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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Finished Bag!

I started the French Market Bag last July with the purpose of using up stash. I have kept it as my "mindless" knitting project, so I guess I don't have a lot of time for truly mindless knitting or it would have been finished a long time ago. I have a fair amount of Lopi and knew it would felt well after testing it on a felted bowl from One Skein. I had no idea what I would use the finished bag for. It doesn't close so I wouldn't be good for yarn-too easy for cats to rob the contents.
Yesterday I was standing in front of my front loader remembering that I had read somewhere that white Lopi may not felt, something to do with the bleaching process. Did I knit a swatch and test this theory? Of course not. Crossing my fingers I hoped for the best. The bag had looked totally ridiculous going in to the washer. Huge, floppy, and a shape like the nose of an airplane. After about four wash cycles with a couple of pairs of jeans I took a deep breath and checked, all was well! Miraculously, the bag felted beautifully (even the white). Felting wool and blocking lace have to be the two greatest transformations for knitters. The bag is sturdy and most of the water had spun out. Gracie immediately jumped in, not bothered by the dampness in the least. She even matches the colors. Now I know what it will be used for.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Summer List

I read Noolie's post and followed her link to Ali's blog Skeins Her Way where a contest is starting. Gave me a good reason to put my list together. I'm feeling ambitious.
  1. Finish Beefields shawl √
  2. Make a Laminaria gift shawl √
  3. Finish Bayerische socks
  4. Make Priscilla's Dream Socks from Favorite Socks (June Sockdown)
  5. Make some Charlene Schurch socks (July sockdown)
  6. Finish French Market Bag √
  7. Finish Chevalier Mittens
  8. Redo buttonband on my CPH
  9. Cobblestone for husband
  10. To be determined sweater for me (I have a long list of options)
  11. Fix neck on husband's guernsey
  12. Gift knitting...scarves, mitts, market bags, etc.
  13. No yarn purchases, knit from stash
  14. At least one other shawl (maybe the KAL at Manic Purl)
  15. Finish Lace Ribbon Scarf
  16. Dye some of the bare yarn I have
  17. Update blog on regular basis
  18. Ice Queen
  19. Mrs Beeton's

Summer Plans

I decided to change my blog name. Scituate Knitter is now ME Knit. I needed a change to give me a push to post on a more regular basis! Hope this works.
School is almost out! Although I have some courses and other professional plans lined up, I'm also planning my knitting and already feeling pressed for time! I have the Beefields shawl about 50% finished (I know this thanks to a handy spreadsheet I downloaded) and want to start a second Laminaria shawl to give as a gift. Sweaters for me, socks, finishing some UFOs, gifts, and a Cobblestone for Kenny.
We are not traveling for any extended vacations this summer. The cost of travel and the need to rebuild our coffers is keeping us happily in Maine. We have a weekend planned in Monhegan with friends and a couple of weekends with family in the northeast. Very manageable. I think the garden will be the best it's been in years because we'll be around to take care of it. We are already enjoying a great crop of lettuce. I'm also going to set up a regular posting schedule for this blog, although I'm not sure what that will be.
I'm enjoying a new podcast, The Manic Purl. Chrissy is podcasting from Vancouver, B.C. (we loved that city when we did a trip through that area 10 years ago) and she has a great mix of chat, info, reviews, and knitting updates. It's great to have a new podcast that I enjoy this much!
I did knit in public yesterday, but not with a planned meet up. I was waiting for Spinning Yarns, in Dover, NH to open and worked on the Beefields while I had a cup of coffee. I've been reading Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's latest book, as well as listening to many of the interviews she has done on podcasts lately. I'm wishing that she would write and essay for the This I Believe... project on NPR.