I just have to be starting something

Instead of starting all the things I really need to do before I leave on Thursday morning, I've spent a good part of the day on this...

...a nice little scarf in my pansy-colored Brooks Farm yarn.

I began by thinking how efficient I'd be if I wound a few skeins of yarn into balls before I put the swift and winder away. Good idea, but several skeins later I was still winding, not cleaning or laundering or doing anything that's on my mile-long list.

I really, really wanted to start knitting with this yarn, and I've been thinking about what I'd like it to look like for about a week. None of my ideas worked, though. Too fussy, not enough stitch definition, too open...

This isn't the easiest yarn to choose a stitch for, because even though it's soft as can be, it's still mohair, it's long-stapled and inelastic, and each stitch seems to be poised to slip off the needles if I'm not careful. So I ended up casting on for another Here and There Cables scarf, like the one I made with my handspun last month. It looks completely different, and the pattern fits my requirements for a semi-mindless knit that lets the yarn and the pattern complement each other, just as they should.

Then I found this in a drawer...

...some yarn I spun a looooong time ago!

On the left is "Amethyst," a Moonflower Studios blend from oh, back in 1991 or so. On the right is yarn from my Favorite Fleece of All Time, a Lincoln-Corriedale ram named Bomfit. Imagine that -- they have been in a bag in that drawer for six years, just hanging out with nothing to do! I'll have to do something with them now, won't I?

It's almost time to choose the road music, pack the trail mix, and gas up the old CRV for the trip to the Retreat. I can't believe that I'm taking actual vacation days! For a Road Trip! To meet KR Friends! I'd say I'm beside myself, but I'm really not. I am just eager and happy and looking forward to everything. I'm taking Wednesday off, too, so I can have a day to get ready without rushing.

Finished...and with yards to spare!

Heeeere's Carbon! All done. I took a picture of a damp sock because I don't know what the weather is planning to do later today, and I didn't want to miss out on the good light. The pair matches pretty well (practically self-striping, Amie!), and they are very, very comfortable (not when damp, of course). I've been knitting lots of not-plain-jane socks lately, and having these simple stockinette stitches to work on soothed my funked-up brain for a few days.

The first Nor'Easter of the season blew through yesterday, along with the remnants of Wilma. All that barometric activity is like an electric charge to my brain, which doesn't know what to do with itself, so it makes its Jane just plain crazy. I pulled books right and left for most of the day, and there are five or six healthy piles ready to be boxed up tomorrow. My hands were aching by the time I got home, but finishing the socks actually made them feel better.

I'm feeling better in general after spending a little time on the phone with my dear friend V. I'll stay with her next week on my way to the Retreat, and she and I will figure out a way to cram months and months of girl-time into less than 24 hours together. We've done it before. We're pros. We're not like J and me, who talk a mile a minute and finish each other's sentences and jump around from thought to thought, like sisters who have known each other forever. V and I do something different with our communicating, something that I can't quite name, but that involves eliminating the small talk and getting right to the essence of things. There we stay, until our time together is ending. We're sisters, too, of the heart.

I am also looking forward to spending a little time in V's studio, which is one of the most wonderful places in the world to me. It is filled with yarn and fleece and looms and wheels and actual work in progress, and it smells wooly and sweet. It's on the second floor of her house, overlooking a steep hill and a creek below. The light is magic. She would say that her studio is nothing more than a mess, but I always fine peace and comfort there.

Now that the Socks That Really Do Rock are done, I'm actually feeling a little aimless. I have another pair on the needles (the Rib and Cable socks that I was working on before I was seduced by the Carbon), and a scarf to finish (the one I will have to Kitchener eventually). There's always the Manos Wildflower Michelin Woman sweater...

Instead, I think I'll go to the PO and see if I have any interesting mail!

What to do, what to do

The KR Retreat is just around the corner. I have major work to do at the store before I leave (returns: you love them or you hate them, but you still have to pull them). My apartment is, well, it's just a mess. My head is in the same state (migraine, migraine go away...). I haven't gotten in touch with the people I need to so that I will have a place to sleep before and after the Retreat. Last week was a hard one, stressful and draining, but it's over now. So?

I don't know what is going on here. Will I pull it all together before the last minute? Yes, of course I will. I feel a bit overwhelmed, and the lurking headache is no help. It, too, will move on.

At least I have been having Knitting Success. The Carbon socks are a blast to knit. I finished one and I'm turning the heel of its mate. This yarn is an absolute joy. It's almost self-striping, with an ikat vibe. I love the way the colors flow. I had a little panic when I read Cara's blog and realized/remembered that there are only 325 yards to a skein of Socks That Rock, which could mean... I won't even think about it. I knit the legs shorter than usual, just in case. I could have measured and divided the yarn, but that would mean I'd have to measure and divide the yarn when I'd rather knit. I'm putting it in the hands of the Yarn Goddesses. I'll post a picture when I get the pair finished.

After the socks, there's a beautiful skein of Brooks Farm Primero waiting for me to find just the right scarf design. I think I'll make one up, with a basketweave thing and maybe a reversible cable on each edge. Either that, or I'll make "Peacock's Pride" from Lavish Lace. I want a take-along project that isn't socks. I'll bring socks, too, of course, but it's all about having choices.

I think I've almost talked myself out of this funk. It's about time. In twelve short days I will be having a wonderful time with NewOld friends!

These socks do rock

Carbon, baby...

I just had to start them. The yarn was calling to me, in a muffled, pleading little voice, from the bottom of the bag. This just might be the nicest sock yarn I've ever worked with -- no wonder it's legendary. The fabric is soft and smooth on US 1 needles, and my gauge is working out to about 8 stitches to the inch. It's not splitty, either. The colors flow without pooling so far (four inches is hardly a good sample) but I won't mind if they do. I'm making a plain pair of socks this time, just because I am loving the knitting with this yarn. Socks That Rock rocks.

~:~:~

Okay, it's meme time:

Ten years ago… I had just begun working at the bookstore, after spending two years working at this and that, living here and there. I’d always loved books, but I had no idea that I’d take to it so quickly, or that my brain was made for this work, or that I would find as much satisfaction in it as I had in weaving and spinning. My home was a little basement apartment, but I spent much of my time at J’s house, helping her run her husband’s landscaping business and hanging out with J and the wonderful babyR’s and their equally wonderful big brother M. I was still in the process of finding my way in the world. My fur companion was little Emma, who’d accompanied me on my long journey to this place by the sea, and made sure I was safe and sound.

Five years ago… I’d become the manager of the Southampton store and had navigated most of the way through a really rocky stretch of road. I’d found a sweet studio apartment close to the store, which I share to this day with my cat Annabelle (who was sent to me, I believe, so that the road would seem less treacherous).

One year ago… I was still basking in the glow of my trip to Italy. It changed and fortified me, and even now I have a deep sense of contentment when I remember that week.

Five snacks… Crisp, crunchy apples; Chocolate; Peanut butter-filled pretzels; Cheese (the sharper the better); A big Starbucks Frappuchino.

Five songs I know all the words to: “Angel from Montgomery” (the Bonnie Raitt version, please); “Boulder to Birmingham” by Emmylou Harris; “Lay Lady Lay” and just about every song on Nashville Skyline; “This Shirt” by Mary-Chapin Carpenter; “You Are My Sunshine”.

Five things I would do with $100 million… Build or buy a house somewhere where I could live forever; ensure that all my nieces and nephews could go to college or start a career; make sure my mom is comfortable and that she doesn’t want for anything; travel, and take my time about it; save some, give the rest away.

Five places to run away to… The ocean (does that count, since it’s practically down the road?);Italy; the movies; my old home in Virginia (hey, I could buy it back with some of that $100 mil!); the Southwest.

Five things I would never wear… High heels; fur; neon anything; a bikini (this is so laughable that it shouldn’t even count); novelty-yarn sweater in any way, shape or form (scarves are okay); lots of flashy diamonds (though one would be nice).

Five Favorite TV shows… Lost (what time is it?); ER (the old ones are the best); I adored the Loretta Young show when I was little; early Masterpiece Theater; House Hunters (so corny it’s good).

Five biggest joys… Knitting, Knitters Review, my dear friends (including Miss Annabelle), my far-flung family, the smell of the ocean.

Five favorite toys… My computer and the internet, my sheepy tape measure, all my knitting and spinning stuff, my Treo 650 PDA/phone/MP3 player; and my digital camera.

Five people to pass this on to… This might be impossible, since I’m so late posting this. Okay. Vi, who counts as all five because she has all those cats and chickens.

Rhinebeck, what else?

What could be better than a double rainbow?

A carload of yarn, fiber, and gabby girls comes close. We had a blast. We had our ups and downs (especially on the Taconic Parkway), our fiber bliss, our meltdowns, and so much fun that it won't fit here. Nobody forgot anything, and the sun had come out by the time we arrived. Perfection.

My fiberly highlights: Socks That Rock yarn, naturally (just wait till you see it, Amie!). Blue Moon Fiber Arts superfine Merino roving, and cashmere/silk roving, too, in perfectly loverly colorways. Tintagel Farm carded wool in a color called "Antique Rose." Brooks Farm Primero in colors that remind me of pansies. Spirit Trail handpainted silk sliver in two lovely colorways, one wood-ish, the other sea-ish.

The absolute best part of my Rhinebeck weekend: meeting Martha and Sheila and Jen at the Spirit Trail booth. I felt like I was having a reunion with Martha, rather than a first hello. My real life collided with my virtual life, and the two managed to get along just fine! I can't wait to have the chance to get to know everyone better at the Retreat. I mean it. I. Can't. Wait. I met some great people, in their booths and in the aisles. I said hello to the Knitting Curmudgeon over Tintagel Farm's bags of luscious wool, and saw just about every possible variation of Birch and Clapotis (it was indeed a Summer of Lace!).

Toni Neil at The Fold is my new favorite person. Not only did she bring enough Socks That Rock to go around, but she remained cheerful throughout the feeding frenzy (I'm not wondering if pharmaceuticals were necessary, but if that had been me...). I found some beautiful, perfect yarn and fibers, which will keep me happy for a long, long time. Or at least until the KR Retreat, that is!

The R's had fun in the frenzy, too. They met the only Suri alpacas at the show, and were invited into the pen to pet the little chestnut-colored one, whose name is Advantage. One R fell in love with a sweet California Red ewe, and the other R was seduced by the yarn goddesses (see photo). They'll both be knitting in no time, and we've got a Knitting Day planned for next month. I think I might even have a bag of Cal Red roving somewhere, which will make a perfect first yarn for that R, who wants to make a pillow. This R is planning to knit a mesh market bag as her first project. She'll do it, too.

~:~

"The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes" -Marcel Proust

I needed Rhinebeck. J and I needed to leave our lives behind for a few hours, and we did. We needed to be inspired by the creativity of others, and we were. We needed to dive into a pile of fiber and only come up for air, and we did. We needed a girly road trip in a car filled with laughter and silliness (most of the time; there were one or two back seat altercations, but nothing serious), and we had it. I spent the day at work today daydreaming about rockin' socks and spinning cashmere/silk and wishing I could just zip home for a little wool fix. Soon, soon.

~:~

I'm tired, though. All that fresh air, you know...I'll have to tackle the RoseByAny challenge tomorrow!

Don't mess with me, now

My Obsession

Okay, okay. I'm a teensy bit excited about Rhinebeck. It's gotten to this point: I have volunteered to drive almost 30 minutes in the opposite direction on Saturday morning to pick up J and the R's just so we can leave really really early.

I figure that it will be a lot easier to dump the girls directly onto the back seat of my car in their sleep and get right on the road than it would be for me to:

1. Wait over at my house for them to stumble sleepily to their mom's car in Sag Harbor, in the dark, possibly forgetting a shoe or a headphone or a toothbrush. [For this example, I am using the R's, but they are their mother's daughters in the never-on-time and I-forgot-something department. I love them all to death, absolutely.]
2. Watch as they discover that there is a missing item or items when they spill out of their car in my driveway in Southampton, sometime after sunrise.
3. Wait while the car is unloaded and its contents searched for the missing item(s), before being reloaded into my car, item(s) or no, because We Must Leave NOW, Women!
4. Risk a speeding ticket on the LIE just because I have this thing about procuring an obscene amount of Socks That Rock sock yarn, and I'm positive that The Fold will sell every last skein before I arrive, breathless, trailing possibly shoeless children, at their booth in Building A.

So, I'm going to drive almost 30 minutes in the opposite direction in order to save at least two hours, as well as my last remaining shreds of sanity. And no, I do not need a Yarn Intervention. This is Rhinebeck. Once a year. I'm in charge.

There's been a little knitting progress hereabouts, but nothing worth showing. I keep picking up one thing and knitting a few rows before putting it down and picking up something else. Supposedly this means that one day all the projects will be finished, but it sure seems more like I'm getting nowhere. Doesn't matter, though, does it? I can get lots of new yarn this weekend and start a whole bunch of new stuff!

Jane Time

It's dark and rainy, and that kind of damp-cold that makes my joints ache and complain. I've been out to do the errandy things, and the never-ending laundry is my only chore. I have DVD's to watch, maybe I'll even take a nap, and this warm red-orange Dulaan hat is on the needles. I'm using a pattern called "Kim's Hats" from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. It's a basic formula, with variations for size and brim style. When I make things like this I realize that I could have written this pattern myself, because it's nothing really new. I'm just as happy that someone else wrote it out, though, because I don't have to do any thinking. All I have to do is knit, and this knitting is fun and satisfying. I love the color combination of the burnt orange (Patons Classic wool) and the tweedy red (Dale Sisik wool/mohair). It puts me in the mood for...Rhinebeck!

~:~

Thank you for all your comments. You've helped me gain a lot of perspective on this little "crisis." I am so glad to have all five or seven or however many of you visit me here, and I like feeling that I am among friends. I've been painting myself into corners lately, and fussing and fretting a lot -- an old pattern for me. It's always a sign that I need to stop and pay attention to something that I might be avoiding or resisting, or just plain ignoring. Oh, shoot, I just can't get away from myself, can I? At least I have a hat to knit, and I can't run too far away if I'm attached to a ball of yarn.

We do live in two separate worlds here on the Internet, don't we? The line between public and private is blurry, but not invisible. It's really not unlike my daily "real" life. At the bookstore I see friendly customers every day, and we chat about books and the weather and the goings-on in the village. If I see these same people in the grocery store, or at the movies, I tend to want to avoid them. It's not because I'm a grump, but because I'm on Jane Time, not Bookstore Time. I smile and nod or wave, or say hello, and that's it. There are a few customers who I've come to think of as friends, but they number about four out of hundreds, so I think my life is still my own, for the most part. We all juggle our public and private lives, and what really astounds and confounds me is that not only do we do it locally and face to face, we do it globally and virtually as well.

I think I'll keep my virtual world the way it is for now. If someone I know asks to read the blog, then I'll see how I feel about it.

~:~

And speaking of Rhinebeck...It's how I am going to make it through the week. By this time next Sunday we'll be getting in the car to come home, laden with Socks That Rock (and green for Amie?) and fiberfiberfiber, with happy tired feet, and with pictures and memories and who-knows-what-all. When I informed the Delightful R's that we will be leaving really early Saturday morning I got the usual moans and groans. "You mean six o'clock in the morning?" Then they remembered: We're going on a Road Trip! To see Llamas and Alpacas! And get Yarn and Sheepy Stuff! And have a Slumber Party! Okay then, six it is!

Sometimes I wonder

Warning: I have been Contemplating Life. Again. A recent post by Bess, whose blog I love to read, is the cause this time. Don't blame her, though. She's smart and thoughtful, and I thank her.

According to Bloglines, this blog has five subscribers. Just who am I writing for? Them? Myself? The Great Unknown? I am used to writing my personal thoughts for public consumption; all those years in journal class taught me how to trust my heart, dive in, and have faith that I’d be heard. But that was in an intimate setting. I came to know the people who were listening to my words, and I trusted them just as they did me. So who is listening to me now?

Am I writing for those five people and the handful more that stop by here? No, I’d be posting here even if I knew for sure that I was the only reader. This is as good a place as any to write. I started Not Plain Jane because I had knitting things to say, and because knitting is a vital thread in the rest of my world. And it made sense to invite my virtual friends at KR to visit with me, just as I visit them at their blog-houses.

That’s what I like to think, anyway. I don’t tend to share really personal stuff, because none of you know me and I don’t think I could begin to tell you my story (not that it’s dramatic or anything) without driving you away in a miniature drove. I’ll add stuff to put things in context, the same way I would if we were getting to know each other at, say, a knitting group. But dumping the whole pile at your feet? I wouldn’t dream of it.

The whole virtual world is welcome here, but not the real people who matter to me. What is that about? I’ve given my blog address to exactly one person who knows me in real life. I’m not even sure K reads it. I wouldn’t mind if he didn’t, but of course I hope he does. I don’t invite most of the people I know to read my private journal, so why would I invite them here? The difference between the writing I do in my little red leather book and here at the keyboard is becoming clearer. This is not private. This is the opposite of private. It is not, however, the opposite of personal. Everything is personal. The internet is a surprisingly intimate space after all. Weird, huh?

Some people know I have a blog. I tell them that much, but I don’t offer to share it with them. I pretend it is too risky, or something. The insincerity and arrogance of that attitude has just smacked me on the side of the head. “I write a public blog (read by at least five people!), but you aren’t invited to read it.” Who do I think I am, anyway? I’m going to go try and get over myself now.

~:~:~

I'm still at knitting loose ends. No wonder -- I am unfocused and work is hectic and my brain short-circuits every time the weather changes, which is often. I made another hat for Dulaan, and I am still slow-poking my way to the end of a sock, so at least that's something.

~:~:~

To thank you for reading this whole durn post, here is a picture from our last morning in Italy. Florence is down there somewhere, seen from our hotel in Fiesole:

It was a long week

I think I missed some of it. There were seven days, weren't there?

My knitting is all at sixes and sevens. I decided to try to get something finished, like maybe a sock. It would help if I actually worked on one. So this morning I picked up the frogged Go With the Flow sock and began to re-knit the heel. I'm almost finished with the gusset now, and it feels good to be making progress on something. This is the finished one, waiting for its mate.

I made a little progress on the Rib and Cable sock, but not much beyond this photograph. It's a nice pattern, and interesting to knit. There are a few variations on the basic sock formula that I'm enjoying. The toe, if I ever get there, looks really neat. I got my copy of Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks, too, and I think I'll be knitting out of it for a long time to come.

That scarf I took with me on my trip is an easy knit, brainless and good for travel. The yarn though, is filled with knots. Why didn't I pay attention to them when I was balling the skein? It's superwash merino, too, so I can't spit splice it with any consistency. Oh, well. That will teach me!

I finally photographed the cardigan I made last September. It's "Herdis" from Elspeth Lavold's first collection. [Edited on 10/8 to correct the crappy image that I posted the first time.]At the time it was the most complicated thing I'd ever undertaken, but as I got going it wasn't hard at all. If I had it to do all over again, I'd go down a needle size. I got gauge, but the fabric has a lot of give and it seems to grow when I wear it. Re-blocking didn't change it much. I still love it, and it represents a major knitting accomplishment.

~:~:~

Rhinebeck, Rhinebeck, Rhinebeck! It's coming! Soon! Ohboyohboyohboy! My list is growing, the money is set aside, the car is clean and ready for guest travelers. J and the wonderful R's and I haven't made our final plans yet, but I already know that I'm going to convince them that we need to leave here at the crack of dawn on Saturday. None of this moseying on over to my house whenever, not this year! I have booths to visit, people to meet, and money to spend. Yes, I am geeky enough to have begun to make a list of which vendor is where, so that I won't miss the ones I want to visit. And yes, I am planning to show up at the Spirit Trail booth, probably more than once! I'm a little excited, can you tell? I really need a fiber fix.

And if it's October, it must be time to make serious Retreat plans! I didn't make it to the PO this week, but I hear that our Retreat packets have begun arriving in mailboxes. I'll have to be patient until Wednesday, when I can go get the mail. The KR Retreat following so close on the heels of Rhinebeck makes my head spin. Since I'm turning it into a week, not a weekend, I have lots of things to do beforehand. I'll be making the rounds of family and friends in the DC area, with a final stop on Sunday (I think) at K's house on the Eastern Shore.

~:~:~

I'd like to be doing this:

Unfortunately, I have to tackle this:It ain't pretty.