Sil's Fab Knitblog

Diversions

I met up with a friend the other day and she told me that she'd been to the Getty and saw a Manet picture.  This is not earth shattering news, but it so happens that my most favorite painting in the whole wide world is Manet's "Bar at the Folies-Bergere".  It normally lives at the Courtauld in London and I've never seen it in the flesh, though a fine print of it hangs in my bedroom.

I casually ask my friend which Manet is she speaking of, as the Getty collection is VERY extensive and they have many.  "Oh, it's a big one of some lady at a bar" was the answer.  Apparently, my favorite picture in the whole world has been on loan to the Getty all damn summer and was leaving the first week of September.  Holy oil paints batman, get thee to the Getty.

Too late for long story short, but I hopped up to the Getty on a Sunday in summer to brave the massive crowds to see my favorite picture.  It was as beautiful as I'd imagined.  More beautiful really.   I'm happy.

I also saw a wonderful photography exhibit by Weston and an amazing painted menagerie by Oudry.  Dudes, that rhino picture was so massive and beautiful!  Brave the crowds, it's worth it.  Except you have to get there soon since it's leaving...

The gardens on the other hand are permanent and really lovely.   My favorites in the garden are the bouganvilla trees supported by iron umbrella looking things.  Totally Dr. Seuss looking, but I'm drawn to them.  I took a few photos of the buildings and the gardens for your Friday pleasure.  Enjoy!

Coveting

I must begin by saying I absolutely and completely covet the new colorway Scout created for Cookie called "Cookie's Dream".  My baby blues are turning green. I shall have to have some.  When is that stuff up for sale!?!?!

Back to Tangled Yoke progress.  Slowly but surely, I've finished the ribbing and have hit the easy street of stockinette.  If you're thinking of using some Rowan Felted Tweed, I say go for it.  It's super nice so far.

Because stockinette progress may not be as EXCITING to you as it is to me, I'll tempt you with a recipe I'm thinking of making later (if I make it I'll add pix later).  It's from The Flexitarian Table and is a pasta dish with whole wheat penne, roasted beets and goat cheese. Yum!  I'll eat roasted beets all day long and slowly turn pink.  Pink - like that COOKIE'S yarn!  Darn her!

Tangled

I couldn't help myself, I started the Tangled Yoke sweater from Interweave.

So far so ribbed.

The ribbing is quite deep, but I'm itching to work through it.  I mean fall's approaching and I might need to wear it.  Okay, stop laughing and fetch me a cool drink.

This sweater is actually going quite quickly considering the small yarn and the tiny size 3.25mm needles I'm using to get gauge.  I only wish I had more time and focus to get more knitting done.  Both are currently in short supply.  This too shall pass, it always does.

As an aside, I finally figured out why I was getting such amazing yardage from the yummy Hip Knits silk skeins.  They were 200 gram skeins rather than the 100 grams I thought they were.  Thank heavens Kerrie told me, I thought I was going seriously bonkers!  So correction, my top down sweater took 400 grams of aran weight silk.  I knew I wasn't the size of a five year old!

Hot silk

Just in time for a mini heat wave, I've completed my top down silk sweater.  LIfe is so like that.  Sorry about the craptastic pictures - camera was not in the mood I guess.

I used a sweater in Debbie Bliss Summer Essentials as a guide.  My yarn was heavier and I wanted to have a bit of ribbing at the bottom so as not to end up with the curly wurlies.

Enter (yet again) Barbara Walker's Knitting From the Top and off I went.  I knit up a swatch and used that gauge to wing a pattern based on the book's instructions.  It's really a handy book.  Just try on as you go and voila.

Specs:  Hip Knits Aran Weight Silk won as a prize in my sister's amazing MS Ride; two skeins (100g each)

Pattern based on "Martine" in Debbie Bliss Summer Essentials

Now, despite the heat, I'll be starting that nice warm Tangled Yoke Cardigan.  Heatwave, wool and alpaca and a nice strong floor fan.  Yeah, that's normal.

Packages!

I love mail!

Thanks for all your lovely and supportive comments re: my new job and move to L.A.  I like L.A...my job, not so much.  I'm giving it a bit of time (30 days) before moving along, but it's a bit too chaotic for my liking.  Enough of that. Back to the knitting.

I got a fabulous parcel from the UK today.  I ordered some Rowan Felted Tweed in the Wheat colorway to make Tangled Yoke Cardigan!  I love that sweater and the featured wool blend was just too nice to substitute.  I couldn't find a nice tweed in a cotton blend that would be better or not cost $160.  I love the Felted Tweed and despite living in a warm climate, I spend a great deal of time in overly air conditioned environments.  FYI, I ordered my yarn from Cumberpatch and have always been pleased with their prompt service.

And for those of you wondering about the status of the silk sweater, it's almost done and will hopefully be blogworthy shortly.

The other half of my fabulous mail was some books from Amazon.  I've developed a fondness for Scandinavian mysteries after discovering Henning Mankell.  There's plenty more where he came from and will now need to find the time to enjoy my new books.

Bliss, books and new yarn!

Silky Update

I seem to have started a new job just a hugely busy time.  That means lots of work and very little knitting time.  Eek!

I did manage a few rows on the pretty silk top down raglan so I can at least show y'all a picture of something.  Just play along here folks.  It's the best I can do.  To refresh your memomories, this yarn is from Hip Knits and is the handpainted Aran Weight Silk in the Chance colorway.

Also, I bought some yarn for the Tangled Yoke Cardigan.  I can't/won't tell you what I chose as I'm short on blog fodder.  Stay tuned friends!

Sorry for the lame entry, but I'm tired.  I'll try harder next time...

Hurry

It pretty much never happens that Interweave has a pattern in it that I want to make RIGHT NOW!  Hurry!!!  But Miss Eunny Jang's Tangled Yoke Cardigan pattern has wended it's little way into my consciousness.  I want to make it now!  And out of the lovely Rowan Felted Tweed called for in the pattern.

Now, I've been a resident of greater Los Angeles for one whole day now, but even I know that a wool sweater is NOT a PRACTICAL choice.  I know the temperature has the potential to dip below 60 sometime somewhere somehow, but if it does, it'll be big news.  What to do...ignore it?  Find a cooler blend to sub or make it as shown and practicality be damned.

Okay, enough of the questions!  Tomorrow's the first day at a new job, so fingers crossed!

State of the stash

There's a backstory to this photo.  I'll nutshell it for you.

I quit my job a month ago and my last day at work was a couple of days ago.  I'd planned a leisurely few months of job hunting and lolly-gagging about.

Who can see what's coming...anyone?

Yup, I got a new job a week and a half ago and I start on Monday.  Next Monday.  Like the 6th!

While I'm grateful to have found a good job so quickly, I'm mourning for my lost sloth.  The other part of the story is the new job is 500 miles to the south.  Yup, I've got to scrape the Nor Cal stickers off the car and paste on the So Cal variety.

While a full and complete move is a few months out yet, I still have to prepare by streamlining the stash.  I'm down to one tote each of sewing patterns, fabric and yarn.  Not bad.  This does not of course include any books or magazines corresponding to said hobbies.  I'm proud of getting it down to this lot.  AND it only took two carloads of stuff to Goodwill to get there.

If you see me heading toward Elann, kick me.

Silky Progress

There has been steady knitting on the silk top down A-line sweater.  I've split the sleeves from the body and am slogging along with the one zillion body stitches.

What you see in the picture is about one skein of Hip Knits Aran weight silk.  Isn't that amazing?  I know it's put up in 100g skeins (180 m), but I really don't "get" that until I knit it up.  I've got 3 skeins, so I'm pretty sure I've got plenty to make a short sleeved sweater.  I may push the envelope and make longish short sleeves...I know!  Rebel!