Well, sort of. In this case, "the media" is just the Washington Post Express, a free newspaper that is handed out at Metro stations every weekday morning.

In the past, I've been kind of annoyed at them for their knitting coverage. Admittedly, there's not a lot of "knitting coverage," but there's some. They've reviewed a couple of knitting books recently and have mentioned the whole Stitch & Bitch thing at some point.

However, they also have a "blog log," where they pull lines from local blogs. Usually, being DC, they're politically-oriented, or about local DC stuff. Once, though, it was from a knitting blog called Fiber Fetishist:

"We aren't going to pretend we know what the blogger is talking about here:
Yum! Gorgeous superwash merino roving from Adrian at Hello Yarn. I have been waiting for the perfect combination of budget, colorway, and fiber amount and it all came together in this, two 4oz superwash merino braids in the colorway Big Top.
Nothing sounds more inviting than warm wool in the heat of August!"

There was also one other comment, which I can't find now, where they took a line from a knitting pattern that was like "*[K1, yo, k3, ssk, k3, yo], repeat from * 5 times." and then said "we're pretty sure that's calculus."

I know what the blogger is talking about, as do the many knitters in the DC area. I'm also pretty sure that knitting patterns are not actually calculus, even though they do appear to be written in code. It's not that hard to figure out, and maybe they shouldn't have people who don't knit comment on knitting blogs. So, they can sometimes be condescending to or make fun of knitting, or portray it as a hobby for old ladies.

They may have redeemed themselves today, though. In today's Express, there was an article about and a pattern for a "connected scarf" - basically a scarf that's a big loop instead of having two ends. I couldn't find an easily linkable version of the article - the website isn't so good about actually having today's stories up - but there's a pdf version of today's paper that includes the article.

Anyway, the article wasn't condescending, it didn't imply that people who knit are dorks, or that knitting is really, really hard, or for old ladies and spinster librarians. I know, I AM a librarian, but still. It was just an article about a scarf that's being sold in stores somewhere and is easily knittable. The article said things like "as long as you have the gauge right, you can use pretty much any yarn," which assumes some basic knowledge of knitting.

I do have a couple of complaints about the pattern itself, but they're pretty minor - it says "3 skeins of yarn." Okay, but some skeins have more yarn in them than others. Some are in 50 gram balls, some are in 100 gram balls. Also, yardage varies - two 50 gram skeins of different worsted weight wool don't necessarily have the same yardage. Bulkier yarns generally have less yardage than finer yarns. So, "3 skeins of yarn" doesn't mean much. We need to know how many yards, too. Complaint #2 is that they didn't tell us what yarn was used for the scarf in the picture. But again, those are relatively minor issues.

So, a tentative yay to the Express for a knitting article that didn't make fun of us.

The last month or two has been spent frantically knitting Christmas presents for various friends and family members. I had originally planned to just knit socks for a couple of people, but it snowballed into socks for a friend, a scarf for another friend, a sweater for Mr. T's cousin's baby, and more I can't mention until after Christmas. So, the results of all this knitting:

The friend socks:


Pattern: Embossed leaves socks from Favorite Socks (Interweave Press)
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight in Bleck (purplish-gray)
Needles: Knit Picks Options #1 (2.25mm) dpns
I made a pair of these for myself in a different yarn, and one of my friends was very impressed by them, so soon she'll have her own pair. This was also my first pair of socks in a relatively solid color.

The other friend's scarf:


Pattern: Lace-up scarf from AlterKnits
Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze and Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk, both in light blue
Needles: #10 bamboo
Really hope she likes this. It's very soft, but it's also kind of fluffy and light blue, but not everyone likes pastel-colored fluffiness. Hope she's one of the people who do.

Mr. T's cousin's baby's sweater:


Pattern: Trellis from Knitty
Size: 18 months
Yarn: Plymouth Encore, rust red heather
Needles: #7 bamboo
This is a picture of the sweater before it was finished, obviously. I had it all wrapped and packed for shipping to NY before I realized that I had forgotten to take a picture of the finished product. I think it came out good, although I did the twists on the back the wrong way, and don't really like the way the sleeve seams came out. Probably should have blocked it but was lazy.

I'm now back to selfish knitting (defined as knitting what I want to knit, not necessarily for myself, although, that too) and have some works-in-progress to share (later).

Started running again - I hadn't run for about a month due to the whole pregnancy/miscarriage/D&C thing. Am now getting back into it again and even registered for the Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run on April 6, 2008 - which is also my 35th birthday. Argh, I'm old!

Skating is also going well. I have 2 or 3 more classes of Freestyle 1 left, and appear to be passing, so I can sign up for Freestyle 2 next time. I'm still debating whether or not I want to sign up for classes again, though - it's a lot of fun but it takes an hour to get home on the Metro, so it's a long day. Right now, I'm leaning towards signing up again.

The condensed version is that I had a miscarriage and had a D & C yesterday. The longer version is probably TMI, but here it is anyway:

So, as some of you (you know, all four of you) may know, Mr. T and I have kind of been trying to have a baby - by "kind of," I mean not trying very hard, just not using birth control but not trying to time things, either. In mid-September, we succeeded - or at least, thought we did. The first week of October, I missed my period, so I took a pregnancy test, which was positive. I called the doctor and made a prenatal care appointment and got some prenatal vitamins, which I had been taking diligently, despite the fact that they were pretty gross. Then, a couple of weeks ago, when I would have been 7 weeks pregnant, I started bleeding a little bit. Not too much, just spotting. Called the doctor and was told to come in that day for a sonogram, which I did. They told me that there was a gestational sac and a yolk sac, but that they didn't see a "fetal pole" (at this stage, the embryo just looks like a thickened edge of the yolk sac and they call it a fetal pole). The fetal pole is usually visible by 6 weeks. I was told that maybe I just wasn't as far along as I thought, and that I should come back in a week for another ultrasound.

The second ultrasound was on Tuesday, with the same result - gestational sac, yolk sac, no fetal pole, no fetal cardiac activity. They had tested my hormone (HCG) levels, which were normal, and with the levels where they were, they should have seen an embryo and a heartbeat on the ultrasound. So, I had apparently had a miscarriage, specifically, a "blighted ovum" or "anembryonic pregnancy," which is when the fertilized egg implants but doesn't develop, probably because of random chromosomal problems. I was given three options - I could let it miscarry naturally, take medication (Misoprostol/Cytotec) to induce a miscarriage, or have a D & C to surgically remove what was left.

I opted for the D & C. There was no way to know how long it would take for a natural miscarriage to happen, and that or the drugs would be pretty painful, with lots of bleeding and generally scary. I've never had any kind of surgery before, so that was also very scary, but it would at least reduce the amount of time I had to freak out from several weeks to just a few days.

The D & C was yesterday at Sibley Hospital. I was really nervous, but am pleased to report that everything went well. I had to arrive two hours early - put on a hospital gown, robe, and socks with non-skid bottoms, had blood drawn, answered a bunch of questions about my health history, met the anesthesiologist, and talked to my own doctor, who would be doing the surgery. I was then wheeled into the operating room and was really freaking out at this point, being generally terrified of surgery. Part of the reason I was so worried was that I wasn't having general anesthesia, just a local plus sedation. I was thinking that sedation meant that I'd be sleepy and calm, but otherwise awake and aware of what was going on, but fortunately, it was heavy enough sedation that I was totally "out" through the entire procedure. The anesthesiologist started an IV, one nurse attached a blood pressure cuff and EKG things, and they apparently turned on the sedation quickly, because I started to feel a little better then. Someone put me on oxygen - not a mask, but that thin clear tubing that goes across your face with prongs in your nose.

I remember thinking, "wow, I didn't know the prongs went so far up your nose," then the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the hallway on the gurney being pushed back to the recovery room. Someone told me I was all done, and I enthusiastically told everyone present how much I loved anesthesia. I kind of dozed a bit, then Mr. T showed up and I woke up more and was given some ginger ale and moved to a chair where I could sit up. After about an hour in the recovery room, they had me pee, checked my blood pressure a couple of times, then let me go. Also, to illustrate how freaked out I was in the beginning and how relieved I was later: my blood pressure in the pre-op area: 165/90-something (i.e. way high); my blood pressure before I left: 118/63 (i.e. very normal).

Today, I still have some cramps but Advil is taking care of that pretty well. I'm a little sad about the miscarriage, but at least I know we can get pregnant and can try again eventually. Am mostly just relieved the whole saga is over. Big thank yous to both Dr. A., my ob/gyn, who did the surgery, and Dr. B., the anesthesiologist, for taking good care of me and for keeping me totally oblivious during the procedure.

Anyway, there will be actual knitting and running news soon, especially since I spent slmost all of yesterday afternoon sitting on the couch knitting.

On Friday, I took the day off work and took the train up to Baltimore for Stitches East. Stitches events (there's also a Midwest and West) are basically knitting conventions - there are classes and a big yarn market. This year Stitches East was in Baltimore from October 11-14. I just went up for the day for the market, and also took a class on teaching learn-to-knit classes. I could have gone up on Saturday, but it was the same day as the Baltimore Marathon. The picture above was taken from the entrance to the market - and is a little blurry, since it was taken with a cell phone camera.

It was a long day and I spent way too much money, but it was fun and I'd go back next year (I think it's in Baltimore for the next few years). This is what I bought:

This book and yarn:



I bought this at the Webs booth. It's "Gomasio" (because everything must have a name) from Berroco's book #262 in their Ultra Alpaca yarn in the unattractively named "prune mix" color. It doesn't look that interesting in the book, but I really liked it in person. The alpaca is sooo soft and drapey. I started it yesterday and am maybe 1/3 of the way into the back.

I also got some Koigu Kersti Merino Crepe yarn:



Koigu's fingering-weight Painter's Palette Premium Merino yarn is fairly easy to find, but you don't see the Kersti Merino Crepe yarn much. It's the same yarn, but DK weight.

Also, yarn for a baby sweater from Tess' Designer Yarns:



It's also sock yarn. They had a lot of really cute baby patterns. The one I bought was a simple top-down raglan sleeve cardigan. There's no baby it'll fit at the moment, but I like knitting baby stuff anyway, since they're so small and quick to knit.

Of course, there was a sock yarn purchase - two skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock lightweight in Cobblestone County (top) and Bleck (bottom):



And we're not done yet - buttons for my Central Park hoodie, finally:



The buttons have been attached, and hopefully Mr. T can take a couple of pictures of the sweater with me in it soon.

This is my yarn closet. As you can see, it's kind of a mess. Unfinished projects are hanging in the sweater...hangy thing (whatever it's called). The sewing machine is on the floor, sort of buried under yarn. On the left, we have yarn in the boxes it shipped in, and on the floor is all my sock yarn, overflowing its bag and scattered on the floor. Obviously, I am not the world's most organized person.

Today, after a field trip to Ikea for bookshelves and plastic storage bins, I undertook the task of cleaning out and organizing the yarn closet - or in nerdier terms, conducting a yarn audit.

The yarn audit temporarily produced more of a mess than what was in the closet, as you can see here:





But, the end result was this:



I went through everything in the closet, and threw out a lot of stuff, including some single balls of yarn that I know I'll never knit anything with. I found a lot of needles and other accessories, and turned up about 10 pencils and pens among the mess. I know, it doesn't look all that different, and it will probably look like the "before" picture before too long, but it's really much neater now than it was.

Central Park hoodie
Originally uploaded by jerdlngr.

After deciding to knit another size, deciding I didn't like the original yarn, buying new yarn, and about 3 starts, the Central Park hoodie is finally finished. I started the current version at the end of August, so it took a little over a month. It doesn't have buttons yet, but I'm going to Stitches East in Baltimore next Friday and they have some button vendors there - will get buttons then. The buttons were optional on the orginal pattern, anyway.

So, the details:
Pattern: Central Park hoodie from KnitScene magazine
Yarn: Cascade 220, lapis heather (dark teal)
Needles: Knit Picks options #8 and bamboo #6

I haven't been running at all in about a week and a half. I came down with a cold and cough, and it's hard to run when you're coughing. Of course, if I were a really hard core runner, I would have just run anyway, but I'm not, so I didn't. I did go to skating, though, since a cold, dry ice rink is SO good for colds, coughs, and sore throats. It was fun, though.

After the Summer of Socks ended, I had planned to take a brief sock vacation. I knit several pairs of socks over the summer and was getting a little tired of them. My plan was to work on the Central Park hoodie and maybe a small project or two until the end of September and then pick up the socks again. My sock vacation ended before it began, with the realization that Christmas is three months away and I have to knit a scarf and two pairs of socks - one of which will be rather large - by then.

So, I cast on and started a sock (the "rather large" pair) for my stepfather:



I'm using Universal Yarns Ditto; the colors are white/black twist, black/brown twist, and plain black. This is teaching me that I really don't like knitting socks for guys. You're basically limited to black, brown, gray, and navy and the patterns aren't as interesting - and they're bigger than women's socks. Anyway, the pattern is a modified version of Gentleman's Fancy Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks. The original pattern has you do decreases (from 80 stitches down to 73), which I'm not doing; and I think I'm going to do a short-row heel instead of a heel flap-gusset.

Before I started my stepfather's sock, I started and finished a hat (Foliage, from Knitty), using a couple of skeins of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in mauve that I had in the stash:



The Central Park hoodie is also coming along. I've finished all the pieces. Here's part of it blocking on the floor:



It went well, despite not having Murphy around to "help" me block it by lying on it. I sewed up the side seams, wove in some ends, and picked up stitches around the neckline and back. I'm working on the hood now. It seems like it's going to fit pretty well - the length is good and the width seems good, too, although I won't be able to tell until I get the button and buttonhole bands done.

I also have som new yarn acquisitions:



On top from left to right, we have Jaeger Matchmaker Merino 4-ply, which will become a scarf for my brother-in-law for Christmas; Valley Yarns Williamstown in a navy tweed color which will become an Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts; and Valley Yarns Colrain for a cabled cardigan. The yarn in the middle is Knit Picks Gloss in woodland sage for a pair of knee socks, and the yarn on the bottom is Classic Elite Alpaca Sox in dried herbs. Haven't decided what that will become yet. I also got a set of no. 1 dpns of Knit Picks' new Harmony multi-colored wood needles. I have no idea how they knit, since I haven't tried them out yet, but they look really cool.

I haven't been running this week - I have a cold and cough. Well, my nose isn't really stuffy or runny, but I've been coughing. I did make it to skating on Wednesday night and have been walking a lot, so I'm getting some exercise, anyway.

The highlight of my day: I was invited to join Ravelry. I figure they can explain what it is better than I can, so from their "About Us" page: "Ravelry is a place for knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners, and dyers to keep track of their yarn, tools and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration." There seems to be a social networking aspect, as well - part of "Web 2.0", as (some) librarians like to say. Anyway, it looks pretty interesting, although I haven't played around on the site much yet.

Other highlights of my day: getting out of work early because of a meeting at Georgetown that ended at 4; my mint N'Oreo from Sticky Fingers, our local vegan bakery; and the upcoming Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy season premieres. I've also pretty much been given permission to skip work tomorrow - I appear to be getting a cold. My nose isn't really stuffy or runny, but I'm coughing a lot and felt like I had a fever last night. Depends on how I feel tomorrow, but if I take them up on the offer, it will mean a lot of extra knitting, which is always good.

Summer of Socks all
Originally uploaded by jerdlngr.

Summer of Socks 2007 came to an end on Friday, September 21, at midnight. Yay!

It was fun and I really enjoyed trying new sock yarns and new patterns, but I'm still glad it's over. I was getting tired of socks, and the last couple of pairs didn't go so well - they looked good, but both were too tight; one to the extent that I couldn't get them over my heels.

Anyway, one representative from each pair, left to right:
Stansfield 196 (More Sensational Knitted Socks), Dream in Color Smooshy, Cloud Jungle
Double Eyelet Rib (By Wendy Johnson, of Wendy Knits, downloaded from the Loopy Ewe), Claudia Handpainted, Blue Fields
Wendy's Generic Toe-Up sock pattern (the same Wendy as above), Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, Java
Monkey Socks (by Cookie A., available from Knitty), Socks That Rock Lightweight, Nodding Violet
Embossed Leaves socks (Favorite Socks, from Interweave Press), Mama E's C*Eye*Ber Fiber sock yarn, Pink Suede.

I think the Monkey Socks were my favorite - favorite pattern, favorite yarn, favorite color. Yay, Monkeys! Here they all are, on actual feet:


Modeled by Mr. T (left) and me (right) - which should be fairly obvious based on color and foot size.


Both modeled by me this time.

I finished the second sleeve on the Central Park hoodie and am moving on to the right front - the last piece before I seam the shoulders and start the hood. It's in the home stretch... (almost).

My run on Saturday was short - 30 minutes - but hot. My runs will all be pretty short until the middle of October when I start training for the Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach in March. Yes, I'm giving myself 6 months. It allows time for things like travel, my annual Christmas illness (usually a cold, but one year it was bronchitis), etc. Can't wait until fall weather kicks in.

Here is my Swirly Sock, in it's current state:



This is the one I'm attempting to sort of design myself, using a leg/instep pattern from Vogue Knitting's Stitchionary and knitting the rest from memory. It looks really good, I think. There's just one little problem...

I tried it on last night, or more accurately, tried to try it on. It was almost impossible to get it on over my heel. Which, again, is not particularly large. The last pair was a little tight, too, but not this bad. It's pretty much unwearable. I've knit many pairs of socks over the years, and have never had this problem before. Two possible causes:
1. I'm using metal dpns. I think I knit tighter with metal needles, for some reason.
2. The lace pattern. My previous socks have pretty much all had some kind of ribbing on the leg, instead of a lace pattern. Ribbing is very stretchy, lace isn't.
I did have two purl stitches between the lace sections, which I hoped would act like ribbing and give it some stretch, but apparently not.

It's sitting in the closet. I can't deal with looking at it right now. A new pair has been started, but it's for a Christmas present - so no pictures (but look, I'm knitting something that's not for me!)

The project that IS for me and is actually going well (i.e. the Central Park hoodie) is progressing. I finished the left front on a day off from work:



The second sleeve has been started.

No running last night, but yesterday was the first day of my Freestyle I figure skating class. It was fun - instead of endless 3-turns like the last class, they had us doing different things. We learned pivots, backward inside and outside edges (these replaced the old figure 8-like things), two-foot spins (which made me dizzy), spirals, and we started working on waltz jumps right before the end of class. I also stayed for the (adults-only) public session after class.

This occurred to me recently. Actually, it's occurred to me before, but I've been thinking about it more and feeling a little guilty lately. My boss, a prolific crocheter, mentioned that she's never made anything for herself, and I just ordered yarn from Webs for two future sweater projects - for me. Plus, I've knit myself several pairs of socks and a couple of hats and scarves.

But see, here's my rationale: I know what size to knit for myself. I have no idea what size to knit for anyone else, and I feel silly asking people to measure their chests. Also, I don't know that many people who actually WANT handknitted items. My stepfather has hinted that he'd like a sweater, but he's too big and I'd be knitting forever. Otherwise, Mr. T doesn't wear sweaters and other people seem to be too "cool" to wear handknitted stuff. I did knit that one sweater (Bristow, the red cardigan with cables) for my mom, but I don't know if she actually wants it or not.

On the other hand, I DO knit stuff for other people. I've made my mom a scarf and a pair of socks; Mr. T has gotten a hat and another pair of socks; I knit hat/scarf sets for my dad and stepmother a couple of years ago for Christmas; Mr. T's mom has gotten a couple of lace scarves from me; new babies have gotten sweaters from me; I've knitted several sweaters for Mr. T's pseudo-niece and nephew (they're technically first cousins, once-removed); and I've knitted Christmas presents for other relatives. I'll continue to knit Christmas and other presents for people and new babies. If Mr. T and I have kid(s), I'll knit lots of stuff for him/her/them.

I guess I don't feel that bad - I just don't knit sweaters for other people, and that's mainly due to size issues and the fact that apparently no one wants one. I WOULD knit one for someone else if anyone did want one.

So, if you want a sweater, measure your chest and let me know.

Actual running news ahead:

I've been running on the treadmill in the work fitness center, just didn't feel like it was newsworthy anymore.

As much as I miss Murphy, one good thing that's come from this is that Mr. T and I can travel together now - we can go out of town for the weekend or on longer trips without having to get a petsitter and worry about Murphy dying on us, or whether she puked all over everything (which she usually had). We just went to Hershey last weekend, which was fun.

Mr. T mentioned that he'd like to go to Norfolk, VA sometime for the nautical stuff. Norfolk is right next to Virginia Beach, where they have the Shamrock Marathon and Half Marathon - so I suggested that we go that weekend. There's something for everyone - boats for Mr. T, a half marathon for me (I can hear Mr. T now: "[sigh] J, they're ships, not "boats". There's one battleship, two destroyers, and a light cruiser!" Anyway, I have plenty of time to train - more than 6 months - so I shouldn't have a problem with being ready on time. I tend to get really bored with running if I don't have some race coming up to train for, so I'm kind of excited about this. Yay!

Swirl socks
Originally uploaded by jerdlngr.

The start of my career as a sock designer...

This is sort of my own pattern - the pattern on the leg and instep was adapted from the Large Mock Cable Swirl pattern from Vogue's Stitchionary, Vol. 1. I had to modify it to be knit in the round, which means working what would be the wrong side rows, if it were being knit flat, in reverse.

I'm calling them "Swirly Socks" - which is pretty unorginal, but apparently every pattern must have a name. I should really give them a human name so I'll fit in better, but couldn't think of anything good. I like how they're coming out so far. Unfortunately, probably because of the lighting and my lack of photography skills, all my pictures came out very light and washed out - the yarn actually has brighter purple and turquoise colors in it. It'll be interesting when I get to the heel flap-heel turn-gusset - I've knit enough socks now that I understand the principle, I've just always had directions to refer to, just in case. I'm pretty sure I can figure it out, anyway.

I also finished the back of the Central Park hoodie and started the left front. I did take pictures, but it had the same problem as the sock - it's dark teal yarn, on a beige carpet background, but according to the picture it's light gray on a sea of whiteness. So, if I ever actually manage to take a good picture, will post it then.

Mr. T and I went to Hershey, PA this weekend. It was fun, but there were SO MANY KIDS! Which made us think that maybe we should just stick with cats. But anyway, it was a fun trip in general and we returned with a trunk-load of chocolate, which is always good.

Stansfield 196 socks
Originally uploaded by jerdlngr.

Another pair is done - yay!

Pattern: Stansfield 196 from More Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, in Cloud Jungle
Needles: Knit Picks No. 1 (2.25 mm) dpns

These were fun to knit - the pattern was interesting but still easy, and I really liked the color of the yarn. I tend to like sock yarn that's multicolored but still relatively subtle, with bonus points if it doesn't pool. This yarn fit that description pretty well - it's shades of gray and purple, with the occaisional bit of olive green or red. However, the socks are tight. I had a hard time getting them over my (not fat) heels, which never happens for me with top-down socks. Once I get them on, they're tight around the feet. The obvious cause would be that I wasn't getting the gauge right. I do think I tend to knit tightly, and I probably should have used 2.5mm needles instead. Whatever, I like them anyway.br />
I've also done a little more sock yarn stash enhancement:



Both were purchased on Etsy, which is yet another item on the list of things that aren't really new but are new to me. It's apparently a website where people can sell their crafts; sort of eBay-like. The one on top is by Sereknity in the Mystic Mountain color; the one on the bottom is by Knitspirations and is in the Mardi Gras color.

I've cast on for my next sock and am using the Sereknity yarn on top. It's my own pattern! Well, sort of. I know how to knit socks in general, so that part's just from memory. The pattern on the leg and instep is from Vogue Stitchionary Vol. 1, Mock Cable Swirls, or something like that. I changed my mind about leaving sock design to the experts. Not sure how it will turn out, but I thought it would be a good experience, especially since this will be my last Summer of Socks pair.

Stansfield 196 sock #1
Originally uploaded by jerdlngr.

Here's the first sock. I cast on for the second sock and have finished the ribbing and half of the first pattern repeat. So, not making very fast progress at the moment. I like this yarn, the color, and the pattern and think the sock came out pretty good - my only complaint is that it's tight. It's a little hard to get on over my heel and tight across the top of the foot. This is probably my fault - if I used this pattern or yarn again, I'd probably go up a needle size.

Sock after heel turn
Originally uploaded by jerdlngr.

The first Stansfield 196 sock is past the heel turn. This is going pretty fast, as it usually does when I like both the pattern and the yarn. I have about 3.5" left before the toe.

I cast on and started the back of the Central Park hoodie on Saturday but didn't make that much progress - am about 4 rows beyond the ribbing.

Central Park hoodie sleeve
Originally uploaded by jerdlngr.

One of the Central Park hoodie sleeves is done. This is in the new yarn (Cascade 220) - so I really haven't made that much progress. I still have to do both front pieces, the back, the other sleeve, and the hood (really, all of it) even though I've already some pieces in the old yarn.

I am making good progress on my new sock, though:



The pattern is Stansfield 196 from More Sensational Knitted Socks and the yarn I'm using is Dream in Color Smooshy, in the Cloud Jungle color. I really like the yarn so far, especially the color. It's mostly shades of grays and purples. The variegation is subtle and it's not really pooling or self-striping.

I went for a short run this morning - just 30 minutes. I haven't been running much lately. In addition to getting a little bored with it, I had been trying to get home earlier at night, instead of running on the treadmill, because Murphy was sick and needed to be fed, watered, and cleaned up after. I've been doing better this week. I might be running the New Orleans Rebirth 5K in Alexandria, VA on September 15 with my friend S, who is from New Orleans originally.

As Elizabeth Zimmerman said, “knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises.” So, despite the crisis of losing my knitting assistant, I managed to finish a pair of socks:



Full info…
Pattern: Double eyelet rib socks, by Wendy Johnson of Wendy Knits
Yarn: Claudia Handpainted in Blue Fields
Needles: 2.25 mm (#1) bamboo dpns, then 2.25 mm metal dpns after I broke one of the bamboo needles and another (brand new!) one splintered.

I cast on for another pair this morning – Stansfield 196 from More Sensational Knitted Socks, using Dream in Color Smooshy sock yarn, in the (I think) Cloud Jungle color. I know, technically it’s a “colorway,” but I hate that word for some reason.

One of the sleeves from the Central Park hoodie is almost done. I’m up to the sleeve cap shaping, but with the Summer of Socks 2007 getting close to the end, I’ve been a little more sock-focused in the last few days. Once I do finish that sleeve, I may go into socks-only mode, since my goal is to finish two more pairs by the end of SOS on September 21. Apparently, a couple of people have finished over 20 pairs this summer. I am SO not winning the “Most Socks” contest. It’s been fun, though, and I enjoyed having an excuse to buy lots of sock yarn.

Mr. T and I scanned and downloaded a bunch of pictures of Murphy that we found in our pre-digital photos, so all Murphy pictures are now up on my Flickr site. Knitting was one of her favorite activities - there are about 5 or so pictures where I’m sitting on the couch or bed knitting and she’s curled up next to me or in my lap. She also enjoyed “helping” me block stuff by lying on it.

I’m doing more or less okay. I’m functional and don’t get teary unless I’m reading pet bereavement stuff (which I’ve stopped doing, because it’s too sad) - it just really sucks that I don’t have my kitty anymore.

Date:	2007-08-26 17:35
Subject:	Murphy
Security:	Public
Mood:	sad

Well, as it turned out, Murphy - my loyal kitty of 12 years, part-time knitting assistant, and face of Knit & Run - didn't make it until next Thursday. We had her put to sleep this afternoon.

Like I said earlier, she hadn't been doing well for the last couple of weeks. This morning she seemed to have lost bladder and bowel control, so we decided that we couldn't make her wait for another two weeks. We took her to the vet this afternoon. It went relatively well, as far as these things go. She didn't seem too stressed out, and after she had her catheter inserted (but was still awake), she curled up, rested her head on my arm, and licked my hand a few times. It was very sad, and I really miss her - but I know we did the right thing (the vet said she probably had cancer). Also, it was like she was letting me know she knew we were taking care of her and was giving me goodbye kisses, so that helped.

We decided that instead of getting her ashes back, we would make a donation in her name to the Cat Memorial Program at the Cornell Veterinary School's Feline Health Center. If anyone else would like to donate or would like more information, the words "Cat Memorial Program" above are linked, so just click there.

I don't have a good eulogy planned, so here's a brief Murphy photo essay.

This is Murphy in her role as knitting assistant, lying on a hand-knitted throw that I had draped over the futon for a photo shoot:



Here she is, participating in another one of her favorite activities - drinking from the sink:



And finally, this is the "glamor kitty" shot Mr. T took, using his photography light:



She was a good kitty (best kitty ever!), I loved her, and will miss her. :(

Date:	2007-08-25 11:51
Subject:	Central Park hoodie, take 3
Security:	Public
Mood:	sad

I’ve restarted the Central Park hoodie yet again, this time with new yarn. This illustrates how badly I want to wear this - if it was knitting-as-academic-exercise, I probably wouldn’t have bothered, but I’m knitting this one because I’d really like to wear it someday.

Anyway, here’s the progress so far:



This is a sleeve - it’s the only part of the sweater I haven’t started yet, so thought I’d start the third attempt with something new.

After all of the effort it took to get it, I decided at some point that I didn’t like the yarn. I was using Flax & Wool from Harrisville Designs. I liked the color, but that was about it. The yarn has little pieces straw or twigs or something in it that constantly had to be picked out, which was really slowing down the knitting process. The other issue is that it’s “softly spun” and it didn’t stay together well and broke easily, so it would have been hard to sew up the pieces with it. Also, it wasn’t particularly soft and seemed a little stiff.

I’m now using Cascade 200 and am much happier. This is just a basic, worsted weight, 100% wool yarn. Also, no vegetation so far. The color is a sort of teal/dark green heather, which I love. The third time may be the charm here.

Warning: Depressing news ahead

In other, less happy, news - my cat and knitting assistant Murphy hasn’t been doing well lately. She’s had inflammatory bowel disease for a while, but there was a chance that it could have been cancer, or could have become cancer. She throws up almost every day, has diarrhea frequently, and has lost a lot of weight, which has been going on for a couple of years. She always seemed happy despite this, but in the last couple of weeks she’s spent most of the time lying on her side looking sad and has lost interest in stuff. She also seems to be even skinnier and is clearly just skin and bones at this point. She is, as our vet put it, not having fun being a cat anymore. So, Mr. T and I have decided that it’s about time for euthanasia. We didn’t want to have a specific date, but realized that we’d have to if we wanted “her” vet to do it. Her appointment is in about two weeks - the morning of September 6.

After her appointment, we’re planning to make a donation to the Cornell Veterinary School Feline Health Center’s Feline Memorial Program It’s too late for Murphy, Daphne, and Ernie (my other cat friends who have died in the last year or so), but hopefully their cat health research will benefit future kitties.

The all-photo blog entry...

My mom's cat, Bertie, looking extra-cute:



Webs:



My mom with Freddy, the unofficial Webs store cat:



The Hotel Northampton, in downtown Northampton:



Northampton Wools, on Main Street in Northampton:



Yarn acquired at Webs and Northampton Wools:



The sock I finished (posing with my mom's geraniums):



The sock my mom finished:



I'm now back in DC. Back to work tomorrow. :(