Spinneret

Flashing Sox Appeal

Lest you should think I’ve given up knitting over here in favor of picketing:
    Even socialists find time to knit.  These from this summer while I was hunting upstate.  More of that anon.

   

Cotton Flash, in Electric Mix.  I love a good marled yarn in the skein.  This is my second pair of cotton Flash socks.  Seems I still haven’t gotten over the need to amp down my gauge.  These are nearly, but not so much as, bullet proof as the previous pair.  The fit is ok.  They could be a bit snugger.  I expect as they wash they will form to my feet more.  As is they are nearly exfoliant socks.  Not in itself a bad thing.  I would use this yarn again, maybe on an even larger needle.  Could these have been on a 7?  I hardly think so.  Must have been a 5.  I know the first pair were on 3’s.  Imagine.

   

Sox Appeal with Fixation toes.  Love the Sox Appeal.  Soft … dang.  In Copperfield  colorway as a reverse stockinette to better blend the varigation.  They may not wear as well, but they are mighty cozy.  Yummm.
    On tap. 2 pairs of Wildfoote.  One a semi-shaped arch - toe up.  The other - bullet proof, cabled, and ribbed.  Of course.  But still in that awkward single sock stage.  You know, socially unacceptable.
    And as for Ravelry, yes.  Spinneret has been there for a while now, and as soon as I get 5 minutes I’ll settle in and unpack.  A reccuring theme over here lately.

Ludicrous Socks

What Horton heard;

And they are loud enough to be heard.

Heel detail,

Yarn; Cascade "Fixation". For those afraid to work with cotton this stuff is great. It's already elasticized and not so hard on the hands. A little goes a long way. Seriously, from 4 balls of 100 yards (relaxed, as opposed to stretched) each I'd say I have enough left over for another pair.

The Socks of Equinox

Penn station to Rockefeller Center can be a pleasant stroll up 6th Ave. Even more so if you wing a right on 40th and cut through Bryant Park.

Bryant Park is wearing it’s post-Fashion Week (Sod off, mate, can’t you see I’m getting dressed?) late winter look. A little bleak, almost moor like. Additionally so with the appearance of a business man, jacket set aside, warming up his bagpipes on the northern perennial walk.

A bagpipe, mind you, which could not be heared from 6th Ave. - such is the rush hour sound pollution (trucks, cabs, pipes - you takes your chances) Bagpipes, definitely an outdoor instrument.

The park has a very continental aspect to it. Tourists, an unseasonal balminess dragging her date (The Great St. Patrick’s Day sleet storm of ‘07) around town to see the sights, French bistro chairs, New Yorkers with a few minutes in their day enjoying the morning paper, a last cigarette before the office, the sang froid with which those same New Yorkers regard the piper before turning to “Metropolitan Diary”. “Ah, yes”, flick, turn “The first Robin of Spring, or something”, turn, flick, page B2.

No doubt our man was warming up the blower, or transmission or whatever those things require to keep them alive for the holiday weekend parade.

Rockefeller Center is featuring a wet skate session. Staff squeegeeing water off in between Hamill Camels.

Even the subways are acquiring a much needed breath of Spring.

This gentleman offered wonderful renditions of Ray Charles’ music on his steel drums - “Georgia”, “You don’t know me”, “Come rain or come shine” beautifully flourished and masterfully handled.

New York was having a very musical morning. Lacking only the saxophonist who works both the Times Square shuttle and the Broadway line, complete with flashing antennae. Saxophone - not exactly an indoor instrument.

In fiber news;

Quilters call it “quilting for cover” just something slammed together with not much of a plan, utilitarian, for warmth. Socks in Koigu Kersti are very cushy and very warm. Maybe it’s the neon. I present;

“Rachel Carson Sunrise”.

Not normally a fan of the pooling effect variegated yarns tend towards I am amused at the limited pooling in the cuff. The neon pink, wine and cherry reds say Nuclear Morning. Just the thing for a second layer of warmth on a cold January (or March) location shoot.

As seen here, after the storm.

What a wonderful world.

Tax $pinning

Nothing like doing your taxes and adding up your receipts to inspire a little “shock therapy”. Looks like I’ll be doing my ‘07 shopping UP THERE in the stash vault.

Perhaps a little spinning to sooth the rattled sense of responsibility.

It was pins and needles around here waiting to learn if the first cut for school includes or disincludes me. While encouraging, seems the program was awash in applicants -blah, blah, blah. Not like Rejection isn't a parlor game we play over here in show business. Second guessing their process is useless so will distract myself with chemistry homework and maybe some spinning.

Like the moody blues pictured here;

And the (for me) bright spring colors

(which will get plied with that French Blue merino/silk blend above. Sampled here).

The Step socks have been finished up.

I'll do a road test of these this weekend.

And the Bunny hop socks

(Have been drawn to those Oklahoma choices, don't know why). This stuff is so cushy soft and cozy. Woo. Ok. The color is a little alarming. 1 skein of 113 yards for each sock on 4's. Not bad. Comfort socks, they're the cheesiest.

Party Down

Being a suave ( can I be sauve? or only soigné?) sophisticated geek of the world tonight is a night for celebration.

The last piece of art work for which I am responsible has gone off to the museum, the personal art portfolio is in the hands of people who will decide a portion of my future, my orange mohair solar powered socks are finished, there’s a skein of qiviut/merino blend drying in the shower AND I picked up my books for the chemistry class that starts tomorrow and they were not as expensive as I had feared.

Wooeee! Bubble that fizz, temper that vanilla. Root beer floats all around! And make it a double. … … this is ridiculous.

Finally, the socks. Way back on Election Day was about the last moment I had time to look at that lone sock much less knit another. And lo, there appeared before them a host of mohairs appearing as a pair. the socks of tomorrow, today.

Except that was sort of yesterday when I got to wear them the first time. And just in time it was. First day of the season out on a truck, and babies those semis are cold first thing in the morning. Wear your silk long johns, your mohair toasties, and of course last years unexpectedly useful work gloves of the cashmere/silk blend lace weight

(doubled on “0”’s - nearly bullet proof, with the delicate ribbed cable and a Nikki Epstein scalloped edge) from School Products.

My desk is a sh*t heap. What a nightmare. Right in the middle is most of that ounce of qiviut/merino. Here’s what it is for now, as a single.

Gossamer, pronounced “Go Some More, ‘cause that yarn's too weaselly to knit anything with”. Over there on the right is a mostly 3/4 finished Yak/Targhee handspun sweater, last 3” of sleeve and some sort of neckline resolution to go. My left wrist has a flying saucer spindle riding shotgun. Blank CD’s for backing stuff up and making some breathing space on this hardworking machine. Time to set this thing to self clean and come back with a shovel in the morning.

Woo Hoo, drunk with victory and root beer I have even cast on for a new pair of socks in Step, superwash wool never being my favorite but the marketing ploy of the aloe/jojoba suggests intrigue for the next 16 hour day on my cracked hooves.

In our comedy sketch from this week’s Science journal;

“…researchers described male tubeworms with a distinctly odd but highly targeted development: They fail to mature, except with respect to their ability to produce sperm.”

Um, Dear Editor.

On the Invasive Species front (also from this week's Science) there is not so funny news;

Scientists are trying to assess the potential for ecological and economic damage after finding a relative of the infamous zebra mussel in the Colorado River.

We’re a little sensitive to Invasive Species over here at Spinneret, personally and conscientiously.

Another round for the house!

Turning Heel On The Weekend

and running like a mad dog for Friday. The week grows progressively stranger …

Here we have damn dawn on Monday.

That is the heel of the second Buckwheat Bridge Mohair/Cormo Lubbock colorway sock last seen on the First Tuesday in November.

This Tuesday brought us to the Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn. Devoured by fire at some point it is being restored by a more Eastern Blok aesthetic. Holy Smokes, it all harkens back to an earlier era. I'm thinking of The February Revolution. Ah believe in the South we say Grasdieux, and a Birdcage Elevator.

Follow the link if you can bear it.

We were visited by the Royal Family Fictitional. It was the Prince's birthday.

In the interest of discretion I’ve obscured his face. Would hate to spoil the surprise. But the hunchback and tailcoat would be yours truly doing her level best to torque popular entertainment. Hawlmark Hall of Derange indeed.

Pay special attention to the gilt trim, moldings and ornamentation.

The Prince was accompanied by his mother, Aunt Louise - Dowager Empress.

And all of his sisterbrothercousins. The mind reels. Grand Prospects indeed.

And there’s been spinning. Some of the Merino/Cashmere bump from Rhinebeck.

Some of the Blackberry Hill Farm llama/Alpaca/Angora/Cormo blend also from Rhinebeck.

Enough of the first to ply with something else and make something of myself in this world, maybe a sweater even. I can’t even remember when this happened. I'm still recovering from the chandelier on the more sedate fourth floor.

No, I was not swinging from it.

First Tuesday in November

Yet another interesting location in the schedule.

Election Day had a lunchtime view of one of the first places I stayed when I was deciding to live in NY, 39th floor -RivVu. Alas, just another illegal sublet stop on the Housing Olympics Trail.

Tea at the breakfast table came with a QE2 drive by some mornings. Everybody wave with The Green One.

The view was different then. The neighborhood has changed. Very fashionable now, positively family oriented. Not so long ago this was an outpost, still mostly import warehouses. On the walk from the subway the air smelled of roasting peanuts, oranges, spices and 50lb bags of coffee beans - stacked, not brewed. No brewed coffee for blocks.

Tuesday we voted, we stuck to our knitting.

The frogs won the house on the toe up shaped arch field. One sock down, one to go. Those Buckwheat Bridge folks put up a healthy skein. If these calves did not serve as example of the importance of putting your heel all the way down during demi-plié that sucker would reach my knee.

So Many Discoveries

    Saturday Skies will be posted again when they have learned how to behave.  The horizon being tone on tone with the stone and concrete of the city will no longer be tolerated.  Now return to your international dateline and don't make me cross.
     It was however a 2 coven weekend (It is October after all) and la, how the fiber flew.
    The Cascade socks have been test-driven and washed.

They may, in the fullness of time, want to be washed inside out as there seems to be slightly more fuzzing than with the Trekking.  With the shaped arch and a twisted rib stitch these may even be able to keep bunions at bay.  A little Froehlich had to be dug up to finish the last toe.  That’s the difference you get making the sock 2 stitches bigger around in the foot to breast the demi-pointe flared wannabe bunions.
    Columbus Day - Not so much.  Christopho and his buddy Verrazano could have just moved along (Nothing to see here.  Nope.  Keep it movin’ buddy)  and kept their biological warfare to themselves.  Come on up to the Casino some time.
    Today is the traditional Day the Plants Come In.  For some reason this causes a lot of comment from the feline contingent.  There will be dark of night stalking and hunting until the spiders and snails are lead back outside from their hiding spots.  Plantland Security.
    And the Plant Sitter was at it again while I was in Oklahoma. 
    Cochleanthes discolor,

which smells to me of cedar. 
And Encyclia cochleata,

the cockleshell orchid. 
    There is also an Epidendrum capricornu in spike and when that opens up I’ll make sure to include a peek at that.  It will match some fuschia merino in an upcoming project.
    There was fresh color at work this weekend.  And a special mystery guest. 

Kimmet Croft worsted weight.  Hook, line and sinker - this stuff is yummy.  But not mine.  Not yet.  Not this skein. 
    The two coven weekend.  My spinning and knitting horizons where broadened this weekend.  Can’t wait to get up to Rhinebeck and see ya’ll again.  There was merino/silk on my aromatic cedar spindle  from Cascabelle.

A goodly amount of that and chocolate chip cookies where consumed.  At the Sunday group (yes, I was whipped when I got home, but I had YARN) the folding Lendrum, fresh bread and an empty bobbin where lying in wait for the “French Blue” merino/silk in my bag.

Carb loading increases spinning stamina.  Everybody says so.  Originally some Lilac and Fuschia merino where to be blended with the blue, but the sample was only O.K.

So they’ll be spun separately and become a 3 ply.

That’s where this stuff is headed.
    And another thing,  (wow, what was in those chocolate chips?),  never having made an honest effort to work a toe-up sock this one is underway in that fab stuff from Buckwheat Bridge. 

Years and years ago inspirational friend Richard double-knit socks before my eyes and I never quite got over it.  Most likely that’s where the next pair will begin, but for this pair I’m testing the waters with a double-knit cast on.  Less fidgety than a Turkish cast-on for me. Just to be contrary this is also an experiment in reverse engineering a shaped arch.  To date; Frogs 1, Knitter 0.  And the Frogs are up.   Trying to hold off and get the Bamboo worked up, tick tick tick, if you know what I mean.  It only goes quickly if you actually have it in your hands from time to time.  Not just riding around in the bag keeping the roving (and the socks) company.   

Daylight Dependent & Starry Eyed with Ambition

    Maybe it’s the Equinox.  Something has rung the bell here at the Coral Cottage to round up the WIP and make ready for keeping the cold at bay.  I’d love to keep the cold out in the bay, leave the warmth for the beach all year around.  Matter of physics though, damn.
    The Super Yak sweater just needs some embellishment (and will have it’s own post in which I share some professional blocking/engineering secrets.), the winter socks are dang close to finished.  Ah, but wait.  Could that be them now?

  I’m back on the bamboo and hope to wear it to R#$@%!(@#*^#k* (Let us not tempt the gawds, considering last year’s disappointment).  6 skeins of the targhee/snow yak hit the plying bobbins last night, with 2 more singles skeins to spin and the resultant plying.  It’s time to GET STUFF DONE.
    To top it all off a friend has loaned the DVDs from the second season of Carnivåle.  Now that was some fine TV.  This is about the only way I’ll ever sit still long enough to work on any of these things.  There is also the rest of life in which there are even more things to get done.   Throw out the list every night and start fresh the next day.

dee, de dee, dee, de dee, dee, de dee, dee dee;   
    We interrupt this post to bring you 3 days of exterior location work (that would be the rest of life interjecting) in Washington Square Park. Check out what wikipedia has to say under History, Colonial Era for the park.  Robert Moses (he of the sheep removal from Central Park) would have bulldozed am expressway through the park.   What a loss that could have been for the neighborhood and the city.  Fortunately a grass roots Village effort stopped that nonsense.
    The first morning started oddly.  5:00 am on the subway is an … interesting time to travel.  The business of the city is changing hands between the individual wildlife of the evening to the more group oriented commuting behaviors.   Construction workers, building engineers, the occasional earliest bird Wall Street type, and rats.    Which is another reason to carry sock knitting along.  Who’s going to bother a commuting spider with a mandalla of 10 sharp points to make (I’m a 5 DPN type, except when I loose one of  a set)? 
    And speaking of the wildlife;
    I had been admiring the healthy gloss and robustness of one of the rats running his territory down between the tracks.  He gave me a good long look and went his way with my blessing, hardy fellow that he was.  Leaning comfortably against the wall of the subway platform, thinking my own thoughts, enjoying the idea of a day in the park I was at peace with the world.  Warm, dry, I'd had some tea, it was cozy even.  Very cozy and warm.  Especially my right foot.  Now, why would my right foot be so toasty?  It was almost like being home in bed with one of the cats curled up at the end of the bed.  This was not the case.  I was awake, I was waiting for the train, and on glancing down - beAH!  There was a rat resting on my foot, sniffing the hem of my jeans.  My surprise inspired him to move along, skipping and hopping to the end of the local platform.  Where he used the steps to descend to track level.  Took his jaunty self across both beds of track and then proceeded up the steps (This is why they are used in lab experiments - they’re smart) to the express platform.  He seemed to be an uptown kind of guy.   
    3 of the most glorious days to be outside in NYC in September.  Days in which the report time to begin work was 5:30. That would be A.M.  Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing when used in conjunction with the brief phrase “Daylight Dependent”.  DD means the work day is limited by the hours of sunshine.  So the work day can only be (at this time of year) about 12 hours long.  Bankers hours really.
     A quick tour; 

 

The root of 5th Ave.  up to the tip of the Empire State building after breakfast, about 6:30.

 

The Jefferson Market clock tower , public library, and volunteer community garden.  This was the first neighborhood I was introduced to when I moved east and this building makes me smile.
    Early morning in the square. 

The second day of work black and white matted framed photos of lions in the Savannah appeared anonymously overnight at the feet of the General Washington Statues.

Just there.  No note.
    The last morning we were there we had a position in the sky for our first shot.

My responsibilities did not include roof top attendance.  Sometimes responsibilities require a little review and adjustment.  Turns out my presence was crucial.   No way was I missing this opportunity.
    About as crucial as anything is for popular entertainment. 

    This moment in my day could not be ignored.

Rest assured the SWAT fellow was from Central Casting.  The artist was not.  They came together on their own.  Proof that the Art Police do exist.  Oh, how I laughed.
    Of course I was also working on Cascade sock #2 when all of this was going on.  Almost to the heel flap.  More progress would have been made but I observed the head of the Hair department finishing a hoody for his nephew, just weaving in the ends.  Folks, he was ripe for the picking.  I brought him a spindle and some roving and taught that man to spin.  Hair, Wigs, Fiber, he was a natural.  Picked it right up.  Within the hour he was asking about spinning wheels.  ah ha hA HAH, The Curse Is Lifted! I crowed.  He didn’t even flinch.

The First One's Free Little Girl

Like eating peanuts. One just leads to the whole damn bag.

This is the Cascade sock started last week in Oklahoma. The simplicity of my regular sock pattern was putting me to sleep so I tossed a shaped arch under there.

Sort of reminds me of my point shoes

in a much softer (oak would be much softer) way. Seems comfy. I sure like the shape and fit. I may have to get a little fancier next time. And maybe toss in a few more stitches. My feet are square. It's a consequence of jamming them in those boxes during my formative years. bah.

The sky in NYC today, crap. Utterly humid and nearly hot. Couldn’t resist the hotel sign with the ESB on the side there though.

And Chelsea Gardens had some color on display, which is always welcome. Note their urban sod roof.

I like the way the mums and rudbeckia match the cabs.