WOMAN, 61, HAS RARE KNITTING BRAIN TRANSPLANT
Breaking News, Grass Valley, CA
In a stunning turn of events an unnamed woman has received the first ever knitting brain transplant. A heartrending appeal was made last week asking for any knitter with lace brain cells to spare to contact the Sierra Nevada Hospital in Grass Valley. The woman, asking to remain anonymous, had discovered her inability to knit lace after repeated attempts. “My life’s happiness depends on this.” she declared. “Though I know it isn’t a life threatening disability, and possibly considered trivial, it affects my entire state of mind and therefore my happiness.
An not altogether rare affliction it is commonly not spoken of in polite circles. Instead the knitter either pretends a disinterest in lace knitting or “just hasn’t found the right pattern.”
The appeal went out over the internet and received considerable attention on Ravelry, a well known website for knitters and even crocheters. Doctors said there was an outpouring of offers and the successful surgery was performed under light anesthesia. The patient was up and knitting within the hour easily reading complex charts. The operation was deemed a total success.
Who the generous donor was is a mystery though speculation that “The Yarn Harlot” may have been involved or even Lorna, founder of Lorna’s Laces might have stepped up. The grateful patient vehemently denied that either well known knitter was involved. “I don’t knit in such rarified air” she declared.
I'LL TAKE ALL THE
HELP I CAN GET
I'm not sure that Olive is here to either help or supervise or just knows that she looks divine in red.
The red coat resurrects, slowly.
I've taken to keeping all plastic bags put away since she does not distinguish between them and paper. Love the eyes.
My friend Gail gifted me with an amazing cowl recently. With the weather now quite crisp it is coming in very handy. She said she had the hardest time finding time to knit it in secret. Well, we do knit together a lot.
ON THE KNITTING FRONT
One of the checkers at my local market has said so many nice things about my handknits over the last few years and drooled over my Coronet every time I shopped wearing it that I'm finally making her one. Free pattern at knitty.com. This one (and I've made several, it's a wonderful pattern) is using Berroco's Lustra (3164 - Berroco has never been one for lyrical colorway names). And! she's learning how to knit. Way cool.
A long and arduous search at one of my not so local yarn stores turned up this lovely Manos. The photo does not do it justice. My green sweater from last year needs a scarf and it's been rather hard to find a colorway that went with it. I am trying out Haven from Kim Hargreaves. So far I like it but I am going to reknit going up a needle size or two. Just not enough drape. The pattern is very easy to follow and great for TV watching.
I'm not sure my notsomuch Multnomah is right for its intended recipient so I am trying to crank out Hawthorne using Mara from The Woollen Rabbit in about a week. Moth Heaven said she did hers in two days. I think she's a lot more experienced than I am. I like it a lot though. Nice pattern, luscious yarn.
CATS ETC.
The new-ish cat bed gets a lot of use.
Hubby has a client with a persimmon tree. I like persimmons.
Citrus. Hubby has encased our citrus for the winter - with Christmas lights for warmth at night. Still have lots of lemons to pick. I have high hopes for limes and mandrian oranges next year. One can always dream.
DON'T ASK
ME, I ONLY
WORK HERE
The good news is the Multnomah is finished. Or should I rename it, NotSoMuchMultnomah? I spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to figure out the feather and fan border. Finally I just said, Frack it! and knit on. What I ended up with is sweet, fluffy, and frilled. Not much like the photos of other M's. I have no idea how this happened. Going to Ravelry I looked at what other knitters produced and what, if any issues they had. After the sixth, "OMG! I LOVE this pattern. I knit it in my sleep/while painting the house/learning how to play the saxophone/birthing babies" I moved away slowly. Let's say it together: I knit it MY WAY.
Big Problem: The recipient is not a frilly sort of person. I have some Mara yarn coming from The Woolen Rabbit that I hope can be whipped up into Hawthorne in the little time I have remaining.
Multnomah (ha!)
One skein of The Sanguine Gryphon's something or other - fingerling, that I remember for sure, in a lovely slightly variegated blue color that I am sure has a delightful and clever name.
Size 4 needles
Like
Valerie my knitting has been all over the place. I did a bit of The Twist Collective Leavings using some Mountain Color's River Twist. Lovely yarn but I am not sure it's what I want to use. I noticed that someone is using SG's Bugga! and I have a lot of some great variegated red Edios that would possibly work. Then I went back to the Uneven Cable vest using Malabrigo. I had a great response from the designer to my "I'm lost!" question so I'm back on track. Hopefully, my knitting mojo will sort itself out. I hate it when we don't talk.
Cold weather has descended after a wonderful Indian summer. The fall colors, while not in the league of the east coast, have been exceptionally beautiful. The overly large red coat has been reduced to rubble. It shall hopefully be reborn as a Firebird of a winter coat. I could use it, it's cold!
LET IT RAIN!
My drying umbrella proved to be quite the furbot magnet. Everyone but Otis has taken a nap there. He thinks it's out to kill him but he thinks that of most things.
SUNSHINE
Omar - that's Opie in the background waiting to be let in. Yes, we have a cat door but it's more fun to ge me to walk over and open it.
Opal
Opie
I SHOOK MY BOOTIE...and my bootie
shook back. It was a little depressing. I took my first
Zumba class last Wed. and I was impressed. Impressed with how much fun it was, impressed with how much exercise I got over the hour, and impressed I was able to walk down the stairs and climb into my car afterward. Can't wait for the next session.
She may not be aerobic but she's done.
Mama Bear. A really fun knit though I cannot get the collar to lie down. Malabrigo worsted in the colorway, SFO sky done on size 6's. It took 5 skeins and a bit. I didn't get gauge, or let's say I was very democratic and got several gauges. I ended up just measuring and then decreasing a bit. This fits well and is light yet warm. That sentence hardly sums up how pleasant this garment feels when worn. I may make it again. I will certainly use the yarn again. It was
A.Dream to work with. Just yummy. I'm trying to make a hat to go with it but my first two tries have ended up too small. I'll send them along to a charity at some point. Someone will get good use and have a warm head.
My stealth knitting finally made it to Toronto. I think it may have hitchhiked, taking nearly three weeks.
Lene admired the
shrug I made for my Japan bound niece so I offered to make her one. I ended up buying some Codex from the Sanguine Gryphon, Silk and Blue-faced Leicester. Just lovely to work with, smooth, a bit of shine, but not too much, great stitch definition.
The yarn for my next project,
The Uneven Cable Vest arrived today. Tosh Vintage in the colorway, Copper Penny. I had to crop out the drool marks. I am also going to have to be strong and finish up my
Multnomah because it's a gift and due in early Dec. Must.Be.Strong. Okay, maybe just a swatch with the new stuff. Just a little one.
Various Cat Pictures
Otis enjoying the early morning sun.
Opal enjoying yet another one of my bags.
Opal and Olive helping. I am happy to say that my massive, I may never actually finish this and what the heck was I thinking in the first place? plan to clean out my entire sewing room is actually, are you sitting down?, finished.
A Fall bouquet.
