mary makes merry

Jinx! I owe you a Coke

Clark commented yesterday that I might have jinxed the End-of-March lamb -- the poor little one probably spooks pretty easily. Dang! It's cold again here. At least I maintain my Essence: the front is complete, the shoulders are seamed (did a decent job on the first try, even), and some of the stitches to finish the neck are picked up/cast off. I'm reversing the polarities on some of Kim Hargreaves' instructions, so we'll see what happens. Stay warm, wherever you may be! At least my neighbor's daffodils are blooming.

Going out like a lamb

I don't want to jinx it, but I think March may actually be vacating Chicago like the proverbial lamb. Clark and some friends went golfing yesterday, a true sign of spring. As for Essence, I'm working on the left side of the split neck...I need to finish that, do the right side, seam the shoulders (probably more than once) and then pick up and cast off a bunch of stitches along the neck edges. The pattern would have you do that on the armholes, too, but I didn't read it all the way through (tsk, tsk) and did a different kind of edging as I knit, which I will describe anon. We'll see how they look in the same garment...In the meantime, please send good thoughts Greta's way as she deals with a Genuine Plumbing Pain-in-the-Neck!

Onward and upward

Here's a kind of weird picture of Essence to date:

(The color is slightly washed out in this photo.) I'm just about ready to finish the back and get going on the front. How nice for me that it has no sleeves! :) Hope you're having a fun weekend!

Essentially honored

Thanks to all who took the bait to visit from Theresa's very kind note today or Heidi's links list from a few days ago...and of course to Theresa, Heidi, and Carolyn for helping me go public! This is fun. Isn't Theresa's Filigree Lace Jacket so ethereal and lovely? And Heidi's shawl, too. That Kidsilk Haze is something else altogether! In Essence news, I'm nearly finished with the increases, which means the armhole shaping and neck division stuff can't be far behind. Yeah! I hope I can do the shoulder seams a little better this time than in either of my other Linen Drape projects. And I've definitely moved into summer-tops-to-wear-under-suit-jackets mode with yesterday's purchase of

Elsebeth Lavold's Cotton Patine (insert accent aigu there, s'il vous plait). I actually have six balls, but oddly, one has gone missing. They will become a sleeveless top, or maybe I'll put some cap sleeves on it (which may require another ball). I'm thinking of running a cable up the front and getting some ribbing involved or something. You might laugh, though, when I tell you that, while it is not Linen Drape, it's knit at almost the same gauge (or do you say tension?)!! I looked at Ms. Lavold's book for this yarn, but her Viking-y stuff is more my style -- these patterns are more, um, romantic, maybe? I'm not sure that's how you'd see them, but that's the word that comes to mind. Have a great weekend, all!

Hello!

Many thanks to Carolyn for her very kind letter (or post) of introduction this morning, and thanks so much to anyone swinging by for a look!

I am completely bummed that I have to miss KIP tonight (7-9 p.m., Letizia's, 2144 W. Division in Chicago) once again. It is always such a fun time; if you can make it, by all means, do! I'll be thinking longingly of the gang.

Speaking of the KIPpers, I have to tell you that I read a TON more excellent blogs than are on the list to the left at the moment. I'm extremely inefficient at adding links for some reason, but I'll get it figured out and more will appear! The four there now are the KIP regulars whose blogs I'm aware of...I think I might be missing one, though. Anyway, I hope someone at KIP tonight will have a lemon cookie in my stead!

Spring sweaters -- it's safe to come out now!

It was finally warm enough yesterday that I could wear my rendition of Bonne Marie's wonderful...

Sitcom Chic . I made it in Lion Brand's CottonEase, loved making it, and love wearing it. In fact, it's getting a little beat up, I love it so much! I also want to get the Eyelet Cardi pattern, which details how to use other weight yarns. I think my mom would love this sweater.

In current knitting news, I'm nearly finished making the increases for the bust on Essence. Since I'm just kntting round 'n round, I have fewer wonky stitches than I did with my other two Linen Drape projects, both cardigans. Hmmm...must investigate my purling prowess, or lack thereof!

Evidence of Essence

I will soon be better about posting photos than a mere one per month, but here's where Essence stands -- I'm now increasing again for a while en route to the neck and armholes. Heidi taught me to make that stitch marker. My finishing technique with pliers is not great, but I like my little jade star bead!
(Speaking of photos, the one in the upper left corner is of the calamondin orange tree that lives in our kitchen. I got it in February 2000 from Gethsemane Garden Center, a trip to which is nearly as much fun as a trip to a yarn store!)

Essence increases

I'm motoring through the waist decreases on my Essence shell (motoring for me, at least). Hopefully, this will be finished in no time! I think I will really enjoy wearing it. I made some noise about modifying the neck into sort of a "camp shirt" or polo style, but to heck with that. I have another bag of Linen Drape in white, so I might still do something like that with that bag. In several months, though, after I've actually knit with other yarn!!! What a radical notion.

Company's coming!

Aack! I revealed this existence of this blog to my wonderful friends Carolyn, Heidi, and Alice the other night, and they're ACTUALLY COMING BY! Thank you for your interest (not to mention the inspiration, mentioned heretofore), guys...but as in real life, I long for people to drop by and then the house isn't ready! I am at this moment rededicating myself to better upkeep of my healthytension!!! Don't give up on me yet.

So...I did not finish Salsa(mild) for -- or even during -- our trip to Cancun. No gold star for me there, but I will definitely get back to it so that I can wear it in the summer. I need to finish the sleeve cap of the first sleeve, knit the second, and seam 'er up. I know I will enjoy wearing it...it's just on hiatus for the moment. What's taken its place? More Linen Drape, of course! I would never have guessed I'd knit two things in a row from the same yarn, but there you are. I WILL do something else as soon as I finish Essence from Rowan 29 (that's weird -- Rowan 29 is not on the Rowan magazines website, so I can't try to link to a photo? I could have sworn I saw it there before, but maybe not). It's a sleeveless top, and I think I'll do the notch neck. I'm knitting it in the round and am enjoying it -- it's the rich red color, which I think is a nice treat for my eyes after the yards of natural (was getting a little blah) color of the other LD WIP.

OK, there's my update! More to follow, more regularly, I promise. And more pix, too! A gallery someday...