Knit Along: Shawl Collar Vest from Lamb Shoppe - DONE!

Ta Da!

I do really like this, and it doesn’t have the "baby bootie" factor at all. It is a bit small--I think if I had my druthers I’d add another two inches in length on each end and another inch in width to meet my XL sizing--but still definitely workable. I’m definitely planning on making this again.

It’s so very soft. You just want to bury your face in the thing and sigh (yes, I have, in case you were wondering).

And speaking of the color, this yarn would, actually, make lush baby clothes--in any color. If I had grandchildren--which I don’t yet, thankfully--they’d be drowning in things made from this yarn.

Sorry I was so spotty in my posting on this. As much as you can predict these things, I think life is going to calm down a bit over the next month so as I dip my needles into the shrug from Showers of Flowers, you’ll stand a chance of regular communication.

Knit Along: Shawl Collar Vest from Lamb Shoppe - Day 5

Homestretch...both ways

This was one of those weeks that just took me hostage. Blogging fell second to survival, and I regret I slipped off the radar for a few days. But that doesn't mean the lush softness of this vest escaped my fingers. As a matter of fact, as we all know, that texture therapy was a balm for my yelping spirit most evenings...and during a few looooong waits I'd rather not have endured. I'm in a California hotel room this morning, with only perhaps 2 inches left of the final ribbing, thinking we're gonna hit the finish line on this during the flight home.

This has been one of those trips blessed in a million small ways by knitting. I had the supreme pleasure of being taken to a friend's hometown knitting shop, Green Planet Yarn in charming Campbell, California. I didn't have enough time to do a full DestiKNITions stop, but I did have enough time to pick up a pair of Lantern Moon size 4's (probably the only size I don't have), some cute notepads, and some adorable project bags. Plus, as it was my birthday month, I got to pull a potential discount (up to 100%!) from the clever "birthday" jar. Even the cash register sang happy birthday as it rung up my 20% natal discount. If that doesn't lift a stressed girl's spirits, nothing will. We sat in my friend's living room, knit, chatted, and had a marvelous time. At least a dozen potentially boring or stressful moments were filled by knitting during this trip. And isn't that a huge part of why we knit? I continue to be astounded how knitting instantly connects strangers or repeatedly bonds friends. I walk into a yarn shop anywhere in the world and I am home, amongst my kind.

Twice in the airport and on the plane, folks stopped me to remark on the color of the oh-so-pink yarn. And touch it. And remark on its softness. I'm thinking God did a nice job with the creation of the Alpaca. Nothing else has that warmth, that loft, that elasticity. I'm itching the finish this vest so I can get it on. And even if it does look like I'm being swallowed by a feral baby bootie, I'm wearing this thing. The pattern is so clever and so delightfully simple, it's been the perfect project for my state of mind. Here's a shot of it this morning, and I'm hoping you'll get to see the thing in it's finished form within a day or so...provided my this week doesn't abscond with my sanity the way last week did.

Knit Along: Shawl Collar Vest from Lamb Shoppe - Day 4

In-vest-ment...

Okay, now I’m getting impatient. I’m anxious that I’ll have knitted all this fluffy pink wonderfulness in vain, that I’ll get this thing on and it will look as if I’ve been attacked by a wad of cotton candy. Or swallowed whole by baby bootie gone savage. This is one of those situations where a writer’s imagination is not her best friend.

You know, there is a fine line between something that makes stunning knitting and something that looks stunning on.

This one’s sitting right on the line--or could be. It could be flat-out adorable, surprising me like the Mega Cabled Scarf I just finished. And really, with scarves you can hardly ever go wrong. Vests, however, require a bit more discernment. Despite my instant love-affair with the color when I was in the shop, I’m always just a bit wary reluctant to wear bright colors on top because, well, I’m a...buxom lass and given to looking a bit top-heavy if the shape or neckline is wrong. I’d be much better if I had the hips to even it all out, to look rubenesque instead of Amazonian. But then again, which of us ever is content with our bodies at this age? At almost any age?

Ah, but the truth of it is that at my age, if I like it I’ll wear it...whether you think I should or not.

It is precisely this attitude, by the way, that horrifies my teenage offspring. Well, that’s only fair--I’m often horrified by my daughter’s choice of clothing or my teenage son’s seeming inability to consistently use a hairbrush. I would like to think the world sees me as “creatively elegant,” but I’m aware that there are days where I’m much more “creative” than “elegant.” And that’s okay. I’ve lived long enough to override my concern about what other people think. Most days.

So, there’s nothing for this dilemma but to finish the thing. And I intend to do just that. I’ve got a cross-country plane ride to San Jose on Friday, so that should provide me with enough time to finish this baby off by my intended deadline. Both my husband and I have November birthdays, so we’ve elected to go out on a single night to celebrate both, and I want to wear this.

I promise we won’t be eating anything with soy sauce or red sauce--can’t endanger this baby on her debut, can I?

I might, however, go get some cotton candy.

Knit Along: Shawl Collar Vest from Lamb Shoppe - Day 3

Infatuation...

The 1knit-1purl ribbing, which would have been confounding with all its backward and forward movement of yarn, is zipping along nicely with my newfound continental skills. The difference in speed is really apparent in a project with constant switching back and forth from knitting to purling. I’m not sure it would make such a radical difference in stockinette, and I must admit to a fair amount of trepidation as to whether or not I’d attempt this on a lace pattern--I can knit continental, I can purl, but I’ll need more courage to try a yarn-over or an ssk or anything tricky like that. No, ribbing is the perfect step up for me at the moment. But who knows, armed with my new speed I might get cocky. It’s been known to happen.

Again, I’m surprised by the color’s attraction for me. I really don’t think of myself as a pastel pink kind of gal, and I’m still mystified as to why I chose it over the red that would have made so much more sense. And that’s part of the wonder of yarn for me...sometimes it chooses you. We go into a store, perfectly prepared to get something practical and even downright basic, and a random wild infatuation takes over. Perfectly sensible people drop oodles of money on cashmere-mohair blends and yarn plucked from ox underbellies. We buy more yarn even though we already have more yarn that we could knit in our lifetimes. The siren song of touch and color, of the possibility of whatever it is we could make from that ball of teal laceweight. I don’t know how I ended up with a bag of ballet-pink yarn, but I know that I’m unreasonably delighted that I did. I love touching it, knitting it, holding it.

Now, the question remains: will I be as delighted wearing it?

Knit Along: Shawl Collar Vest from Lamb Shoppe - Day 2

Happy is as happy knits...

You know those days...ahem...weeks where it feels like you’re making your progress in millimeters? Where your to-do list is two dozen things long and by the time you crawl into bed you’re at #3? I’m having one of those. And while I’m perfectly willing to admit that progress in this knitting project is only the illusion of progress in life (feel free to argue with me on this one), I’m in a place where any progress--illusionary or not--is valuable.

To put it simply, this vest fuels my attitude. As mom, my attitude pretty much calls the shots in the house. If I can put a positive spin on things, even when they rot, then chances are we can squeak through with a bit of panache. The minute my outlook starts to slide, I can pretty much take the household down with me. The old “if Mama ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy” thing.

And this knitting, in its lush color and appealing texture and big satisfying gauge, is making Mama happy. That’s really why we knit, isn’t it? As a counterbalance to all life seems too ready to throw at us? To avail ourselves of all the healing, hope, and happiness the creative act gives us? It is for me.

I’m highly tactile. I’m one of those people who has to touch things--I don’t do much buying over the internet. I love Levenger office products, and I drool over the catalogue, but I’m more delighted to go into the downtown Chicago Macy’s and...well, fondle the merchandise. The catalogue only serves as a list-maker of stuff I gotta go touch.

Tomorrow’s my birthday, so I get to be happy, even if the toaster broke this morning and I had two kids home sick from school and the television broke over the weekend and I’m four days behind on my writing schedule. If I have to steal my happiness through SteakNShake mocha milkshakes and knitting rather than more substantive means, then you can bet I’m going for it.

That lady barreling down Indiana I-65 toward the Kentucky Book Fair tomorrow? The one with the smile on her face, the mocha milkshake in her cup holder, Diana Gabaldon’s new novel in her audiobook player, and yarn in her trunk? That’ll be me.

Wave as I go by, will you?

Knit Along: Shawl Collar Vest from Lamb Shoppe - Day 1

Ambiknixterous...

Like most alpaca, this Misti Alpaca chunky yarn is fabulously soft and dreamy to knit. My blood pressure goes down just touching the stuff. And the frothy pink I chose for my color (uncharacteristic, but then again it was breast cancer awareness month when I visited so maybe I had pink on the brain) only adds to the bliss. Plus, ballet-pink is one of those colors that goes well with grey, black, and brown, which is a huge percentage of my wardrobe.

Color and texture are great elements, but the real star of this story is technique. DestiKNITions fans will know I recently added Continental-style (the style where you hold the working yarn in your left hand, as opposed to American where you hold the yarn in your right) to my skill tool box. The larger needle size has made this project an ideal opportunity to perfect that skill. Most importantly, knitting ribbing is exponentially faster using Continental style.

Ribbing is, well tedious. Two purls, two knits, two purls, the non-stop swapping of sides of the yarn from front to back...yawn. Still, I understand its uses. Socks and mittens are pretty much lost without it. But long stretches of ribbing go s-l-o-w-l-y.

...until now.

Now, I zip through this stuff. It goes so much faster in Continental style. It’s actually fun, not tedious at all. I can’t do it competently on small needles yet, but on these Denise needles with their nice sharp points, I’m a Continental Contessa.

Find someone to show you, or do like I did and take a class. It totally pays to be ambiknixterous--my newly minted term for being able to knit with both styles.

Hey, I’m a published author. I have a license to make up words.

Denver, CO - Day Four

DAY FOUR (Sunday for our purposes)

The great outdoors...

As always, our final day represents a kick-back or sorts, a slower day to wind down from our adventures and savor all the goodies we’ve acquired. As such we’ll start with the traditional Sunday morning fav, a good cup of java:

Metropolis

300 W 11th Ave # B

Denver, CO

(303) 534-1744

www.metropolisdenver.com

If you’re sit on the couch and read the Sunday paper kind of person, this is a good place to do it. If you need to catch up on your email so there aren’t 7,000 items in your inbox when you get home, they have wifi. It’s good to remember that your plastic won’t get you anywhere here--this is a cash-for-caffeine establishment. Ease into your final Denver day at this clean, low-key coffee spot, but don’t snack too much on whatever food they’ve got available, we have plans for that at our next stop:

Whole Foods

2375 E. 1st Ave,

Denver, Colorado 80206

(720)941-4100

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com

A grocery store? Yep. Although, unless you’ve been living under a capitalist rock for the last decade, you’ll know that this isn’t your grandmother’s Piggly Wiggly. You’re going on a picnic, and this is one of the best places I know to stock up for a lunch in the park. Wander the aisles, feeling oh-so-environmentally friendly, and tuck some exotic fruits, cheese, crackers, etc into a basket to enjoy at our next location.

The Great Lawn at Lowry Park

Yosemite Street and Lowry Boulevard

This newest of Denver Parks seems to have a host of great places to sit, knit, and nosh. The view rocks--it is the Rockies, after all--and the air does that thing mountain air is supposed to do to your soul. Some portions of the 50-acre recreation spot will be in progress through 2010, but open space is a marvelous tonic to just about anything. Spend as long as you like here, spread out in all your knitting alfresco glory.

Just when you feel a nap coming on, either give in or counterbalance it with one final sugar fix at:

Liks Ice Cream

2039 E 13th Ave

Denver, CO 80206

(303) 321-2370

liksicecream.com

Called by one reviewer as “the Denver landmark of ice cream,” the smell of cooking waffle cones has been known to pull in unsuspecting healthy people before they could think better of it. I don’t know who thought of Lemon Chocolate Chip, but I want to kiss them for their ingenuity. Like most really good ice cream establishments, be prepared for a line, but I can think of no better way to top off four days of fiber adventures. Just make sure you wash your hands before you touch that yarn!

There you go--four high-altitude days of fiber adventure in Denver. Beginning next week, we’ll start the Knit Along for The Lamb Shoppe’s shawl collar vest, where you’ll watch my newly acquired Continental Knitting skills fly me through the ribbing. See you then!