TaDa!

There comes that point when every artist needs alone time.  Can you say "retreat?"  I'm not talking about going to a retreat with other artsy types and joining forces to enjoy the chosen medium.  I'm talking about going away - A.L.O.N.E.

It might be hiding the the bathroom or a solo picnic or a long walk or whatever works for you, the individual.

Those socks kept staring at me.  Waiting on me.  Mocking me. 

Well, not any more!  I retreated all the way to the courtyard.  Streaming video, an umbrella for shade and the breeze keeping me cool so that I could knit.  And I knit. 

And the socks, now named Stanley, are done.  Nice squishy ribbed all the way like tube socks and friggin' wonderful. 

The specifics:
Indigodragonfly yarn.  Try it.  It is fabulous.

Colorway "It's all fun and games until someone. . . " special from Yarnover Truck.   They always have something exciting.

Pattern - what pattern.  There ain't no pattern.  Make a toe that fits you and then rib until you can't take it any more or your yarn ball, which for the most part was happy pulling from inside and outside so as to work 2@time, finally collapses on itself and flips over into a wad of knotted mess and the only way to save your sanity is to tease out enough yarn to bind off and call it a day.

Postscript.  It took less than two hours to untangle the remains of the yarn.  

Extra Postscript.  My blood pressure has returned to normal.

Matchy, Matchy Socky Stripes

Matchy




Matchy




Matchy


Matchy

Not Exactly Slacking Off

The only slacking off of late has been on the blogging. In the last four days:

1. the DH's plain vanilla blue socks came off the needles. Complete and of equal size! Yeah. No photo - not enough time.
2. the Diamond Inset kinda Rusted Root increased by an additional 6 inches. Practically ready to move the sleeves to waste yarn. No photo - not enough time.
3. the Collinette throw reached a solid 50% completion and remains snuggly, gorgeous, and a tactile dream. No photo - not enough time.
4. a new dress hit the needles! No, I'm not that ambitious. This is a Beary Good Dress that will clothe a Precious Pal for the guild's group donation next October. As in October 2009. No photo - not enough time.

And today I'm off to 3 days of meetings. National Board meeting, thinking, planning, deciding and all around brain function for hours at a stretch. It is mentally exhausting so the little bear dress will travel with me.

Daddy taught me that when exhaustion hits, it is often exhaustion for the current task at hand. Switch gears and go do something totally different and the "AHA!" moment is that you are not in a state of exhaustion for the new task. Thus, Daddy could return from a full day of work, change clothes and head outside to mow the grass. Different task - no exhaustion. Time for a photo.



Well, maybe there is time to offer this.....
It is a Berry Good Dress. If you are interested in the pattern PM me on Ravelry - I'm Stewlf.

Knitters Everywhere You Look

Today I joined a few friends for good old fashioned social knitting. We met up at a local eatery for casual conversation and relaxing. With caffeine and sugar for fuel, we tried to sip, munch, talk and knit all at the same time. Isn't it wonderful that knitters are so good at multi-tasking?

Turns out that my server moonlights as a knitter. We had a lovely conversation about the blue ribbons she has won. She even triumphed in a speed knitting contest. How thrilling is that?

So we friends settled down and pulled out our current "public knitting" projects. For me, public knitting is something small and portable that does not require much attention. I am this far on the socks for which Bert selected the yarn:


Another sock knitter was there and working on these self patterning socks.

Socks in southern California make a lot of sense. Cool evenings mean that you can wear socks year round. Not at all like other things. Not at all like caps made with three strands of mohair. Oh no. Not at all like that.

Even though some folks do knit with three strands of mohair when it is over 90 degrees outside. See..........
When the hat in progress came out of the bag, our group increased in number. Suddenly we were visited by another coffee addict who also knits. She popped over from another table to check out the yarn and pattern and swap stories for a few minutes. Yep, knitting in public is magnetic. All the other yarn-a-holics come and confess - oops - they come and chat about what is on their needles.

We had one group member working on this scarf. The color is off in the photo. It is a soft lavender and quite beautiful. Only about twelve inches long at this point, but it will surely be a keeper when finished.

All in all it was a relaxing and festive two hours. We encouraged each other. We encouraged the restaurant staff. We encouraged the customers.

Maybe this is what life is all about. Maybe so.