Whatever happens to strike my fancy, but surely some sort of fiber content.
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| Like The Queen Whatever happens to strike my fancy, but surely some sort of fiber content. |
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5 Comments:Great looking sock! I really like the pattern and I love the colour as well! Happy belated birthday, Bess! Pretty sock, pretty color. Did you make it to FFF this year? I was there on Sunday but didn't see you. Hauled home plenty of spinning fiber, though. :)
Cool socks you got there!
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What's better than store-bought socks is hand-made ones. I love hand woven things!
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Looking forward for your next post. i will recommend this this some of my colleagues. Thanks :) Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] Thursday, September 23, 2010 FOHere is that completed lace sock I knit for Spirit Trail. You can see it at her booth in Rhinebeck next month.  Now it's time to finish up that shawl collared vest - and the other two summertime UFOs in my bag-0-shame. But after that I believe I will use the lace stitch in this sock to make a pair of gloves. I've been wanting to try that i-cord glove technique of Meg Swansen's. I've got the yarn, I've got the stitch, I've got the needles, thanks to a wonderful BD who bought me the entire set of StitchBerry wooden circular needles for my birthday. Btw. The size zero join is not as smooth as all the other sizes ... but lawsee - they go up to something like size 15!! all with silky wooden tips and smooth joins. There is a winter full of comfortable knitting up ahead. Ta! posted by Bess | 6:56 AM 1 Comments:Happy Birthday! May many of your dreams come true this year - but may you have many more to look forward to in the coming years! Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] Tuesday, September 21, 2010 It's My Birthday
and as of 3:16 in the afternoon, I am having the best most splendid one ever. There have been phone calls and cards and presents. There has been some productive work (always makes a Virgo feel good to have a bit of productivity in her day) but I am also skipping out a wee bit early to play with loved ones, of the 2 legged variety and the 4. And just in case you want to see where I am when I am just about to go home from work - on a birthday - Here is the view from my desk.  J has 10 on Tuesday blogpost today and it's about birthdays - that led me to Carol who's 10 are surely worth reading. But my 10 on Tuesday Birthday list would include
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Yet another 'Been There, Done That' post! I have, right at this moment, all the pieces to the Braided Pullover from IK sitting waiting to be sewn together and the neckband completed. How long has it been like this? For only about four months! I could really have done with this jersey over the winter we've just had, too. Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] Sunday, September 19, 2010 Lack of Knitting ProgressI find it odd that I will start a project, knit away on it like a fiend, get almost done and then come to a crashing halt. It isn't strange to me if I know I've skimped on the KnittingMath and am making something for a smaller, slimmer version of myself. Waiting for that splendid day when I am the size I want to be - the size that fits the garment I've knitted. Sure. That makes sense. But to just crash to a halt on something that's almost done and will be exactly what it should be is a little puzzling. It reminds me of all the homework I didn't do as a child. I could do the homework. It was neither hard nor even onerous. Often it was fun. But it was required. I had to do it. I believe that, for the ENFPers out there -those of us who really get no glory from completion - crashing into those last 6 inches of knitting is a constant and ubiquitous danger.I did get the heel done on the green lace sock that is due by Friday - you will see it at Rhinebeck if you go there - a sample sock for Spirit Trail Fiberworks. but I don't have photos. Yet. I promise one will show up before the week is out. Birthday gifts have begun showing up in the mailbox. The package from Schoolhouse Press that was delivered on Saturday has to be from LD because it was addressed to Bess Haile and when I have to use my own credit card I have to use my given name by which I am known to the IRS. Nicknames are always such a conundrum because they are nearly always who we think we are, who all our friends think we are and yet - they are never on any official documents to prove that we actually are who we think we are. Ahh well. Obviously when I get down to nattering about nicknames it is obvious I have nothing valuable to say. And since I have no knitting progress photos to make today's post interesting I would do better to go knit instead of write. Or vacuum. Yes. That is probably more necessary than even lace sock knitting. But there will be Finished Objects to display within the week. Till then - how about a cute kid taking a whack at it photo 
posted by Bess |
7:34 AM
2 Comments:
Ha, ha! This is a post I could write - if I didn't procrastinate so much myself! Ha! Well, at least knitting is one thing I tend not to procrastinate. :) Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] Thursday, September 16, 2010 P R O C R A S T I N A T I O .... oh I think I'll finish that laterIf I have a besetting sin, it is procrastination. Hmmm. Perhaps others might say I have other flaws, but I am talking about a defect that gets in my way. I am not talking about other people's happiness. My bedeviling imp is procrastination and I have been giving some serious attention to it the past few weeks. In the back of my head I hear Carly Simon singing Procrastination, procrastina ay tion Is makin' me late Is keepin' me waitin' And I think about how much of my life sits on hold waiting for me to get going - and not getting going. It happens in my work life, in my household management, my physical health, my knitting ... I am positive that procrastination is what makes us amass so much stash. If I knit as much as I shopped I would probably have a wardrobe of sweaters and an empty chimney. I've been working hard in my job to follow Ivy Lee's advice to Charles Schwab - to write down, at the end of the day, the 6 most important things I have to do to get where I want to be in work life and the next day start with #1, and work only on that till I finish. Then move on to #2. At the end of the day, whatever is still on the list goes to the top of the next day's list. I have to say -that is helping me get a LOT done and moves me to new places where I get to do new and different things - until Until, that is, I hit something I know needs to get done and I don't want to do -or am afraid I will fail at. and boy - then can I procrastinate! And boy is it stupid to do that - because the suffering of procrastination manifests itself in anticipation ... of the ax falling on my head. It always looms heavier than it really is - that Dread Activity. Yesterday I punched through that paper wall of fear and went out soliciting donations for a project I'm working on and the ease with which I succeeded really made me feel stupid. Acting instead of procrastinating also helped me see that I really had wasted 2 beautiful fat rich days of productivity. Had I acted instead of cowered, imagine how much I could have accomplished this week. Ah well. Interesting place to be, right here, feeling good about accomplishments and foolish about tossing away rich hours of my life by playing with fake fears. Let's hope I slowly (but surely) wean myself from the procrastination bug. Now - where is that green lace sock I want to finish by next Friday .....?
posted by Bess |
6:53 AM
2 Comments:Hi Bess! Haven't visited in a while, but it's lovely to see what you've been up to. That vest shaping is very clever; it looks frighteningly lifelike with all the stuffing. :)
Ah, dear Bess, your "full on" shot, with stuffing -- !! I'm still chuckling. What would Jane Russell think?! Full-figured hand-knits...! Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] Monday, September 13, 2010 ProgressHere are some photos of that shawl collared vest. I was surprised to see how little I got done this week till I remembered how freaking hot it was the first half of the week. I had Other Knitting to do - well, who doesn't always have OK2Do? - so I was busy enough, but I would really really really like to cut those steeks tomorrow. Can I knit 5 inches today & tomorrow? If I pack my lunch and knit through lunch hour? If I stay up late? get up early? Well. we'll just have to see. But for now - voila! Here's a profile view. You can see how the decreases for the V-neck are making it narrower and note how the right side bulges forward like a nice fat barrel? That's caused by the short row bust darts.  A front-on view shows the extra fabric those bust darts created  With a bit of newspaper stuffing you can see a more realistic view of the whole shape  Here's a side view against the background of the screened porch - since BD was so kind as to sweep it.  So. Rather than chatter here some more, I will see if I can knock out a few more rows of this sweater before I go to work. Happy progress this week, now that Mercury is no longer retrograde. posted by Bess | 7:54 AM 4 Comments:
Some nice choices there! I like buying, and reading, books too as a peek at my Ravelry library will attest to. It's such a pity that the shipping is so expensive these days - makes it special when I do buy, though. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the informationhttps://chukkabootsmaker.com/ I already searched all over the place and just couldn’t come across.
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Your site is truly cool and this is an extraordinary chrome hearts hoodie I really liked your article.drew hoodie Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] Sunday, September 12, 2010 Hitting the books at Schoolhouse Press
Whenever I need to prime the pump of my imagination, I've got the supplies. An afternoon spent perusing these treasures will have me soaring with creativity.
Oh. Well. There is nothing more to say except that it will be delivered to me as a slightly late birthday gift from me to me. It won't be out till October but I can wait. I have a lust and longing and passion to explore diagonal knitting more deeply. I have already got the yarn I intend to knit into a diagonal sweater with plain sleeves. This was an irresistible no-brainer. Spinning Around: spinning, dyeing & knitting the classics by Jeannine Bakriges The Complete book of Traditional Knitting by Rae Compton. Norwegian Patterns for Knitting – Mette Handberg Portuguese Style of Knitting – Andrea Wong EZ's Tomten Jacket – gang at Schoolhouse Press Omas Srickgeheimnisse – Erika Eichenseer et al The Haapsalu Shawl - from Estonia Twisted-Stitch Knitting — Maria Erlbacher Sweater 101: How to Plan Sweaters that Fit —Cheryl Brunette Flawless Knit Repair —Rena Crocket Knitting Lace —Susanna Lewis 0 Comments:Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] Wednesday, September 08, 2010 The right tools make all the differenceJust a quick panegyric about tools - especially when you switch from an adequate tool to the right tool. I've been putting off knitting a promissed bit of contract knitting because I really struggled with the first half of it. Tiny dark needles knitting thin dark wool into twisted stitches made a project irksome. I was using KnitPicks size 1 Harmony needles to make a pair of socks out of some deep forest green yarn. I never gave the dark color a thought since it's summer time and I often knit on the porch where there is great light. Only - I haven't been knitting at all on them because it was just too hard to see the stitches even with bright sunlight. On Monday I dug through my jumbled needle stash I uncovered a lovely size 1 Addi Lace needle just waiting to be freed from it's packaging. I've zipped through most of the cuff and will start working on the heel flap tomorrow. Cuff  Cuff stretched a little so you can see the lace pattern 
posted by Bess |
10:09 AM
0 Comments:Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] Monday, September 06, 2010 Progress shotsHere is the body of my Shawl Collared Vest (yes. I have decided it is to be a vest, not a sweater) with the short row bust darts knitted in. See how much it slopes upwards on the right hand side? This is one full cable's worth of short rows - 8 rows or 4 pair of short rows. I always have to add extra length down the front so sweaters don't ride up on me.  Here I have put 15 stitches on a holder and cast on 5 steek stitches for armscye which I am informed by a young scholar I know who has spent several years on Scotland ... armz-eye.  On the same row I made the armscye (have to use it now I know how to say it) I also began the decreases for the V neckline.  I knit a little bit more on this and then set it aside to work on a sock I promised to do for Jen at Spirit Trail Fiberworks. I want to get it done quickly so I can take it to her later this month. So. Knitting is going on apace - this vest is moving so quickly I'm surprised. I believe I just cast on last weekend and here I am working on the second half. It's used about 3.5 skeins so far. Fast project, not much yarn, pretty cables I would say this is a complete winner. And now it's the end of the last weekend of the summer. May we all enjoy the lovely autumn season. posted by Bess | 7:11 PM 0 Comments:Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] Friday, September 03, 2010 NeedledFriends and acquaintances of TheQueen know that I knit almost exclusively on circular needles. I have a small collection of double point needles around 8" long which I don't mind slipping into a pocket to take to a fiber festival, but I have gotten rid of all the long straight needles of yester-year. The only reason I would own straights would be for artistic purposes - since there are some very beautiful art-object knitting needles out there - of glass, of beautifully colored metals, of polished woods. I also own a blown glass spindle. It's very pretty - I'm too scared to use it even over a queen sized mattress. It's for admiring - not touching. When it comes to knitting, though, I am a CRCULR-Grrrl and even with circular needles I am very very picky. At the moment I will tell you there is nothing I'd rather have than another Addi Lace needle, 40" long in pretty much any size between 3 and 9. Of course there are still times when the blunt tip of an Addi Turbo is what's called for and I am fond also, of the KnitPicks needles. In all cases, the smooth and perfect join is the first reason I prefer these needles and after that it's the supple cables that win me over. But though I have my current favorites, that doesn't mean I am not willing to give something else a try. I have a beautiful rosewood circular (size 7) that has the sweetest long smooth tapered tips - though it's join is not quite up to my standards and I have a lovely ebony circular with equally delicious tips but a downright lumpy join. The rosewood was a gift from LD so it carries extra good juju with it and the ebony needle has a very lovely texture. Both of them have rather thick cables that took a little getting used to. Recently, though, I stumbled upon something new - to me, at least.   I haven't been able to find out much about these needles. They're not listed in the Fall 2010 Vogue Knitting article about knitting needles. I've only found a few on-line sources for them. But I have bookmarked that $15 set of 40" circs and plan to send it to Someone who might be wondering what to buy me for my birthday.... Because I love these needles. The wooden tips are smooth and warm and pleasant to hold. The cable is the most supple thick cable I've ever worked with ... really as pliant as a KnitPicks cable, and the joins are perfection. The tips are blunt but not dull, with enough taper to keep a stitch from sliding off too soon. And it's very very cheap. This needle is about 28" long. It cost me retail $5.99. I'm using this needle to knit my shawl collared vest (that might get sleeves) and thoroughly enjoying the knitting process. Yes. I know. Some folk won't like it because they're made in china. Well. That is a political decision and this is not a political blog. As Meg Swansen says, "Knitters Choice". posted by Bess | 6:45 AM 0 Comments:Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] Thursday, September 02, 2010 Fame and content and Yarn P**NOh my! Thanks to Missy C this moribund blog is getting lots of visitors and, alas, I suspect they are all looking for gorgeous photos of kid mohair and silk blend yarns, knit up into drop dead lace shawls and clever patterns using luxurious stash.Alas - I am under the gun at my Day Job and haven't got a lot to show off. But I do have a bit of yarn porn in the shape of this gorgeous skein of Yarn Goodness from Spirit Trail Fiberworks.  It's one of Jennifer's superwash merino/cashmere/silk blends and it is my first birthday present. Thank You Jen!If you are a newcomer to TheCastle you will find that I have been a dreadful slacker here for the past year - and in fact, the best posts are between 2003 and maybe early 2005. That's where I introduce you to the Wheat Dolpins - that's where I will take you down the lane that I call my Praying Place - tthat's where the really good cartoons are, including my favorites: Biker Eclaire  The ThinMint guy (I really did eat a whole sleeve of those darned things, trying to find the mint flavor that the Girl Scout Bakery had left out of my batch of cookies)  Me, surrenduring to Flidas, who had imprisoned all my creativity until I finally figured out how to do those knitted on set-in sleeves:  And my take on the Dream of multiple socks on 2 needles  ... and the Reality of it:  I'm glad you stopped by - please say hello - and come back soon - for I am making progress on my Shawl Collared Vest - that Might Get Sleeves. posted by Bess | 10:55 AM 0 Comments:Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] Wednesday, September 01, 2010 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTH begins today!And it brings me this:  We are the third little yellow river up the left side of the Chesapeake Bay. Will we get wind? Rain? Wash? Downed trees? Power outages? Well, I hope we get the first 2 and I hope the empty ocean gets the last 3. hmm. well. I guess the empty ocean can't get either, so let us think only of better things. Let us think we get Friday off but don't lose power. I am prepared though - with lanterns and jugs of water and canned food and knitting. Here is a progress shot of the Shawl Collared Vest.  Pretty? and soft? oh la! it is softsoftsoft! and at this point, surprisingly light. I am using a new needle I bought at a brand new craft store in Warsaw (little town across the river from us). I lost the label and keep forgetting to call the owner to find out what it is but I will be over there tomorrow night and I'll find out. It's a wooden circular with a thick cable that is very supple. The join meets my Addi-Turbo-fed exacting standards of smoothness. The price is very, very low - I'll track the info down tomorrow and share. Yup. Looks like a tad over 5.5 inches as I start the 6th cable.  So - happy birthday month to you too. and Happy Hump day too! posted by Bess | 7:08 AM |
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