Ruth Fisher was knitting on the most recent episode of Six Feet Under. According to a recent discussion on Knitter's Review the show has filmed scenes at an LYS in Burbank, so it looks like knitting might play a role in future episodes. As usual, I was busy obsessing over whether Frances Conroy was really knitting (odd camera angles and strategically placed props made it difficult to tell), but what was more interesting was the way Ruth's knitting was used as a symbol of the distance in her relationship with George. He asked her not to knit, saying she is "miles away" when she picks up the needles. Ruth replied "I like to knit. I deserve to knit." Tell it, sister. It will be interesting to see how the knitting angle plays out; I'm hoping they avoid the obvious lobotomy on George with an Addi Turbo. One of the most appealing aspects of SFU is the warts and all presentation of believable characters in surreal situations. Ruth has been getting a lot of hate on the internet discussion boards for her treatment of loony George (would you have patience with a husband who hides food in his pockets?); letting her knit might be a way to center her character. Then again, it might be a way for her to slaughter everyone in the last episode of the series.
Cool celebrity sighting yesterday afternoon: Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat drag emerging from the subway station at the Columbus Circle Mall...I mean Time Warner Center. I spotted the cameras trying to be unobtrusive a block or so away, so I knew something was up. Borat was coming up the stairs carrying two large leather suitcases and looking bewildered, but if he was trying to pull a punk'd it obviously wasn't working because people were going bananas with the cellphone cameras and excited calls to friends (I, by the way, don't have a cell phone camera so I cribbed this off Google images). When I came back out of the mall Sacha seemed to have given up; he was with a couple of P.A. types, communicating on a walkie talkie looking somewhat deflated but oddly handsome.
(Cue sound of crickets chirping)
Here's the first few inches of the Forbes Forest Scarf from Scarf Style. There is actually a Knit-along for the projects in this book, but I'm ashamed to join because my progress is so slow, I fear there might not be an internet by the time I finish. This is definitely a "shut up, I'm counting" project, a nice change from the relatively mindless knitting I've slipped into. I had a false start after blithely plunging in and realized I needed to get organized. I blew up the chart on a copy machine, cut it in manageable segments and pasted them into a flip-top book of index cards. Then, I got some color pencils and coded the glossary and chart accordingly: green for knit stitches, pink for purls, red for right slanting cables, purple for left, etc. The bobbles weren't...bobbling, but the ever-helpful Knitters Review pointed me here and now they're perky and pleasing. As usual, I'm creeping along (for those of you anxiously awaiting Sam's sweater--keep waiting), but I'm enjoying the challenge, and the feel of the yarn--a bouncy merino two ply from Morehouse.
Surely the most exciting fiber news of the week was the release of Martha and her fabulous poncho, made for her by a sister inmate (or, as the NY Daily News so delicately put it, a "crocheting con." According to Martha, this women crochets 12 hours a day. Hmmm.....Not much progress made on my own knitting this week. Still slogging away on Sam's sweater. Did a few rows on a lace scarf. Started and abandoned a prototype baby bootie--I was thinking of having a go at the angora booties in Last Minute Knits to delve into some precious bits of stash; I'm glad I did the prototype before getting tangled up with the fuzzy stuff. The booties are as cute as can be, but the pattern is much to complicated for such a little object (and working with double pointed needles is still like wrestling with a porcupine). Oh, well, process not product.
While I continue to slog away at Sam's sweater, I knit up a striped baby hat using some of my last stash remnants of Mission Falls Cotton, which I understand they are going to discontinue. Wahhhh (speaking of babies)!!
Happy Valentine's Day. I made a Baby Heart Hat from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop to go with the Baby Albert coat below (now I must find some heart buttons...). I was initially bothered by the blips of contrasting color peeking through the attached i-cord edging, but I've convinced myself that it's a design statement. Anyway, I don't think the baby will mind. I think I've blogged this before, but Elizabeth Zimmermann was a friggin' genius. Such a cool pattern...where in her knitterly brain did such things come from?
A Baby Albert Jacket (again from Sally Melville's Knitting Experience: The Knit Stitch), finished save for some loose ends and buttons. Actually, I think it looks rather fetching and Chanel-ish without the buttons, but since the holes are already there I might as well add some...I'm thinking hearts. It's made from Plymouth Encore Colorspun and some stash DK cotton for the single crochet trim, which I hope detracts from my less than successful shoulder seams. I followed Sally's clear directions as best as I could, but my seams still look kind of like abandoned railroad tracks. Doesn't bode well for the endless seams facing me with Sam's sweater (see below), but I perservere. Speaking of Sam's sweater, the back provides the background for this shot, and the back is taking me friggin' forever. Process, not product. Hey, if it takes me three months to make a sweater I'll still have four by the end of the year with other projects in between, right? Right??
For most of my knitting career, I've made mostly little things, instant gratification stuff where size doesn't matter: scarves, hats, baby sweaters, bags and such. And for most of my knitting career, I have avoided seams like the plague; the sweaters I've done have been strictly circular. But one of my knitting resolutions for this year is to stretch myself, so I've taken on a full-sized sweater for my DH, from Sally Melville's marvelous first Knitting Experience book. Using Adriafil Roller, acquired at the recent Smiley's Yarn Riot (and dang, what a riot it was--two hours on line!). I am irrationally terrifed by the idea of seaming, being a confirmed in-the-round knitter, but like I said, it's time to try something new. Heck, I even swatched, another first! I'm alternating it with another baby sweater, so I can feel like I'm accomplishing something. Wish me luck, folks, and watch this space for progress...
Long time no post, but I have been knitting. Above is the first finished object of 2005. OK, so it's only a scarf, but it's done. Just 50 inches of straight garter stitch; I let the yarn do the work. It's Cicco by Gedifra--lots of folks have used it for the Paris Loop pattern at Magknits. I was going to dub my scarf Washington Heights Loop, but as I knit on I realized it reminded me of dryer lint. In a good way.
Finished Object: DD's hat from Marnie Maclean's pattern here. It ate one skein of Noro Kureyon (Color 130), plus a bit of a second skein for the trim and flower. I made some modifications: cast on 94 stitches on size 8 circular needle to accomodate gauge and pattern, knit in the round instead of flat, and since I am crochet-challenged I knit the flower instead, using the Basic Five Petal Blossom from Nicky Epstein's Knitted Embellishments (page 23). Thanks to Marnie for the pattern, and thanks again to my KR Secret Pal for the Noro. Speaking of thanks, I love Thanksgiving. Not just for the food, but for the extended knitting time--I already have a good start on a matching scarf for the frou-frou hat (pattern here. Thanks, Susan).
