the Akamai Knitter

While I enjoy other techniques, I had to put aside my one true passion during the holiday season. Though, I do love making things for other people, I really missed the lace.

When I felt that I had gotten the gift knitting under control, I cast about for a suitable pattern and was inspired to pick up a book that I had on my radar for quite some time.

Marianne Kinzel’s First Book of Modern Lace Knitting has beautiful designs in it, but most of them are for tea cloths or tablecloths. Neither of which I have a use for, but to the resourceful lace knitter they can be used for shawls.

I picked the Springtime design, because it looks so elegant. I’m using an adaptation of that design using some tricks Glenda Hunt put together along with a couple of my own to create a triangle shawl.

Once I started, I found it very hard to put down. The charts are excellent and the square design is easily translated into a triangle.

My tried and true friend, Jaggerspun Zephyr (in Steel) hasn’t let me down yet. It’s soft to the touch and the stitch definition is crisp and clear, reminding me why I turn to it again and again.

The needles (size 2US Addi Lace Needles) are the perfect lace knitting tool. The tips are just wonderful for the increases and decreases.

This is the kind of project that makes you want to skip meals and decide that 3 hours of sleep is sufficient. Housecleaning gets put on hold, cats go hungry, and friends are neglected.

Some might call this passion, others might call this obsession. Either way I’m happy as a clam and I don’t really give a damn what they say. ;-)

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Mondays are never fun, but it helps to have yarn. Lots of yarn.

My chief enabler is Christine of Three Dog Knits, who held a destashing sale for an extremely good cause. (I do believe she still has yarn left, if you’re interested in helping.)

I couldn’t resist getting some sock yarn. (Always with the sock yarn!) This is Sunshine Yarn’s Heather TD. This is a really lovely yarn. I love the tight twist and the color is just gorgeous. Unfortunately I couldn’t get an accurate rendering of it’s true color. It’s blue, not purple. My camera sucks.

My mother immediately requested socks for herself. She rarely gets excited about such things, so even though I adore this yarn I’ll be knitting her socks.

Luckily I also got some Louet Gems in Teal. These are all mine.

And I couldn’t resist buying a skein of Noro Kureyon in color no. 92 for another fish.

Despite the riches you see before you, I just had to check out this sale on Cascade 220 at Ben Franklin. It was 2 for $10, except that I missed the sale by one or two days. My disappointment was a mighty thing of great proportions.

Since I was there, I wasn’t going to leave empty handed. I just scaled down my shopping list. So I bought a couple of colors for the Bar Harbor Shell Bag.

I’m not sure if these are the exact colors I’m going to use for the bag yet, but they sure are pretty.

Finally, one last skein of a lovely charcoal color.

This skein is destined to be a hat. Not for me, but for a gift. I’m not sure for who or what kind of hat yet, but it will be a hat.

Oh yes, Mondays are definitely better with yarn. :)

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Kung Hee Fat Choy! It’s a new year everyone and this time it’s my year. That’s right, I’m a rat and proud of it.

In celebration of this special year, I received a tiny little rat figurine.

The piece of paper you see with him is full of cute little tidbits of information. For example, my flower is the Peony and that means “dignified like a king”. Does this mean I’m like royalty?

It also says:

“You will have many chances. Do not miss them. But if you are too proud and lose your presence of mind, or get lost in an indecent life, and you’ll lose your fortune immediately.”

Hrm. Now I’m worried about having an indecent stash. ;-)

In our family there are a few traditions that we practice every year. There’s the red paper we buy from China Town and put near the doorways to bring in good luck. This one says, “good health throughout your household.” Good health is always a good thing.

Before we put up the new paper on New Year’s Eve, we burn the old paper to burn away any bad luck from the previous year. This is always an adventure as I’m more then a little afraid of fire.

There’s also a frenzy to clean the house to sweep away the bad luck. This has to be done on the eve of the new year as there’s no cleaning done on the first day of the year. That supposedly sweeps away any good luck.

Another must do for our Chinese New Year celebration is Chinese food.

There’s the traditional Jai that we have every year, Mongolian Beef, and Salted Fish Fried Rice. Delicious! And no, I didn’t cook a single dish. I’m a disaster in the kitchen. :)

Another thing I like to do for New Year’s Eve is finish a project. So I started another felted fish. I was able to get the knitting done, but not the felting. Hopefully this won’t mean that my year will be filled with only partially finished items.

On New Year’s Day, I started a new project in the hopes that my year will be filled with beautiful and joyous projects. More on that another time, I need to felt a fish.

May your New Year be filled with good health and beautifully joyous projects too!

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I joined the masses and dived in head first (no pun intended) into the Koolhaas knitting frenzy. Within two days, I was able to finish a man’s hat.

Pattern: Koolhaas by Jared Flood

Yarn: Swish  in Jade from Knit Picks

Needles: Size 6US/4.0mm and size 8US/5.0mm

Started: February 3, 2008

Finished: February 4, 2008

Size: Men’s

Despite the needle gymnastics I went through, this was really fun to knit. It was easy to get into a comfortable rhythm with the pattern. I was able to clip along at a steady and even pace.

The yarn was soft and willing to yield to the twists and turns I demanded of it. (What with not using a cable needle and all.) Hopefully, the recipient of this hat will find it warm and cozy as well.

I am a little worried that the hat will be too big. Since I don’t have much experience with the size of most men’s heads, I plan on taking it along with me to Aloha Knitters on Thursday to get a consensus. It’s just a little over 9 inches in height if that tells you anything.

Despite my concerns over the size of this hat, I’m already thinking of knitting another one in preparation for next Christmas. That would let me chalk up two scores to my name for A Loose Knit Group, whose project for this month is hats.

Ahh. The heady smell of accomplishment is sweet and these small projects sure do give me a high! :)

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So the Patriots didn’t win. As much as I wanted them to have that perfect season, the weekend wasn’t a complete disaster.

There was college basketball.

There was good food.

(Bulgogi, namul, and an island favorite, macaroni salad.)

There was hat knitting.

(Koolhaas by Jared Flood.)

There was stole knitting.

(Japanese Feather Stole by Anne Hanson.)

And there was the comforting presence of felines.

Like I said, it wasn’t a complete disaster. :-)

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