During the hazy days of August, The Directors – a library loving, book reading, wine drinking group of retired friends, discussed the practicality (or lack thereof) of fingerless mittens. And, eureka – a winter gift idea was born. Just as autumn arrived, I cast on the first of five pairs of mitts with colors and fibers selected for each recipient from my stash. The Mitty pattern includes three repetitive rib rows so I propped up my iPad with enlarged font and read Elizabeth Hunter’s Elemental Mysteries while knitting. Although I did have to pay close attention on the fourth mock cable row. With today’s official arrival of meteorological Winter, each friend has a pair with which to experiment or re-gift.
While my Ravelry project page certainly records sweaters, specifically nine before 2020, sweaters were not my go-to knitting project. The amount of work and time required coupled with horror tales of projects gone wrong with elephantine results kept me working on lots of shawls and scarves. Items where gauge and size were less crucial. Then I found Marie Greene and her 4-day sweater challenge. Admittedly, my Foxtrot took over two months to complete but I was so pleased with the results that I selected another of Marie’s patterns, Houghton, to knit a sweater for Mom using a lush English merino-mohair blend. Then, thinking ahead to fall travels (in pre-Covid times) I knit the same cardigan for myself using the same yarn in the same color and even the same buttons. This became the first of my 2020 sweaters. Soundtrack, another 4-day challenge completed in 22-days, was sweater #2.
Now, just off the needles and the blocking squares is Happy Hour. Designed around the pre-Covid memory of outings with friends for happy hour, the sweater includes a colorwork yoke with a 3 PM, 4 PM or 5 PM pattern repeat, as well as a fanciful repeat on each sleeve. I opted for three pattern repeat with a nod to an early toast at the end of the work day.
In this very strange year when daily wear is almost exclusively comfy casual clothes with only an infrequent ZOOM meeting to show off three new sweaters I have transformed 4,397 yards into three sweaters all within 41 weeks. My far flung Knit Camp buddies have offered encouragement and instruction making it all happen, as well as another 18 smaller projects for family, friends, and fundraising service auctions. Happy knitting!
Only three-plus years in the making but I finally knit a Lego Blue replacement hat for John Lac. He had graciously donated his hat to be re-purposed as a toe cozy for his Mom (2017) which I cropped and added elastic to snub it up tight since a Wisconsin winter is a bit chilly for open toes, even if her fuchsia cast was very fashionable.
This was a kitchen day from mid-morning to mid-afternoon while prepping Richard’s simple birthday celebration requests.
Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake – Modified from one large springform pan to four small 5-inch silicone & glass bottom pans since there are just the two of us celebrating together in these Covid days. The topping is still to be determined. Do I go with simple fresh whipped cream, the recipe prescribed Amaretto flavored whipped cream, or a decadent chocolate glaze for a chocolate-on-chocolate birthday treat? (Decisions. Decisions.)
Barbecued short ribs – In the slow cooker after modifying Mom’s c. 1940 rib recipe from the Good Housekeeping cookbook she received as a 1945 wedding present.
All to be toasted with Glenlivet 15 Year Old French Oak Reserve, his early morning present. Additional packages mailed to Eau Claire to ensure secrecy will have to wait as we opt back into semi-self-quarantine with Minnesota and Wisconsin experiencing pandemic spikes.
During a week of rollercoaster emotions but definitely a big add in my positive column, is the news that Christina Campbell will host another Project Peace knit-along. Since 2016, I have joined her and knitters from around the world by picking up my needles and conscientiously focusing on peace during hectic December days. What started five years ago as a unique idea to conduct a knitting “peace-along” after the electoral dismay of 2016 has continued each December. Every year Christina shares a new themed pattern and daily meditations. Project Peace 2020’s theme is “peace in place inspired by the need to connect with place during the pandemic and find peace in the now.”
My Ravelry project page is built and I am anxiously awaiting yarn suggestions (November 18) and the pattern drop on November 30. I am already imaging the fiber loveliness that will become an elongated, textured shawl since Christina’s previous patterns gave me these crafted beauties.
2016 Peace-Along
2017 Rippling Peace
2019 Climate Action & Peace
You can even follow everyone’s progress on Instagram: @thehealthyknitter by checking the hashtags: #projectpeace2020 and #knitforpeace.
My chocolate chip cookies may not be the height of gourmet desserts but they have the right mix of buttery crunch, pecans and, of course, extra chips to be scrumptious. Best enjoyed on a day when falling leaves compete with spitting snow for air space.
After my toe-up Ruisseau Socks, I swore off knitting this particular clothes item. Too fussy. All that work to complete just one and, of course, one is not enough so you are done but not done. Then the September Knit Camp project was (you guessed it) SOCKS. So, ever the practical person (after all why pay for classes and then skip them) I tackled another pair. Designed by Marie Greene and dubbed Milkshake Socks because this is “An old-fashion recipe for plain socks that you can shake up with your choice of colorful yarns. … Think of your yarn choice like adding flavor to your milkshake.”
Gauge for Ruisseau required US #1 needles. My first time working with something that small and my sock learning experience was to continue as Milkshake necessitated a #0 based on my tension and this yarn. To get a sense of size – pull out a ruler with metric measurements. A #1 needle is 2.25mm in diameter and the #0 a fraction smaller at 2mm.
New socks. Two socks. Whose socks? Sue’s socks. Who sews whose socks? Sue sews Sue’s socks.
No new yarn was purchased for this project as I did a stash dive for this orange-turquoise-gray self-striping skein called Enceladus (one of Saturn’s ice moons). The color combo was unique to Northfield Yarns and purchased during the 2015 YarnVenture shop hop. At the time I had yet to knit a pair of socks or even add them to my project queue. I picked up the exclusive hand dyed skein solely because as it was featured by what I now dub my local yarn store (LYS).
With my Milkshake Socks complete, I think I may really be done with socks – – – Thank you Dr. Suess and Fox in Socks [or not!]
After years of attending library conferences that were defined by long days, lots of sessions, vendor meetings, networking and tasty meals shared with colleagues, as well as visiting unique locations – Wrigley Field, Independence Hall, or walking the Golden Gate Bridge, I am experiencing conference life – Covid style.
Repos Hat in a squishy Merino & cashmere blend
Just this month, I participated in restful meditations while knitting my Repos Hat with Solène Le Roux, a French knitting artist whose work I love. Her Zoom and Facebook Live sessions featured daily themed meditations in French and English, as well as stitch instruction that complimented her most recent five part mystery knit-along (KAL). (French to English translation: repos – rest)
After those quiet days, I joined the exuberant Marie Greene and her Olive Knit team for the inaugural beach and camp themed Knit Camp at the Coast. I joined hundreds and hundreds of knitters from around the world. (Although, I was in a couple of breakout groups with people from Carver, Rochester and Zumbrota, Minnesota – small world!) I learned new techniques for socks and stranded knitting which I can incorporate into current projects on my needles, tackled my first Brioche sample (that is going to take a lot more practice) and even took restful breaks led by Yoga for Knotted Knitters – great for my tense shoulders.
My comfort level with traveling in this time of Covid is very low (non-existent actually) so while I hope to join others in real places for future workshops and tours, the virtual learning and crafting opportunities are just right for 2020. Happy knitting!
After months of car spec research, Richard determined the perfect combo of options for our new 2020 Audi Q5. He placed a February order specifically timed for a spring delivery so we could enjoy driving at least one season with clear vision through a windshield without sand and salt micro-pits.
After decades of silver vehicles we thought we’d whirl the color wheel and picked Azores Green only to learn that color had been discontinued just one week earlier. Then came Covid. Audi factories worldwide closed and our order for a Navarra Blue Q5 with Nougat Brown interior went into limbo.
Our excitement began building when Richard read factories were starting up. Anticipation took a big leap when we learned our car was built on August 11, then grew a bit more when it arrived in Houston from Mexico on September 4 Needless to say I did a happy dance yesterday when we learned our new Audi was being prepped in Rochester for Saturday pick up. With just 15 miles on the odometer, we have a future of driving fun starting with fall colors and nearby blue line twisty bits.
Known as the “flower of the soul”, marigolds hold significance throughout the world in Hindu, Buddhist and Catholic religions.
Today’s gardening task – transplant marigolds from our garden plot to backdoor pots for easier protection against soon-to-come frosts so we have an abundance of bright blooms for our November All Souls service.
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