Saturday, March 30, 2013

In Like a Lion, Out Like a.... Lion?

There is an expression about March:  In like a Lion, out like a Lamb.  If the beginning of March is rough (storms, cold, snow, etc), by the end of March it will be mild and peaceful.  Of course the opposite is supposed to be true too.

In truth however, this is Canada, and March is generally just lion shaped all month long.  Weather wise this year March saw yet another big snow fall, a couple of colder than normal days, and as we reach the final stretch, some rather dramatically warm days as well.  While this might sound lamb-like, ask anybody in a lower lying area how critically important it is to make sure that your sump pumps are working 100% during this time of year.  All of that melting snow has to go somewhere and basements are a common escape route.

March came roaring in in other ways too.  I was kill-me-now-please sick for a week at the beginning.  Thankfully I recovered enough to be groupie of the year for André and the curling team, but no sooner did life look like it was getting back to normal than my sinuses decided that it was their turn to be my downfall.

Now the Easter weekend is upon us, and we are trying to fit as much as we can into a couple of days off.

Advancements in the knitting world have also been on the lion and lamb side of things lately as well.  The delivery of the John Deere socks in time was quite the relief.  And all the time out watch the boys curling let me get something else off the needles too.  I give you Cable and Cross.

This was the hat project that I started on the train on the way to Toronto back in February.  Once Amy's mitts were done I was smart enough to remember to return the needles to the bag with this lovely wip.

Details: Knit as written on 4.5 mm circulars, magic loop.  Almost entirely 2 balls of Andean Treasure in Mystery from Knit Picks (it was kicking around in my stash).   Overall a fantastic project - yummy yarn, at just the right gauge to be dense and warm but not crunchy and tight, and a pattern complex enough to be interesting, but simple enough to memorize so that I could watch curling rather than my notes.  Although, having a chart rather than just written instructions would have been nice.

André found Exeter, so this one's mine.  And it served me well in the last few weeks.

I've also cast on a couple of new projects (hey, I finished 2 things, now I'm starting 2 more.  It evens out in the end right?).


First are a pair of Java socks.  These are a bit of a rush for a close friend who's about to go in for major knee surgery.  Right before his birthday.  I may have just jumped right in and gotten all the way down to the ball of the foot of one sock before thinking that it was looking a wee bit small (said friend is 6'1" with mercifully only men's size 9 feet).  A quick test on André (men's size 8) and they were far too small.

So I ripped it alllllll back and started over with the larger size.  I really should have looked at the pattern a wee bit closer at the beginning, but that's what I get for just jumping right in.  I'm working with some chocolate brown stash sock yarn on 2.25 mm needles.  I have 2 weeks. 


Also on the needles is a project that I've been meaning to start for a couple of years.  The Clasica Coat from Interweave Knits Fall 2009.  I found the perfect yarn while out with my sister-in-law just before New Years (the same time I picked up the yarn for Exeter).  Léttlopi in the descriptively named colour #1401.  The catch? Neither location of Yarn Forward had anywhere near enough for the entire project.  So the lovely ladies ordered some, and I picked up 18 balls (probably a slight over estimation, but better safe than sorry) in early March, along with getting my sewing machine serviced.



I want this coat to work out, so in a moment of brief sanity, I swatched.  I actually made 2 different ones on different needles, since I thought the first one with the needle size recommended for the pattern looked a little loose.  Then I washed and blocked the swatches.  And waited for them to dry before measuring them.


I thought that the one with suggested needles was still a bit loose, but the other done on needles 2 sizes smaller was definately too small.  So I figured I'd compromise and go down 1 needle size for the body of the jacket.  Well... one ball in, and the back is almost 3 inches too narrow.  Despite being a needle size up from the smaller swatch, my gauge is apparently TIGHTER by not a small amount.

Now we're back to the suggested needle size, and I've knit another entire ball, and it's looking way better.  I just have to remember to keep going on it.  The back is 19" of stst.  Not exciting.  But soon there will be shoulder shaping and the interesting pattern on the sleeves and front.  I just need to get there.



It seems fitting doesn't it?  That both of my newest projects cast on in the spring are the colours of spring?

What?  Spring's not brown?  I don't know where you live, but this is spring in Ottawa.  This early in the spring what isn't brown is road salt grey.  The green stuff and pretty flowers aren't going to be around for a while yet...

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Walk On - Deere, John

Or perhaps more appropriately, Dear Kyle,

André and I met you almost 4 years ago when we started curling.  You worked at the Pro Shop at the club, and were responsible for us completely blowing our budget when kitting ourselves out for our first year.  But we forgive you, the gear we got was amazing, thanks!

You also ventured out on the ice with Dave to teach us and another beginner the basics of the game.  Brave, brave man.  You both were patient, careful, and overall exceptional teachers.  Again, thanks!

Two years ago, when a teammate of yours broke his collar bone the week before the OVCA Men's Bonspiel you asked if André could fill in.  That gave him such a confidence boost, you have no idea.  Even the "demotion" to second after your first game (yes, you do need guards where you ask for them, and Rory is far better at that than André is...), the fact that by the end of the tournament you were already talking about the next year and how you and André would need to find some more teammates, made André's entire season.  That alone made the chauffeuring of your drunk asses around all weekend totally worth it.  Thank you.

We won't speak too much of your going away party, partly cause I'm not sure how much you (or most other people there that night) actually remember.  But it was one hell of a night!  You have some pretty damn cool friends, thanks for including us in that gang!

And then you moved home, back to Owen Sound (ish).  That's far.  But you came back for the OVCA Men's with two new teammates and André, and while you boys didn't do as well as you were hoping, it was still a pile of fun.  Especially after that last game at Carleton Heights where we all just about laughed ourselves sick discussing the ever increasing elaborate game of curling on the canal with cannons.  I still smile to myself thinking about it.  And while I still didn't manage to win groupie of the year, it was super fun.  Thanks :)

This past week you and your girlfriend made the long trek back to Ottawa to reunite with Taylor, Joel, and André in Team Fail to Fail's second attempt at the OVCA Men's.  This year, I was prepared. There were cookies.  And mini-pies for pie day (March 14th for those uninitiated in the tradition.  March = 3, so 3.14... March 14th... pie day!).  And designated driving, and the wave when you guys made your shots, and hugs when you didn't.  And the careful reading of the draw boards (ok, win this one so that we don't have to drive all the way to Navan for a 9am draw on Saturday morning!!!).  And training your Jen in the ways of team groupie-ness (she's fantastic by the way).  All of this might have been enough to finally award me groupie of the year by the rest of the team, but somehow, I think that these might have had something to do with it (even if they weren't quite done when you got here).




All of your curling stuff is green.  And the last time we drove past a John Deere dealership you damn near climbed out the window to check out the shiny tractors.  And I can still see you standing up on the hacks last year in Metcalf trying to get your feet off the ice to warm up even a little bit.  So despite your 6'+ height and size 11 feet, socks seem like not enough of a thank you for all the good that you've given us. 

I wanted to make these socks really really special.  So I found some awesome people to hold the sock. 


Look! Joe (owner of Hogline Pro Shop and generally awesome person) and Dalal (our curling club manager, who in fact does not curl... figure that one out). 

Remember I started knitting those socks at the Scotties watching the Homan rink kick some ass?  Well, André and I happened to be around during their send off party for World's.  With a little bit of help (thanks Joe!) I give you Team Canada and the John Deere sock. 





Those girls think that I am probably completely insane.  Although Emma said that the socks were sweet.  I hope these socks keep you warm in all your curling adventures.

And thanks for being amazing.  Love,  Jen

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Walk On - Greener On the Other Side

I'm in the process of recovering from flu-hell-2013.  It's been an unpleasant week.  I'm mostly back to my normal self, if accompanied by a deep hacking cough that I hear can hang on for weeks.  But I'm sleeping (mostly) through the night again, and the world has stopped spinning if I think about sitting up. 

Needless to say, there hasn't been much knitting progress in the last few days.  However, I have continued a time honoured tradition that I started in grad school.  The latest installment has been delivered, so at least I have something knitting related to say.

When friends graduate, we all want them to walk out into the world, get "real" jobs, and be successful and all those awesome things.  But the real world is a cold and scary place. 

So I started a tradition.  When friends graduate, they get hand knit socks to keep them warm and safe as they go.  It's not much, but it's the least I can do. 

Now that I've graduated, and most of my friends have as well, I haven't knit a pair of graduation socks in a long while.  But one of the girls at work just finished her undergrad over Christmas, and is moving half way across the province to be closer to better job opportunities (apparently Toronto has more of a market for those with International Business and Marketing degrees than Ottawa... go figure). 

Christine (not Irate Avian Christine, but another one) taught me my job.  And is smart and pretty and funny and all kinds of awesome.  So Friday, as she breezed back through town en-route to a concert in Montreal stopped by work to collect her graduation socks. 



I generally try and take requests for socks, I want people to like their socks.  Christine's only request was green.  Well, green I can do!

So walk on Christine.  Go forth, kick ass, take names, and hopefully the grass in Toronto is greener than here.