Come knit with me...

Have you tried my Simple Comforts Wrap?   Why not?   The pattern is simple (hence the name), but not boring.   With a one row, four stitch repeat, you will have the pattern memorized in no time.   If you can cast-on, knit and yarn over, you can do this.  The resulting wrap can be dressed up or down and is too cozy for words (all evidence to the contrary).   Best of all, the pattern is free (can't beat that) on Ravelry.

You can see a photo of the original Simple Comforts Shawl in my sidebar but, sadly, that one went up in smoke when my house did (more about that here).   This one is a sample in progress (Will I finish it before this Saturday?  Come on by and find out.)   This time I am using Skacel's SimpliWorsted (available at S&Q).   This is the first time I have used it and I really like it.   It was reasonably priced, is mostly natural fibers, is suitably soft and snuggly, and the drape is perfect for a comfort shawl.

If you live in NE Florida, have just realized that Christmas is only 85 days, 13 hours, and 11 minutes (as of this writing) away, and that a cozy shawl would be just the thing for Aunt Bess, please join me at the Sew and Quilt Shop, in Bunnel, FL, this Saturday (and another two weeks hence), for a Simple Comforts Wrap workshop.    I can help you pick the perfect yarn, the appropriate needles, and get you started on your way to cozy comfort.

Care to join us?   Here is all the information you need:

Simple Comforts Wrap Workshop
Location: Sew & Quilt Shop (directions here)
                 4601 E. Moody Blvd. #B-6,
                 Bunnell, FL 32110
                 386-586-5409
                 sewandquiltshop@bellsouth.net
Dates: Saturday, October 5th & 9th
Time: 10am to 12:30pm
Price: $15 per session
Supplies - Simple Comforts Wrap pattern (download here)
               - 800 - 1000 yards of worsted weight yarn (I can help you pick the perfect thing)
               - knitting needles that match your yarn (12" straights or 24" circulars)
               - 1 stitch marker
               - scissors/snips
               - yarn needle (for weaving ends)
Need to know - Cast-on
                        - knit stitch
                        - yarn over (increase)
                        - Bind-off

Please do call/email ahead and let us know that you are coming.

Note:   This Saturday, October 5th is also Sew & Quilts' monthly Knitting/Crochet group, described thusly:

"Creative Critters: Crocheter + Knitter = Critter - Seasoned beginner, almost professional, or wanna be crocheter or knitter join us for a few laughs and a bunch of tangled fun! Sit & Stitch...Don't miss Saturday, October 5th 2pm - 4pm or Monday, October 7th 10am - Noon!!"

Feel free to stay on for that (there are lots of great places to grab lunch in the area).   I am planning to.

               

TED Knits

Simple Comforts Wrap
Paton's Grace
(Wildberry)

What do you do while knitting?   Do you ponder the universe?   Let your mind wander freely?  Watch TV?   Listen to a good book?  Chat with friends?  Probably, like me, you do all of those things.  

One of my favorite knitting companions is TED.   TED bills itself as "Ideas worth spreading".     TED brings us 18 minute long "riveting talks by remarkable people".     Today, I am listening to a group of talks by artists talking about what it means to each of them to create.   Tomorrow, I might be in the mood for science, or humor, or social justice.   I don't know about you but my mind needs to be fed.   TED is yummy brain food.

Recently, TI & I hit a local Starbucks for sustenance (aka caffeine).   While waiting for our drinks we were happily discussing TED's upcoming visit to Jacksonville.   Our barista joined the discussion.  He loves TED too.   It took a few minutes to sort out the fact that we were having two different conversations.   We were talking about TED (Technology Education Design) he was talking about "Ted" (the R rated movie with the rude teddy bear).    If that were not goofy enough, there was another patron enjoying the heck out of our exchange.   It seems she quickly picked up our differing perspectives on what "ted" meant to each of us.    TED & Ted, Jacksonville in a nutshell.

Ooops

"Are you sure?" asked the nice man at the Sprint store.   I then proceeded to assure him that I was absolutely, positively certain that I had done a recent back up of my iPhone and yes, he really could reset it to factory settings in order to complete T2's upgrade (I gave him my upgrade since I took his a couple of months ago).   Turns out that I had not done a back up EVER which means that I lost all of the photos on my phone, including those destined for the blog.   OOPS

Contrary to the lack of photographic evidence, there has been quite a bit going on at Chez Serenity.   We are in the process of getting back into our home.   The construction, painting, carpets, etc. are done.   It looks wonderful.   Tomorrow the appliances arrive.   The furniture is due a the beginning of August and we are planning to buy beds this weekend.    If everything goes according to plan, we should be in by the second week of August.

Things are moving along on the knitting front too.   Test knitting of the new shawl is going well, and I replacement samples of the Simple Comfort Wrap and Simple Joys Shawl are looking good.   I've been so busy at the house that I have not gotten new pics of them but I will try to remember to get that done soon.

Reveal: Simple Comforts Wrap

Yes, it is true.   My Simple Comforts Wrap is finished and the final pattern is available (at no cost) on Ravelry.   The actual knitting was done more than a week ago.  It has taken me this long to wash, block, and photograph it.   That bought of bronchitis I wrote about earlier, still has me dragging.   So even though the shawl is finally done, I did not get it to the intended recipient today as planned.    I am hoping to get better photos (hopefully at the beach), and I need to make a card, and buy a gift bag.   Next Sunday, for sure.

New on my needles is a Grande Citron  shawl made with some a lovely purple Filatura Di Crosa Centolavaggi  lace wt. merino yarn.   I already have the Citron that was in Knitty a few years ago and love it.   This is the same pattern just bigger and more detailed.   So far, I have found the extra detail to be confusing but I really do like having the increase row stitch counts for the extra repeats.   I will see about photos when I have gotten a bit further into it.

Knitters are an odd lot

Well, we survived the deposition.   T1's that is.   We got so lost in downtown Jax (Dear heaven, can I go back to NYC now?) that we were too late to observe the plaintiff's.   Then it turned out that the address in the letter was wrong.    The really frustrating piece is that the correct location is in one of the few places in town that we know how to get to (grrr).   So, the deposition is over and, according to our attorney, T1 did very well (I knew he would).    Next up is mediation, scheduled for May.   The saga continues.

Last night, firmly entrenched in freak out mode, I did what any self-respecting knitter would do.   I obsessed over focused on what knitting to bring.   While Mr.Google had much to say on the related topics of "What should I wear to my deposition?" (business casual), and "What should I say at my deposition?" (The absolute truth without elaboration), nothing came up when asked "What should I knit at my son's deposition?" (go figure).   With no guidance, and me stressing to the max, I had to make this important decision all on my own.

Should I bring the ever-nearing completion Simple Comforts Wrap?   No, not only would it require a tote bag sized handbag, but with only five inches left to go, I would likely end up, at some point, with nothing to knit (horrors!).   The fingering weight Simple Joys Shawl?   No, it would require a book on tape (or TV, or a movie, or conversation) to keep me engaged and Mr. Google suggests not bringing electronics or chatting anyone up.   Finally I decided on a three-fold strategy of socks, needlepoint and (gasp!) a "real" book.  

In the end, I had very little time on my own.   I worked on Hubby's sock at lunch and my needlepoint while T1 was being deposed.   I never even took the book out of my bag (which means I carried around the heaviest thing in my bag, all day, for nothing.).   I really do love my Kindle.

Ups, Downs, and a Reprieve

Knit Picks CotLin DK:  Surf & Clementine

Chez Serenity has been beset by the plague.  T2 caught a nasty upper respiratory infection and, of course, he shared  (Caring is sharing, my *ss).   If there is an up(ish) side to these days of tissues, tea, & misery, it is that there was just no way we were making it to services this Sunday.   Hence, a reprieve in the rush to have the Simple Comforts Wrap done.   To be honest, I have barely touched it since my last post.   Shocking though it might be, I have been too sick to knit.

As I mentioned in my last post, my mind is definitely moving on to the next things on my needles.  In addition to whatever I am working on for Serenity-Knits, I  am almost always knitting something of someone else's design as well.   For my OP (other people's) knitting I placed an order with KnitPicks and, as always I was thrilled to see the KP box by my door.    In said thrilling box were 12 balls each of KP Simply Cotton Organic sport & worsted yarns (I have no definite plans for these but what are the chances they won't end up as summer shawls someday?) and two colors of KP CotLin destined for a gorgeous shawlette that I recently spotted on Pinterest.

What is it that they say about best laid plans and/or those made in haste?   It seems that I was so excited at the prospect of this new addition to my hand-knitted wardrobe that I did not pin the photo.    I did follow the link and downloaded the pattern (I remember checking the yardage before placing the order), but there are literally hundreds of patterns in my Google Docs and even narrowing down the download by date and color (it was the combination of burnt orange and teal that caught my interest), I am still not quite certain.


I am hoping for more clarity when this cold/flu/sinus fog lifts.

The End is Near(ish)

Simple Comforts Wrap

I was so excited when I laid out the Simple Comforts Wrap out to measure.   I just knew the end was near but it isn't as near as I had hoped.   With 23.5 inches to go, I am just a bit more than 2/3 of the way done.  The lace pattern really is lovely and am happily surprised by the "snuggliness" of the yarn (Bernat Handicrafter Cotton/Vintage Quilt), but it has to be finished, blocked, photographed and ready to give by next Sunday and like the week before vacation, I just want this last bit to be over.      

What will you be knitting during the Super Bowl tonight?