I finished the second sleeve! I finished the second sleeve! Wheeee!

Now, on to the oh-so-alluring front pieces of Dew.

I cast on and knitted a couple of rows of the left side front on the train coming home. Doing a cable cast on and knitting fiddly lace on a bouncy-bouncy train? Probably not so smart. But what can I say? I like to live dangerously.

(By the way, some of you have asked about the source for Dew. I always list my source in my sidebar while I am working on a project , over on the right-hand side of the page (and then I list it on the project page when it is completed). There’s a link to Kim Hargreaves website in the sidebar, where you can purchase your very own kit for Dew!)

Knitting Etiquette

There were so many interesting comments to my question yesterday of where you knit — thanks for all your insights.

And after reading them, I realized that I have knitted during conference calls — but only during calls that don’t require too much participation on my part.

I would knit during stuff like homeowners meetings, and I do take my knitting to certain social gatherings — ones with close friends or family. If I were in a social situation where I didn’t know the other people there very well, I wouldn’t knit.

I think it should be made a law that knitters in the workplace should get knitting breaks, doncha think? And that every workplace should have a knitting break room. Hey, I work for Labor. Maybe I ought to get the ball rolling on that . . .

I find it interesting that so many of you knit in waiting rooms and in line (like at the post office). I almost never knit there, because I don’t like having to put my knitting away because of an external influence — like being called in for your dentist appointment. I like to be in control of my knitting time. I knit on the train, but I’m still in control, because I know when my stop is coming up and I can put my knitting away in a timely fashion.

Yeah, I know. I’m weird.

Neville the nano

Stephanie made me laugh out loud with this comment:
Your Nano is lovely. I’m seriously considering one – super cute – can you run with it or will it skip?

It’s not that her question was so funny. It’s the idea of me running that is funny.

Let’s just say that on a good day I have difficulty walking upright.

(According to the Apple website, the iPod nano is skip-free.)

But Neville the nano? I am so in love with this little guy! I am fighting the urge to knit him a little hoodie.

I don’t have a huge music collection, so what I currently have fits on Neville (he’s the 4GB model) with room for at least 500 more songs.

I’d love to put more music on him. But when I’ve got the iTunes music store open in front of me, I draw a blank — what songs did I want to buy?

Clearly, I need to start writing this stuff down!

To close, Lucy basking under her favorite lamp.

Ru asked a good question in the comments today:
Speaking of guilt- there was a comment about knitting in church. I am always afraid to bring my knitting to church or anywhere that people might (mistakenly) think I wasn’t paying attention because I was knitting. I’d love to hear you address this- is there anywhere it’s not okay to knit? And if not, do you ever have to explain that you really are following along?

A very good question indeed!

Me? I would not knit in church. I do not knit in meetings at work . . . ever. I’d love to be in a workplace where knitting in meetings was acceptable, but sadly, here I know it is not, without asking. (But hey! Maybe that would be one way to get them to demote me! Hmmmm . . . )

I do, however, knit during evacuation drills. Last time I did, the head of our agency watched me in fascination and asked a lot of questions.

I do knit at my desk at lunchtime, but I never take a knitting break at any other time.

I did once knit during a film presentation that was given in the Departmental auditorium. I figured that if the lights were low, no one would see me and be distracted by it.

And I recall that a few years ago I took a week-long course at the Government Printing Office on getting stuff printed through GPO. (A WEEK long course. Don’t you envy me, people?) I knitted during that course, but only after clearing it with the instructor (who, as it happens, had a small farm with fiber animals — his wife was into it!)

So how about you all?

Dewy Knitting

I didn’t spend too much time knitting last night as I was involved in other things. But here is the second Dew sleeve’s progress:

The sleeves go very quickly, so it will be on to a side front very soon. And the side fronts will go smoothly, because today I received via email from Kim Hargreaves a pdf enlargement of the Dew charts that is very clear and easy to read.

So there you have it: The design is lovely, the pattern very clear and easy to follow, and the customer service is excellent. WendyKnits gives Kim Hargreaves an all-round, wholehearted two thumbs up!

One of the Reasons I Didn’t Spend A Whole Lot of Time Knitting Last Night

I was playing with this:

The little guy on the left is Neville, my new iPod nano, Irving’s baby brother. I love him beyond reason.

(In case you are worried about sibling rivalry, The King of All Remote Controls will be spending more time with Irving to compensate for any hurt feelings.)

Lucy Sez:

To Anne:

Why, yes, that is my very dainty paw in yesterday’s WIP photo. I was helping to make sure it didn’t escape!

To Snow:

Hmmm, my special places to lurk? There’s a lamp in the bedroom under which I like to bask. Other than that, I just need to be where the action is! You know, to help with knitting and stuff like that.

And savaging plastic bags, of course.

Torn between two projects
Feelin like a fool
Loving both of you
Is breaking all the rules

(With apologies to Mary MacGregor)

Those of you who can have more than one work-in-progress at a time: how do you do it?

I’ve got two measly projects going at the same time and it’s causing me such knitting anguish.

Last night I decided to set Dew aside and work on my qivuit scarf that I had hardly touched since the middle of last week. And I actually felt guilty for knitting it.

The scarf in progress:

But then, when I’m knitting on Dew, I feel guilty about abandoning the scarf.

Such torment!

Dew

I finished the first sleeve last night and started on the second sleeve on the morning commute, see?

I got an email today from Kim Hargreaves letting me know that they are working on the enlarged chart and will get it to me as soon as possible. Gotta say it again — fabulous customer service!

I’m thinking if I don’t have it by the time I’ve finished the second sleeve, I’ll set Dew aside until I do get it and work on the qivuit scarf — that should lessen my two-project angst somewhat, eh?

My kit had 4 balls of Kidsilk Haze, by the way — and I can see that will be more than enough to finish the project.

Debbie Bliss Club Sweater

Yes, the photo does look like a little girl modelling it, doesn’t it? But I can tell you it comes in 5 sizes, ranging from a 38″ to a 51″ finished bust measurement. Can’t ask for much more than that, eh?

Stuffonmycat.com

Yes, I have seen it.

However, I have no plans for piling stuff on Lucy and sending in a photo (no matter how amusing some of those photos are).

Lucy says thank-you and reminds me that she wouldn’t lie still for it anyway.

I started knitting Dew the latter part of last week. Confession:

This is the first time I have knit with Rowan Kidsilk Haze.

I have a lot of Rowan Kidsilk Haze in my stash, mind you, but this is the first time I have flung it around a needle.

Yes, it is mighty fine.

Yes, I am enjoying it, very very much.

So . . . here’s the back of Dew.

And the start of a sleeve.

The pattern is great — very detailed, clear instructions. My one complaint is that the charts are wee tiny, and most of the symbols are printed in pale grey. Unreadable, at least to my aging eyes. (The pattern is, however, also completely written out, so one can follow from that.)

The back and the sleeves are both done in a very easy lace pattern, so I don’t really need the charts for those.

Here’s a close-up:

The side fronts are another matter. I could knit them from the written directions, but I vastly prefer to work from charts. I tried enlarging the charts on a photocopier but the faint grey symbols disappeared entirely.

I sent an email to the address listed on Kim Hargreaves’ website, explaining my problem and asking if it was possible to get larger charts in black rather than grey.

I got a response from Kim 11 minutes later. How’s that for customer service? She stated in her email that they would get a better chart to me if I could give them a couple of days.

Can’t ask for better than that!

Debbie Bliss Club Sweater

A couple of you asked in the comments what the pattern that I bought my chocolate brown Silk Alpaca for looks like. I noticed that Kristine had the photo on her blog the other day so I stole her photo (but I downloaded it and put it on my own server, Kristine — no bandwidth thief am I , no-siree-bob!)

It looks like such a comfy cosy sweater, and it will be so luxurious and soft in the Alpaca Silk. A sweater that I will want to live in this winter.

Speaking of this winter, Miss Lucy is starting to get her winter coat.

It’s not like that’s news to anyone (least of all me).

Yesterday I spent the day at Knit Happens. (Back to work today . . . sigh.)

And some yarn insisted on coming home with me.

Ever since I first saw the Debbie Bliss Silk Alpaca in chocolate brown, I knew I had to have some. When I saw the new free pattern for Debbie Bliss Club members, I knew what the chocolate Alpaca Silk was destined to become.

While I was at the store, they got in a shipment from Alchemy yarns. The colors are incredible!

This is Synchronicity (wool/silk blend) color #36c (and it’s much brighter and prettier in person) and I do believe it will become the Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I’ve loved that sweater since I got the book so now I might actually knit it. With mods, of course.

Kristine told me that there’s a shipment of Alchemy on the way to the online store as well, so check there in a couple of days if you need an Alchemy fix and you’re not in the area!

Stitch Markers

It was a very good day indeed yesterday. Lookie here!

These are Wallace, Shaun the Sheep, and Gromit stitch markers given to me by Liz — thanks, Liz!

Vårblommor Shawl

Holly tried on the shawl — doesn’t she look cute?

and

Phyl tried it on too — and she looks damned cute too!

Fire

An update on the fire that I blogged about Tuesday . . .

It started in a dumpster in one of the ground floor trash rooms, either arson or stupidity. I am hoping for stupidity. No major damage, but there’s a strong smell of smoke permeating all common areas (fortunately none in my condo).

I had a couple of questions about what I would do about my stash if I had to evacuate. The answer is, I wouldn’t even think about the stash. I certainly didn’t on Tuesday. In the event of an emergency I’d stuff poor Lucy in her Sherpa bag and she and I would beat a hasty retreat.

Stash is replaceable. Lucy is not!

Lucy Sez

Though Rowan Kidsilk Haze is nice,
Please keep it from the mice.
For yarn that’s chewed just can’t be knit,
It’s just a pile of sh*t.

Actually, Lucy didn’t say that. Her daddy, the King of All Remote Controls, did.

Lucy would, however, like to direct your attention to the Project KAT-rina button and link in my sidebar.

We are getting lots of information at work on ways to help with recovery and rebuilding in the aftermath of Katrina, which is very much a good thing. As far as I’m concerned, for the present and for the forseeable future, I am donating matching funds to relief efforts for every yarn purchase I make.