wabisabi

hydrangea macrophylla

I absolutely adore hydrangea bushes, so when Karen and I were at the distributor for Naturally Yarns the other day, a pattern in the Fiber Trends line caught my eye.  Now, Fiber Trends is the US distributor for Naturally Yarns, so (er, naturally), they have some patterns to support those yarns.  Amongst those is a little beauty called "AC-83", AKA the Hydrangea Lace Scarf (click on the link in the sidebar on the left once you get there).

Although the pattern gives some general yarn suggestions, they also note that the scarf was worked in Naturally Yarns "Dawn", a new laceweight yarn.  "Dawn" is 50/50 wool/silk, and it appears to my eye to be a cable construction.  It's labelled as 2-ply, but I'm assuming that's just part of the whole 8-ply/10-ply system that corresponds to things like DK/Worsted Weight on this side of the Pacific Ocean.  There are definitely four strands, two groups of 2 plys, then plied around each other -- that's cable construction, right?  IIRC, that construction is supposed to create a smoother, more even yarn, but the spinners amongst you may use the comments to correct me if I'm wrong.

Actually, before I go any further, let me just say that there are two things I don't like about the Dawn, so let's deal with those right away.  First, the yarn is in a 25g put-up, with 156 metres to 25g.  I think it would be much more useful in a lace-weight yarn to have it in a 50g ball, with 312 metres to work with before I had to join in a new one.  Most of the pattern support for the Dawn does, in fact, appear to be lace, in the form of scarves and shawls, and I think it just would have been nicer not to have so many joins.  I've been thinking this through from a Sales of Yarn perspective, too.  For the Hydrangea Lace scarf, I'm going to need something on the order of 3 and a half balls of Dawn, so I've had to take 4 balls to make sure I can finish it without skimping.  If the put-up were a larger 50g ball, I would have needed to buy two of them anyway -- the same amount of yarn, the same ultimate price, and two fewer joins in the project.

I'm probably missing something here, there are probably some good reasons why they did this the way they did, but so far I'm not seeing it.

Second, I think the colour range is a little limited.  What colours there are, well, they are really lovely.  There's a rust colour that has me mulling over an idea for a lace scarf or stole.  The red is luscious.  I'm working the scarf in the green it's pictured in -- I just couldn't do it in another colour (though it might have made more sense in a pink or blue, given that it's hydrangeas), because the green is so fresh and delicate.

Apart from that though, the yarn is really lovely to work with, and the pattern is wonderful.  I'm amazed that with all the lace I've worked, I have never, ever, made something from a pattern by Eugen Beugler.  Hard-core lace knitters will recognize Eugen Beugler's name immediately, and I will admit that I have long admired his work, and always meant to knit something someday.  One day.

Well, that day has dawned.  So to speak:

Unfortunately, it's a pretty grim day here, and I just can't get the colour to photograph well, but trust me, it's exquisite.   And let me take a moment here to say a HUGE thank you to Fiber Trends for finally moving away from those patterns on dark teal paper, and producing some new pattern leaflets on heavy white paper.  The leaflet is well-designed, streamlined, easy to read, and to be honest, it took me a moment to register the fact that it was a Fiber Trends pattern.  Well done, folks, and my eyes thank you.

(Do you know, it just about killed me to type "fiber" instead of "fibre" in those previous paragraphs.  It's just so ingrained in every...er...fibre...er...of my being.)

In other news -- this knitting frenzy I'm on lately is in part due to the fact that I'm knitting samples for Karen at Shall We Knit, but also in part because she is going to have a booth at the DKC Knitter's Frolic this coming Saturday (April 28th).  I'm going to be there to give her a hand throughout the day, and this scarf as well as a couple of other things I've got on the go will be there with me.  If you're going, do be sure to drop by her booth to say hello and see what she has, because she's going to have some truly luscious items.

ceci n'est pas un swatch

or, the Treachery of Images (with apologies to Magritte)

Actually, the caption should probably be "ceci n'est pas the Ruffled Surplice sweater from the Spring 2007 issue of Interweave Knits", but that seemed a bit of a mouthful.  Er, handful, I guess, typing-wise.

But I digress.

I have a love/hate relationship with swatching.  No, that's wrong.  I loathe swatching.  I do it occasionally because I think that I should, but I honestly find myself scratching my head at interpreting the results of the endeavor.

The swatch in the photo is made out of Tahki Bali, the exact yarn called for in the Ruffled Surplice pattern.  It's a different colour, because when I looked at the original colour Up Close and In Person, I thought it looked, well, kind of -- let's just say it wasn't for me.  I actually like it (theoretically, as a colour in a ball of yarn), but I couldn't wear it, and as this shop sample for Shall We Knit will eventually be mine, all mine, I wanted to make it in a more flattering colour.  To be honest, there weren't a lot of options -- the Bali comes in some lovely shades, but Karen and I felt most of them would make the sweater look Far Too Cutsie, and that's something we're trying to tone down here (and more on that once I actually get knitting, because I am making a change to the garment).

Here's the thing -- since I've never worked with this yarn before, I sat down and made a swatch.  I measured it as I was working on it, still on the needles, and it looked like I was going to get the gauge called for in the pattern  -- 16 sts and 24 rows to 4 inches (10 cm).

After I cast off, I measured again -- 15 sts and 27 rows to 4 inches (10cm).  I pinned the swatch on my blocking board overnight just to see what would happen to it when it was left hanging for a while.  Nope, no change.

However.  However.  That's just the swatch in it's natural state.  I can actually block it out to the right size.  So I don't know what to do.  Do I try to swatch again, and get the swatch in its natural state to gauge?  I'll be honest -- I actually like the swatch the way it is -- the fabric feels good, just the right amount of drape and stretch, firm without being tight -- exactly what a draped, wrapped sweater needs, I think. 

Or do I go with things the way they are, and just block the sweater to size afterwards.  I have to say, the stitch gauge doesn't really concern me, it's the 3 rows difference in the row gauge that has me wondering.

My gut says to just start knitting and see what happens as I work the back.  Because that's the other reason I hate swatching -- very often my swatch results are very different from the actual knitting of the thing, so it might be that all would work out right in the end anyway.  I'm not averse to ripping out part of a back and starting over.  But I'm honestly happy with the way the yarn works up on the 6.0mm needle called for in the pattern.

The other problem I'm noodling with is what size to make.  I have a real problem with self-image, and my usual modus operandi is to make something in the largest size available, and then be unhappy when I'm swimming in it at the end.  I've been working hard over the last couple of years to avoid that, and actually take measurements and think about how the garment is supposed to fit and how much ease it needs.  I'm looking at the Surplice Sweater and thinking it doesn't need much in the way of ease -- it's supposed to be close fitting.  Okay, I need enough ease to wear it over a top, and it does have a little stretch. 

The problem as I see it is that I fall between a couple of sizes -- one will be slightly too small, the other a smidge too big.  No, I'm not interesting in adjusting the pattern apart from the other change I hinted at, it's more than I could deal with at the moment.  I'm leaning towards making the slightly larger -- since it's a wrap, I could just wrap it around slightly more, right? 

My gut says to do that, but The Other has questioned whether I'm just making the larger size again because I want to hide in my clothing, so I want to have a good think about this.  I honestly think the slightly smaller size would be just a little too small. 

I don't know.  I just don't know.  I'm willing to rip out part of a back piece if the gauge ends up being truly too off, but I'm not willing to knit a whole sweater and then rip it out because I didn't get the sizing right.

Advice or opinions welcome.

i think i hate haloscan

I don't know why, but in the last couple of weeks I can't comment on any blogs using haloscan, so Mar, if you're reading, Happy Birthday, and Eunny Jang.

And no, it's not just haloscan, I seem to go through periods where I can't comment on a blog that I had no problem leaving a comment on before, without rhyme or reason.  I've just blamed it on the stupid bad luck that has plagued me the last year and a half.  Note to the Universe:  Uncle.  Turn it off.  Honestly.  It's reached the point that if there's a Lesson I'm supposed to learn, it's just not going to happen, because I'm too tired and stressed out to get it, so lighten up why don't you already?

Sigh.

i Podius: Le Québec en baladodiffusion

Today, one of the few non-English language podcasts I regularly listen to -- Le Québec en baladodiffusion.  "Baladodiffusion" is the French term for "podcasting" -- it comes, I presume, from the combination of "baladeur", which is what a Walkman (or other portable audio device) is called, and "diffusion", distribution or diffusion (of sound, in this case).

And "Le Québec en baladodiffusion" is the podcast of Montrealer Sylvain Grand'Maison.  Sylvain is an enthusiastic podcast devotee who decided, last summer, to start one of his own. It's loosely modelled on two  other podcasts in regular rotation on my  iPod -- the Canadian Podcast Buffet (which I wrote about in the last iPodius post), and Ted Riecken's Island Podcasting (which I'll write about at another time).

Sylvain, like the CPB,  presents a view of the technological, legal, and social aspects of podcasting.  And also like the CPB (whose hosts also organize the Canadian Podcast Directory) Sylvain has created a listing of podcasts produced in Québec.

But like Ted Riecken (who also, by the way, discusses many of the issues involved in new techology and the podcasting world), Sylvain also makes an effort to give us a sense of place, the place he lives in -- Québec -- through soundseeing tours, through interviews, and by telling us about his life.

You may have noticed that the podcasts I enjoy the most are the ones in which the podcaster gives me a real sense of what it's like to live where he/she does, what are the customs, the culture, the local or family traditions that are important to him/her.  What's interesting with LQEB is that it really is a learning experience for me, culturally speaking.  I learned to speak French in France, and not only is the way I express things different, but also my French-language cultural base is purely French.  Québec really is a mystery to me, but through Sylvain's podcast, I'm learning more about that province and its culture.  In fact, one of the really fascinating episodes for me featured an interview with a French ex-pat living in Québec -- boy, could I relate to some of the things he talked about, which strikes me as really funny given I'm a Canadian.  And sad, in a way, because I realize that I know less about some of my fellow Canadians than I do about another culture on the other side of the ocean.

But there is another reason that LQEB is on my mind this evening -- it's because I've been thinking about Podcasters Across Borders.  Eleven days remain to register and pay the early bird discounted price -- after that the registrations fee goes up to $100 (still a bargain, if you ask me).  And I wanted to encourage anyone who is podcasting to think about attending -- but also, I wanted to encourage anyone who is thinking about starting a podcast to consider going as well, because PAB will be not only a place to learn about the fine details of the craft, but also a place to learn the ins and outs, to get a start, and to make connections with some of the really fascinating people already doing it. 

And the connection with Sylvain and his podcast?  Last year, Sylvain attended PAB.  He wasn't yet podcasting, but he was interested.  He went to PAB and immediately afterwards started LQEB.  He found the inspiration and encouragement to take the final leap at PAB, and he has produced what has turned out to be a Very Fine Podcast.  Actually, it was a Very Fine Podcast from the very beginning, which is impressive in of itself -- but over the course of 17 episodes, he's managed to fine tune things, which wasn't easy to do, given how great his podcast was from the very beginning.

I don't know Sylvain well, but I do know from listening to his podcast that he's enthusiastic and upbeat.  What I've also discovered is that Sylvain also offers encouragement to other podcasters -- he's one of those folks that sends an email just to find out how someone is doing, to encourage them to keep podcasting when sometimes life gets in the way.  He's a great model for the podcasting community.

So, if you're toying with the idea of attending PAB, or if you know someone who might enjoy the experience, or heck, if you're a podcast junkie and you'd just like to hang out with some of these great people, then seriously, think about coming to Kingston in June.  I'm sure you won't regret it.

And if you're francophone, or if you're learning French and want some practice, then think about checking out Sylvain's podcast, Le Québec en baladodiffusion -- I'm sure you won't regret that, either.

stop me before i generate again

Forgive me readers, for I have generated another Chinese Restaurant Sign:

"Where will it end?" I hear you asking.  Or, perhaps, more pointedly, "when?".

Soon.  Soon.

life: the carrot or stick approach

I don't know if I necessarily work well with the carrot (reward) or stick (punishment) approach to life, but I do know that I work best when there's some sort of system of accountability in place.  This is why I managed to sign up for an eight-week programme at the Y during the winter and actually finish it -- the act of having to fill in a form, and to have someone phone if I wasn't holding up my end of the contract was more than enough to keep me going.

And I'm still doing the strength programme set out for me -- oh, sure, I'm slacking off here and there, but generally, I'm still doing it.

It was the accountability that kept me on track for eight weeks -- it's the results that are keeping me doing it now -- I can feel a definite difference in my strength levels, so much so that I find myself able to cope with more tasks around the house without having to ask The Other for help, so much so that occasionally someone mentions to me that they find me moving better, walking better, what have you.

I feel that difference, too.

So I'm thinking of signing up for the next round -- I can't remember what it's called, some pun on the use of "Y" (you know, Y Wait?  Y Weight?  Y Ever Not? Y Stop Now?) Essentially, though, this time around it's a twelve week programme to help you meet some goal.  The one I did in the winter was to choose specifically a goal in the gym, to come and work out on some piece of equipment three times a week -- I chose the weights.  This one can be any fitness or health goal, and the Y staff will help you put all the pieces you need into place to meet it.

There are a few bits of accountability built in, too -- for example, you have to attend at least four of the twelve information sessions being offered, on things from nutruition and meal planning and whatnot.

I've been mulling it over simply because I'm not sure what to choose as a goal -- no, wait, that's not quite right.  I do know what I'd like as a goal.  I'd like to lose some weight.  I'm just not sure how feasible that is. 

I gained a whack of weight a few years back when I started having thyroid problems.  Medication put a stop to the gain, but I've never managed to take off more than a little bit of the weight I gained.  Between that and middle age, and a genetic predisposition to be round and doughy, I'm just not sure I could even meet the reasonable goal of ten pounds that my doctor suggested as sensible.

On the other hand, what have I got to lose by trying?  Either I won't lose the weight, and I'll know I was right, or I'll get some support, maybe some new ideas to try, and I will be more successful than on my own.

As I say, I'm still mulling the committment over, but I'm leaning more and more to signing up.  No reason Y I shouldn't, actually...

However, I do think I'm ready to try the carrot approach with my knitting.  I presently have one project that isn't inspiring me very much.  So I think that for every hour I work on that, I'll allow myself a half an hour to work with this:

But more on that another time.

(What, you think I'm dangling out a carrot so you'll come back again???)

it ain't over 'til the slightly chubby lady blocks

So, after noting down Judith's cast-off suggestion (from the comments), I went to take a look at what Myrna Stahman recommends for casting off in her shawls and scarves book (yes, I should put the full citation, but it's late, and the book is upstairs, and I am immensely lazy this evening).

The one suggestion that caught my eye was something called an "Icelandic Bind-Off".  However, I have to confess that I didn't understand how it worked from the description in the book.  I kept trying to visualize it with my knitting, but just couldn't do it.  I'm very much a visual learner, so a photo would have been helpful, but I also know that some people have a way of describing how something is done that matches my learning style, and this just didn't.

So I figured, there's got to be a photo of this out on the 'net somewhere, right? 

Well, not that I could find.  However, I found lots of descriptions of how to work an Icelandic Cast-Off (Bind-off).  Which, from what I've read, is also sometimes referred to as a Russian Cast-Off (Bind-Off).  And that there are slight variations on how they both are done, but essentially?

Just like Judith's description.

Which is what I did. I started casting off at the beginning of last night's guild meeting, and finished up just as the closing remarks were made:

Yes, the edge looks all ripply at the moment, but it's nice and loose, and will be lovely once I stretch it out and block it.

Eventually.  One day.  Because although it's not quite as large as the Fir Cone Shawl, it's still large enough not to fit on my blocking board, so I've put it away until I can afford to buy enough of the foam puzzle square things to do it.

I have to say, though, that I really rather like this shawl.  The idea of opening up the square so it drapes around one's self is really rather nifty, and it'll easily be the most comfortable, warm, and well-fitted shawl I own.  Once I get it blocked, that is.

I should probably have taken a close-up of the border lace, because there *is* one thing there that I can't make my mind up about.  Oberle has designed the borders to include full repeats of the pattern motif only, which means  that there ends up being a lot of stockinette stitch either side of the eyelet mitres.  I think I would have leaned towards charting out as much of the lace as I could, balancing my increases and decreases, even if it meant putting in only partial patterns. 

I can see that the disadvantage in this would be if you liked symmetry, perhaps you might not find the partial motifs pleasing.  I think I'd probably at least chart things out to see what I thought if I were going to do this again.  For me, I think I'm happier with the lace snugging up to the mitre, but perhaps it's a matter of personal preference at this point.

As for doing it again -- as I mentioned in the comments, I've got this idea in my head to re-engineer both Fir Cone and Irish Diamond, using different patterns in each of them.  I've made a few notes, but the actual knitting of such things will have to wait until I have the disposable income to order more yarn -- both of these shawls have used up all the Shetland yarn in my stash.

forward and back

I sat down last week to finally cast off the Irish Diamond Shawl:

After I took the picture, I gave the edge a bit of a tug and wasn't happy.  It wasn't very stretchy.  I didn't think I was going to have an easy time blocking out that edge.

I was a little surprised, though, because normally for a cast-off edge like this, I use a needle a size larger and get all zen and it works.  This time, though, it didn't.

I tried going up yet another needle size for the cast-off.  Same deal.  Not stretchy enough, and visions of trying to block it and being frustrated by the cast-off edge.

So I started looking at possibilites.  Number one on the list of good stretchy cast-offs for lace is the sewn-cast off (sometimes attributed to Elizabeth Zimmermann), and although it might be good, there is No Way Under Heaven that I am going to do that on this edge.  It will take me months.  And I'd have to keep joining in new ends, in order to have a reasonable working length of the yarn.  No.  Way.  A series of joins in the edge would really bother me.  I don't know if there's any logical reason for that -- perhaps the joins would weaken the edging, perhaps not -- but no matter, I don't want to do this.

The possibility I'm thinking about now is a crocheted cast off, that I found in the Vogue book of all things knitting.  It claims to be elastic.  I figure it can't hurt to try.  Though I don't have a crochet hook in an appropriate size -- all of mine are 3.5mm or smaller, so I've got to dig out the 40% off coupon from the Michael's flyer that's hanging around here somewhere and go buy a 4.5mm hook.  The Vogue knitting book suggests using the same size crochet hook as the knitting was done on, but if someone out there has actually done this cast off and thinks otherwise, I'd really love to hear about your experience.

Because I've only got one coupon, and can only buy one hook.  This week, anyway.

what time is it?

Time for another sign from the Chinese Restaurant Sign Generator:

(And no, that's not the end of it...)

Podcasters Across Borders

In a fit of optimism a few weeks back, when it looked as if The Other might actually get a new job, he signed us up for Podcasters Across Borders.

And then things started to look as if they might not turn out as we'd hoped.  Oh, there was a chance we might get our registration fee back, if things worked out right, but for me, that wasn't the point.

I was tired.  I was tired of making do, doing without, and just generally watching the world get on with things while everything was passing me by.

I was tired of reading blogs and seeing yarns I couldn't afford.  I was tired of passing over magazines at the bookshop because I couldn't justify the price.  I was tired of missing out on opportunities.

I was tired of what I'd become -- cranky, discouraged, depressed.  Lacking in enthusiasm, because if felt like every time I got enthusiastic about something, there was always some obstacle.

I don't know if this is what the whole unemployment thing does to everyone, but I've been finding that the longer The Other has been out of work, the more I've tended just to fold in on myself.  To lie down and die.  Why bother dreaming about doing anything, when there's never a way to make it happen?

Except, as it turns out, I was wrong.  Now, I should have known better -- remember that I started My List (of things I wanted to do in life) simply because I believed that the simple action of putting something on the list gave it energy, gave it momentum?  That if something was there, and it was meant to happen, then the Universe (or whatever power you believe in) would Make It So?

Somewhere along the way, though, I'd fallen off the rails in the last couple of months.  I'd started not only listening to those messages in my head -- the ones that said that only other people achieved their dreams, and that I was Not Worthy -- but I'd started believing them, as well.

Fortunately for me, I have some very good people in my life who, in the past week, have reached out and not only convinced me that I'm really wrong about that, they are offering me the opportunity to achieve my one small dream of attending Podcasters Across Borders this year, and convincing me that I am worthy of attending.

Now, I haven't undergone a complete personality change -- I'm still feeling guilty putting money and time and resources towards this, when there are other, more important bills to be paid.  But I'm making myself stop whenever that feeling comes up, making myself realize, as one very good friend wrote recently, that dreams are not frivolous.

If I'm honest, I'm not sure exactly why attending PAB is so important to me -- in part, it's because I want to learn more about podcasting, but that's not the whole picture.  If it were, I could just stay home and listen to the audio recordings that will be produced (-- that's what I did last year).

The only thing I can say is that I've taken to comparing it to, say, going to KnitCamp, or attending Stitches.  Sure, you could pick up a knitting book, but there's something about personal contact with a teacher, with other knitters, that adds something to the experience.  You just never know what you are going to learn, or from whom, or when inspiration will strike.

Podcasting tends to be a highly solitary activity, even more so, at times, than blogging.  I know that what I'm producing at the moment is not great, and it's not even exactly what I want to be doing with the medium.  But I'm not sure what that is just yet, I haven't completely defined where I want to go, and in the meantime, I'm exploring ideas and figuring out how things work and, very occasionally, coming very close to the mark.  I am, at least, doing something, and you can only figure out where you want to go by getting up and getting moving, I think.

And I think, too, that by actually meeting with others who are doing this, that I can get some fresh ideas, or just take in the experiences of what others are doing and how they are achieving it, just talk to people.

Now, I'm definitely an introvert, and a shy one at that.  I'm nervous about going to PAB, but I'm excited, too.  I even have this crazy idea that one day, The Other and I could be presenters at an event like this (working title: "The Talent and the Tech Guy:  The Tag-Team approach to podcasting")

(You realize that "Talent" is used tongue in cheek, right?  But I like how The Other and I work together, how I have these ideas, but no idea how to achieve them, and he helps me figure it out.  He's also an Excellent Editor -- you would not believe what he is capable of, and if you heard one of my audio files pre-editing, you would be staggered at the difference between that and the finished product -- but even there, it's a collaborative effort, because I'll take the finished file and listen to it, and request that things be tweaked here and there).

Anyway, there it is.  The Other called the hotel and booked a room -- and we managed to get one at the conference rate.  I wasn't sure we would, because there weren't a lot left, but it was meant to be, I suppose.  There are a lot of other things to do to get ready, but I'm confident that things will work out.

And to the folks helping me make this dream a reality?  I haven't named you specifically here, because I wasn't sure how comfortable you'd be with that, but do know that I am very, very grateful.  Especially for that Virtual Smack Upside the Head one of you gave me [grin], because I almost said "no".

If you're interested in attending yourself, there's information about the event and the programme details on the Podcasters Across Borders site.

measuring progress

I wish I'd thought about doing this earlier, but it occurred to me that since I'm still pretty much a beginner in the spinning department, that I could be keeping track of my progress, such as it is, in handspinning, simply by taking photographs of the stuff.

For example, my first handspun ever:

Which, of course, is heavier, lumpier, and more uneven than I remembered it to be before I dug it out to take the photograph.  Obviously I wasn't happy with it, and changed something, because this is my second attempt:

Better.  Not great, but better.  Alas, I didn't think to take photos of my third attempt, and there's none of it left, as every inch of it was knit up (into a self-engineered shawl, and a scarf).  But it was better still.

"But the fourth one...stayed up!  And that's what your'e going to get, lad, the strongest castle in these islands."

Er.  Sorry.  Couldn't help myself.  First thing that popped into my head after I typed "the fourth one"....

This is my fourth attempt at handspun:

Much nicer.  I was actually really happy with this.   Half of it was made up into a shawl, the other half is waiting to be knit up into a shawl.  One day.

So now I just have to keep up with this record.  I've got a few other bits of spinning on the go, all at the same time, so I'm not sure what order they'll be in once I'm done, and I'm not happy with all of them.  But that's what practice is for, right?