Parenthetical

My weekend in fiber had a certain narrative arc. I wasn't feeling the love for the S/KAL pullover with the inutterably stupid name, so away to the frog pond it went. Ave atque vale.



NEFF was enjoyably low-key. The exhibits were indoors in one of the many buildings on the Eastern States Exposition grounds, the most magnificent and the most handicapped accessible permanent fairgrounds I've ever seen. (The fine facilities made me interested in returning next September for The Big E, the annual all-New England interstate fair.) I picked up a few items small in size but high on my desiderata list: a few skeins of solid Opal sock yarn, some wee skeins of Opal Harry Potter sock yarn, and some small bundles of Pagewood Farm roving.



Out in the parking lot, I saw remarkably brilliant sundogs over West Springfield. It's hard to tell from the photo, but they were beautifully colored and gracefully curved. I'd read about sundogs (parhelia for book learned types), but had never seen any before. It's a pity my digicam could not capture more of the horizon – there were a pair, bracketing the setting sun like rainbow-colored parentheses.



While walking around Rhinebeck it occurred to me that I could use a vest or two, a thought that recurred while walking around NEFF. I reconditioned the handspun and started a Vestvember vest. I've had commercial-spun behave less well (yay handspun).



A bit later, JessaLu asked if I'm participating in NaKniSweMo. Previous year's efforts have tended to end ingloriously, but... ::cough::... I blame the NEFFy wool fumes. Ave Caesar, nodaturae te salutamos!

By Design

Earlier this week I finally finished the second 4 oz of Zarzuela's Fibers Targhee for the Late Summer/Fall SAL/KAL. (The first 4 oz was spun and swatched back in August.) By request, the second batch is more acid green, less red-violet than the first. It's so nice to work with an accommodating indie dyer.



While finishing the yarn, it occurred to me that I no longer fret (or crow) about producing balanced skeins. I just spin, ply, and wash – and the skeins hang straight without blocking. Go me.



For the KAL portion of the SAL/KAL, I cast on the hybrid pullover for handspun and commercial-spun yarn in Shannon Okey's Spin to Knit. The pattern is a standard top-down raglan and has an inutterably stupid name (hence I shall not utter it). I've added a few short rows in the back to give it a nicer fit across the shoulders, and may nip in the waist slightly when I get to it.

Elsewhere roundabout Exit 151, tomorrow is the first Gardens Aglow, a jack-o-lantern illumination of the Presby Iris Gardens. I'm a klutz when it comes to carving jack-o-lanterns, very prone to accidentally severing jack's teeth (sigh), so I look forward to admiring the fine work of others.

Bust

Beltane is a bust. This morning the sweater was progressing nicely.



Then I started obsessing thinking about an unsightly patch of unevenly spun yarn at the waist. I'd managed to clip out others, but somehow this got past me. It made me unhappy.



It's important to have happy handknits, so this evening Beltane has been resolved back into its elements. I'll give them a restorative bath when I finish blogging.



I think it's better this way. I made a lot of modifications to Beltane, particularly to the (oh teh irony) bust darts. Yet even with that level of engagement, I just wasn't feeling the love.

Rhinebeck or Bust

The fancy lemon computer seems to be limping along well enough. Now where was I... oh right. Egged on Encouraged by Lois, last Thursday I cast on for a Rhinebeck sweater, Beltane Tee by Marlaina Bird. Yup, even though it's closer to Samhain than Beltane,* at the time there were nine days to go, and I had to frog an abandoned project (it's the background here)...



... and recondition the yarn first. I'm using Cascade 220 Superwash, colorway 845, which has a softer drape than regular 220.



I quite like the dressmaker details of Beltane – picot hem, waist shaping, bust darts, pretty shaped neckline. Because the waist shaping is comparatively abrupt and is all at the side seams, the hem forms a mitre and wants to roll up. Its neo-pagan name notwithstanding, the sweater has a retro-futuristic silhouette reminiscent of Jane Jetson.



It must be noted the pattern contains errors, only some of which are addressed in the errata. Some would seem to be typographical; others are a bit nuts. I'm revising as I go-go-go.

*I have no idea how to pronounce Beltane. Given Samhain is often pronounced sow-en (sow to rhyme with cow, not sow to rhyme with crow) or sow-een, I'm happy to take advice.

Lookit

The hybrid swatch is a roaring success. Behold, handspun and commercial-spun knit at the same gauge, albeit different drape. Also, it makes me smile to see my bamboo straights are a bit bendy.



That means S/KAL Plan A, a top-down pullover with handspun yoke and commercial-spun body and sleeves, is a go. From the swatch I guesstimate the current supply of handspun is sufficient to reach the point of the bust, perhaps not the most flattering look. Guess I'm gonna need to spin up another braid of fiber. Paging Zarzuela!

As long as I'm showing off, lookit – it's the inside of my Piscean Sock.



Somehow I just can't look away from the UK knit camp horror show, perhaps because last summer I met Lorilee Beltman, one of the instructors who was deported, notwithstanding she is the designer of the official camp sock. She was very kind to me and surely deserves better from the event organizers, as do all the instructors and registrants. I suppose the first hint of trouble was when Ysolda Teague withdrew from the event, followed by Casey and Jess Forbes. Further sorry details are readily available to the avidly curious via Twitter and Ravelry.

More Leaves

The laundry is screeching, so briefly: I cast on for another Malabrigo March project, Climbing Vines pullover by Joëlle Meier Rioux, worked in Malabrigo Worsted, colorway Indigo. This is a sleeve, with a leaf motif added to enliven the expanse o' stockinette. I do love leaves.



Tomorrow I'm off to the Philadelphia Flower Show to admire more leaves (among other things), such as these Carludovica palmata, source of the fiber used to make Panama hats.



Should the planets align just so, I'll also attend Tina's fabulous annual Stir Crazy Stitch & Spin (see pdf flyer) in Hudson (see map) on Sunday. If not, oh well. Meanwhile, for those who can't attend (and even for those who can), SpinOffMagazine.com, "The Online Community Just for Spinners!", is having a contest.

Finally, just for Deb, a photo from when I was in first grade. Back then I really really really wanted a red bicycle. Some things haven't changed much.



And even though Nancy Sinatra's boots had kitten heels, I was pretty sure mine were made for walkin' too. Tomorrow that's just what I'll do!