MG: deep breaths

research stress and deadlines kicking my butt. not much knitting. here is a footie i'm on the verge of frogging. i may or may not be displacing frustration:


proof i finished Karenina but had trouble getting good photos (lack of light, PJs, and all):




details and better pics (hopefully) later. take care.

MG: Karenina sleeves

hello there. i ran away on a little trip--traveling meant airplane knitting, which meant a less tedious journey and this:


it's one of the dishcloths for hubby's mom. made out of KnitPicks Shine; 60% cotton and 40% modal; color of butter; soft soft soft and squishy like marshmallows; simple eyelets in garter background. hubby's mom is a quilter, so i thought she would enjoy a geometric pattern.

there is another ball in the color sky waiting to be a dishcloth. plans were for twin cloths in different colors, but after seeing Kitty Kitty's beautiful stitchwork, i'm discontent. now i'm thinking something different, maybe a fancy stitch pattern i've not tried before.

Karenina--the little cardigan of my own construction--is progressing enjoyably. design, knit, design, knit, rip, redesign, knit. structually, it's working out not a little like the celebrated One Skein Wonder, which is lovely because i love the OSW. procedurally, it's quite different; i hope it works out well. first pass at the sleeves (a free-floating arm!):


three-quarter length, straight tube (no decreases) on minicircs, and eight rows of 2-by-2 ribbing at the cuff. it looks unfinished and loosey-goosey to me.


i've ripped back to add decreases for a slight taper and a picked-up, ribbed edging for some shape.

MG: a shortcut to mushrooms

started a new project--one of those little cardigans taking over the world. i'm using KnitPicks Andean Treasure in Embers, a deep, heathery wine-red. it's 100% baby alpaca and so soft i'd like to snuggle it like a teddy bear. the body is knitted bottom-up, the sleeves top-down, and both with provisional cast-ons. live stitches everywhere and construction thrilling.


i've been trying on my little cardigan as i knit, and it's snug. i need someone to tell me--sight unseen--it'll be fine; it'll stretch a little as you wear it; no, not at all like sausage casing... before i frog (again). i took it to the movies last weekend; Gromit and i clicked our needles together.

we've had lots of food photos around here, and i don't think it'll cease anytime soon because here is more Berkeley Farmers' Market loot. these are my favorite mushrooms: royal trumpets and shimejis, i believe.


i love the way mushrooms grow. it'd be nice to be small enough to live under a mushroom canopy.