For Want Of A Zipper........

................the race was lost.

Yes, despite my best efforts, I just couldn't manage to get that "Tomten" jacket finished in time for my parents departure back to the UK at 5pm on Sunday night. With the weekend packed full of events like 'The Little Guy's' first soccer game of the season and a tourist trip to the local Ice Caves, I just ran out of time.

I did try hard. I knit the final border up the front and around the hood on Friday night, which made a superb finish. My plan then was to sew in all the ends, stitch up the sleeve seams and then put in the 16" zipper. The problem was, I only had a 10" zip in my stash (it's a zip because I bought it in England and that's what we call them there.)

After Saturday morning's soccer game, I raced to my LYS in the vague hope that my friend might have a secret supply of zippers hidden away somewhere. No luck. Even the swift round of phonecalls she made to local quilting stores along my proposed route to the ice caves that afternoon, proved fruitless. Looking at my schedule, there was just no way that I could fit in a drive to the city, just to pick up a zipper and then get said zipper stitched correctly into the garment.

I gave up.

The jacket is rather on the large side, so there's plenty of growing room knitted into it, I reasoned. There really is no rush to get it off to my niece. Pride was also beginning to take over. Did I really want to rush the finishing touches on this project? Haste would only raise the odds of making a gargantuan mistake at the last hurdle. Did I really want to risk that?

The answer was "No!"

So where is the "Tomten" now? Sitting in my basket of WIP's. After all, when the pressure's off, what's a knitter to do?

Why, cast on for something new ofcourse. =)

PS. If you're in the UK, check out BBC2 at 8.45pm on Wed 16th Sept and see my cousin, James Bumpass, boning an oxtail on "Masterchef!"

A Race Against Time

Pattern: "Tomten" by Elizabeth Zimmermann

Materials: Plymouth Encore

Needles: US 8

I don't know how it happens, but somehow I always manage to turn a nice gentle knitting project into a race against time. Maybe I just have this deep desire to add spice to a simple project or perhaps I just get a kick out of self-imposed deadlines? Who knows. What I do know is that my glorious garter stitch project, which was supposed to lead me gently, in a 'California cruisin' style into the autumn, has suddenly become a race against time to complete. Maybe it's just because I'm on the homeward stretch, always the time when interest starts to wane and I can easily end up with an eternal 'Work-In-Progress' (WIP)! Or perhaps it's because my parents are returning to England on Sunday and I really don't want to have to post the Tomten jacket to my niece?

Whatever the reason, I am now knitting like a woman possessed. I knitted the hood last weekend in between trips out with the family and sat grafting it late on Sunday night while watching a DVD of Dale Chihuly's fantastic Glass Art. I followed EZ's Kitchener tips in her book, "Knitting Without Tears," but I know that "Knitty" and "TechKnitting" also have great articles on this easy sewing technique. (Video Tutorial at You Tube.)

So far, I have resisted the urge to alter Elizabeth's pattern. I wanted to stay true to her original jackets, the ones she knitted for her own children back in the '60's. You can see pictures in her book "The Opinionated Knitter" along with a reprint of the origional newsletter that she published.

Now I'm on the sleeves.

One child went back to school today, the others go tomorrow and with soccer practice tonight, I think I have a rainy date with the car and my Ipod later today. Should be able to make some headway........I hope.

Ready For Change?

Pattern:"Tomten" by Elizabeth Zimmermann

Materials:Yarn: Plymouth Encore

Needles: US 8

I have a man in my garage!

Yes, along with the three children lurking somewhere in the bedrooms and the visiting parents in the garden, I now have a husband working in my garage! In the absense of a home office, poor P.A. has been forced to take up residence in the only other quiet spot in the house...his beloved garage workshop.

The start of September has seen several changes here at Wilde Thyme including the slow disintegration of the job that brought us to America. With the lease up on his company's offices, working from home has just kind of happened, but for how long we don't know. Naturally we are "down" but by no means are we "out" yet. Let's face it, we are British and that stiff upper lip is alive and well and living at our house!! For want of a better analogy: "The show's not over until the fat lady sings!"

So with fortitude we have launched ourselves into our new routine. I can no longer go in and out of my house via the garage, but must now remember to take the front door key with me to lock and unlock the main door. This could well leave me searching my pockets, handbag and the car glove compartment on a regular basis, but I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. Nipping out to the grocery store today though meant moving the truck, then my car, then replacing the truck, before I could drive my parents out. This was after I'd been on a hunt for P.A.'s keys. Reaching the freezer also caused a small hiccup as well. It now supports a fax machine so I'm going to have to get myself slightly more organised when it comes to defrosting things.

Thank goodness for "Tomten". I've been taking EZ's advice and have been 'knitting through all crisis.' Yesterday I took my knitting to my daughter's pediatrician's office. I'd just settled down to start, when the doctor walked in to see us. Thankfully she's a fellow knitter and was quite happy for me to continue with my garter stitch while we all talked. I managed several rows on one of the fronts while we discussed vaccination charts and medical insurance.

In fact, I really am going great guns on this project. I'm almost looking forward to the day I get trapped in the car by rain at soccer practice. Just imagine it, an entire hour out of 'the mad house', alone with my knitting! Now that's a change I'm ready for.

Christmas Greetings

Well, we're still snowed in. The temperature has been as low as -14.7C (6.5F) and I'm looking at a foot of snow here. The entire family is suddenly very glad that I knit as they've all been sporting wooly socks, sweaters and hats. Even The little Guy has stopped complaining that his 'Hey Dude!' hat itches.

Sewing up the Central Park Hoodie has been put on the back burner until after the holidays. I don't want to make a mistake after coming so far with it and with everyone home all the time now, there's not much room for concentration!

I've actually been working away on another little project, that should see the light of day in the new year. I'd give you a clue, but as my PC is still having problems (and that's where all my pictures are), you'll just have to wait a while. It's proving to be great fun though.

In the mean time, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and health, happiness and plenty of knitting time in the New Year.

This And That

Well, we had a lovely Thanksgiving and I trust that all my American friends did too. The Central Park Hoodie was put on the backburner for the long weekend in favour of smaller projects that don't require quite so much concentration. It's still sitting there calling to me inbetween all the Christmas shopping, card writing, cooking and event attending that goes on at this time of year.

I did make one little foray to the yarn store on Black Friday. I hadn't planned it, but my dear daughter persuaded me to take her. I had a long chat with the owner about choosing buttons. I had been surfing the Central Park Hoodie group on Ravelry checking out other people's versions and noting the myriad of different button choices. It got me thinking. It would seem that the best thing to do is to take the finished garment to the store, lay it out on the table and choose the buttons there. That way I am less likey to make a mistake with my choice. I'd hate to get home and discover that the buttons were too heavy for the fabric or just didn't look as good on the piece.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I haven't knitted the hood yet! You see, I've also been trying to decide whether to continue the cable up the back of the hood or to keep it plain? It looks lovely both ways, but I've concluded that, as I won't be wearing the hood up very often, it would be a waste of time to decorate it. I will just stick with the single cable across the front, which will look fine layed flat across my shoulders, which is how I'll wear it most of the time.

Meanwhile, I've finished the Tretta hat. What a pretty pattern Grumperina has created. I think my choice of yarn could have been better though. My Lion Brand Wool seemed just a little too thick for this design. I thought I'd got a DK, but it turns out that the yarn symbol 4 (Medium) is actually classed as a worsted weight/Aran. I think that a DK/sport would have been better. I know, it says in the pattern DK, but I fell for the colour. I still haven't got used to these yarn weight symbols. I much prefer it when the band tells you straight whether it's a DK, worsted, fine etc. I hail from the old school of 2-ply, 3-ply, 4-ply and Double Knit, you see! It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks!!

Still the hat turned out well, so now I will just have to take some pictures of the finished product.

While I was at the yarn store though, I did fall in love with a sock yarn called "Happy Feet" by Plymouth Yarn. After the "Oh My!" debacle, this is the first yarn by "Plymouth Yarn" that I've bought. I'm hoping that it performs well. The colorway is a glorious red with a hint of burgundy here and there. On Sunday I cast on for Pomatomus by Cookie A. I'm hoping that this pattern will have the right balance of design to go with this yarn. I'm using 2.5mm needles, so it's very small work; progress will be slow.

Finally, I have finished my Christmas knits. DH's Navy hat was completed and hidden away until Christmas Eve, although I will need someone to model it for a picture before I wrap it up.

I wonder who's available? Perhaps Brad Pitt could oblige?

Washing Woollens

Today I decided that it was about time that I washed some of my woolly sweaters. I have several from Norway that I live in every winter and as the weather has become quite chilly again, I thought it was time to freshen them up a little.

It's quite a job, but one that's well worth the time and trouble if you plan to keep your sweater for any length of time. Woollens tend to be timeless and are an excellent investment even for someone who finds wool itchy. Today I am actually wearing a cream woollen jumper (sweater) with a small stand up collar. To keep the wool away from my skin, I've added a little cream, blue and white cotton scarf. It looks very chic - almost Parisienne in fact!

I have washed four sweaters in luke warm soapy water, rinsed them in cold water in the bathroom sink and placed them between towels on the white tile floor. Walking gently across them in my slippers seems to have squeezed out a fair amount of water and then leaving them for 15 minutes has given the towels time to absorb a lot more. I now have all of them laying flat on airers in the bathtub. Obviously it'll take a few days for them to dry now, but I think they'll be glad of the TLC.

Here's a link to more info about caring for hand knits.

Meanwhile, the sleeves for the Central Park Hoodie are finished and I've just started blocking them. Here's one pinned out on the ironing board about to be covered with a damp tea towel and then gently steamed.

Now I am going to join the shoulder seams (probably using a three needle bind off to get a flatter join) and then it's on to the hoodie.

BTW, please feel free to leave any advice you have on washing woollens or blocking handknits in the comments section. I'd love to hear about your experiences (good or bad) as it's always good to share tips!

Time Challenged.

Now, I think I've managed about twenty rows on DH's hat this weekend. I've spent most of my time at The Little Guy's soccer tournament, but I did get lucky enough with the weather to sit in my chair and knit a few rounds inbetween games.

It was something of a relief therefore to get home last night and get back to the relaxation of my Central Park Hoodie. I knitted the second sleeve up as far as I had got on the first one and I'm now completing them together. I just have to try not to get too sidetracked while I'm doing them so that I work on the same sleeve twice and then find I'm ahead on that one and not the other!

Bit of a challenge there.

Busy, Busy!

So, life is flying by. There's so much going on that my mind is a constant blurr and if it wasn't for the use of my calendar, people in white coats would be carting me away by now!

I've reached that time of year when our household becomes overwhelmed by school, Christmas preparations, sporting events and business trips. We always seem to peak at least a month before everyone around us, which I put down having so many family and friends living a world away. We have to be organised in order to catch the Christmas mail before the rush, which makes November a busy month. British Christmas food is often prepared well in advance too (all that alcohol it contains is a wonderful preservative), so again this month is a crazy one in the kitchen too. (This is the theory anyway. I'm late, so it's not actually happening in practice yet.) I must schedule in a weekend to make those Christmas puddings!!

On the knitting front though, I've managed to make quite a bit of headway. The right front of the Central Park Hoodie was completed at the weekend, when it was pouring with rain outside. I managed to get some peace in the house and listened to a CD of Jeffrey Archer's book "A Prisoner of Birth" while I worked. (By the way, I can highly recommend this book.)

Now I'm on to the sleeves. I adore the cable work snaking up them and am getting impatient to see the whole thing put together.

I am doing them one at a time, but in future I might consider knitting them simultaneously. The circular needles are long enough to take two sleeves at once and I hope I'd stand a better chance of remembering which row I've increased on so that they turn out the same. If I forget to increase in every 8th row on one and not the other, I could end up with one slightly different to the other. This would surely be much less likely if they were knit side by side?

In fact, now that I've decided that, I may just go away now, wind another ball of yarn and cast on the second sleeve before the first one becomes too big. Then I can finish them both at the same time!

Christmas Knits

Well, life is slowly returning to normal after all the excitement with Halloween, the election and hubby coming home after a long trip. Now I might find some time for knitting again!

I have managed to complete the cutest little strawberry hat for my niece. It really is adorable. The King Cole Superwash Merino turned out to be perfect for this project. One 50g ball of each colour was perfect for the one year old size (45cm head circumference) and its anti-tickle blend should mean that its not itchy for her. Making it brought back memories of my son at the same age. I blessed him with a blueberry one and he looked adorable. Don't tell him I said so though!

I've also managed to cast on for the deep navy hat for DH. It's a very simple knit taken from a Gjestal pattern so it'll be my 'out-and-about' project. It fits perfectly inside my handbag, so I'll be able to whip it out in doctors waiting rooms and at sports events should the mood take me. I'll only need to concentrate when I come to shaping the crown and that won't be for some time yet, so I should be fine. I'm using KnitPicks Telemark to make it with, which feels as if it will knit into quite a robust fabric.

As for the Central Park Hoodie? Well, I'm about to cast on for the right front, so hopefully I'll be able make some good headway on it this weekend. Mind you with the amount of sporting and church events on the calendar, DH's hat could actually see more action!

Catching Up

It's Halloween, a great occasion for dressing up here in the US. DD2 has to play in her school band tonight at a High School football game. They are all dressing up in Halloween costumes for the event. She had planned to dress as black panther and started knitting K. Schmidts Official Kitty62 Hat last weekend. By Sunday night she'd completed the main part of the hat, only to discover that it was too small. She stretched it over a plate for a few hours which, thankfully, made it wearable. By Wednesday though, panic was setting in. She'd never made earflaps before or picked up stitches, so it was Mum to the rescue. I took over the project and started making the earflaps, I-cord ties and the ears.




It's now countdown time and I have one ear to go. I've already told her that we'll have to forego the pom-poms. There's just not enough time for that. Will I make it? I have 5hrs before she needs to wear it!

Meanwhile, I've almost finished the left front of the Central Park Hoodie. I'm still loving making this piece. Cables are my thing. I just love the artistry of them.

Next time I will knit this jacket in the round though. It's a little frustrating going through the same process up to the armholes three separate times (and I hate sewing up seams), but it's a good exercise in sweater construction, I suppose.

My yarn arrived for hubby's Christmas hat too. Now I'm really committed to making him one. I've picked out the pattern and am sure he'll love wearing it when he's out in the garage or roaming the garden. It's KnitPicks Telemark in a deep navy.

Central Park Hoodie

Isn't this looking divine? I am so excited about how this jacket is looking. I've just got to the armhole shaping on the back now and I'm in love! I had forgotten just how much I love cables. The Cascade 220 is knitting up beautifully too. It didn't feel especially wonderful when I touched it in the shop, but it's a whole different experience when it's knitted up.

I am totally satisfied....and I'm only on the first part of it!