Friend and FO

The wheels of change grind slowly, but gradually I'm reaching the bottom of the UFO pile. This latest FO, called the "Petite Popover" and modeled by Ted and the owls, is one of those delicious free patterns to which I'm heavily addicted. It came to me via the Purl Bee newsletter from Purl Soho, and if you don't know about the amazing stuff this shop sells, I invite you to click on their link.

The garment knits up fast and is a clever way to keep a small child warm, since it combines a hat and generous scarf, thus preventing the dreaded Chilly Neck Syndrome. (Size is adjustable from baby to toddler to child.) Pop it over the kid's head, stuff the ends into the snowsuit/jacket/bunting, and you're ready to roll. I forced myself to knit this in acrylic because I don't trust the parents of Caiden (beneficiary, age 6 months) to hand-wash anything. And much as I detest synthetic yarn, I have to admit that what I used--SMC Northern Worsted--is nice. (Purl Soho shows the popover gorgeously done-up in cashmere and a top-of-the-line merino from Swans Island.)

Speaking of Swans Island yarns, catch my latest article in Knitscene's Winter 2012 issue about Coastal New England Yarns, from Block Island (North Light Fibers) to Swans Island!

Fat needles

Dreary weather has a way of fomenting impatience, and I have become extremely impatient for warmer weather. Hence yesterday I convinced H to drive us (and Lola) to Logee's Greenhouse in Danielson, Connecticut so that we could imagine ourselves in the tropics.

This hothouse citrus tree, planted in the 1930s, has grafted branches of ten different fruits.

One of the many camellias in bloom.

By the time we left Logee's I was feeling warmer and craving hot colors--deep pink and orange. I am sure this yen began when I witnessed Orla and Quentin's nuptials on V-day, as they both wore impressively tropical hues. In fact, ever since donating the Hip-Hop yarn worn by Orla, I had been ruminating on the several skeins of it that take up quite a bit of space in my stash room.

Fortunately we had lunch in the nearby town of Putnam, Connecticut, and parked quite near Woolworks, Ltd. We ate at a forgettable restaurant while Lola waited in the car. Afterwards, H returned to the car to walk Lola, while I sashayed into Woolworks.

Like most of Putnam's downtown businesses, it's harbored in an oddly renovated building of limited architectural merit. Inside, however, is a different story. This place is radiant with positive fiber energy! I found a warm, very replete LYS, with a serious collection of spinning wheels and a spinner-in-residence. The staffers were really congenial and charming, and gave me a good sense of the shop's array of yarns and notions. Unlike many LYS which seem to have only two skeins of any given yarn in any given color, and maybe one of the color you really want, Woolworks' shelves were fully stocked with yarns ranging from Reynolds and Sirdar to Cascade, Malabrigo, and very interesting local (CT) yarns, such as Corriedale worsted from Brown Farm of Scotland, CT, and  Fibers 4 Ewe sock yarn of merino, nylon, and milk fiber.

Also, I was thrilled to find a set of #13 dpns--wooden, no less!--and purchased them and a skein of Fibers4Ewe sock yarn forthwith. Contrary to what you may suspect from this odd juxtaposition of merchandise, the large needles are for knitting a hat with the Berocco Hip Hop yarn so fashionably worn by Orla on Valentine's Day.

Especially as I have been focused on socks for the last few months--they have become something of an obsession, actually--and have been working with size one and two dpns--my fingers have been thinking about the other end of the spectrum, as they have a somewhat polarized mentality (likely the result of so many years of piano practice). Having just begun this hat with chunky yarn and clunky needles, I can say that while it does knit up extremely fast, it is also deeply clumsy to knit with such oversized tools... So the benefits and disadvantages cancel each other, IMHO. As for the hat...we shall see what we think when it's over and done with. Orla and Ted have promised to model it.

Lovebirds

Orla and Quentin tied the knot today, in the Woodville Chapel o' Love, located near the mouth of Babbling Brook and the northern shore of the Wood River. The ecumenical ceremony was jointly performed by GloBug and Dinosoap, who were ordained Human Ministers for the occasion. Moon Goon was Maid of Honor, and Cobi was Best Man. The bride wore an artfully-coiled skein of Berocco Hip-Hop in the Red Spyda colorway, chosen specially to complement Quentin's signature scarf. Musical accompaniment was provided by "When Birds Do Sing," an avian vocal quartet.

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Following the ceremony, the happy couple posed for an official portrait in a nearby tree.

Flags were hung in honor of the newlyweds.

And they were welcomed as a couple into the realm of conventional society by Molly, their self-appointed guardian.

The more things change...

Have you ever noticed how the crazier the world gets, the more you want to knit? If the situations in the Mideast, Africa, South Asia, Haiti, and most of Latin America weren't desperate enough, there's so much local mayhem--governmental, economic, social, culinary--that an ostrich's view of the world starts to look pretty scenic.

But wait, there's more!  I'm married to someone who likes to burn up the yard at least once a year.

Sure, why not?  And, being a good scout, he used only one match. Silly me for thinking there might be safer ways to get rid of weeds than a good old controlled burn, right? QED: the house behind the fiery field in the photo is still standing.

Here's a close-up of my pendant et après feu self-patterning sock.  I found it comforting to knit intensely and stare deeply into the fibers while the front yard was under incineration.

On a more amiable note, Quentin's friend Orla arrived yesterday, length of visit unspecified, but based on Q's rather attentive behavior, I sense she may be here for a while.

Orla hails from China by way of Providence.  Like a 1940s movie talent scout, I discovered her, you might say, hanging out at the sign of Frog and Toad on Hope Street.