Archives for August 2008

Details to follow.  It is simply too beautiful outside today.  I am compelled to sit outside with a good friend and knit.

Named for Ireland’s River Barrow, the swirling Celtic-style cables of these socks suggest its powerful currents.   At 192 km (120 mi) the Barrow is the second longest river in the country, behind the more famous River Shannon.  It is one of a group of rivers known as “The Three Sisters”, along with the River Suir and the River Nore.

Worked on two circular needles, the front of these cuff down socks are adorned with bold cables, the back with an alternating rib of cable and lace.  The variety of patterning keeps the knitting interesting, and you’ll be surprised how quickly these socks seem to go. 

I designed this pattern for the Three Irish Girls, Sock Yarnista Club.  It is now available to the public in the Three Irish Girls online shop.

Barrow

Materials
Needles:
Size 7” Two pairs US size 1.5 (2.5mm) circular needles, 24 inch. (Or size to obtain gauge.)
Size 8” Two pairs US size 3 (3.25mm) circular needles, 24 inch. (Or size to obtain gauge.)

Spare DPN in the same size as the circular needles.
Tapestry needle.

Yarn:  Three Irish Girls Beckon Merino, Colorway: Storm Cloud, 100% Superwash Merino, 350 yards per skein. 1 Skein.

Gauge: 
Size 7” 36.5 stitches = 4”(10cm) in stitch pattern, slightly stretched.
Size 8” 32 stitches = 4”(10cm) in stitch pattern, slightly stretched.

Finished Measurement: 7 (8”) (20 cm) circumference at leg and foot.

The pattern can be purchased here.
You will find it here on Ravelry.

Here in New Jersey turning seventeen means one thing.  The man/child is jubilant, the mother is dubious.

At 1:00 pm we visit the local DMV.  Am I ready for this?  Forget about him – he’s more than ready.  At least I’ll have someone to send to the store for milk or coffee when we run out.

When I sat down to write my boy’s birthday post I realized I had so few good photos of him.  Usually he is darting out of the camera frame, or giving me a look that could kill.  So I decided to recycle some that you have already seen. 

These photos show him pretty well.  He is either bleary-eyed with coffee in hand, jumping around playing a guitar or headed off to explore the world (also with guitar).

I’m proud of my boy.  He’s smart, funny, kind.  He dreams of a life that allows him to discover the world, it’s diverse languages and cultures.  His trip to Iceland this summer only served to strengthen his resolve to find a career that allows him to continue this quest.  This is no recent interest.  At 4 he would pour over atlases, he had a notebook with maps of nations and lists of their languages and foods.  At 5 he memorized hieroglyphics and stunned us when he started identifying the characters on the Egyptian art at the Met.  At 6 he had a collection of flags and could identify each with its country.  Now he collects languages.  He wants to learn as many as he possibly can.  He has thoughtful conversations with anyone who is willing about  alphabets and language structure.  English and Spanish remain his strengths.  But the drive is there so there will be proficiency in others I am sure.  He has been begging to spend a year abroad.  But we insist he waits until he’s in college.  For now a few weeks every summer are the best we can offer.

Happy seventeenth birthday A!

I had a chat with a friend today who was very, very helpful about my fledgling photography skills.  I’ve been having quite a bit of trouble with reds.  They would flare out and overwhelm the entire photo.  It turns out there is something called "exposure bias" and mine was way off. 

I’ve still got a lot to learn, but after a 15 minute conversation I have a really good idea where to get the information I’m looking for.  Yay!  Thanks J!

I’ll be buying a new camera soon – very soon, I hope – so I also got some valuable advice about what equipment might be good to start out with.

Kersti Stripe Scarf (a very unoriginal name, I know – if you’ve got a better suggestion I’m all ears)

Yarn:  Koigu Kersti one skein each of K1100 & K4387  (sale bin at Purl!!!)

Finished Size:  3.5"x55"

Pattern:  Cast on 250 sts.  Work two rows of each color in garter stitch.  Repeat until you reach your desired width or run out of yarn.

Raveled here.

ETA:
On October 3rd Mel is participating in the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk in Washington DC.  She’ll be walking in memory of her mother.  You can help Mel reach her fund-raising goal and be entered in a contest to win some goodies.