More reasons to love living in Oregon

The Fraternal Order of Eagles are throwing a carnival.

The daffodils are in bloom...

... as are the lilacs.

(Did I mention it's February?)

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

So I spoke too soon (I know, I know: y'all are just shocked). I was sure the DomiKNITrix Knit-A-Long was nowhere near ready to start, but the pattern is totally ready (the day after I so confidently signed up for the Create Along. Whoops!).

BTW, I highly recommend this book - there are some truly awesome designs happening there and a distinct, clever sensibility. I don't always agree, but I can appreciate the thoughtfulness behind her choices. I get the feeling it'd be great to have a beer with her and shoot the sh... er, chew the fat. (My MIL reads this blog. I should at least pretend I don't actually talk like that, n'est pas?)

My saving grace is that I had to order my yarn, so I have some time before I start working on this (gulp) nineteen page pattern. I think I've got my work cut out for me with this one - and I so can't wait!

Hog Wild

Happy Lunar New Year! The Year of the Pig seems an auspicious one to me, as that was my nickname for a number of years. (I was a Very Chubby Baby, doncha know.)

Because I just finished a work project that I was certain would destroy me (in a brains-exploding-all-over-the-floor sort of way), and because I have sworn off the knitting of any further work projects, I am positively giddy with unfettered personal knitting time. I've started a little pressie for someone, which will be my mindless TV watching project, and I plan to participate in the Elfin Goth-Along, but that hasn't started yet. So what's a girl to do?



Why, join the Create Along, of course. I've got a few gorgeous colors of Cotton Classic and an LYS gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket. This will be fun!

KP CotLin

One of the perks of working at KP is getting to play with our new yarns before they are generally available. This is a fun task for me, as I love to swatch.
(Yeah, I know. I'm a little weird that way.)
Playing around with a new yarn just for the sake of being creative gives me joy like few other things (in my yarn-related life) do.

So when I learned we were getting a new DK weight yarn, I was thrilled to get the chance to experiment with it. For one thing, DK is my favorite weight of yarn to work with (it's good for all sizes of people, and doesn't take forever to knit even a large sweater) and for another, I absolutely love the feel of 100% linen yarn, but don't neccessarily like to knit with it. This one is a good compromise between the softness of an unmercerized cotton and the sturdiness of linen.

Behold:



(Sorry for the washed out photo - I just couldn't get my little camera to take an accurate one! In real life, this color (Moroccan Red) is incredibly vibrant (as are all the colors in this line).

Yarn: CotLin
Needle size: 4
Unblocked Gauge: 5.25 sts/9.5 rows = 1"
Machine Washed & Dried Gauge : 6 sts/9.75 rows = 1"

The swatch is so much softer now, and I think it will continue to soften with repeated washes, just like 100% linen does. I really like the way it feels next to my skin.
It would be excellent for 'warshrags' as well as clothing.

I'm thinking of it will be the perfect yarn for the DomiKNITrix Elfin Goth Knitalong. I had thought to make the sweater in this red, but now I'm leaning towards Key Lime. It's saucy and bright- just the thing to make brighten up the dark days of Spring in the PNW!

Dyeing for Spring

Finally, some bloggable knitting!
The pic below isn't the greatest (it's courtesy of the Boy'O's camera phone) but it's the very pleasing result of my drink mix dyeing experiment:


This will eventually be a gift for a special someone I just found out about...

Workout

Not the exercise variety, silly, but the amazing amount of knitting I've had to do of late. My wrists have been all about the ache. I was actually put on "knitting restriction" by the doctor - I bet it's the first time he ever had to do that!
And I can't share any of the knitting, so it's a bit frustrating. But it has been done. Exhibit A:


Yup, that's all you get. More to come later, but right now I've got to check on my Kool-Aid(TM) dyeing project.

Problem Solver

Part of my job is to resolve pattern problems (as best I can). Though of course we proofread them, we are only human and mistakes happen.
[Aside: KP is a small company (6 of us, and two of whom are in brand new positions) - I am constantly amazed that the catalog can be produced by just a few people!]

I'll admit, corrections is my least favorite part of the gig, but it is always instructive. I think it will ultimately make me a better pattern writer, deciding on ways to phrase an instruction or technique so that they make sense to the greatest number of knitters. I have to constantly challenge/remind myself that (thankfully) no one can read my mind just yet, and therefore I mustn't *assume* that everyone knits at the same level I do.

With that in mind, I'd like to ask a question: what's the most confusing thing you've encountered in a knitting pattern?

Nuts!

That title doesn't refer to the ubiquitous hazelnuts of the Pacific Northwest (though I've eaten plenty of those since my arrival here) but to how I've been feeling lately. Tight deadlines both for work and outside project have got me feeling a little squirrelly these days.
It also means I can't show y'all any of my current knitting.
And even if I could show and tell, I can't quite figure out what happened to the software in the switch from the desktop to the laptop.

Darn this technology!

Well, as soon as I can get the Boy-O to hook me up, I'll try to find a few tiny and interesting bits and bobs to show you all to at least prove that there is still knitting going on in this household.