AnotherPurl :: a knitter's life

A huge sigh of relief

Saturday I lost my wallet. I have been wallowing in sadness and stress. Things are finally looking up. I have some new clothes, a new knitting pattern (and the yarn for it!), and a few other goodies. Tomorrow I am on my way to Pennsylvania, land of in-laws, where I will try and behave myself and finish some of the non-gift knitting.

I gave up on the last item of my gift knitting. Suffice it to say that the person isn't upset, because she likes getting presents year round. Late gifts equal presents at odd times. Odd time presents can be strangely uplifting when the March weather gets ugly or you've had a hard day in the office. Her viewpoint isn't a bad one at all. And it makes my life easier.

I could have finished her present. It is almost done after all. Maybe when I am back from PA. I have started a few other things since I made that decision. The first is Branching Out from Knitty. I like the idea of a lacy scarf that requires one skein of nearly any yarn provided that the skein has more than 100 yards in it. I am making mine out of something I bought from Woolcott over a year ago (I will look up the name of the yarn when I am home).

I have also started a second Turtleneck Shrug. I like my first one, but the yarn I used didn't hold its shape very well. The ribbing is flat and the neckline is less turtleneck and more cowl. So, I am using Cestari bought from Circles. Cestari is great stuff. I don't think I have ever worked with a wool yarn that you could feel the lanolin in. My hands get softer (despite the lack of softness in the yarn - though it will be much softer after a washing or two), and the needles are slick with it. Just the neatest sensation!

Now time to plan my next Starbucks run!

An excellent weekend

The Mikado opened on Friday. It was a pretty high energy night, though the audience wasn't quite as responsive as I would have liked. People were running everywhere, putting on their costumes, doing makeup and hair. In one corner, a fellow chorister was knitting. She had just started this week, taught by a coworker.

Later that evening, someone else asked if I could teach them. I only had fine work with me (I wouldn't really want to teach someone knitting with yarn at 8 spi), so I brought in stuff on Saturday. I was teaching one of the gals, when A-kun (one of the male choristers) asked if he could watch. Quick as a blink, I took out some more yarn and another set of needles and showed him how to cast on. It was a little surreal to hear people saying, "But I'm knitting" when told to set themselves for the finale but very cool.

Sunday, there were 4 women knitting, 1 guy, and one other woman doing needle felting between their songs on stage. We monopolized an entire corner of the greenroom for our nice calming and quiet activity. It was a blast! Two of the women took home some of the yarn I brought in (partial skeins of a number of different yarns) to practice at home until Thursday. Obviously, they need to have a knitting gift for the end of the show! Probably some Cascade 220 and a set of needles, so I can get mine back.