New Projects, San Francisco Visit

I got back from spring break over one week ago and still haven't posted or mentioned it. I think being plunged back into winter in Boston after the springy weather of San Francisco shocked me too much.

Time with Aidan was sprinkled with plenty of knitting. I knit most of the rest of lelah and was able to finish the edging and straps within a day or two of returning. The stockinette stitch over the bust nearly crippled me via carpel tunnel problems. It is done; it is finishes; I'm wearing it now. Actually, I'm still wearing the outfit in the photos. I wanted to not have the dorky long-sleeved t-shirt on underneath, but it warmed up to 34 degrees (Fahrenheit, mind you) today.





(Don't ask me why this photo is sideways. Blogger isn't letting me rotate it and it's not sideways anywhere else.)

In mods, on the lelah top, I finished the edging around the top in four rows of double moss stitch and continued the double moss stitch up the straps. I think I will sew bra straps to the underside of the straps so that they won't stretch so much. I didn't really figure for as much stretch in them as they are proving to have so I may have to go in and shorten them.





I took a few pictures of Aidan spinning some yarn. I'm so glad that I can share my deep desire for a niddy noddy with someone and not have them think I'm strange. Also, it was refreshing that I had someone to sit in bed with, watch Murder She Wrote and knit without feeling too ashamed of myself. I did have a few flashes of "Grey Gardens," but told myself that I only needed to worry if either Aidan or I started wearing a turban.

In other news, I seriously need to go on a yarn diet. I can no longer close the lid to my yarn tub defeating the purpose of the plastic yarn tub with a lid--to keep out pandas who want to munch on my bamboo wool. Also, I purchased some yarn at Atelier Yarns in San Fran. The first one is a gorgeous 50% silk/ 50% wool blend and the second is a orangey cotton/soy blend.





I'm thinking of knitting sizzle with the cotton soy. I have no idea what I want to knit with the silk/wool blend. I love seeing the variegated yarns, but I've concluded that I rarely like how they knit up. I think something simple like garter stitch or moss stitch would be appropriate. I'm inspired by BrooklynTweed's posting about handspun and scarves. He knits beautiful items so I won't feel so icky imitating him. Perhaps the so-called scarf pattern would work well (funny thing is that while in San Fran-my first day actually-Aidan and I went to imagiknit and saw the scarf that is in the photo that I linked to).

As for that yarn diet, I'm going to start doing some stash knitting, i.e. finding patterns to go with my yarn instead of the other way around.

Right now, the WIPs are the Hanami I started right before spring break and which only progressed a few rows until I had to frog a few rows. I need quite, calm time to concentrate on it until I know the pattern well; and right now, if I can't knit it in front of the tv, it's not getting knit. Secondly, I just cast on the Swan Lake Cardi and the pattern isn't too hard at all so I expect to make the most progress on that one.