Knitting 40 shades of green

Pittsburgh Irish Fest

After finishing something, I sometimes go through a few days of not knowing what to focus on next. Should I cast on something new or tackle another abandoned or in progress project.  I keep sock projects around for just such occasions. 

The pomatomus definitely soaked in some Irish culture and music this past weekend.  (That is Gaelic Storm playing in the background.)

It also indulged in a few pints.  I saw it peering at the Irish Whiskey the other evening.  I'm starting to worry about the parties in the sock drawer...

Eat Local Challenge 2007

The Eat Local Challenge, sponsored by the Locavores in San Francisco, is taking place this month.  This year the focus is on food preservation for the leaner months of the year.  I am fortunate to participate in a CSA that is producing for four season (unusual here in VA) but even so, there is a need to preserve the summer's bounty for the colder months.

While I regularly strive to have a good portion of my diet be locally produced foods and to limit my food miles, it is good to focus on this every now and again to find new foods and new cooking techniques and to keep things interesting. 

While I am still eating my way through last years salsa, Italian tomato sauce, and caponata, I think I may put up some apple sauce and trying to figure out what is taking up all the room in my freezer so that I can freeze some yummy summer food in there.  That may mean using up some of what is in there to make way for local winter meals.

Happy eating and check back to track my progress on September's challenge.

Dot, dot, dot*

I have never been much of a fashion plate.  More like a "fashion don't".  I don't much like shopping and am likely to indulge in this diversion infrequently leading to a wardrobe that would be considered out of style if there had been any style to start with.  Couple this lack of fashion sense with the fact that I have the fashion sensibilities of a three year old. striped tights?  you should see my collection!  Those photos from Interweave of knitwear and crinolin that everyone mocks?  I try to figure out how I could get away with wearing that without people making fun of me.  My friend Lisa (who has acted as personal shopper when I needed a formal dress, pulling things off the rack and bringing them to me in the dressing room) used to threaten that she was going to submit me as a candidate for What Not to Wear.

I worried when I picked this sweater back up that it was an ill choice for someone like me.  You see, the model is rather small in the bust and well, I am not.  And yet, I decided to finish it anyway.  But sometime in between starting this and finishing it, I learned the secret of the camisole.  I was at an Ann Taylor in Vermont and a helpful clerk made the comment that the sweater I was rejecting because it was so low cut would look super cute with a camisole.

The camisole is what saved this piece for me -- I am fairly pleased with how it came out although I might have made it a smidgen longer if I had to do it all over again.

• Pattern:  Polka Purl Dots by Veronik Avery (Interweave Knits, Spring 2004)
• Yarn:  Endless Summer Collection Sonata from Elann color 2499
• Started:  summer 2004
• Finished:  30 August 2007
• Notes:  I learned how to make a tubular cast on and cast off with this pattern (and actually understand the tubular cast off).  I also learned to check how long the finishing instructions are on any pattern I might be starting.

*hopefully that isn't some cleverly constructed Morse coded come-on that will get me arrested

finishing...

I am not known for my enthusiasm for finishing garments -- as can be seen by the lists and lists of things on the needles or needing finishing.  Lately I have been trying to rectify that by picking up some long abandoned projects like Polka Purl Dots.  Well, I have come to the conclusion that maybe I should take the a look at how many lines are under those evil words in the pattern (finishing).  For this sweater the directions for Finishing took up two columns and still there were a few things that weren't immediately clear. 

I finally understand a tubular castoff although I think only one of the ones on this sweater is done correctly.  They all look OK.   The other thing I learned is trust your instincts.  The pattern has you knit a belt to be tied in the back -- it seemed extremely long to me but I knit away and only took off two inches on each side...well you can imagine what happened when I tried it on.

They were miles to long and hung down and looked messy and so I had to rip out at least 12" on each one. 

I think it looks quite a bit better now -- hopefully, I can get a photo shoot done Tuesday or so...