Cable Madness

Embarking on this project was gutsy.  It might be above my skill level.  It is not lace.  It has saddle shoulders, which I know nothing about.  That said..... 
I am so pleased with this project so far.  Once getting the pattern established, it is swimming along.  I had (understandable) reservations about starting this, but am pleased that it is becoming intuitive and almost prosaic as I learn the charts.  I am urged along by my desire to see the cables grow.  I like to think that an ole Irish fisherman who had great taste would have knit something like this curve-hugging-all-over-cable sweater for his woman ashore.  This is the real deal, with some feminine shaping thrown into the cable patterning.  And I'm pleasantly surprised that it is compatible with watching movies and wine drinking.  Bonus!       

Local Wool Pi Shawl

Pi Shawl, my second.   Pattern:  my own, based upon EZ (Elizabeth Zimmermann)'s guidelines for creating a circular shawl using Pi.  Wool:  the lovely local Bodega Pastures, their sportweight in two natural shades, 8oz oatmeal and 4oz ivory.  Needles:  started with 6, and went up a size at each increase section, ending on 8's.  The lace pattern in the outer section comes from Barbara G. Walker's 2nd Treasury of Knitting Patterns, and is named "Coral".  Start to finish, this shawl took me two months to complete.     

This shawl was finished just in the nick of time for this fall-like weather we're having here; its been worn daily since its completion.  I've been testing it out doubled and folded in  half, as a lap blanket, draped in a single layer around my shoulders, and she functions beautifully in every case.     

Very warm.  I'm in love. 

From far, from eve and morning
And yon twelve-winded sky,
The stuff of life to knit me
Blew hither: here am I.

                  ~A.E. Housman,

                           From far, from eve and morning

Knittin' a Mitten

And using local Bodega wool.  I love these colors!  I'm using Elizabeth Zimmermann's "recipe" for mitered mittens. 

Speaking of local Bodega wool... my second Pi shawl is finished and blocked and just needs to be photographed!  Stay tuned...

Reef Madness and hyperbolic structures

Crocheting hyperbolic planes is my new means of filling idle time and procrastinating from finishing the boarder of Pi shawl.  Coral reef abounds with hyperbolic structures, and crochet is the only known means to demonstrate this natural phenomenon.  To me it doesn't get much better than combining feminine handicraft, biology, math, art, and activism. You can read about the project here.  Brilliant. 

These structures are so fluid, feminine, and absolutely mimic ocean life. I have experimented with several different algorithms and am fascinated to see the different forms taking shape. I'm participating in an installation at the Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey, CA. so this is just a tiny sneak peak.  I was kindly invited by these folks, and am so excited to be a part of it.
The structures work up pretty quickly, which only feeds my obsession. And keeps me from the last 100 or so stitches left to finish on the border of my beautiful Pi shawl. So close to being done! All this crocheting has prompted me to learn to knit with the yarn in my left hand (continental style), and I'm now well on my way to becoming a "switch knitter." The garter stitch border of Pi shawl has provided a great learning opportunity for that endeavor, but its been slow going and slightly frustrating. I feel like I'm starting over from scratch, though my tension is quite even and I am getting a bit faster. I know It'll be worth the effort in the end.
Loving the subtle color change. This is going to be beautiful...