2010: A (Storage) Space Odyssey

Because the new place has less closet space and I am using some of my furniture differently, I've been experiencing a bit of a storage crunch. Combine that with the fact that my mom shouted, "Stop the insanity!" as we were unpacking my yarn stash at the new place, and it seemed like a good time for a little destashing. SO! Here's your opportunity to help me out: anyone want any of this stuff? Write me at the e-mail address listed in the sidebar and let me know if you'd like to buy any of the following (paypal only, please; prices include US shipping; international shipping would be extra):

6 balls Lana Grossa "Merino 2000" in a nice slate/cadet blue (413). Sportweight 100% merino, 176 yards/ball for a total of +1000 yards. $40.

3 skeins hand-dyed laceweight silk (originally from School Products). Can't remember the yardage on this; one skein is untouched and two have been wound into balls. This was definitely enough to make a lace shawl, which was the reason I bought it in the first place. It is quite thin. $12. SOLD.

Two skeins each of Knitpicks Imagination hand-dyed alpaca/merino blend in "Wicked Stepmother" (purple blend on left) and "Frog Prince" (the green blend on bottom right). Fingering weight 50% superwash merino, 25% superfine alpaca, 25% nylon, 219 yards/skein for a total of +400 yards in each color. One skein of each has been balled but has not been knit. $8 each color or $15 for both colors. WICKED STEPMOTHER SOLD.

7 skeins Ella Rae Classic wool in periwinkle blue (46). Worsted weight 100% wool, 219 yards/skein for a total of +1500 yards. $30.

1 skein Cascade Heritage sock yarn in tan (5610). Fingering weight 75% superwash merino, 25% nylon, 437 yards/skein. This has been balled, and about 75 yards of it have been knit and frogged. $10.

12 skeins Jo Sharp Classic DK wool in forest green ("venice"). DK weight 100% wool, 107 yards/skein for a total of +1200 yards. I knit one small swatch with it, so one skein is slightly smaller than the others. $40.

And one hand-knit for sale (this one I am sad to part with, but I don't have a baby to give it to, and it's depressing to have beautiful baby sweaters sitting around one's apartment, not to mention the fact that it seems like it will jinx one's ability ever to produce such babies on one's own):

One size 3-6 months baby sweater, brown prototype for my "Chronicles of Narnia" pattern. This was knit in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. $125.

And, so that this post is not entirely capitalist whoredom, here's a shot of my most recent knitting project: a blanket-sized doily knit with aran-weight Reynolds Candide on size 9 needles. The pattern I'm using is "Stor Lysedug" from Yarn Over free patterns. I decided I needed a TV-watching afghan because my living room is cold, and it's fun to knit a big beautiful lace thing with big yarn. This has been so much fun that I might take a crack at a Hemlock Ring next, perhaps in softer, slightly lighter wool, for a friend's baby (one that really does exist).

Long-overdue May posting

the fair isle yoke sweater, progressing at a glacial pace

It's been too long since my last post, I know -- I've been busy with schoolwork and end-of-semester anxieties and joys. The students are variously adorable and irritating, depending, mostly, on how sunny it is outside; to my surprise and pleasure, most of them have really enjoyed reading The Remains of the Day, despite their initial complaints about its moving quite slowly (as it does, but the slow pace becomes incrementally more tragic as the book goes on).

Saint Margaret and the dragon

My own studies have been wearing down a bit too gradually for my taste. After presenting a paper on the passion of St. Margaret almost two weeks ago, I've been feeling like the semester was already over -- and therefore have been irritated every time I have to go to another class. It turns out that all three of my final papers are on medieval saints' lives this semester -- and I am coming to the somewhat alarming conclusion that I want to write my dissertation on hagiography -- alarming because hagiography is a pretty fuzzy field and the research involved is about 4 times as complex and time-consuming as just focusing on good old Geoffrey C., whose books are readily available and in English... But saints' lives are just so fascinating! Case in point: one of the postmortem miracles of St. Aethelthryth of Ely is a story of the saint's appearing next to the bed of a sleeping girl and slapping her really hard for no particular reason -- hard enough to damage her sight and mangle her face -- then when the girl prayed to St. Aethelthryth (that's right, the same saint who slapped her), her sight was restored and her face was healed. It's like the Mommy Dearest of the Middle Ages.

Saint Aethelthryth

On to the knitting news. First, my contributions to the silent auction were both hits -- I think that each sweater set brought in something like $85. That success leaves me wanting to knit more baby things for nobody in particular. I'm working on a new design, but it's taken a lot of ripping-out already; in the meantime, I've been working on some versions of my old designs in new colors. The brown Chronicles of Narnia sweater I've already posted about, but here it is all finished, and looking quite classy, if I do say so myself:


That's in four colors of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino and size 5 needles. I have to say that Baby Cashmerino seems to have changed its fiber content or something; it was much more plasticky and less luxurious than I remember its being the last time I knit with it. Next up there is another Peach Blossom jacket, in spring green Shine Sport:


This is an attempt to ascertain if the Peach Blossom jacket could ever look boyish enough for a boy. I'm not totally convinced, but I do think the color combination is sweet, if still a little girly. It's also very nicely coordinated with the other project I've got going chez Looking Glass:


My mom bought me some little pots to plant herb seeds in. I've been absurdly delighted to watch them grow; I feel like a kindergartener checking their progress every day. They are, clockwise from the top left, marigolds, basil (I think), zinnias (I think), oregano, and chives. The oregano may be dead after going a bit too long without watering; I keep cheering on the few leaves that still seem to be green, but they have not changed much in size over the past week.

More Sheep join the fold

The slippers are blocked and have their buttons sewn on. With the addition of a tam, that completes the pink sheep baby set:


It is well nigh impossible to photograph a tam well. Laid flat it looks like a knitted frisbee. But laid any other way, it looks like a ball of moosh. I guess the only way to do it well would be to smack it on some kid's head. Alas, some kid was not available this morning as I was taking pictures.

With those baby items out of the way, no more people to knit presents for, and lots of schoolwork I should be doing, of course I cast on for a totally frivolous and recipient-less baby sweater:


Yes, I am a copycat: Shelley's gorgeous brown and pink Narnia cardigan was so beautiful that I had to run out and buy some yarn in comparable colors to knit it myself. It's an incredibly apt thing to be knitting right now; look what is outside the office window:


Ah, spring.

Lovely Lucy

Shelly K. has made an absolutely stunning version of the Chronicles of Narnia Baby Cardigan! Here's her version, in really classy colors, and sized up to 18 months by using size 8 (5mm) needles:


Just beautiful work, Shelly K! I think that it looks even nicer than the original. I love the way she used coordinating colors for the insides of all the flowers. Here's her Ravelry page, if you're on.

If you'd like to take a look at some other finished projects using my patterns, here's a list -- everyone has done such an awesome job!

• tmarie's Modified Drops Cardigan and Ravelry profile
• Sade's Peach Blossom Jacket and Ravelry profile
• thomasinaknits's Sheep Yoke Cardigan and Ravelry profile
• Kibbin's Sheep Yoke Cardigan and Ravelry profile
• Allyc's Sheep Yoke Cardigan and Ravelry profile
• Fenchurch's Sheep Yoke Cardigan and Ravelry profile
• Happi's Sheep Yoke Cardigan and Ravelry profile

In other news, my free baby patterns are now available as PDF downloads from Ravelry, and you don't have to be a member to get them. If you are a PDF-loving kind of person, there are links now on all the pattern pages, but here they all are in one place too:

• Chronicles of Narnia Baby Cardigan
• Modified Drops Eyelet Baby Cardigan
• Peach Blossom Baby Jacket
• Sheep Yoke Baby Cardigan

Meanwhile, thanks for the kind comments on the previous post. I was a little huffy myself when I wrote it, so sorry about that!