tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71847211765633458142012-02-16T14:37:32.885-05:00Fiber. Yarn. Harp.WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.comBlogger1071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-30356612838860082842012-01-26T01:48:00.001-05:002012-01-26T01:56:51.150-05:00

The results are in, and we have a winner! Yarndude gave the closest answer by selecting numbers 5 and 6; the actual stripes I added in are numbers 3 and 4.  I'm fiendishly delighted that nobody could tell where my grafting was; after all, I fussed over it a good while to get it right! When I knit the vest, I bought two skeins of BrooklynTweed LOFT in the colorway "Plume," but I only used one.

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-74899841260324443902012-01-17T00:53:00.000-05:002012-01-17T00:53:36.146-05:00

The vest that helped me usher in the new year is completed! When my friend Aaron sent me his purple handspun yarn, I was immediately smitten with its beauty and knew it deserved special treatment. I love that part of the knitting process when I get to imagine what a yarn wants to be, and this was definitely one of those moments that found me just a bit obsessed. My boyfriend gave me

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-18142221289614089942012-01-12T21:29:00.000-05:002012-01-12T21:29:34.124-05:00

The steeks have turned out great on the Alberta vest, and I even picked up the neck stitches fairly well the second time around.  But now that I'm knitting down the bottom ribbing, I'm facing a slight dilemma. The vest appears to be too short. I was worried that the vest would be too long before adding the ribbing, but it seems to have magically lost some of that length while I was paying

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-33665574761595765342012-01-08T13:09:00.001-05:002012-01-08T13:11:57.107-05:00

Prepare yourself for a very poorly written stream of thought. I may be dating myself, but I grew up with wonderful life role models on television.  It was the heyday of Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, Care Bears, and the bizarrely amusing PeeWee Herman. Besides sharing a certain talent for musical expression through bodily movements with the scandalous Playhouse hero, I feel an affinity to Mr.

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-25314571678444205292012-01-03T23:43:00.002-05:002012-01-03T23:43:56.984-05:00

Happy New Year!  I had an amazing weekend with lots to think about and great company. I'm so glad to be with a person who feels as happy as I to park early for the fireworks, find a coffee shop, and knit while we wait.  Here's a shapshot I took while waiting for some action at the Mummer's parade: I actually have about a foot knit on the sweater vest, because I am eager to finish it and wear it.

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-11449631955400952412011-12-31T23:28:00.002-05:002011-12-31T23:40:31.595-05:00

My beginning is my end Now I can show you two of the gifts I finished: I love the velcro quality of brick walls that enable quick photographs of wooly yarns.  This is "A Seriously Simple Shawl" knit up in Kiparoo Farms Skye, though the yarn seemed to have more halo than I remember from a previous project.  I knit the pattern because I love the overall effect of the border, but the body pattern

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-38126653101980030062011-12-18T23:40:00.001-05:002011-12-18T23:41:07.592-05:00

I've been knitting furiously (minus the angst) since you last heard from me, as well as running to a few choir concerts.  Due to the holiday knitting pact of secrecy, I have little to show for my work, except this shoddy photo to prove that I finished the stockings: I feel better now that I can see them finished, with the names stitched on there.  Oh, did I ever tell you how delightful

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-44442100838379070402011-11-19T12:26:00.002-05:002011-11-21T18:39:08.463-05:00

Here's what I've got so far.  I'm still working on one more, and I plan to redo the i-cord on a couple of them, but they're mostly done.  Each person in the family picked out the colors and a couple people specified something to include in the designs. You can probably see some tension issues-- especially in the green-body one, which I did first.  I'm so glad most of the tension works itself

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-27645272170481557982011-11-18T13:04:00.000-05:002011-11-18T13:04:38.370-05:00

I'm currently working on number five of five Christmas stockings; I expect to finish before December even hits!  Bam!  For once, I'm on point for my holiday knitting.  (Oh, and three presents are DONE!)  The stockings are not secrets, so I can share them with you, so stay tuned. For now, though, enjoy a few more pictures from the trip to New York (Rhinebeck and beyond). Back when people were

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-15412778809463368222011-11-13T10:02:00.003-05:002011-11-15T19:06:54.861-05:00

Um, Rhinebeck?  Wasn't that, like, a month ago? Yes.  And do you know how many times I've started a post, only to get pulled away to do other things?So here's my compromise: I can at least grace you with a couple pictures now and then. My "famous people" pictures from the Sunday Ravelry meetup:The amazing and ever-gracious Ysolda!  This one's for a fellow knitter who couldn't make it but is a

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-46187889389397614212011-10-31T23:10:00.000-04:002011-10-31T23:10:40.402-04:00

Happy Halloween! (I know I still owe a Rhinebeck report.  This is not it.) When I was a wee laddie, my family generally shunned Halloween.  I still have a residual dislike for gory and scary costumes, but one of the few costumes I had growing up was that of a little sheep.  Who knew? Mama tried to raise me to be a good little sheep. This year my team at work picked a Nursery Rhymes

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-37740500339060943942011-10-18T13:39:00.001-04:002011-10-18T13:43:36.668-04:00

I finished HizVest just in time to wear at Rhinebeck (report to follow soon).  Since I like to do the pictures, I'll just focus on the vest here. Having knit a favorite pair of socks in Blue Moon's colorway Mossly Manly, I fell in love with the shifting greys and yellowish greens, and knew I had to make this pattern in it as well. The colors are a bit lighter in the Woobu, due to the way the

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-47921858770321046442011-10-03T20:46:00.001-04:002011-10-03T20:46:53.962-04:00

The boyfriend and I (yes, I said it) took a trip to the charming town of  Bethlehem, PA for a day at this year's Celtic festival.  Here's a little photo tour of some of the things we saw. As if kilts, mohawks, and horse cops weren't enough, the caber toss was quite impressive: I prefer to find a quiet spot and get some knitting in during crowded events like this, and the festival location

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-7089064281563262712011-09-20T23:41:00.005-04:002011-10-12T12:39:03.562-04:00

Yes, I’ve been sucked into the fad that is known as the Beekeeper’s Quilt.  I’m working on it with Someone Special (insert barfy-mushy sighs here), and we’ve decided to make our little hexagons in a heavier weight yarn than the usual sock weight, and keep them unstuffed.  Back in the day, I used to knit almost exclusively with worsted weight yarn, so I'm enjoying the chance to dive into my yarn

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-52985098813369909522011-09-08T21:11:00.002-04:002011-09-08T22:52:10.836-04:00

So, um, I was looking at the tags cloud for my blog, and it appears to be rather overshadowed by a particular name.   I feel like a creepy stalker, but I'm really not!  So I shall not mention it here. You know those testknits for You-Know-Who?  Here's one from Book Three. Dustland - the hat.  (there are mitts to match) Warning: this is the first of my new photo shoots, courtesy of my fine

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-21983028317061966612011-09-01T22:29:00.000-04:002011-09-01T22:29:27.355-04:00

Presenting the Westknits mystery shawl knitalong, "Earth and Sky" For the uninitiated, a mystery knitalong involves a series of "clues" in which progressive sections of the pattern are sent out, so that everyone participating is working on the same bit at the same time.  It's kinda fun to speculate what the next bit of the pattern will be.  Clue 1 'nugget' completed I learned something

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-14699004906644831472011-09-01T21:14:00.000-04:002011-09-01T21:14:03.284-04:00

Photo shoot, that is! I finally finished my Java socks. I started them in February.  Sad, I know.  But now it's a happy thing!    Hopefully you don't mind a picture-laden, verbally-frugal post... As you may already know, the Java sock is made special partly by the way the gusset decreases eat up the instep of the foot, rather than the typical spot along the sides of the heel.  I figured out

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-89841869603326496642011-08-29T23:20:00.001-04:002011-08-31T23:07:10.833-04:00

A ravenous fish was sighted out of water in Philadelphia last week. Throngs of visitors at the Liberty Bell were surprisingly oblivious to the vicious attacks on a few somewhat innocent tourists. It appears to have a talent for charming its victims into a stupor.  One man even held it like a pet; he didn't flinch when it began sucking out his blood.  He was soon found headless for nearly an

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-32243646729740233862011-07-27T19:04:00.000-04:002011-07-27T19:04:40.303-04:00

This past weekend, I slipped down to the beach with someone special, and we got some spinning time in.  Thankfully, the air there was significantly cooler than in my area. While we were spinning yarn on the boardwalk, we had a few amusing encounters with passers-by.  I think I'm decent with children, but it turns out I'm not so charming to little children - especially when I'm shoving a

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-51551579536277017942011-07-22T21:47:00.000-04:002011-07-22T21:47:18.246-04:00

I'm currently trying out a couple color combo options in preparation for the Westknits Shawl KAL.  Here's one, sans the "frame" color.  Of course, it will probably be my darling grey. Yeah.  So it's coming out kinda a different color palette than I'm used to, so I just started spinning up some mini-skeins in a delicious blue-green mix.  The mini-skeins are turning out to be about a quarter of a

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-2626985796911168302011-07-20T22:26:00.000-04:002011-07-20T22:26:06.512-04:00

Alternate reading-challenged option for this blog post: I'm still alive and spinning.  Enjoy the pictures in the bliss of ignorance. The long version: Though I've been quiet online, I've been quite busy with the strings. Last weekend I got to see one of my old college buddies married off.  And the harp came along for some very special music during the prelude.  Yay!  But get this:  The bride

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-45407251907249993672011-07-05T13:14:00.001-04:002011-07-05T13:15:50.913-04:00

*Another lunch break post* Tour de Fleece is on, and I'm using it to brush up on my spindle skills! If you don't know what TdF is, let me enlighten you.  The classic bicycle race is running during most of July (you know, the Tour de France) so while they're over there spinning, someone got the idea that yarnies should challenge themselves by spinning as well.  Hence the name "Tour de Fleece."  

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-30326425313093507672011-06-30T13:20:00.000-04:002011-06-30T13:20:27.489-04:00

I know I'm rather delinquent in my blogging, but I have excuses. And besides, if your blog reading has been anything like mine, it's nice to have a break to catch up on other posts. My biggest excuse is that I just moved - merely across town, but it's a significant change, and one that leaves me trying to find underwear in boxes because I didn't manage to wash the past couple days' clothing.

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-68448238442370559812011-06-14T19:18:00.000-04:002011-06-14T19:18:00.307-04:00

I entered the Men’s Spring Knitting Retreat feeling overwhelmed--partly because I was still pumping with the adrenaline of the Westknits workshop the night before, but also because I was finally attending the retreat after years of merely wishing I could go. Breakfast on the trip to Easton Mountain! Before the official retreat began, a number of guys met early to take a field trip to Green

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-6487984031684685902011-05-31T19:18:00.000-04:002011-05-31T19:18:54.336-04:00

I'm so excited to share with you what happened next, dear readers!  Teaching a workshop at Trumpet Hill! But first, I thank you for the love and concern.  I hope I didn't sound like I was whining when I mentioned the adventures I had on my trip up to Trumpet Hill.  I was actually in good spirits; after all, when others become frustrated, I can knit!  I figured our little mishaps made the trip

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-52708582734319098072011-05-29T10:15:00.000-04:002011-05-29T10:15:28.098-04:00

Last weekend I was away in the far reaches of New York state, knitting happily with my shoes off.  But I have yet to tell you about it.  The idea of condensing such a lot of feelings and thoughts into a blog post is overwhelming, not to mention time consuming.  So I'll try to do a bit at a time; hopefully that will make it manageable. It all starts here My journey up to the Men's Spring

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-70197588629590514392011-05-11T00:27:00.000-04:002011-05-11T00:27:04.559-04:00

I'm a naughty blogger.  There, I've said it.  Moving on. And, oh, is there so much to share! Mom's sweater, complete. She likes it, I'm happy with the final result, and I'm grateful to all the help I got along the way.  People have paid some very nice compliments along the way by telling me I have a wonderful color sense or am a brilliant knitter, and I would be remiss if I did not pass

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-52023981343572980392011-04-27T21:37:00.000-04:002011-04-27T21:37:56.069-04:00

At least when it comes to my knitting, Easter Sunday saw me cross the finish line on two daunting projects. I apologize for my whining about my Mom's sweater vest; it is finished, for better or worse. I have mixed feelings about it, and I don't have pictures yet, since it is still in the drying stage. But it's done. I knit up a procrastination shawl when I was hitting a block as I approached

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-28048631744223516992011-04-02T14:43:00.001-04:002011-04-08T08:57:12.201-04:00

Look.  Look at the size of the remaining yarn.  Look at how much is left to be done. I'm up a creek with no paddle, as they say. I still have a bit more of the ribbing to go at the bottom of the sweater, and both arm holes and the collar. To my knowledge there is no more of this dye lot to be obtained.  So I have no choice but to add another color in the trim, unless I frog the whole darn

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-10284463728256306552011-03-26T11:12:00.000-04:002011-03-26T11:12:06.204-04:00

Just checking in briefly to whine a bit... What's the deal with Mom's sweater vest?  Last weekend I worked all weekend, having the advantage of being able to try it on her every hour to see how the fit was coming.  I got as far as what I thought should be the ribbing, only to find I had started a wee bit too soon.  Mom, not wanting to be too fussy, had acquiesced along the way to my knitting

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-19359196805357285072011-03-23T17:41:00.000-04:002011-03-23T17:41:09.392-04:00

Soft. Squishy. Nubby. Yum.

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-87760652170787031922011-03-10T23:19:00.001-05:002011-03-10T23:21:51.262-05:00

Man, this has been a rough couple weeks of knitting.  I don't know if I'm getting fussier or sloppier.  Whatever it is, I've seen an awful lot of knitting go into the black hole of ripping. Honegart seemed so wonderfully straightforward, until I noticed that the gauge in the top section wasn't giving me what I needed.  I ripped the top seven times before settling for the result.  It's like

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-41854034181418455942011-02-20T18:31:00.001-05:002011-02-26T10:37:19.642-05:00

If you've been reading along, you may recognize the longer Matthew Shepard Seaman's Scarf.  This pattern is dedicated to a gay student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten and died as a result back in 1998.  The pattern is offered freely, but we knitters are asked to turn our gaze beyond ourselves to people different from us.  Perhaps the fact that I knit much of this scarf on bus

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-51719263996733640642011-02-13T22:17:00.001-05:002011-02-13T22:23:30.687-05:00

After a longish hiatus from spinning, I decided to try spinning my own yarn for one of the patterns just released in Stephen West's new book.  I figured that its simple use of a little over 100 yards of yarn in stockinette stitch would lend itself well to handspun yarns.  Here's my version. I used a 50/50 silk/merino blend dyed by Beata over at Hedgehog Fibres.  Coincidentally, I first

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-86761973180797419772011-01-30T20:03:00.000-05:002011-01-30T20:03:22.738-05:00

I have new boots, thanks to a very generous donor.  So, I needed boot socks!  What better way to fill my desire to knit socks, than with worsted weight yarn? Even if it is crappy yarn. I call it 'crappy' because it has more acrylic content than I would like to be in my socks... a whopping eighty percent.  The upside of this is that I don't feel guilty every time I walk around the house in just

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-86471327410872753542011-01-22T00:02:00.000-05:002011-01-22T00:02:31.156-05:00

I had the nicest surprise this evening after work. Stephen West's Book 2 patterns are up on Ravelry for peeking. Now for some FO show-and-tell! Well, mostly show.  I think these speak for themselves. Loxley Drawbridge Transatlantic    Splitbark Woot!

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-72815856673782175682011-01-19T22:38:00.000-05:002011-01-19T22:38:20.799-05:00

I didn't tell you, but I snuck a quickie hat in during the weekend. I started Saturday, finished Sunday, and finally had some sunlight today for photographs.  Knitting this hat as a multi-functional hat is not a new concept, as it's the third time I used the Jacques Cousteau Hat pattern, but this time I decreased in six places instead of four, tweaked the last couple rounds with extra K2togs,

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-13219860522656009782011-01-18T00:00:00.000-05:002011-01-18T00:00:40.062-05:00

I write this post not because I feel I have the time, but because I've been a busy beaver and would like to clue y'all in on my activities. I've been riding the bus since my car apparently kicked the bucket.  It's not all a bad thing, especially when I make it to the stop early enough for a few moments to take in the sunrise.   Or, as in today's case, the lack of sun.  The brooding sky

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-19962837026620445062011-01-02T21:51:00.001-05:002011-01-02T21:52:39.699-05:00

...Sure they do!  After hitting "Publish Post" on yesterday's blog entry, the scarf recipient walked into the cafe.  I showed him pictures of the possible scarves, and after talking a bit and showing him the yarn, he said he really liked the stitch in Matthew's Scarf.  Granted, he thought it was cabled, but doesn't that just demonstrate that not all lace is too frilly for men?  Whatever it is, he

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-60923061304321736412011-01-01T16:32:00.000-05:002011-01-01T16:32:31.165-05:00

Best wishes for your the New Year! I'm taking some time to reflect on the past year's highlights, as well as sum up the thoughts buzzing around in my head as I look forward.  Sometimes I get so caught up in the moment as I knit that I don't look further down the road.  This can be a nice thing, but it's not a way to live.  I guess that's why I enjoy this blog; you readers give me an excuse to

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-58234590572596722582010-12-27T13:37:00.002-05:002010-12-27T20:04:54.237-05:00

This post contains poo-talk and a poo picture.  You have been warned. So, Christmas came and went.  I managed to get most of my knitting done in time. Implied is the fact that I finished up a dishcloth at the foot of the tree (not pictured here).  It's a pity, since it was, I think, the nicest of the four that I made, including grafting instead of seaming.   The pattern was pretty decent to knit

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-89754971136889491072010-12-18T22:49:00.001-05:002010-12-18T22:51:10.210-05:00

I think I do gifting mostly because it holds a sentimental value.  I recently received a Christmas gift in the mail, and it reminded me that someone is thinking of me enough to send me a beautiful package.  (Mind you, the jerk won't let me peek until next Saturday!)  And as I bunkered down today to knit gifts for loved ones, I found that it was comforting in a way.  If I can avoid getting too

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-12277671361254534872010-12-14T23:45:00.000-05:002010-12-14T23:45:20.956-05:00

I just realized that Ebenezer Scrooge wasn't the Christmas grinch; he was just a misunderstood sheep. Wakka wakka wakka! Life has been busy these chilly days, which I'm sure is no big surprise to anyone living in North America.  I'm knitting every moment I can, but I still can't talk about it much, since it's almost all on the down low.  Suffice it to say that I'm enamored with worsted weight,

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-49115208773885496532010-11-15T21:14:00.003-05:002010-12-14T18:20:11.738-05:00

You better not pout, you better not cry, You better like lace, I'm telling you why,Franklin Habit's coming to town... Or came and went.  And I got to meet him.   If you're new to knitting, maybe you don't know who he is, but let me just say I have sock yarn named after him.  Sock yarn which has been rather naughty.  Franklin is a hilarious blogger/cartoonist, but I found out that he is also a

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-84345181390869335192010-10-29T19:03:00.001-04:002010-10-29T19:33:46.230-04:00

It's Halloween this weekend, and we had our costume party today at the nursing home.  I've never been one for scary costumes, and I was really hurting for costume ideas a week ago, so when a coworker suggested I dress up as the star of Where's Waldo, I knew it was fate.  I used to be a huge fan, and besides, here is a costume requiring a knit hat! It was a pretty affordable costume... I think I

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-37266269575249544872010-10-02T00:05:00.001-04:002010-10-02T00:09:54.846-04:00

I told you Stephen West's first book of patterns was soon to be released; today is that day! I didn't necessarily intend to be a fan, but I guess I am.  Here's what I like about Stephen as a designer: His patterns are accessible to fairly beginner knitters, yet I usually find myself learning another trick to keep in my bag.  His patterns are simple and allow a lot of room for reinterpretation;

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-36634996595889288362010-09-28T23:36:00.000-04:002010-09-28T23:36:13.235-04:00

I took a trip to the Celtic Classic Festival in Bethlehem, PA this past weekend.  I thoroughly enjoyed hearing bagpipes often throughout the day, even when they were only practicing before their turn in the competitions. I brought along some knitting and garnered a few stares, knitting practically nonstop.  I also enjoyed meeting other knitters, although I must admit that there ought to have

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-86396149873100262872010-09-28T22:20:00.001-04:002010-09-28T22:22:15.391-04:00

I had the privilege to do a bit of travel during the past month, and I have a few pics to share.  Igor made an appearance at the beaches and dunes of Margate and Ocean City. He had a bit of a crisis, and I had to talk him down from throwing himself into the watery depths.  I hadn't realized how nice the ocean feels in September! While he stirred things up among the natives,

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-91899725527797704252010-09-15T19:44:00.001-04:002010-09-15T19:45:33.708-04:00

Meet Igor.  Not "ee-gor."  It's "I-gor." And don't you dare call him cute.  He's one nasty bugger.   I thought I was gonna get me some fish down by the lake, and apparently he was thinking along similar lines. Well, he followed me all the way home, and started finding another playmate. Yeah.  Another cat watching the incident was smart enough to run away. Soon, I found that Igor had made

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-9673642248133081762010-09-08T00:25:00.001-04:002010-09-08T00:26:26.796-04:00

I like to watch Project Runway, and while I'm in no way a fashion guru, as my wardrobe would quickly reveal, I'd say this is the closest I've gotten in my lace knitting to sportswear (looks, not function). It's a rather heavy worsted weight yarn--Lamb's Pride Worsted, to be exact. I've been itching for some time to knit this color up into lace.  (It's very greeeen.)  Well, as I neared the

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-9752756672845327112010-08-27T22:07:00.003-04:002010-08-30T01:00:28.849-04:00

The annoying part about blogging is that, as another blogger recently pointed out, the times when I am too 'busy' to write a blog are the times when I have stuff I want to share.  I have had much I've wanted to share, but it seems like I'll always be playing catch-up if I take that too seriously.  So I'll just jump in with something from this week. I finished my Boneyard Shawl over the weekend.

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-2868207641348741862010-08-18T23:13:00.002-04:002010-08-18T23:25:26.294-04:00

Daybreak No, I didn't get married. But you may remember the stormy romance of my first Daybreak Shawl, which never actually got finished; instead I ripped it all out and started over. One morning on my way to work, I stopped by the lake for a photo shoot for my newly finished Daybreak, with the Malabrigo sock married to a new yarn. I think these yarns are gonna live happily ever after!

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-2481917039270305242010-08-18T22:46:00.000-04:002010-08-18T22:46:07.884-04:00

Boy, I've been busy!  Or something like that.  Anyway, here's a little more from my trip to Wunsupana Farm near Albany, NY.   Here we have the lovely Liesl taking a bath, using all of her charms to lure in the local royalty. Just look at those legs!  Cat whistles heard offstage Why can't I look this nice after rolling in the dirt? Come to think of it, have you ever seen such an adorable

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-75571329583993716512010-08-09T22:37:00.003-04:002010-08-10T08:52:01.230-04:00

...for pie.  It's in the oven.  Peaches and nectarines. Before you get too excited/jealous, I must warn you: this pie is even more thrown-together than my knitting.  Maybe that's not saying much, as I do stay up late some nights dreaming up new things to knit, but still, I've been known to change course mid-stream.  This pie's no exception. I started with a trip to the grocer.  Next thing I knew

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-46833999956915807342010-08-07T23:03:00.002-04:002010-08-07T23:11:29.957-04:00

Why waste words when pictures can tell all? Since I'm having trouble narrowing down which pics to share, I think I may use these in a few posts.  Y'know...that 'blog fodder' I've heard tell of. On my recent use of vacation time, I got to visit my friends up in the Albany area.  One of the highlights of our time was a wonderful afternoon with a whole mess of llamas (and one alpaca) at

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-14069867945066018122010-07-24T23:45:00.000-04:002010-07-24T23:45:17.309-04:00

What can I say?  I have not finished much that I can write about, since some of my knitting has been in secret.  I will say this much, though: the project called for Malabrigo Twist, and I am once again in love.  It's like buttah.  And that's putting it nicely. I'm picking away at a number of shawls, juggling them as mood and circumstances dictate.  Even though I live fairly close to the shore,

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-58787937566308626242010-06-27T19:27:00.000-04:002010-06-27T19:27:47.881-04:00

A few more pictures of the latter part of my Denver trip, during which I worked very hard on my boxers and shawls (as there was not much else to do): Beautiful, if not desolate, hills west of Cheyenne. Encounters with dangerous beasts.  Thankfully, I know how to wield a US #3 circular needle. Exploring the rugged countryside with expert mountaineers. I felt deeply that something was

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-50227813729669457652010-06-25T12:43:00.002-04:002011-09-04T19:11:04.047-04:00

Happy tyke gets off plane and races through Denver's new airport on the speedy moving sidewalks and escalators.  He takes a few detours on the way to maximize sidewalk coverage. The architecture is beautiful, but the old art museum building strikes him as strangely somber.  He narrowly escapes being slowly and painfully digested in the many stomachs of two very, very large cows. He

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-33341132131909473402010-06-24T20:18:00.000-04:002010-06-24T20:18:59.705-04:00

I got the okay from Stephen West to reveal the shawl I just mentioned in my previous entry.  So here it is: Yep.  That's super sexy me modeling my super-sexy Pagona Shawl by Stephen West.  I knit it in Schaefer Yarns' Anne, which is a fairly small gauge, so this took forever.  My bad.  I specifically wanted it in this color.  But the good news is that I'm 100 percent sure that this shawl fits

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-12375109420465935882010-06-17T13:14:00.002-04:002010-06-17T13:16:01.984-04:00

Tomorrow the plan is to get up at some ungodly, anal-retentive hour so that I can wait for a few hours at the airport, so glad I deprived myself of sleep so that I can sit in an airport lobby, too tired to knit.  Or maybe I'll be a good sport and play on the moving sidewalks.  (Okay, definitely the moving sidewalks... Just how many times is the critical question.) Eventually, I hope, the plane

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-48690119514106759622010-06-07T21:12:00.000-04:002010-06-07T21:12:07.200-04:00

Did you ever look at a skein and wonder how the beautifully handpainted colors would interact once knitted?  Several weeks back I had some times when I was facing such a question.  I was knitting in the yarn store while this skein continued to sing like a siren to me.  I was enchanted by the green and challenged by the salmon pink (as I call it, anyway)...and soon I had put back the yarn I had

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-51640286913370420472010-05-30T17:49:00.000-04:002010-05-30T17:49:33.720-04:00

Show-n-Tell time.  I finished my Legolas kerchief this week, despite working on my super-secret knitting as well.  I won't show you the pictures of the shawl before I learned that I had to really block it out hard and tell it who's boss.  This morning before running to work, I managed to snap a few pictures in the gloriously golden morning light. It's made to look like leaves, although one

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-64175901256025964882010-05-25T13:37:00.000-04:002010-05-25T13:37:01.886-04:00

The last time I blogged, I mentioned some super-secret knitting going on, and that I’d tell more in the fall.  That’s partly true.  If I tell you, can you promise not to tell anyone else?  Somehow, I made it onto a list of test knitters for Stephen West’s upcoming pattern booklet, which is scheduled to come out in the fall.  I’m delighted.  His patterns have a nice combination of simplicity and

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-33131120950197246292010-05-19T13:07:00.003-04:002010-05-19T13:15:47.171-04:00

I like my mac 'n cheese out of the box.  Now, if someone's diligent enough to make the real, homemade stuff, please wrap up some and send it to me (especially if it has bread crumbs on top); but I must've been a bachelor at heart from an early age.  Just the other day I made myself some macaroni in my favorite generic brand, and it was one of those doomed batches...you know, where you mix in too

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-59780145332298969842010-05-03T18:29:00.000-04:002010-05-03T18:29:34.887-04:00

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-59768318735820367852010-05-02T18:02:00.002-04:002010-05-02T22:57:08.888-04:00

Disclaimer: I went to Maryland Sheep and Wool this weekend, and it was hot enough that I bought an all-day mug of root beer.  I figured it called for a lousy ‘beer’ song.   Yesterday on the first of May the bus was rather full, we packed our knitting and headed out to Maryland Sheep and Wool. The parking lot was crowded tight as avid fans streamed in, delighted at the free-for-all now

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-568701316423043002010-04-28T19:15:00.006-04:002010-05-03T07:09:13.575-04:00

Why does blogging make a person feel guilty for not keeping up with it? I recently took a little vacation up to Albany, revisiting some friends I met last October.  Aaron did some homework and managed to make it a crazy-cool fiber weekend! Here are some highlights: A couple of yarn stores, both featuring local dyers...the stuff is hard to resist!  I had fun practicing for my recital at Trumpet

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-29382606614584409222010-04-11T21:45:00.002-04:002010-04-11T21:47:16.469-04:00

Make-up time. I wanted to include these pictures from last week's walk, and only just remembered: A yarn-tree. I walked with my parents through my favorite cemetery.  One of the stones had a sort of window carved in it, making for a very striking, if not eery, monument.  Another holey grave marker was made as a gate: I've always thought the factory across the river looked reminiscent of

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-71632355812837688382010-04-09T13:18:00.000-04:002010-04-09T13:18:30.228-04:00

Freeing the needles so I can subject them to further slavery: I finished a cotton-mixed-with-other-materials Botanic hat on Easter, just in time for a stroll in the park with me mum and da.  I don't know why I'm typing in dialect.  But it makes me feel better. I also finished my first sock in the handdyed yarn I got from Myra at Woolbearers: I think it's interesting, and kinda mysterious, how

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-69899549564667697522010-04-03T17:06:00.000-04:002010-04-03T17:06:44.073-04:00

Here's something I've been wanting to do for a long time.  It's not perfect, but things with me never are.  It's a link to my first YouTube practice session.  That' right, I'm offering a bit of music on my blog.  I hope you likes it.  If not, then don't come to my recital on the 23rd.  If you do like it, and you're around the Trenton-Burlington area, you're invited to come for a full length

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-22755001454249757962010-03-28T20:29:00.000-04:002010-03-28T20:29:44.350-04:00

Wow.  I'm not even looking to see how long it's been.  A lot's happened lately...namely, I got a car! While that is great news, it also means I'm spending my time driving when I could be knitting on a bus or shut in at home, again knitting.  Ha. So I haven't made a lot of progress on the knitting, you could say.  Let's tally up what I've got: I'm started on Clue #2 of the Evenstar shawl (

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-83641523056163860432010-03-07T20:58:00.001-05:002010-03-07T21:04:02.585-05:00

I'm a lazy blogger.  It felt right to post on the project page in Ravelry, and I don't feel like rewriting it all, so here's what I posted there, with a few minor edits: I started these two at a time on a long circular needle, using a larger size than prescribed to make me-sized socks. (If I went back and did it again, which I don’t expect I will, I would go down a needle size from what I used.)

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-82134747896117743702010-02-27T18:07:00.001-05:002010-02-27T18:09:19.543-05:00

Pun intended.   I wound two skeins of alpaca/silk lace yarn for my upcoming Evenstar Shawl.  I slightly freaked at the feeling of fragility in the yarn as I opened up the hanks.  And I had a little fun taking pics with my Hemlock Ring as well. The Olympic knitting is in a way a sort of time-bound training for my bigger project on the Evenstar.  Further up and further in! Today I finished

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-6807701034384601542010-02-23T18:46:00.001-05:002010-02-23T18:49:44.852-05:00

More pics of the hemlock ring: And other pics: "Doom!  The cracks of Doom!"Thanks to the cartoon of the Return of the King. I'm not a photographer.  But I thought this is one of the better moments for this water retainment pond by the mall. Happy winter.

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-53859977737386891172010-02-21T15:10:00.000-05:002010-02-21T15:10:59.342-05:00

The 2010 Olympics are in full swing, and so is my spree of project finishing.  Now that the sweater vest is out of the way, here's my latest Finished Object: my very own Hemlock Ring Blanket! I had put this project aside last summer, not realizing I was just past the last set of increases before the bindoff.  That means I had four rows plus the edging to do.  Granted, those last rows take a bit

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-44926980697942273442010-02-19T19:15:00.000-05:002010-02-19T19:15:09.492-05:00

I was in the nursing home yesterday, and noticed a tiny woman sitting there.  She looked frail, worn thin, disinterested.  No matter what the staff did, they couldn’t get her to perk up or show any positive response.  So one of them handed her a little toy collie with a thick swatch of green knitted fabric tied onto its back as if it was a dog sweater.  She accepted it halfheartedly, held it for

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-51153774881926466742010-02-19T19:04:00.000-05:002010-02-19T19:04:07.951-05:00

So, here it is: my cabled sweater vest.  All done, and quickly being broken in with wearing.  One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was Elizabeth Zimmerman’s The Knitter’s Almanac.  Right out of the gates, she had me dreaming of cabled sweaters as I finished up my dad’s stockinette vest.  I knew I wanted my own sweater vest, as well as a sweater, and I couldn’t imagine either of them

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-67612605770498781302010-02-14T18:52:00.002-05:002010-02-14T21:20:56.071-05:00

What can I say?  I'm in love. I made a discovery.  I have managed to shape a sweater vest that would fit perfectly...on a hunchback.  You can't see it much here, but as I'm putting in the shawl collar, the two short rows I put in above the knot on the back are causing a problem.  So much for feeling brilliant.Enjoy it while you see it...I think I'm gonna rip the back back.  (I love my grammar.

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-44243852396612893482010-02-11T00:07:00.000-05:002010-02-11T00:07:03.263-05:00

I've had too much junk food today.  Coffee, Coke, and generic-brand Cheezies (think Cheetos).  And mac-and-cheese, of course!  It's all this snow--giving me an unexpected day off work.   I got to knock out some serious knitting/decorating. The felted boots are done, just sitting near the heater to dry.  I shot these pictures in the basement. My apologies for the poor photography.  Until I can

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-72533203402047250782010-02-06T12:00:00.001-05:002010-02-06T12:16:26.165-05:00

It's snowing outside.  I'm sure you've heard it before.  Suffice it to say, I'm inside, and happy for it, wrapped up in my cuddly Malabrigo goodness.  Rather than talk about what I'm knitting--there's nothing new to talk about, really--I want to point you to a few things that I've been interested by this week. While watching Adam, a story about a man in his late twenties who has been diagnosed

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-82079019692532592932010-02-02T19:18:00.000-05:002010-02-02T19:18:55.699-05:00

The Olympics are coming up, and I've decided to try finishing my UFO's during the Ravelympics (for you less savvy knitters, UFO's are UnFinished Objects).  So in order to have peace of mind during that time, I want to be done my sweater vest.  Call it training, if you will. I spent a lovely weekend up in central Jersey, during which I brought my sweater to a bar in New Hope.  What fun...it felt

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-73351193374256832202010-01-24T12:32:00.001-05:002010-01-24T12:37:36.469-05:00

I never said I was witty.   January has been a time of dreaming up cabled sweaters, brushing up old English dances, and - (cheezy trumpet fanfare) - finishing my dad's sweater vest!  It fits him well, despite my fears, and I'm very happy with it, overall.  The bottom ribbing hangs a little loosely in front.  Not bad, considering how many factors I was dealing with. I'm very happy with the

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-69962901051661139162010-01-07T22:08:00.000-05:002010-01-07T22:08:51.287-05:00

Adding the ribbing is a magical moment in knitting a sweater vest.  If you're a newbie, it's perhaps a bit terrifying, too.  Maybe it's that I'm knitting from the top down.  Maybe it's that I'm knitting clothing for a finicky recipient.  Whatever the reason, as I finished the neck ribbing, I began a restrained panic.  What if the neck is too shallow?  And then I took the scarily-too-long armholes

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-73829536837106232010-01-04T21:43:00.011-05:002010-01-05T17:44:09.016-05:00

The pre-Christmas blizzard gave me time to spin up some bulky yarn for a pair of convertible mitts for my sister.   Okay, so the yarn is too bulky and wonky to do what I did.  It was one of those gifts where I had to explain why it would be nice to receive.  I also promised to do better next time.  I imagine the mitts will join the ‘archive,’ rather than being used.  At least it’s a nice

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-11092303690911784512009-12-21T19:04:00.001-05:002009-12-31T17:48:04.011-05:00

Today (writing this yesterday)  is the last day of Autumn.  Hah.  Usually in our little south Jersey town, we don’t get more than two or three snowfalls that actually cover the ground.  Philadephia can get dumped with snow, but we will somehow get just enough ice to make things...well, a little slippery.  So can you blame me when I was a bit incredulous at the predictions of heavy snowfall in our

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-24354821580387074082009-12-15T19:12:00.000-05:002009-12-15T19:12:11.337-05:00

No, I'm not referring to mending.  And yes, I stole the title.  I just hadta.  (Thanks to the only person besides my alter ego who has left a comment on my blog for the inspiration!) Anyways, I've been doing some focused knitting, now that my dad's vest is actually begun.  I think I'm at the hardest part: the V-neck.  It would be simple if I knew what "longer" and "shorter" meant, when Barbara

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-31793905464369887282009-12-12T16:58:00.001-05:002009-12-12T20:35:55.019-05:00

...Or at least the knitting is progressing.  I procrastinated for the longest time on my dad’s sweater vest, but I am happy to say that I am officially on my way!  I’m not sure if I got hung up with the swatching or with how to go about executing the design of the sweater itself...I’d plan the sweater out, then decide my swatch was at too loose a gauge; then I’d hem and haw around the fear that I

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-14733114430163518462009-12-05T20:02:00.000-05:002009-12-05T20:02:25.897-05:00

It's hard to get online these days.  I'm currently trying to ward off the chill in Starbucks (note, in) with a hot chocolate and my latest shawl, which I will show off soon.  I'm not delaying the walk through slushy snowfall because I like to walk late at night, but because I can't get online at home. Oh, wait, I just made a rediscovery...fingerless mitts are my friends.  With them, I can

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-32535340819706421872009-11-23T23:18:00.003-05:002009-11-23T23:34:46.634-05:00

My room is just plain chilly most of these days.  Or I seem prone to being cold.  Either way, I have been dwelling on the ideas of bulky, wool, shawls, and Malabrigo.  Just over the weekend I obtained the new Malabrigo Twist yarn, and am making myself another Daybreak.  I'm pretty excited about how the colors may work out on this shawl.  But as if that isn't enough, I also have a big, thick shawl

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-55995622508161230242009-11-11T23:16:00.000-05:002009-11-11T23:16:10.169-05:00

Here it is.  On October 17th, I woke up early in the home of a kind host in Albany, and bundled up to hit Rhinebeck!  Anticipating nasty weather, I was armed with warm layers and plastic bags stashed away to wear in the case of falling wetness.  I shouldn't have worried...I still don't understand the comments I've heard about the nasty weather at Rhinebeck.  I can't speak for Sunday, but I

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-58191789586618494122009-11-10T23:14:00.000-05:002009-11-10T23:14:19.485-05:00

I'm way past due on this, and have been digging a hole deeper and deeper.  As a dear friend once said, dig the hole deep enough and you can hide in it.  I think I've been doing just that.  Before I describe  much of Rhinebeck, I feel like updating a bit.  Which, as it turns out, has some overlap with Rhinebeck.  So fret no more. I've been knitting and spinning a good bit...what's new?  I've

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-28098744273883244612009-10-27T18:35:00.002-04:002009-10-28T19:36:14.273-04:00

In part the first, I left you with the most exciting cliff-hanger ever!  And today, I have an even better one!   I arrived in Albany/Rensselaer on Friday afternoon, with the most gorgeous weather imaginable.   The station is located in Rensselaer, just across the Hudson River from New York's capital city.  Having a couple hours to kill, I strolled and took pictures.   The park

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-87948905625735551782009-10-26T22:16:00.001-04:002009-10-26T22:19:02.465-04:00

As usual, I have waited until it's a bit late to write this, so that I have too much to write. I made a trip up to Rhinebeck, NY for their sheep and wool festival. Apparently it's an event not to be missed, so I made it a point to...not miss it. Thanks to the help of a wonderful host, I was able to see my dream become a reality. Hence an adventure, a trip via public transportation from South

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-35055214299520504932009-10-11T19:23:00.005-04:002009-10-11T20:51:33.954-04:00

Time to update...especially since I'll be swamped the the next week or so.I've spent a lot of time yesterday and today writing about why I prefer one type of yarn over another, but I don't like my ranting. Suffice it to say, I have a lot of affection for luxurious yarns, since they really do have a lot of depth, and I feel like I have a personal connection to my work and to the sources of the

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-89522949719617166222009-10-05T22:38:00.009-04:002009-10-06T06:32:17.822-04:00

Grainne Hambly and William Jackson on dual harps. Two artists. Five instruments. Beautiful. World class. Did I mention a free concert of Scottish and Irish music? I noticed the title of a traditional song entitled "The Ravelled Hank of Yarn." yay!While I didn't get a lot of actual knitting done this weekend, I did get up to Loop for two classes with Jared Flood. The first was on Fair Isle

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-27040835473850590962009-09-30T21:43:00.005-04:002009-09-30T22:07:13.666-04:00

Fall weather really gets to me. It's great; I love it, but it really throws me for a loop. I don't know quite why, but I become very, very nostalgic on a beautiful autumn day. Think of all the wonderful things you get to enjoy in the fall: wearing new cold-weather gear before the cold has worn out its welcome, harvest decorations and desserts, apple dumplings, apple pie, pumpkin spice lattes,

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-1086461346118366022009-09-27T19:54:00.018-04:002009-09-27T21:01:04.107-04:00

Man oh man, have I been slacking! There's been a number of times where I thought, "Gee, I should update my blog." Needless to say, I haven't. So here's a catch-all. I'll try to work on being more concise.Local arts festival: put stuff out to display. No nibbles, but did some spinning and got a few funny looks. And a guy who, no matter how I tried to break it down to him, just didn't get it.

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-29526976332133159632009-09-05T10:41:00.009-04:002009-09-05T11:30:34.885-04:00

I'm done the sweater! Despite my complaining, I really did have fun making it. I actually miss the ease of knitting it. I mean, knitting that you can pull out and work on in the dark, even if you're watching a movie in French? That's my kind of knitting! It's hard to do anything too involved when I'm on the commute to work. Here's some pictures of the final product. My lovely little sis

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-19539500471272162042009-08-22T17:31:00.008-04:002009-08-22T17:57:03.320-04:00

Last night I got to play harp at the local arts night downtown. Since I was located in an art studio, all sorts of artsies walked in the door; it was fun to meet them. It seems like so long since someone outside my head has expressed an effervescent interest in singing Renaissance music. I also talked with a model (or jack-of-all-trades), listened to the local off-broadway group, and was given

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184721176563345814.post-27078242162517045552009-08-19T19:23:00.004-04:002009-08-19T19:50:24.982-04:00

If you are a knitter, you may have had the delight of frogging a project. In the past year, as I have become a more dedicated knitter (nice way of saying that I plummeted over the edge, into the abyss, and may never recover) I have found myself more and more at ease unraveling my hours upon hours of labor. What better way to feel productive than to say that you just purposefully demolished

WillyGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04361676985542834823noreply@blogger.com0