Harry Potter And The Knitting Progress Not Made

As is my wont, I optimistically packed more than enough knitting for our week-long stay at Virginia Beach. Compounding my natural inclination to over pack yarn was my complete denial about the Harry Potter Effect.

Although I wasn't in the first wave of readers, which comprised the dads and the youngest HP fans among us, I soon got my hands on a copy. It is hard to admit, as this is, after all, a knitting blog, but knitting paled by comparison while I was immersed in this final Harry Potter installment. It made for wonderful beach reading and I had just enough left to occupy me on the long flight home.

As a result, only a smidgen of my planned knitting got knitted, but with four established knitters and one nascent knitter in residence, there was no shortage of knitting conversations, knitting planning sessions, and knitting advice bestowed. Knitting vibes permeated the place. I did work on my second Monkey Sock, and I cast on for a Malabrigo scarf, but neither is yet photo worthy. My biggest knitting accomplishment was deciding on colors (I consulted at length with the other knitters who were more than happy to vicariously spend money on luscious yarn) for a fair isle sweater and placing a telephone order for some Morehouse Merino. It has not yet arrived, however, so photos of that will have to wait as well.

Some people stuck to their knitting despite the lure of Harry Potter (and the beach, poker games, and cocktail hours ...). Hilary finished off a beautiful pair of Monkey Socks and Auden took to her Knitting Mushroom like Harry once took to his broom.


My sister, blogless Beth, worked diligently on an exquisite baby blanket and I've her permission to show it off, in progress, here:


It was over all too quickly. I can only hope I soaked up enough sun-filled memories to get me through another Juneau winter.

I Am A Fickle, Fickle Knitter

I keep flitting from project to project without making much progress on anything. AND I keep lusting for new projects. I know there are other names for this disorder, but fickle sounds young and flirty and ADHD .. not so much.

So I have two finished socks to show, but not a pair:

That's one Monkey Sock*and one Thuja. The mates for each of these have been dutifully cast on and I'm hoping if I cart them along to Virginia Beach, peer pressure will translate into at least one finished pair.

I had a spurt of Leaf and Trellis shawl knitting which was cancelled out by some Leaf and Trellis shawl unknitting (ripping actually) when I found an error last night. I'm back on track now, but my net progress since last you heard about it is underwhelming.

I worked a little bitty swatch out of my Malabrigo Lace in the Melon Stitch pattern from VLT. I'm thinking that I'll make a scarf with just a simple garter edge rather than a shawl. I love the lace knitting, but clearly (see above) I shouldn't mix knitting that requires chart following and socializing. I'm optimistic (read: In the throes of a new crush) that this will fill all of my current needs, since it's lace but with a very simple, easily memorized pattern.



I'm also being led astray by thoughts of a fair isle-y cardigan. With oil prices and global warming fear going up, and a husband threatening to suggesting we turn the thermostat down, the only responsible thing I can do is order yarn for a beautiful cold-weather sweater that I'll never want to take off. Fair Isle Sweaters Simplified arrived in today's mail so maybe I can finally make a decision and place a Morehouse Farms order. I have yet to make anything that required steeking and I think I'm ready.

It looks like I'll have enough knitting on board to last the week in Virginia Beach - or at least until our first yarn store run. Now if I can just get the laundry done and the suitcases packed, we'll be on our way!

* Since you asked: I'm using Koigu KPPPM in colorway P460 for the Monkey Socks

Happy Birthday, Auden!

My niece, Auden, turned 5 today. Last year she and her family left Juneau, after a wonderful visit with us, on the morning of her 4th birthday. That's the last time I saw them and I am SO looking forward to seeing them all on our family vacation the week after next. Naturally, I've been thinking of her a lot today, and it just dawned on me that I could use this as an excuse to go photo-archive diving and show you a pre-KnittingWeather knit.

I loved making this sweater for her. I started planning it as soon as word arrived that a girl was expected. I had knit welcome sweaters for both of my sons and Auden's older brother and it was such fun to work on something a little bit girly.





It is evolved from a Debbie Bliss pattern, Guernsey with Bobble Edging, from "Family Knits." I simplified the pattern and took out the bobbles and replaced some of them with beads.

Never was a sweater knit with so much love. Happy Birthday, Sweetie! See you soon!

Monkeying Around

I don't know if it was the desire for an infusion of color, or just that twitchy finger need to cast on something new. Whatever the source of my latest urge, before I knew it I had cast on for a pair of Monkey Socks ala Cara. You've gotta love that picot edge!