they were tasty! We’re up to our ears in summer squash from our CSA, here.

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