KnitCrit

My Intermediate Sprint

As a member of the Tour de France KAL, I am way behind.  I'm lagging in both my project (the second one cast on) and in reading the blog entries of other participants.  However, I have not given up.  Yesterday and today, I have been knitting like a sprinter.  Today, I made a personal commitment to the second intermediate sprint competition.

This spint emphasizes regions.  One of three choices for the sprint entries, the "cycling option" and the one I selected, is to "get on your bike and show us something special about your own region where you live and cycle!" 

I live in a DC suburb, Chevy Chase, Maryland.  Four blocks from my house, I can access the Capital Crescent Trail.  It's tagline, "the outstanding Washington Area Hiker-Biker Trail," could not be more accurate.  It is a primary reason that we chose to live where we do.
 
Unfortunately, the trail is in trouble.  The new "Purple Line" of the area's mass transit rail system is expected to be built right where the trail currently exists.  Because the cost of building an underground tunnel for the subway is prohibitive, and because the area desperately needs the line to connect the ends of the existing system, there are simply not many reasonable alternatives. I "get that," to some extent, but the thought of losing the trail saddens me. 

Recently, one of the tunnels on the trail became the target of a hotel developer.  It pours out into downtown Bethesda, Maryland, with its many shops, businesses and residences. 

Bethesda also has a subway station, thereby making it an attractive setting for a hotel.  Routing trail traffic around the tunnel will mean that trail users will have to cross the very busy and congested Wisconsin Avenue.  This controversy threatens the trail immediately.  A large building beside the tunnel has already been abandoned.  I have been a part of a large group who reject the project and hopefully, our words and concerns will be heard by the officials who will make the ultimate decision.

Moving down the trail from Bethesda, about 3 miles later, you leave Maryland, entering into DC.  Almost immediately, the Potomac River is on your right and the C&O Canal on the left.  The towpath of the canal runs from Georgetown to the far western corner of Maryland, in Cumberland.  In fact, I once went on a weekend ride between Georgetown and Harper's Ferry, a distance of about 50 miles each way.  The trip was magnificent; with peaceful and beautiful spots all along the path.

Here, at Fletcher's, situated just above Georgetown, a variety of fun activities are available, from canoes and kayaks to fishing and picnics.


For us on this very hot DC day, the $2 bottles of very cold water were a godsend.  About a third of the water got poured on my head and down my shirt!

The trail ends just below Whitehurst Freeway, one of the thoroughfares between Georgetown and downtown DC. 

Also from this spot, you can see an underside view of Key Bridge. 

Not far beyond the end of the trail, you emerge from under the freeway and onto a trail that runs beside Rock Creek Parkway.  This road takes you next to Watergate and then under the Kennedy Center patio.

Growing up as a child in DC, recreational activity on the river was prohibited because of the pollution in the Potomac.  Although it is not fully clean today, it is wonderful to watch the kayakers and boaters out on the river.  I drive (and sometimes ride) this route to work every day and there is almost always someone out on the river.

Once beyond the Kennedy Center, we went to and over the 14th Street Bridge to Virginia, via the road to Hains Point.  This is the area next to the Tidal Basin where the cherry blossoms bloom each spring.  In fact, cycling there during cherry blossom time is a test of patience and cycling skills, with the thousands of tourists who flock to DC for them. 

Our quick cycling tour of DC ended in Virginia, where we turned around and rode the same route back home. 
 
There is never a time that I ride the route we did today that I don't fall in love all over again with Washington, DC.  I grew up in the area and then was away for over 20 years.  Almost 11 years ago, I moved back and I believe that you can come home again.

This post was not begun as a plea to save the trail.  But, if you are in the area yourself, or just want to be a part of the contingent to save it, please go to the site and help.  Hopefully, you will be able to enjoy the trail ride into and/or around DC sometime, yourself.  If you are in the area and seeking cycling pals, let me know.

PS#1: It was very, very hot while we rode and my little digital camera got wet from sweat and some of the pictures didn't turn out; the really good ones, of course :-|. 

PS#2: For those of you who watch the Versus Tour coverage, you no-doubt know about the Saab commercials, ad nauseum.  We needed a new car and I guess the commercials became o ingrained in this family that look what we bought - a Saab Sport-combi!

No TDF Ritual

The Tour de France is, simply put, my favorite sports event of the year.  I really get into the Super Bowl and NCAA Basketball finals, but it's the Tour that I anticipate for weeks in advance.

For the past few years, my husband and I have done the same thing on the first day of the Tour.  We sit in front of the TV in our little get-away house.  I knit while he stays glued to the tube, usually with the Tour Edition of Velonews in his lap.  Everything else in the world stops.

This year's plans were no different. 

The night before, while cooking dinner during a thunderstorm, there was a brilliant flash and then a noise that sounded like an explosion.  This was followed by the smell of electrical burning, and then the power went out.  Three hours later, it came back on, and we surveyed any damage.  As you can probably guess by now, the lightning strike affected the TV; it zapped our satellite TV box.

We tried to figure out what options were available.  I called hotels in the area to find out if Versus was on their channel listing.  Nope.  We considered calling the one couple we know there who would understand.  It was too late and they probably had family visiting for the holiday weekend.  We even considered going home.  I cried.  It became more and more obvious that our ritual was not going to occur and that we would miss the first day, and likely the second day, too, of the Tour de France.

You may be wondering at this point, why we didn't consider just streaming online.  Well, we only have dial-up Internet there which is useless. 

I did, however, cast on my Tour de France knit-along project on Saturday morning.  This is going to be a Category 3 climb, for sure.   It's doable, without much pain, but I have to pay attention.  Each row is charted, with decreases, increases or other design features throughout.  This may be asking Robbie McEwen to get to the summit of Alpe d'Huez first.  More to follow in the next week.

In closing, how about that showing by Will Frischkorn on Stage 3?  He's a kid that I've watched race since he was about 13 years old.  I was going nuts throughout the entire stage! 

p.s. I have been trying to get this post completed for four days.  We are having Internet connectivity issues, on top of serious Typepad sluggishness problems, and having to use the desktop, not the fast laptop that I dropped onto the floor last week.  I don't know how the next few days are going to go.  So far, though, no crash.

Bethie, You Blew Me Away

I was all set to post another pattern critique when my sister threw me a curve.  First, please allow me to supply some background information.

I am the oldest of four; with two sisters and one brother.  How four people who are so totally different were produced by the same parents has always been a total mystery to me.  All four of us have different coloring, even.  I, with my brown hair and brown eyes, am the more obvious offspring, since Mom and Dad both had brown hair and brown eyes.  Next in line was my brother, with blond hair and brown eyes.  My sister, Beth, has very dark brown hair and very dark eyes, with olive toned skin to match.  Then, there’s Annie, with her flaming red hair, and brown eyes, and pale skin (cousins on my father’s side actually have the last name Redhead and yes, they all have red hair).

My mom was very crafty, which is a surprise to a lot of people, because her interests in sewing, knitting and tapestry waned in her later years.  I not only remember her craftiness, but she taught me how to do all of it at a very young age.  Honestly, I cannot think of a time that I did not know how to knit or do needlework, and I sewed clothes for friends, children and myself for many years (recently, I’ve been actually thinking of buying a new sewing machine).

Beth got the knitting bug for awhile and knit some of the most beautiful Fair Isle sweaters I have ever seen!  One, for my son, has been set aside as a true heirloom.  I wish she had kept it up, so that we could knit together now, but she got into open water swimming and that has been her focus in recent years.  How many people do you know who swam around Manhattan Island?

This week, she emailed me a link to her Flickr site and I finally got a chance to open it today.  I cried.  Her photography skills took my breath away.  So, instead of posting my next pattern review, I am introducing others to her amazing photography.  Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/earwdigitalphotos/

Pattern Critique #31: Neckdown Summer Cardigan

Pattern Name: Neckdown Summer Cardigan
Designer: Diane Soucy
Pattern Yarn: Not Stated
Images:

    

Pattern Review:

This is a pattern that I bought last spring, the spring of 2007.  I soon thereafter purchased yarn for two of the cardigans, just knowing that I would love it.  What's not to love about a combination of top down and raglan?

Personal Notes:

Normally, for my pattern critiques, by the time I get to this section, I have gone step by step through the pattern.  I am not doing that for this one.  Why?  Because it was almost a year ago that I began this pattern and then it sat.  I could hardly bear to knit it once I got to the neck band and front bands.  That should have been a clue.

I really do not like the way this cardigan ended out and I think it's due to a combination of things.  First, it may be too big.  It kind of looks it, doesn't it?  I thought it might be the stretching of the cotton (Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton), especially because it hibernated in a bag for many months.  But, I washed it and put it in the dryer long enough to re-shape it.  I ironed it after that, but still, it just sags. 

I then let the pattern sit here by my laptop for the last week+, while I conjured up enough motivation to write my post for the pattern critique.  However, tonight, I sat down and started it for the gazillion-th time and just decided "fuck this."  It's not worth it.  I hate it and I loathe the idea of reliving the agony through the review of the pattern.

What's funny is that I might knit it again, but in a wool or wool blend.  A review of the finished projects on Ravelry shows 20+ of these, though most of them appear to have the same fullness, sagging issues.  So, maybe it is the pattern and not me and not the yarn.  Okay, so there are plenty of other top down raglan cardigan patterns out there to try.  Perhaps I will.

Rating:

One ball for the fact that the pattern is written very completely. I just never got to the point of sharing that with you.  Sorry.  But now that this is behind me I can look forward to posting my next pattern critique that it is in the queue.

            

If you have knit this pattern, please rate it and submit as comments. Thank you!

Tagged by Barbara

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."

 1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

In summer 1998, I was divorced and living in Columbia, Maryland with my two sons.  My older son was having a fabulous bike racing season with Team Snow Valley.  I was also job hunting because the company who had moved me to Maryland had been sold. 

 2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

1.      Take son to 2pm doctor appointment

2.      Ride an hour

3.      Blog post (thanks Barbara for the topic)

4.      Work on a special knitting project

5.      Make sure that Debbie and Chuck get an invitation to next weekend’s Scholarship Ball

 3) Snacks I enjoy:

I’m addicted to Nature Valley fruit and nut Trail Mix bars and therefore call one with OJ my breakfast every day.  Lately, I’m enjoying the 100 calorie Lorna Doon packs as mid-day snacks.  Put potato or tortilla chips in front of me and my addictive behavior goes wild.

 4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

I would retire hastily and haul ass to the Northern Neck and buy a nice, comfortable house on the water.  My fiber store there would be next.  At some point, I would travel to Belgium, France, Denmark, Sweden, Spain and Italy; not necessarily in that order.  I would buy my son and his fiancé a house, too.  And then there’s that college thing for the other son.  There’s also a Colnago frame somewhere just waiting for me to ride it!

 5) Places I have lived:

Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland

 6) Jobs I have had:

Before graduating from college: retail mostly, but I was the bookkeeper for the National Athletic Trainers Association my senior year.  After college, every job has been in Finance and Accounting Management; including a Medicare auditor, controller for a real estate developer, department finance manager at Duke University and now VP of Finance for Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.  Hopefully, this is my last real job!

 
I'm going to tag:

Jennifer

Lisa

Cate

Roberta

Dana

I Feel Good About My Neck

This post has absolutely nothing to do with Nora Ephron's entertaining book on "women thoughts."  No, it's about the Northern Neck of Virginia, the place to where I run away as often as possible. 

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have read a post or two about particular days, evenings or various adventures at "the Neck."  On the other hand, if you have no clue where I'm referring to, let me introduce you to this little area of Virginia via this link.

We have spent the last two weekends at our little house on the Neck.  Last weekend was a special one because, not only was it Mother's Day, but we bought a new boat!  Please allow me to share some pictures.

The new boat, The Breakaweigh (you cyclists will
certainly understand the name):

The "sly" look of my son as he
unveils the Mother's Day gift (a Garmin GPS).  Also, he pulled the lovely flower from a vacant lot down the street, and gave it to his Mom :-)                     

Earlier in the day, the big doggie pictured, as well as his "dancing fool" sister, were bathed.  His sister, a border collie mix, loves to dance.  We have a large living room at the Neck house, so we dance.  Why not?  And when we do, the border collie always wants to be included. Isn't that weird??? 
"Well, Dad dances, too, and since he feeds me; it must be alright":

Then there's the sign at the little antique junk shop down the road:
                               Doesn't it make you want to stop by and see if they have vintage undies?

I'm going to stop here.  I had intended to post about both weekends, but there is enough here for one.  I'll save the rest for the next post and I will leave you with a few more pictures from the Neck that I love:
                                   

A New Knitting Friend

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I recently started a new job.  I wear my knitted garments to work a lot; at least my favorite items like shawls, wraps and scarves.  Therefore, it doesn't take long, particularly in a small office, for co-workers to become acquainted with my passion for hand knitting.

One of those co-workers, herself a newbie to the organization, was in the midst of cleaning out some of her mother's belongings.  Guess what was in there?  Knitting books that she gave to me!  Yippee!!!

 

Here's what I received:

Mary Thomas's Knitting Book


Mary Thomas's Book of Knitting Patterns


Traditional Knitting Patterns


America's Knitting Book


Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book


Knitting Without Tears


Knitting in the Old Way

I have to admit to not being able to completely immerse myself in them from front to back cover yet as I had hoped.  The day that J left them in my office, it was difficult to work; difficult to concentrate on anything but my desire to be sitting on a cushy couch somewhere - anywhere but my office - with a cup of tea and the books.

That day will come, I'm sure.  And while she is not a knitter, she is certainly a new knitting friend. 

Thank you, J.

H*eye on C*eye*ber Fiber

No, I am not a paid spokesperson.  In fact, I've barely met Mama E.   But, I am completely obsessed with her yarns.  Just this week, I finished two projects using C*eye*ber Fiber yarns.          

                      

The fiber content of the socks is an 80% superwash merino and 20% bamboo blend.  They are so soft and so lovely.  I used the basic pattern for 2 circulars from Cat Bordhi's Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles book, so they knit up really fast.  The colorway, "Man O'Steele" is perfect for husband socks.  I kitchenered them on Monday night and he wore them to work on Tuesday. 

The hydrangea shawl is knit in the 50% superwash merino and 50% tencel blend; the colorway is Gregory.  This was the second time I knit this very basic garter stitch shawl and yet this time I didn't want it to end.  The feel of the fiber is simply amazing.  I blocked it on Wednesday night and I will wear it tomorrow when I attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  This will be about my tenth year there and I do not need yarn; that's an understatement.  However, I plan to make a beeline for the Clover Hill booth so that I can purchase more C*eye*ber Fiber. 

Pattern Critique #31: Panel Jacket

Pattern Name: Panel Jacket
Designer: Carol Lapin
Source: Unicorn Books and Crafts, Inc.

Pattern Yarn: Lana Grossa Royal Tweed
Images:




Pattern Review:
Multiple members of my SSK knitting group have frequently knit the same pattern, although not planned as a KAL.  Last December, I discovered the Panel Jacket on the Knitters Review forum.   After sending it to my group, Amy pointed out that it would be a good KAL project.  Several of us scrambled to select yarn.  I chose Classic Elite Beatrice, recommended for heavier garments and, most importantly, on clearance at Webs. 

The pattern notes state:
        The jacket is made of 10 garter st panels which are
        joined using the 3 needle BO. The BO forms a decorative
        ridge on the RS of work.

Honestly, that is about all of the information I need to write about this pattern.  Yet, it is really not quite that simple, so I will elaborate a bit. 

The center back panel consists of 30 stitches cast on, with a one stitch decrease at each side, at three and six inches.  Four inner side and four outer side panels are knit, both with only 23 stitches cast on.  The differentiation between them is the length, with the inner side panels slightly longer.  Also, the point at which decreases occur differs.  For both, one stitch is decreased at each side, two times, near the lower portion of the respective panels.

The first series of 3-needle-bind offs is completed with these five panels.  It is produced on the outside of the seam, thus creating a decorative "twist" look.  The stitches that are used result from pick-ups along the edges. This is made simpler through the incorporation of selvedge stitches added at the sides of each panel while knitting them.  When complete, the shoulders are joined, again with a 3-needle-bind off.  The stitches used for the shoulders are live stitches that were placed on scrap yarn or holders at the tops of the panels.

Following the shoulder seaming, the sleeves are knit and joined to the side edges.  What's left is the lapel; a long narrow strip knit with the two stitch increases/decreases at the bottom sides.  One one side of the lapel strip, 3-needle-bind off technique is used again, with an i-cord edging produced along the outer edges of the lapel. Finally, the sleeve seams are sewn using your seam method of choice. 

Personal Notes:
This was a monotonous knit, but one that I was motivated to complete.  Why?  Because two of the others from the SSK group who knit this jacket finished theirs long before me, and they were stunning.  The monotony and "will I ever finish" attitude was not helped by the fact that I kept running out of yarn.  Three times I ordered yarn from Webs!  Thank heavens that the yarn was not popular and was since discontinued; hence each time I was able to purchase the same dye lot. 

Perseverance and determination paid off, assisted by a little help from the weather gods.  The jacket was finally completed two nights ago, and the temperatures dropped into the 40s yesterday morning and I got to wear it!  Oh my gosh, did the complements fly.  I must admit to liking it a lot and will undoubtedly find this to be a regular wear, especially on crisp mornings throughout the spring and fall months.

Rating:
Despite the feeling of monotony that I experienced while knitting the Panel Jacket, the pattern was written beautifully. Each section of the project was well detailed and fully explained.  Since it was knit and assembled in segments, the boredom was broken up a bit.  The repeated 3-needle-bind offs added to that.  This method of seaming has always been a favorite of mine, so it was a joy to experience it as a design embellishment.

When Amy first suggested this as an SSK KAL, I considered it ideal because of the simplicity of the pattern.  Yet, I now realize that this might be a very difficult pattern for a beginner, especially because of the bind offs. I believe that it is the combined consistency of the stitch work and bind offs that "make" the look of the jacket  One little slip up and it could go from couture to crappy really easily!

Thanks to my SSK friends for keeping me motivated.  And to those of you who haven't knit this jacket, what's stopping you?  The peer pressure is building...

             

If you have knit this pattern, please rate it and submit as comments. Thank you!

Colors of the CA Coast

I don't have any finished projects to share at this time.  While in the Bay area of California last weekend, we hiked around Montara Mountain.  The wildflowers were beyond beautiful.  These are the colors that inspire my knitting.  Enjoy!