Knitting without electricity

I was going to take a picture of my Mystery Stole 3 after Chart A and post it last night. Instead, we had an intense thunderstorm and the power went out. Usually the outage is fairly brief and the only thing to do is wait a few minutes before the lights flicker and come back on. Last night I lit a candle and wondered how on earth any fancy knitting got done after dark in days gone by. It was only about 8:00 pm, way too early for bed, and my knitting neurons were twitching. I dug out my very bright camping lantern, put it on the table, and had just enough light to continue with Chart B of Clue 1. I kept going until after 10:00 when I finally felt sleepy enough to go to bed. The power finally came back on at 2:30 am. How do I know? My alarm system horn was going off and wouldn't let me sleep! I hope it didn't wake the neighbors. After some knitting this morning, I am about 1/3 through Chart B. It is an enjoyable project so far. The Malabrigo Lace Weight is a dream to handle and stands up well to tinking.


As soon as Clue 1 for MS3 was available, all knitting on the Horcrux socks halted. Because they are so very dark, they are almost impossible to photograph well. You may just be able to see the little light flecks which are actually subtle sparkles. Laura, from Sunday Yarn Church, saw the socks and said they reminded her of the dining room ceiling at Hogwarts. And she didn't even know I was knitting Horcrux socks! Speaking of HP, I splurged and ordered the audio version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from Amazon, even paying for delivery. The plan: wear my Horcrux socks while I knit the latest MS3 clue and listen to Jim Dale read.

Roz's Wedding Shawl

Roz is a regular at the knitting table at The Yarn Lounge. She and Rob got married today.


When she began to plan her wedding, she thought she would knit a lace shawl to wear. However, she decided not to so she wouldn't have the stress of making her first lace project in time for the ceremony. A mystery knitter (not me) heard about her decision and made a Swallowtail out of Blue Sky Alpacas alpaca and silk. It was perfect weather today for wearing a shawl over a lovely sleeveless silk wedding dress.


The mystery knitter did a beautiful job with the dreaded nupps, didn't she?


Roz even wore the shawl when she and Rob cut the cake. It was a Red Velvet cake with cream cheese icing. It was a lovely party. Even the children had a good time.

Moonlight & a movie

What a difference blocking makes!


This lovely pattern by Shui Kuen Kozinski is available free at Elann. I happened to have the very yarn called for - Elann's Baby Silk. It had been in my stash for at least 2 years. I used #4 needles and knit 8 instead of 10 repeats in order to avoid the dreaded Jemima Puddleduck effect.


Sorry this detail is flashed out. I can see how easy it would be to get addicted to lace. I am planning to make Eunny's Print o' the Wave with my loot. But I am going to try to restrain myself from full blown compulsion because I do like to use the things I make and how much lace do I really need. And I think socks are probably more useful gifts than lace shawls. At least, I can't really imagine that my sister would prefer a shawl over socks.

I watched another good indie film about a family last night. Amy Adams was nominated for a 2005 Academy Award for her role in Junebug. It was the story of a visit to family in North Carolina by the older son and his new wife. Very truthful and touching with excellent acting.

Blocking

Every single mistake just screamed at me while I was pinning it out. I know they won't really show when I am wearing it. It will be dry and ready to unpin when I go to teach my class tomorrow night.

Saturday Songs, Movies, Moonlight & a UFO

Songs

1. Boogie - Paolo Conte
2. Junko Partner - Dr. John
3. Rescue - Lucinda Williams
4. Au Suivant - Jacques Brel
5. Ai Vida - Cristina Branco
6. There Will Never Be Another You - Chet Baker
7. Singapore - Tom Waits
8. Tall In The Saddle - Joan Armatrading
9. Sous Le Soleil Exactement - Serge Gainsbourg
10. She Said She Said - The Beatles


Movies

I have 133 movies in my Netflix queue. At about 4 movies a week & adding at least two for every one I watch, I will never catch up. I must have added these first two after last year's Academy Awards.

Capote starring Philip Seymour Hoffman in an Oscar winning performance as Truman Capote. The film was visually stunning and the entire cast was excellent. I particularly like Catherine Keener as Harper Lee. Hoffman is one of his generation's great actors. I first saw him in Owning Mahowny based on the true story of a mild mannered, compulsive gambler who embezzles millions from the bank where he works in order to fund his habit.

Syriana was a very effective thriller that pulled me in, despite my confusion about what exactly was going on. The story grew by fragments until it fell into place shortly before the conclusion. George Clooney (another 2005 Oscar winner) did his best to look ordinary by gaining 30 pounds, growing a beard & shaving his hairline. Can't escape those gorgeous eyes though. The rest of the top notch cast included Matt Damon, Chris Cooper & William Hurt.

Too bad I saw Casino Royale around the same time. Yes, Daniel Craig is hot but the movie was waaay too long for such a simplistic story.

And then, last night, a wonderful independent film, Lovely & Amazing, directed by Nicole Holcener who went on to Friends With Money (now in my queue). A terrific ensemble cast that included Brenda Blethyn - Secrets & Lies, Little Voice and Mrs.Bennett in the Keira Knightly version of Pride & Prejudice, Catherine Keener (again), Jake Gyllenhaal - pre-Brokeback Mountain and Raven Goodwin, a child actress who played the most sensible character in the movie.

Moonlight


The shawl is finished and ready to be blocked tomorrow. The Walker Treasury blog has a swatch of the lace - called Sunspots in Barbara Walker's book - as a recent entry.

UFO


Remember this? I got as far as completing the back and beginning the left front last November. The concentration required to follow row by row instructions eluded me and the whole thing was left to marinate for months. After Swallowtail and Moonlight Sonata, the pattern suddenly seemed much less complex so I picked it up again. I finished the left front in a day and am now working my way up the right front, increasing, decreasing and short-rowing along with ease. The pattern for Kate Gilbert's Equestrian Blazer is in the Fall 2006 Interweave Knits if you want to check out the instructions.

Loot!

Unlike half the knitters on the East Coast, I didn't make it to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival but I still have loot.


Melanie brought me this 100% merino superwash lace yarn from Tess' Designer Yarns. Teri-Kay helped her pick the perfect green - not the green you see which is washed out by the flash, the actual green is deeper and richer.

Once I finish and recover from knitting Moonlight Sonata, I think I will use my loot to make Eunny Jang's Print o' the Wave stole.

Blue Blob No More

Love how this sweater turned out. Details: Knitting Pure & Simple Top Down V Neck Cardigan, knit using Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece (80% cotton, 20% merino wool) in the Emperor's Robe colorway, on size 7 Denise needles. Mother of Pearl buttons. Small modifications - I knit the bottom edge in garter stitch instead of K1, P1 ribbing and made the sweater less long.


Irises are very forgiving plants. I have neglected my garden for years and these still bloom by my front steps. The camera decided that I was taking a picture of the background instead of the flower, so it is a bit blurry and you can see all the volunteer maple seedlings. Ah well.


Linda finished her very first sock during Yarn Church yesterday. She used Trekking XXL in a lovely grey colorway.


I'm trying to complete a pattern repeat a day of the Moonlight Sonata shawl. Of course that takes more time as I go along because the shawl keeps growing. This is with the fifth repeat done.


And progress has been made on the first of the Regia Silk socks. It is my teaching, dvd watching knitting now that the Blue Blob is no longer. Maybe I should have taken the picture on a sock blocker, it is looking awfully skinny.

Music, Movies & Moonlight

Friday iPod Shuffle

1. Shopping Trolley - Beth Orton
2. Shotgun Boogie - Don Walser
3. Guess Things Happen That Way - Johnny Cash
4. Somebody Who Loves You - Joan Armatrading
5. Out of Touch - Lucinda Williams
6. Buckets of Rain - Bob Dylan
7. Railroad Lady - Willie Nelson
8. Go To Sleep Alone - Jimmie Dale Gilmore
9. Close Your Eyes - Queen Latifah
10. Cold Blue Steel & Sweet Fire - Joni Mitchell

Movies


This movie opened yesterday and got an excellent review in today's New York Times. Directed by the Canadian actress, Sarah Polley, who starred in The Sweet Hereafter and No Such Thing (recently written about here), it has an extraordinary cast that includes the luminous Julie Christie. I won't wait for it to come out on a dvd to see it.


Last night I watched Jules and Jim - Truffaut's masterpiece from 1962. Jeanne Moreau is another actress who combines exceptional beauty with true talent.

Another highly recommended film is Vera Drake starring Imelda Staunton who was Oscar nominated for her role as the ordinary working class mother and loving wife who has a secret vocation as an illegal abortionist in 1950's England. Directed by Mike Leigh and perfectly acted, this film is an excellent reminder of a time to which we cannot revert. Hey Supreme Court, Keep your laws off my body!

Also seen and enjoyed -
Pirates of the Caribbean, The Curse of the Black Pearl, wonderful Johnny Depp and a marvelously complicated plot. I don't need to see the sequels though.
Broadcast News. Love Holly Hunter but, boy, those 1980's fashions sure haven't aged well.

Moonlight

I've finished the third repeat. For more details, come on over to the Elann shawlknit-along.

Swallowtail Shawl(s)

The Swallowtail Shawl blocked beautifully.


It turned out just the way I imagined.


The yarn was a gift from Kate M. She purchased it from Art Fibers in San Francisco. They design and produce their own line of yarn and you can only purchase it from them. Mine is Valparaiso in color 7. It is 50% baby alpaca, 50% merino wool. I knit the shawl using Denise needles in size 5. The pattern is from the Fall 2006 issue of Interweave Knits






Can you even see the nupps? Once I started using a size 1 needle to pick up the 5 stitches to purl together, the nupps went smoothly.


Melanie and I had a mini KAL. This is her finished Swallowtail, knitted in a Jo Sharp 100% alpaca yarn (can't remember the name).


Didn't she do a beautiful job?

Check out my start on the Moonlight Sonata shawl over at the Elann Shawl Knit-along.