Saturday, September 05, 2009

Gray, gray Saturday

The Mother Nature does not seem to be able to make up her mind whether or not she should have another laundry day. She did a good soaking yesterday (or the day before... ) but obviously did not quite finish the job since she has been rinsing again and again. I am fine with whatever she pleases to do and enjoy these quiet tones. I appreciate the gray after all this grass green which is not one of my favorite colors. While writing the steady drumming on the roof started again. The heavy rain has flushed the spouts which is good and saves some work - although usually late fall we will need to check the spouts anyway and no matter how rainy the summer has been, there is still plenty of stuff from the trees that needs to be removed. These grays serve a beautiful background for this red and happy Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn (the red is S84 with one end coming from the outside of the ball and the other from the inside even though it looks like two different colors; the white part S269 likewise): twined mittens on the way. I will post more pictures of the mittens when I get them finished, that is when the embroidery is done.

So this past week was all about mittens and some socks too. I have few balls of yarn in my sock yarn pile that make me wonder what I have been thinking when bringing them home...
I will try to look at them as challenges and so have swatched up a bit. I am almost sure both of these will be undone soonest but at least now I have them memorized and they are spinning around my head and hopefully some day they will pop up from my brain with good and perfect patterns with them.

I dislike the green spots and for a while thought about doing something like k2tog-yarn over when ever they occurred or then just simply purling them always. I tried both and did not like the outcome. So for the time being, I let them rest, although I find myself thinking of them quite a lot.

Few times a year I seem to need to do some twined knitting. I love the slow process there, it is more like embroidering to me than actual knitting. I stop and think and admire the cloth more often than when knitting the usual way. Normally I go through a skein without stopping and thinking too much. And twined knitting takes me also to my wheel, there are so few z-spun yarns around that there is actually a need to spin.

I have been in Ravelry (as lenealve) for a long time and have tried to update my projects there dutifully but only now have I discovered its beauty. Last week I thought that I will go and see socks and mittens in Ravelry and ooh boy, what a treasure trove! Now whenever there has been a moment to spare, I have been there. There is so much inspiration and I have come across lots of good knitting and new knitters, it is almost too good to be true. I am grateful to be a knitter today.

Wool with You,

Lene

Ps. I finished my Flutter Scarf with crochet. I think I added one pattern repeat to the width, because these lace scarfs come thin and long with wear, one extra repeat there might turn out to be a good move even though it feels a bit bulky now when it has not been used.

14 comments:

  1. For sure, Ravelry is a treasure trove of inspiration and an invaluable resource.

    I too love rainy days, although today is bright sunshine, which is good too, since we will be at an outdoor party. Have a delightful weekend!

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  2. I'm a fan of rainy days, but where I live they are few and far between. I've been in a hat knitting phase so I can understand wanting to just knit twined mittens.

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  3. Ravelry has been such a blessing for me too! A. xx

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  4. annie21:53

    Thanks for letting us know how you finished the flutter scarf. Good idea to add the extra width too.

    I love the image that Mother Nature is doing her laundry on rainy days.

    I'm off to Ravelry now!

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  5. Anonymous23:00

    I can't BELIEVE that it looks so "autumnal" where you live.

    looking forward to checking out your projects in Ravelry.
    Margie in Maryland

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  6. When you said "twined" knitting, my first thought was, "What is that? I must learn how to do it on Ravelry." A very powerful tool, ravelry!

    Colors...I have begun knitting socks in solid colors most of the time, because the "painted" yarns are almost always more satisfying to my eye when they are still in the skein or hank...when I start knitting a sock, I find the colors of the yarn do battle with the sock pattern, and I am not so happy with the outcome.
    But sometimes I cannot resist the colors of the multicolored yarns, and there is some in my basket right now...

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  7. Lovely photos as usual, of your knitting and the landscape.
    Oh yes, Ravelry... so much information and so much fun finding it.

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  8. Rain is part of nature. I like it too... It is inspiring, at least for me. I feel somehow lazy on those rainy days, but at least I can knit and read and knit again. And it feels good. Rain can bring good thoughts and offers time to think upon them.
    The green spots on the sock seem to be waterdrops, like dew on an early autumn leaf.

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  9. I love your red and happy Noro Kureyon Socks. This color is beautiful.
    Ravelry is a real treasure. There is so much inspiration and happiness. I'm happy to find you at Ravelry and also your blog.

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  10. I can't wait to see your twined mittens. You're inspiring me to pick up my single one and finish its thumb... maybe even cast on a mate at last!

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  11. Beutiful post as always, and also beautiful knitting... can't wait to see them finished..

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  12. Rachel15:48

    I just happened upon your blog, and must say your designs are beautiful! I will definately be keeping up with your projects.

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  13. Anonymous19:56

    I like the way Noro Silk Garden came out black and red, especially against the gray.

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  14. Gretchen01:13

    I had to laugh when I saw your sock color. I chose the same one and was not thrilled at first. I worked on them on a trip to Boulder, Colorado and love them dearly now because I saw all those colors there.

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