Cozumel, Magnets, FO

Weds. night was the cocktail party (yeah, this is time warping to tell these stories) where the group was gathered together again.  Everyone wore handknits and praise was heaped.  I wore my linen skirt and an Oak Leaf shawl.

My greatest contribution to the discussion was the use of magnets to hold your shawl closed or your scarf in place.  ($2.95 at Michaels) I felt so proud being shown off to everyone and offering such wisdom and cleverness.  —This morning I couldn’t open my stateroom door.  The magnets had degaussed my room key.  New thought:  keep the magnets away from magnetic strips.  Another pedestal crumbling under me.

Storms started last night.  Lots of pitch and roll.  I stayed on my balcony a long time watching.  Once we sailed into a rain shower and I could see it approaching down the side of the ship.  Amazing.  I love the vast power of the sea—as long as I’m safe of course.

Cozumel looks much nicer and more developed than the other stops.  I didn’t visit.  I knit a while on the top deck with my new friend Doris.  I worked mostly on the second Anemoi mitten, desperately chasing the work FINISHED.

The Bordhi sock is rocking, BUT—I think it may be too big.  Do I frog or do I try to find a way to cheat?  Of course, I knit another inch before deciding I needed to frog.  Steve made fun of me.  Even he knows that asking that question means it is time to frog.  Had these socks been for him, he would not have said a word.

The Lililandia Cowl is finished.  It is too small really even though I added stitches.  I think it is beautiful.

TIME WARP TO PRESENT—–

Evan loved the cowl and took it home with him.  Fits him perfectly but he was not into having a photo made.  Here’s the cowl on me.Do you feel stupid trying to take your own picture?

This is the unedited pic of an idiot in the Malabrigo Neck Thingie.

Belize City and Insults

Today started badly.  I’m getting a cold.  At breakfast, a 40ish woman asked if Steve were my son.  When I explained he was my husband, she stuttered around and said that if someone had made that mistake to her she would have run right to the spa for Botox.  Just keep diggin that hole, honey.

So, today’s comments may have a slightly negative tinge.

I got off the boat to go for my walking tour.  On shore was the nightmare of shopping centers with loud music, cheap t-shirts, expensive jewelry and DRUGS.  Who knew you could by Viagra and Prozac over the counter in Belize?  And not too expensive.  Of course, US Customs might be a problem.

Dale led our walking tour and he is so proud of his country.  Belize used to be the world’s exporter of mahogany.  Many of the colonial buildings are 100% mahogany.  Yeah, the same wood as your grandma’s dining room table.  Even Mr. Chippendale shipped his mahogany from Belize to England.

We went to his church and school.  All schools are run by churches.  The kids wear uniforms and were very well behaved in the classroom.  I could and did look through the windows.  We passed some middle school students at phys.ed. and they were taunting each other just like every middle school kid here does.  I liked that, too.

There is much poverty in Belize, but people don’t just sit around in it.  They are doing or selling or working to make any money they can.  Of course, many depend on the cruise ship trade.  They make a darn good beer there.  Tastes like an English beer.  We didn’t hesitate to try a few.

Back on the boat I worked on the socks and the mittens.  I also helped the bartender create a drink that didn’t use sugar syrup—too sweet for me—but did use lots of gin and lime juice.  Had fat free yogurt for a late lunch and am finally relaxed by the pool reading.  Steve is lightly snoring.  All is good.

There seem to be so many couples on this cruise even older than we are who walk around holding hands.  One couple is seated near us, each reading their own book, but holding hands on the table.  So sweet.

I edited out all the negative bits so you didn’t have to read them.  They involved sales clerks, humidity, and the aforementioned cold.

Cruise stops-a slanted view

First stop on the cruise was Costa Maya.  I took four pictures from my balcony.  Two of the land jutting out to the sea.Dry, desolate, but with a lovely color combo.  Soft yellow-green, pearl sand, grey trees–sounds like a colorway.  The turquoise water flowing up to the beach makes a great highlight.The brilliant pink and hot peach stucco of the shopping district with the grey thatched roofs is another treat.  Dots of true blue umbrellas, a soft yellow wall add interest.  However—————-this shopping district, built for and by the cruise lines, holds no interest for me.  (No yarns shops) Our personal cruise shopping guide is meeting passengers at the jewelry store to assist them in buying diamonds.  She had a program on the ship’s TV last night about this.  Jane and Steve respectfully decline.

I sat by or in the pool this morning.  Very quiet with all ashore.  I’m working on the Lillandria Cowl from ravelry.I’m using Silk Garden from the stash and double pointed needles as the designer highly recommends.  I used this stitch in my Seaworthy Shawl and do enjoy knitting it.  The Noro colors are stacking nicely.  I’m too relaxed to knit anything requiring more thought.

My last picture of Costa Maya is of the people from the two docked ships walking down the pier to spend money on stuff.At dinner last night we were alone.  Doris and Ken, our former tablemates, had transferred to another dining room to be with her sister.  We ordered a bottle of Cote du Rhone and had some nice conversation.  Yes, folks, Steve talked!  He looked so awesome in his new suit and yellow tie.  Our table is by the window and looks out over the water–lucky us.

After dinner we hung out in the casino to watch the gamblers.  Lots of money exchanged hands.  I don’t get the attraction, but I ‘ll bet they wouldn’t understand my yarn room.

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FINISHED TODAY—ANEMOI MITTENS.  Pic later after blocking.  So happy.

Debbie Bliss Class

We were at sea all day so we had a knitting class.  Sorry I didn’t take my camera.  Debbie Bliss is a wonderful and generous person.  She talked for a bit about her design technique.  Here are some of my class notes–

Lots of texture;  uses Mock Rib a lot in garments (k1, p1 on right side, p on wrong side); swatches through the blocked periods and then designs just begin to come; no large reverse st st areas; puts her bobbles in surprising places; paneled pieces are knit one panel at a time and then manipulated to create the design; loves moss st.

She allowed us to try on lots of her pieces and the fit was surprising.  All of her samples are knit at 34 inch size, yet they fit a huge variety of people.  She agrees with me and therefore must be right that people tend to knit garments too large.  I tried on a coat from her book  The Big Easy and discovered that I needed to knit the 36″ size, not the 40 or 42 I might have chosen.  Isn’t it adorable?  I may have to knit this.

Debbie is not a natural teacher.  The class was great through the fashion show, but then we had about 4 hours left to just sit and knit from a worksheet of stitch patterns and she would help if you needed it.  I will say she did generously help anyone who asked.  However—-the textured patterns were mostly cables.

Yes, Jean, I said cables.  I was 5 weeks into teaching the Great American Aran Afghan and I was not going to knit anymore cables!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I happily went to find Steve and the pool.

OMG!  The bodies.  They were everywhere.  It didn’t matter if they were attractive or not, it was just the enormity of the amount of exposed flesh every where I looked.  I was overwhelmed.   So I drank a mojito and ran off to lunch alone.

I found Steve and we found a really isolated deck with a great view of the water and a good breeze. (Our balcony was currently in full sun.) I did the Cat Bordhi toe from the Discovery Sock in her new book. I like it so far and this new technique intrigues me.  It seems more practical and less showboat than the others.  I mean that in a nice way.Yarn is Yummy from Universal,  a gift from Hal.

Saw Cuba–well, I saw a dark blotch on the horizon, but the captain said it was Cuba.  I don’t think he would lie to me.

Tonight is the first formal dinner.  I asked Steve if he would need extra time to do his hair.  He gave me the skunk eye.  He gets cocky when the socks on the needle are NOT for him.

Am reading another book about AD/HD.  This by Sari Solden about women and adhd.  Shelley is right; I need some testing.  I have so many ideas and I need some strategies to corral them and get my brand on them. (How about that metaphor?)

Tomorrow we dock in Costa Maya and Steve is  going on a biking/kayaking trip.  I have no plans—well, there might be some knitting.

Cruise and Finished Object Report

We are back and safe.  Arrived just ahead of Hurricane Ida though we were treated to some awesome wind and seas.  For those who are interested here are some notes and some FINISHED OBJECTS.

Sunday, Nov 1–left Charlotte and my two furry boys.  Jake gave us the “skunk eye” from the window as we left.

On the plane I FINISHED one of Steve’s new socks.  Pattern coming soon.  Used Lotus Yarns cashmere sock yarn in colorway Jean.Wait–I actually finished something before I even left.  The Malabrigo Neck Thingie (pattern on Ravelry–one skein of Malabrigo). Did this after class on Saturday at the shop.

I had cast this on immediately after whining about not being able to finish anything.

We were sailing (back to the cruise) on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas (huge).  Our stateroom was very spacious and the balcony was my refuge.  That’s where I FINISHED Steve’s second sock.We do recommend the line for anyone interested.

More tomorrow.

Cruise wear

Thank you to my friends who responded to ARRRgh either online or in person.  I am calmer.  I did the only reasonable thing.  I started two new projects.

I’m knitting the Malabrigo Neck Thingie I found on ravelry.  Dead easy and it is Malabrigo.  My hands are happy.

I’m also knitting a capelet from the Alpaca I got from Joni.  I’m just making it up as I go and my hands are very happy.

The Wizard (Steve) came home Weds. with a brand new deep navy suit.  Thurs. he came home with dress shoes.  All of this is just for me so I will be comfortable at the two formal dinners on the ship.  I am humbled and touched and amazed.  So I went out and bought some Big Girl shoes.  No stilettos, but they are heels.

Packing has been easy but today is pick out the knitting day.  I’m taking the new Bordhi book and two balls of sock yarn.  Also Steve’s never ending socks.  The cowl (if I don’t finish it). A scarf I am designing with some beads and threads for embroidery.  The Anemoi mittens. The goal is to finish everything I have started and maybe get a good start on the Bordhi’s.  That’s in addition to the stuff I will do in classes which will be provided for me.  Maybe just swatches there.

I also plan to eat, drink and swim, but with superwash wool, I can knit while doing all of those.

I expect no yarn shops so one must prepare carefully.

God forbid I run out of yarn.

AR-r-r-r-r-rgh

I haven’t posted because I haven’t made significant progress with anything.  There is no point in posting new pictures if you really haven’t made any progress.  I did finish one mitten and start the other.  These are the Eunny Jang Anemoi mittens.  The Jaren Flood mittens that Beth gave me –well, they are no where near anything.  But I do love the Jamison’s yarn.

So I’ve finished “Like Jazz” and just need a good picture to make the pattern available.  My pictures suck.  I haven’t begged Meghan to come over and take any.  The Soh-cah-toa for Steve aren’t finished, but they are teaching me a valuable lesson.  The reason the standard sock heel is the standard sock heel is that it fits better than the other heels.  No matter how hard I try to make my take on a band heel be wonderful, it still isn’t as good as the standard.  So which heel goes in the pattern.  Maybe both?

The classes I’m teaching on the Great American Aran afghan are getting weird—but the students are wonderful.  Tuesday, the highlight of the class was picking out Jennifer’s Silestone countertop; Saturday Sally and I had fun with cast ons.  I’m not sure what any of that had to do with the afghan, but everyone seemed to be satisfied, so I must be doing something right.

The Melissa Leapman Tweedie Hoodie is limping along.  I did the short rows for the bust of the right front.  I’m still a basket case about the fit since it is bottom up knitting.  Losing 40 pounds is fantastic, but I’m not intuitively sure about the size and shape.Mostly I’m just whining.

Joni gave me some cool black and white alpaca that I have swatched a bunch.  I really want to cast on a new shawl, but it does seem reasonable to finish something first.  I haven’t even brought up the UFO basket upstairs.  I knit Meghan a sweater that only needs to be sewn up–I love sewing–but I hate it so much I’m afraid to finish it.

We leave on our Vogue Knitting cruise next weekend and I have no idea what to take to wear or to knit.  I’m kind of spooked by the formal nights because I am not formal and I am not willing to do that thing where you put your hair up and wear a prom dress and look like someone you are not.  I’m also living in fear of Steve showing up in cutoffs and flip flops and daring them to throw him out just to see what will happen.  I’m not happy about being away from Henry(dog) for a week; what if he dies?  I hate to think of making Meghan make that decision.

Are you beginning to see why it was better that I didn’t post?

SAFF was this weekend and I didn’t even want to drive to Asheville and look around. How sick is that?

Okay, I feel better.  But I really need to finish something.  You know?

Biker chic

This is my hunky husband who has never to this day had a picture made without his mouth being open.  Since he is a very silent man, this is one of science’s most ironic paradoxes.

He road the annual MS ride again this year, riding for one of our dearest friends.  His jersey, a gift from daughters, is a hoot.  It says Poseur.  Steve hates posers, so this works for us.  It also says Charlatan–what he has called the elected officials from Charlotte forever.  For such a quiet man, he does make a statement on that bike.  Yes, the newest one he has built for himself. Weighs about half an ounce.

Need bike advice?  He’s your man.

Cold hands, warm heart

Usually it is my feet that are cold, so I ‘m not sure what to think about my heart.  But I was in a mood the other night.  Mittens.  It had to be mittens and they had to be fair isle.  I didn’t want to mess with fiddly glove fingers, but a thumb is nothing.

First I went to my copy of Nanette Blanchard‘s self published booklet on glove knitting.  You can buy a downloadable copy from her website and it is a great resource.  She advised about various thumbs so I started to worry about the patterns I had amassed on the computer.  I used valuable knitting time looking through my files and then hit Ravelry and finally googled by thumb name.

Eunny Jang’s Anemoi mittens rang my bell.  I liked the rounded tops, the colorwork pattern and the compromise thumb.  I also like the immediate download and Paypal combination.  Here’s my start:This is the palm.  The corrugated ribbing was knit differently than I have knit it in the past, so that was an unexpected new lesson.  As you can see I am using a magic loop technique.

I really like the scroll work pattern for the top.  I’m using leftover blue  Lavold Silky Wool from my Slinky Rib and some Louet sport weight Gem merino.  The black  Louet is just a bit larger than the silky wool.  It’s all on a #1 needle since I knit so loosely.

Actually this is anything but loose.  It is dense, yet the two yarns are so soft that it isn’t exactly stiff.  Just dense which is good for warmth, right?

I had in mind to give these as a gift to my daughter to wear on her walks.  Maybe.

New shoes-Purple

Sheila, who owns Foot Solutions next door to Charlotte Yarn, met me in the parking lot holding these shoes.  It took me four seconds to pull out my plastic.

They are Wolky shoes and they are amazing.  I have black ones I bought last winter.

They show off my socks well, but mostly, they make sure I never take myself too seriously.  I just love purple shoes.

Henry would love them too if he could stay awake long enough to sniff them.  Doesn’t this make you fear for his neck?  He seems content with it.