O Girasole Mio!

Yes!  It is finito!  After the edging that seemed to go on forever.

Girasole is a lovely pattern, and the Malabrigo Sock yarn in Ochre was a good fit, I think.

I had neither a daughter-model handy, nor a photographer available, so I enlisted the services of another model, who graciously acceded.

Mrs. Helga did a wonderful job.

Helga models Girasole

Even bronze statues get cold

I think she might have liked it.

Though this is a pattern that doesn’t need as much blocking as some, definitely the edging needs it.  What a difference a couple hours on my knees, and 214 or so points pinned out (but who’s counting?), makes!

This first Sunflower was just given to my mother.  I likely would have saved it to give to her at the holidays, but she’s recovering from another foot surgery and could use it now, at home.  A little bit of Sun(flower) for her lap or her shoulders, I hope.

I Got a Sunflower on a Cloudy Day

The current state of my (first) Girasole:

Not too bad for a picture taken on my car hood in the parking lot at the end of work tonight…

Also, can you say ‘dye lot‘??

And ‘hand-dyed‘?

(I knew you could!)

Ah, well, the color shift’ll look fine in this pattern!  Over half done with the edging, but it’s definitely a process.  Onward and . . . aroundward!

The RockStar Reloaded

Exactly one month ago today, The RockStar (my teenage daughter) had her 14th birthday — part of the impetus for the RenFest trip of a month ago, as a matter of fact.

(She got knitwear for her birthday: surprise, surprise!

Actually, she really really wanted a chullo hat, so was delighted.  And I confess that she did get some other things, also.)

It’s a big year for her: first year of high school, including high school show choir.  Three roles in the Nutcracker this year, including a brand new role with new choreography, and also she’s understudying a fourth role.  She continues as the lead singer with her alternative ‘garage’ band, which gave her her name on my blog.  In fact, they played the weekend after her birthday, at our church block party, and they are really getting very good.

“Waiting For Sunday“.

(No, not a Christian band; they often rehearse on Sundays, hence the name.)

(Click to embiggen if you wish.) These musicians have worked hard on their own for three years….a huge length of time at this age. And now they’re not only doing cover songs quite well, they’re performing originals….words and music by The RockStar, and arranged by the band.

Like this:

This mom is impressed, anyway.

So, last night, The RockStar had another milestone: first big high school dance.

Homecoming.

Awww.

Fourteen years have flown by.  I suspect the next four will go even faster.  Sigh.

A Tale of Two Sunflowers

On the quick trip up to the Twin Cities that I showed you the other week, I got some car knitting done of a project I started right before our Family Camp vacation (and worked on at camp).

Here it is at camp, not too far into it.  This is the lovely Girasole by Jared Flood.  I’m knitting it here in  mmmMalabrigo Sock from The Loopy Ewe in the colorway Ochre (it looked somewhat Sunflower-ish to me — that’s what Girasole means).   I have some thoughts of lightly overdyeing the edges and center with brown, subtly; we’ll see.  My nerve may fail me.

Though I’m also working on a Seekrit Project or two or three, I had been working on this on and off and making progress (when I wasn’t misplacing my second and third skeins of yarn).  Here it is after the Twin Cities trip.

It’s such a pretty pattern! And the yarn is lovely to work with.

This project is not destined for anyone or anything in particular at this point, I’m just knitting it for fun and because there is a Loopy Ewe KAL (knitalong) going on.

But as I knit, and as I petted an amazing skein of yarn I have from my favorite hand-dyed yarn purveyor, Twisted Fiber Art,  I had an idea of knitting this lace project in that colorway and dyeing style (Ember Evolutions).  And I couldn’t get it out of my head.

Lucky, lucky me.  Shortly thereafter, my number came up to be a ‘custom’ customer at Twisted. You can sign up and in turn, eventually, you get the chance to have essentially free run of the store and order any yarn you want in any quantity you want.  This was not a quantity or kind of yarn I would normally be able to get in an update, even if I got lucky.  Plus, I was probably going to want a coordinating yarn dyed at the same time to do the edging, and that yarn base wasn’t even offered in the coordinating yarn.  But as a Custom customer….the world was my oyster!

So I took the plunge and ordered the yarn for Girasole in Ember, in the Muse yarn (a merino/silk light sportweight yarn, lovely!), with coordinating yarn for the edging in the greyish part of the colorway.

It came the other day.  The picture doesn’t do it justice, but I tried.

Ember Evolution and Sky

I had a weak moment and I cast on for the second Girasole just to see how it would start to look.

(And then I stopped.  Can’t wait to get back to it, though.)

Granted, it doesn’t look a lot like this real-life sunflower from my front yard:

(On a sunnier Saturday than today…  )

But I think it will be a gorgeous fantastical Girasole, when it’s done!

Echinacea Eye Candy Friday

Late Summer Echinacea

Still blooming in this lovely September weather we’ve been having. 

Echinacea, or purple coneflower, in my garden.  A native of these Midwestern prairies, and as useful as it is pretty.

Quick Fun, Lots of Pictures

Last weekend, Labor Day, though I had to work much of the weekend, there was one day that ended up free of  needing to go into work.  So, to celebrate the adjoining birthdays of husband and daughter, a flying visit to the Twin Cities happened!

I showed you  the twilight photo from Hyland Lake Park Reserve….that was a Saturday Sky picture from Saturday night last weekend.  But we hopped in the car earlier Saturday afternoon, crossed the Mississippi River under a blue, blue sky

 

(one of several egrets watching us go by in the backwaters of the river)

and headed north to a hotel I had found for a great deal on Hotwire, at the intersection of Hwys 494 and 100.  

(We weren’t the only ones finding a great hotel deal.  This hotel wasn’t even built yet, and it was drawing a crowd:)

 

Coming soon? Can't wait!

 

After we settled in, the birthday girl and her father wanted to go to the Mall of America; the Gothlet agreed; and I wanted to be part of the family but also was looking at this view outside the hotel:

Bloomington Saturday Sunset

It was a gorgeous night, and we were very close to a nature reserve (much closer than to the MOA!).  So I chose to go for a lovely walk instead.

There were multiple lovely views of the Saturday Sky:

 

And then, as I walked back into the developed area where the hotel was, and night fell and the moon rose, it was still lovely.

An urban lake reflecting Saturday Sky:

Then the full moon became part of the streetscape.

Can you see it there?

How about now?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the shoppers returned, and a good night’s sleep was had by all, we set off for our actual destination: the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.  

Adornments were acquired:

 

she wishes

Food and drink were consumed, archery was watched and cheered (there was a longbow tournament), all manner of fun was had.

Knitting, of course, occurred.  My Monkey socks came with me, and were knit upon.

But, sadly, I needed to be back that night, so as the sun set we were on the road again, and pulled into our driveway as a pumpkin moon rose.

Short but most enjoyable.  Sometimes you have to snatch your fun times!  Especially in such a good cause.

Happy birthday to my 14-year-old RockStar!  And my beloved husband (who would not thank me for trumpeting his age).

Tall Grass Eye Candy Friday

Actually, one of last Saturday’s Saturday Sky pictures, taken at dusk at Hyland Lake Park Preserve, Bloomington, Minnesota.

I promise to tell you more tomorrow! 

But for today, enjoy a little more serenity.

Saturday, Leaving Camp

Saturday Sky, this morning, outside the beautiful 50-year-old dining hall at Family Camp.

Though there’d been a storm overnight (the first rain of the week) and clouds were predicted later, it was a lovely August morning

as we packed up and reluctantly said goodbye to camp friends.

And the familiar beauty of camp itself: Camp Olson on the shores of Little Boy Lake

(seen here this morning).

I had a relaxed week which is just what I needed.  During which, I made excellent progress on one of my knitting projects, Girasole by Jared Flood.  I think I started this in the car on the way up, actually.  

Here it is, as I knit it on the shores of the lake yesterday.

(I’m knitting it in Malabrigo Sock, in Ochre colorway.  Girasole means Sunflower, and this seemed a somewhat Sunflowery colorway choice.  I am loving knitting with this yearn.)  This is part of a Knitalong started by Sheri of The Loopy Ewe (in fact, Sheri offered a discount on any yarn, like mine here, purchased from her store for the KAL, which was awesome of her).  

I am seeing now why people who started this well ahead of me are saying this pattern is addictive.  (Which is good, because I have plans to do another Girasole, even before I’d actually started knitting this one — though after I’d bought the yarn — the second one of which is going to be amazing.  Just you wait!)

The wind rustling through the leaves, the soft water sounds, the amazingly loud squirrels crashing around every so often….

what better setting to sit and knit?

Though I did do more than that.  Details and photos (of course) to follow.

Prelude to a Personal Pandemic, with a little Knitting

This thirteen-year-old, on her way to her 8th-grade-graduation ceremony and dance, looks so happy and lovely, doesn’t she?

The picture of health, wearing her new lacy wrap that her mother made her to match her vintage dress.

She graduated,

danced her silver shoes off, had fun with all her friends, even posed for a few more wrap pics when she came home.

(as did the wrap, click to embiggen if desired)

Who knew that even as those pictures were taken, that microscopic virus particles were replicating madly in her body?

The next morning, she looked tired, but said she just hadn’t slept well.  It was the last day of school, a half day only, and the school talent show; she and a friend were performing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” (she singing, he on acoustic guitar).  Her forehead was cool and she had no other symptoms, so off she went to school.

While backstage, waiting to perform, she had shaking chills so bad she couldn’t stand, aches, a headache, a sore throat that came out of nowhere.  Of course, all her friends came over and hugged her while she was curled up sitting on the floor, having chills…. The teacher backstage tried to send her to the nurse, but now it was their turn to perform.  She told the teacher she would go as soon as she sang — it would only take two minutes.  Such a performer. She got up, sang on her shaky legs (they disinfected the microphone immediately thereafter), and was promptly sent home with a fever.

So: my poor daughter, in the end, was found to have H1N1 (swine) flu.  But the drama goes on, because in less than 48 hours she, I, and her friend were supposed to fly to College Park, Maryland (on the outskirts of Washington DC) for the finals of National History Day.  If she couldn’t go, her friend couldn’t either; they would have to withdraw (they were doing a dramatic presentation).  They had been working on this project literally all school year, and won at regional and state levels to be going to the national competition.  My daughter wanted to go, if at all possible.

My first concern was for my daughter’s health; my second was that her friend not get sick; my third was that she was safe to fly (that is, not get anyone else sick).  Once I realized she probably had flu from her symptoms (Wisconsin has the largest number of reported confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S.),  my first call was to make a doctor’s appointment for that day, and the second was to an infectious disease specialist I know, who happens to be the father of my daughter’s friend as well.  I needed to know what the criteria were for her being safe to fly.  “No fever and no cough”.  OK.

To make an already long story a little shorter, by getting on an antiviral immediately (which shortens the period of infectiousness and symptoms), she got better remarkably quickly, and had no fever within 24 hours, and no cough by 36 hours.  So we flew to DC.  Her friend never got sick.  Neither did I.  My daughter did not feel good, granted, since she felt like a truck ran over her and had a constant headache unless she had ibuprofen on board.  And when she finished the antivirals, some other symptoms flared.  But they did their performance and got good comments from the judges, though they didn’t go on to the final round, to their great relief, actually.  (And we had a couple days for sightseeing, therefore.)

While I was gone, my husband and my younger daughter came down with the flu too.  My younger daughter developed croup and needed to be put on steroids.  Sigh.  So I was monitoring them and worrying from long distance, while nursing my older one and trying to make sure my daughter’s friend didn’t get sick (or me).   And hoping my mother, who’d been exposed to both daughters separately right before they got sick (you’re infectious in the 24 hours before you develop clear symptoms also), didn’t become ill either.

I still can’t believe I didn’t get it, but obsessive handwashing goes a long way, I guess.  There’s still some coughing and tiredness going on around these parts, but everyone is well on their way to being back to health now.  Many other middle schoolers got sick, at least a couple directly from my daughter (like the boy who played guitar with her), but there had been an outbreak that week, as it turned out; the cases just hadn’t been confirmed yet, so there had not been a notification (and I don’t know that it would have changed much, except reminding parents to keep kids with fevers at home; mine had no fever in the morning, when I checked by mommy-thermometer).  A letter came in the mail the next week…..

So that’s what I’ve been up to!

I hope to tell you more about DC, when time allows.  (Like about the girls feeling right at home in the Oval Office….)

Knitting Blog? Well, yes

Based on the last month, casual droppers-by would be excused for having no idea that this was nominally a knitting blog.  (Or an active blog at all — thanks to my friends who checked up on me!  Yes, all is well.)

You’d think it was all flowers and Saturday Skies, like this Saturday Sky from two weeks ago a month ago,  from the top of the Washington Monument.

(click to embiggen if you wish!)

But I have been knitting, truly!  Just traveling and working a lot also, which leaves little time to blog about it.

I’m not going to catch up with all the knitting I’ve done all at once, but let me show you today what I actually finished while on the Washington DC 5th grade trip.  While on the bus, even! For my younger daughter, The Gothlet, who is 11:

Gothlet Gauntlets!

Even though it wasn’t cold when I finished weaving in the last end and gave them to her, the gauntlets were immediately put on.  I think she liked them….!

These were made from amazing GothSocks self-striping yarn from Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs (etsy shop at the link; there’s an update next week!).  This colorway was  ‘Little Goth Girl’, and how perfect for my Gothlet?  As I told you before, I bought this at Madrona, from the dyer, who was very kind in skeining up some more yarn she had at home, and bringing it in for me to choose from  (which I happily did).  As I may have mentioned before, I designed these in such a way that they will fit my daughter now (she’s skinny, being a picky eater) and in the future (she’s shooting up like the proverbial weed).

I did this by shaping the arm part of the gauntlet, to hug the arm, but also by putting in ribbing on the undersurface to draw the gauntlet to the arm now, and also in the future.  I used k2 p2 ribbing, which is the most resilient I know. Below is the back side and the front, when I had just started the hand portion with thumb gusset.

Here I am above, demonstrating that the gauntlet fits an adult!  And I am of average height and at least average weight, though perhaps my wrists are a bit on the bony side.

Back to the happy Gothlet.

I’ll write this up formally when I can, but in the meantime, I wanted to give a quick and dirty version for anyone who might want to knit something similar, because it really did work out well.

First of all, I knit this a touch loosely at least on the hand: I usually knit socks on 0s, sometimes 1s for thicker fingering weight.  I knit these mitts for a skinny 11-year-old on US size 1s (2.25 mm) for the ribbing, and size “1.5″s (2.5 mm) for the arm, then size US size 2s (size 2.75 mm) for the main part of the hand (because I didn’t put any ribbing on the palm, reasoning that it would bug me a bit to have that texture there, but still wanted this to fit in the future when she’s bigger; and for the looks part of the gauntlet, a little looser there was OK).

If I were knitting this for me, I’d probably go with 2s all the way. The ribbing makes it fit snugly, but I’d rather have the knitting flexible more than dense, on these, which are not by their very nature designed for wearing outdoors in a midwestern January, for example.

If you needed to fit this to a different size arm, I’d suggest looking at your gauge (mine was 7 stitches/inch on 2s) and the measurement of the forearm at its widest, and casting on stitches in a multiple of 4 to equal that measurement or slightly less.  But I would still decrease to the same number of stitches for the hand (48) because that fits pretty much anyone of adult or near-adult size.

One last note:  In this self-striping yarn, I took a trick from Meg Swansen, and every time the color changed in the ribbing, I KNIT every stitch of the first row of different color instead of knitting in pattern.  This makes the stripes very crisp, without the ‘ticking’ effect in the purl stitches.  It’s a cool trick!  Not essential, but I like it.

Without further ado, here’s the quick and dirty directions for the Gothlet Gauntlets:

Cast on 64 stitches loosely (I used the German Twisted Cast-on).  Consider using 1-2 sizes bigger needles than you might normally use for socks, for ‘give’ and comfort (you don’t need hard wear here, and you want flexibility in the upper arm).  Use method of choice (two circs, dpns, Magic Loop).

Knit 12 rows in k2 p2 ribbing.

Mark beginning of row with stitch marker.  Knit 38 then place stitch marker, k1, [p2, k2] four times, p2, k1, place marker, knit 6.

Knit approximately 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) in pattern as established (knit to marker, k1, [p2, k2] four times, p2, k1, slip marker, knit to end of row).

Begin decreases: Knit to two stitches before marker.  SSK (slip as if to knit, slip as if to knit, knit two slipped stitches together).  Slip marker.  Work stitches between markers in rib pattern as established. K2tog (knit two together).  Knit to end of row.

Knit next 7 rows in pattern as established (knit to marker, work in rib pattern between markers, knit to end of row).

Decrease as above on 8th row.

Continue decreasing every 8th row until you have decreased 8 times, down to a total of 48 stitches.  You will have had to shift stitches on your needles to do the last few decreases, unless you Magic Loop, possibly.  This is all right!

Knit in pattern as established until gauntlet is desired length to wrist. Then knit a row in all stockinette (knit every stitch), removing markers as you come to them, and dividing the stitches evenly between  needles (24 stitches front and back, with ribbing centered on the back: 3 knit stitches, 18 stitches of p2 k2 ribbing, 3 knit stitches).

NOW: (here’s where it gets a bit sketchier)

Follow the directions for the Fingerless Piano Mitts and Mini-Mitts on this blog, but plug in the correct numbers for this size:

starting with 48 stitches instead of 40.

For RIGHT gauntlet, knit 28, place marker for thumb gusset, k4, place marker, knit to end of round (16 st).  Then follow instructions until dividing stitches for thumb gusset.  For LEFT gauntlet, knit 40, place marker, knit 4, place marker, knit to end of row (4 st).  Then follow instructions until dividing stitches for thumb gusset.  At end of increases, you will have 64 stitches (again!) on the needles.  You may need to knit more plain rounds to make the gauntlet the correct length to reach to the crotch of the thumb.

At thumb gusset, after putting the thumb gusset stitches on a holder of spare yarn, and after casting on 4 stitches, you will have 52 stitches total.  The rest is as written.  Feel free to adjust the length of the stockinette and ribbing to desired length.  The thumb instructions are also as written.

*someday I’ll get this written up all formal-like.  But I thought I’d get the bare bones version out there, because I’ve been asked!

Here, in other news:  Saturday Skies of the last month, since DC.

More knitting, more flowers, more Saturday Skies to come!