theraineysisters knitting and so much more

February 25, 2008

From Susan — I Want to Thank the Academy

Filed under: Uncategorized — lv2knit @ 1:19 am

For what?  You didn’t win anything!!  Well, that’s true, but I want to thank them for hosting the awards this evening — an annual event I enjoy every year :).  Unfortunately, I saw very few of the movies because they were so grisly.  I did see Juno and was pleased Diablo Cody won the writing award.  A couple of other Twin Citians did well, too (the Coens).

This afternoon I went to the MKG Tea and had a wonderful time.  Met some new peeps and ran into some people I have not seen in AGES (15-25 years to be exact).  Wow — flashback time.  It goes to prove that knitting is a way to bring people together.  We had a 7-year old there (Anna) who has been knitting since last October — taught by her grandmother and attending her first Guild meeting.  How cool is that?

February 24, 2008

From Susan — Will Someone Knit for MOI??

Filed under: Roseleaves Tunic — lv2knit @ 10:46 am

Lorraine so aptly voiced this sentiment (“Susan- I’d love to have a [Merci] scarf like that, but I don’t want to knit one- does that make sense?”) — alas, I am afraid the answer is a resounding, YES!  It makes tons of sense!  However, for most of us, we are the knitters, not the knittees.  There are so many things I “want” that I do not have time to make.  I want them to magically appear in my closet, in the exact style, color, etc. that I covet.  It takes so long to make everything and costs so much for the yarn (I do have expensive taste ;)) that I can’t do it all.  The internet has just made it worse.  I find “must haves” every day!

But this is too scrumptious to ignore:


Sirino 50% silk/50% wool from The Great Adirondack Yarn Company, color Serengeti II (675 yds, 150 gms)
Note presence of dog hair — it is on everything I own

This yarn is so beautiful, I cannot find the words.  It is like knitting from an Egyptian pharoah’s jewel cache.  There is a lot of a deep rusty, copper color and a deep, regal purple, with very short runs of aqua and peacock teal.  The sts shine like there is light emanating from inside.  I hope when I get to the lace section (with stockinette thrown in) that I still like the way the colors work — but this is stunning color, like I have rarely seen.

February 23, 2008

From Susan — A Mini Update

Filed under: Lyra by Niebling — lv2knit @ 1:29 pm

I just did something to my computer so my icons are back.  I don’t know what I did, but there is hope.  One commenter said to “defrag” my computer.  I have no idea what that means!  My husband mentioned it, too, and said we should do it once a week (I THINK he said defrag! ;)).  If I figure out what that is, maybe I’ll do it!

I bought longer needles for Lyra, so I could actually see the pattern emerging as I transitioned from one needle to the other. 

I think there are still about 50,000 sts left to knit on this baby — it is truly the most ambitious project of my knitting life.  The “tulips” are almost done, so I see light at the end of the tunnel.  The light is a very small dot way, way, WAY in the distance :).

The yarn ball left on my scarf is the size of a small lime — but it never gets smaller!  I want this done NOW.  Note to self: stop knitting on other projects…

I had to restart my Roseleaves Tunic.  I decided to follow the instructions for a change and ended up not liking the way the slipped edge stitches looked.  I started it up again this morning, so nothing really to show yet.  Note to self: STOP the madness!  Finish the $%^&&%$ Merci Scarf and then work on Roseleaves!

Hi, Sally!  Hope you, Nora, Joe and B-Man are having fun!

Reminder to Twin Cities Knitters: the Minnesota Knitters Guild meeting is tomorrow at 2 pm.  It is a “tea” (which means food!).  I love the MKG Teas — it’s like the world’s biggest knitting group!  Hope to see you there.

PS — The Merci Scarf is the tres simple scarf I have been knitting as a thank you to a special person in our lives.  Here is the final scarf!!

The “pattern” has already been posted on The Blog, but here it is again:

The yarn is drop dead soft: it is Cascade Autunno in Desert Shade (Color #34918, 98 yds/50 gms, 100% Fine Merino — I used 4 skeins).  I had never heard of it, but it is very soft with gentle variegation and a ragwool effect.  I had trouble finding a stitch that would work because of the ragwool coloring — too much going on for many stitch patterns.  I am using a seed rib as follows:

The Merci Scarf (multiple of 4x + 3 sts)
I am using US Size 8 needles and 35 sts

Row 1: *k3, p1* rep betw * * to last 3 sts, k3
Row 2: k1, p1, *k3, p1* rep betw * * to last st, k1

It is mindless and perfect for a scarf because it does not curl and is reversible. 

PS2 — I cannot find Utilities OR disc defragment anywhere on my computer 🙁 I did find it and I did defrag!!  Woo Hoo!  Thanks for all of your advice!

February 22, 2008

From Susan — Back to the Basics

Filed under: Uncategorized — lv2knit @ 12:57 am

I am still working on that $%^^$## scarf!  As my peeps pointed out this evening, I could have finished a sweater by now!  I am down to the last skein  — BUT, I digress!

At knitting tonight, Emily was wearing a recent FO — an oldie but a goodie.  It is the Roseleaves Tunic from A Gathering of Lace. 

I had a brainstorm: could I use the laceweight silk and wool that Sally and I bought in NYC?  It is crazy with color — lots and lots of gorgeous color:


Sirino 50% silk/50% wool from The Great Adirondack Yarn Company, color Serengeti II (675 yds, 150 gms)

Purple, gold, tan, turquoise, etc.  I swatched and I am starting it.  I’m not sure if it will work, but so far I am pleased.  I am excited to be excited about some knittin!  The yarn is lustrous because of the silk.

I hope to be able to blog again this week.  My computer is acting very strange — the desktop icons keep disappearing.  It is tres annoying.  I am not a computer person, so we may need to seek HHHHHHHHEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!! 

February 19, 2008

From Susan — A Very Knitty Day

Filed under: Back Story — lv2knit @ 12:11 am

Yesterday I was immersed in knitting from dawn (not quite…) until dusk (actually, pitch dark!).  I started the Roslin Hoodie class at The Yarnery.  A very nice group of students, with very nice yarn choices for their hoodies.  The class is set at a reasonable pace so people can get the project done and have a life.

Then, last night, I spent the evening with a wild bunch of Nicky Epstein fans at Amazing Threads.  Nicky taught a 3-hour class on edgings and flowers and bold finishes.  It was a fun evening.  Nicky had already spent the weekend at the Mall of America with “Knit Out” so she was a little tired, but she seemed to hang in there just fine.  I, on the other hand, was still recovering from little daughter’s 13th birthday from the night before, so I was more pooped than Nicky!

Knitting has been slow and not very exciting.  I am working on the Merci Scarf, and it is ~40 inches long — so it looks the same, except 40 inches long!  B-o-o-o-o-r-r-r-r-r-r-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g!  I love the scarf, but it is taking a lot more time than I thought.  Scarves are a lot of knitting.

On the way to The Yarnery yesterday, I also visited my oldest daughter’s artwork, on display at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.  She won a silver key award in the Scholastic Arts Award program.  She created a poster for her own (faux) company, with an environmental theme.  Since my knitting is too boring to photograph, I will share her artwork with you:

Portrait of Artist as Lace Tam Model:

Happy Monday and Happy Knitting 🙂

February 17, 2008

From Sally — Sometimes I Think I Have No Imagination

Filed under: Uncategorized — surly @ 9:56 am

No, I don’t live over at youtube. I really don’t. I have friends who send me links that they think I’ll find of interest. This one involving “animated” pieces of knitting is simply amazing.

February 15, 2008

From Sally — Thank You!

Filed under: Uncategorized — surly @ 6:25 pm

I so appreciate all of the birthday wishes. This has been a quiet birthday; my husband is in Minnesota visiting his mother so we celebrated early. I’ve spent the day knitting and reading. I even managed to squeeze in a visit to a yarn shop just because.

I also spent a little time watching this video of a knitting machine made entirely of Legos. It’s fascinating. I can’t quite figure out what it’s doing, but I was heartened to see that this machine knits even more slowly than I do!

From Susan to Sally

Filed under: Back Story — lv2knit @ 1:31 am

BIRTHDAY.gif BIRTHDAY image by joseletty

To My Best Friend and Blogging Partner!!  Woo Hoo! 🙂

Yes, it’s twoo!  It is a Surly Birthday today!  I will not spill the beans about her age (it would give me away, too ;)), but do the math, people!

Cake.jpg 
birthday.jpg birthday image by hottytoddy33

February 14, 2008

From Susan and Sally — Be Ours!!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Both Sisters @ 7:21 am

HAPPYVALENTINESDAY5.gif HAPPY VALENTINES DAY image by brandiperez

February 13, 2008

From Susan and Sally: Long on Cute

Filed under: Cross Lanes — Both Sisters @ 1:00 pm

Remember these little guys — very long on cute!  We mentioned them a while back, reminiscing about a trip to the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Shop in the UK. 

Wensleydalesheep.jpg

We both bought yarn and patterns at the shop during the Jean Moss Knitting and Garden Tour we did several years ago.  The trip was absolutely wonderful, and this little shop delightful. 

From Susan: I started a sweater quite a while back in the aran weight yarn, in a lovely rosy red.  The pattern is from an OLD Patons Booklet (c. 1996):

Wensleydale.jpg picture by lv2knit

Wensleydale003.jpg picture by lv2knit

One sleeve almost done, and one left to do.  It is ridiculous, n’est-ce pas?  Even the neckline is completely done!  Every once in a while I re-visit this baby, but it never seems to get to the finish line!

From Sally: She really should finish it, shouldn’t she? I mean who would desert a sweater with just one sleeve left? (Ducks and runs.)

I bought some very pretty dark green Wensleydale yarn, but being such a delicate flower of humanity I need to save it for a cardigan. It’s a bit too scratchy for me to wear right next to my skin. I did like a number of their original patterns, especially this one:

For some reason (more sleeve avoidance?) I decided to start it. I looked through my stash and chose some “Kid Koigu.”

plus

equals

We’re certainly not the first to combine Kidsilk Haze and Koigu, but we both love the combination and have knit several garments using the two yarns together. It makes a lovely fabric of 5 to 5 1/2 stitches to the inch on a U.S. 7 or 8 needle.

Here’s the beginning of my Cross Lanes.

I’m planning a few minor changes to the sweater: I’ll shorten it slightly and do something different at the neck (maybe a mock turtle neck?).

Changing the subject, we had an ice storm last night in the nation’s capital. A large tree came down behind us, but fortunately our house and most of our landscaping was spared. I “skated” out to get the newspaper this morning and took some photographs.

PS from Susan — if you can stand another re-hash!!  Here is my Emmeline (from Rowan #28), in “Kid Koigu” to show how gorgeous this combination can be — I love this sweater!

KidKoigu.jpg picture by lv2knit

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