So here at the Little Yellow House we have officially started the countdown to New Zealand!  We have noise-canceling headphones, I have a brand new Kindle (lurv it so much!), the suitcases have been pulled out of the attic, and I will need to check my wardrobe to be sure I have everything that I will need.

It sounds like knitting on the plane may be a problem. Qantas prohibits knitting needles from their flights.  Since we are flying Qantas from Los Angeles to Auckland, then getting a connecting flight to Nelson, I am looking at nearly a full day of no knitting.  I did buy an Addi 8" 2.5 circular for the hell of it - it barely qualifies as a knitting needle - but after knitting with it I am not sure I would mind having it confiscated!  It puts a lot of strain on my wrists, and isn't very satisfying to work with.  Still, it doesn't look threatening at all, and if I have the window seat I might not draw too much attention to myself.

However, I can knit from Detroit to LA and then stow my knitting in my checked luggage.  That will give me 4-5 hours of knitting - and there is nothing wrong with that.

Today I took a fantastic workshop with Andrea Wong on Knitting Socks in the Portuguese Style at Woven Art.  Most of the time was spent just learning the Portuguese style - something my Portuguese MIL had described to me several years ago. The yarn is held in a pin perched on the left shoulder, or with the yarn running around your neck.  Tension is completely controlled by the right hand, and knitting and purling are achieved by flicking the left thumb.  When practiced at full speed by an accomplished knitter it is a blur of motion that is astounding.

While I am not entirely sold on doing colorwork inside out - I do like *seeing* my charts appear in my knitting - there is no doubt that there is less hand motion whether you are knitting OR purling.  Because Portuguese style purling is SO economical of motion, many practitioners prefer to purl. I know! Garter stitch consisting of purl rows!  It boggles the mind, but there it is.

So what may be my first Portuguese style project?  I am seriously contemplating using Andrea's Japanese Sideways Sock pattern and PURLING every row.

I am not sure how easy it would be to knit twisted stitches - purling would be easier - so I don't think I can immediately combine this new obsession with that of my other recent obsession - Twisted-Stitch Knitting - see the newly released book by Maria Erlbacher (Schoolhouse Press).  But perhaps when Andrea comes back in April I can ask her if she has tips for "fancy work".

It has been a tremendous knitting day. Obrigada, Andrea!

My schedule is slowly clearing itself, and I am focusing on individual tasks at hand rather than thinking about everything at once.  Thanks for all the kind comments from my last post.  I wish I could respond to comments, but the way blog-city is set up it is impossible.  But please know how grateful I am!

Let's see. Rhinebeck was amazing!  I picked up some yarn and fiber, but the best part was hanging out with my mom, sister, and aunt - a sisters reunion weekend!  My camera somehow didn't make the trip, but I know my sister got a few shots, as did my mom - I will see if I can track anything down.  I grew up in southwestern Connecticut - a bedroom community of New York City, so less than 2 hours from Rhinebeck.  The Taconic Parkway was always iconic when I was growing up. Driving on it was a sign we were headed to the most beloved of places - the Adirondacks.  So driving up the Taconic again filled me with thrilled anticipation.  We stopped for brunch on 199 at Another Fork in the Road - a fantastic "diner" that is just about perfect in every way. Mom and I had buckwheat crepes with spinach, mushrooms, and cheese. My sister had a full breakfast complete with homemade sausage.  It made me wish I was a local!

My aunt drove down from Vermont.  She is an incredibly accomplished knitter, but recently suffered from burn-out having worked on one incredibly complicated sweater of her own design (cabled, even) that needed repeated ripping and was knit on small needles.  When I saw her in August she hadn't touched her needles in months.  When she came to Rhinebeck you could tell she was feeling the joy again.  It was really lovely to see.  

We stayed the night in Poughkeepsie, all the other local motels were booked.  But it worked out really well - it was a 20 minute drive or so.  We saw other Rhinebeckers there - their blue wrist bands (the two-day pass) gave them away.  And on Sunday we drove up through Hyde Park and had breakfast at Eveready Diner.  And then it was back to Rhinebeck for a few more hours.  When the rain started in earnest we decided to pack it in, but it was so much fun!

I have a number of FOs to post, and a book review  - hopefully I will catch up just in time to leave for NZ next week!

I am one of those people that has a really hard time saying "no".  I don't want to turn down ANY opportunity.  I don't want to let ANY possibility pass me by.  And therefore all my gears are jammed right now because I have so much on my plate I have ground to a halt.  Complete and total block.  And I keep heaping more on my plate!  What is up with that?

I am the dinner speaker at an association meeting at a Michigan casino (!!!) on the 24th.*  It is something P is organizing. Nothing yarn related, more is the shame, but goes back to my previous life. I am really enjoying the research.  And I like public speaking. But putting the talk together? Eh, so over it.

But before that I am going to Rhinebeck/home for four days.  And I am teaching a class on beginning knitting.  And I have another talk I need to prepare for on November 4th (this one IS yarn related, thank goodness!) . Then a few days later I am leaving for New Zealand.

Add to this a health problem that dogged me in Albuquerque is back and I am feeling a LEETTLE overwhelmed.  My brain wants to retreat into tv/knitting/writing patterns, but for every hour I "relax" the less time I have to meet my commitments.

Chill pill please?

*I am proud to say that a casino is not the strangest place I have given a talk.  That would be reserved for a Masonic Lodge in St. Johns, Newfoundland.  Really. (Also previous life.)

September is here and I am wading into Single Skein September with much enthusiasm.  I am trying to use up some of those old balls of yarn that made it into my stash when I was a little less discriminating, OR just never got around to trying (because some of these skeins are very nice indeed!)

Pattern: Claudia by MJ Kim
Yarn: Jazz by Artful Yarns, now discontinued.  This was leftover from an awkward scarf I made my father.
Needles: size 6 US
Mods: I increased the rate of decreases in the crown so that the hat wouldn't be too long. This hat is destined for the Woven Art charity knitting event.


Pattern: The Boy Hat by E. Heath-Heckman
Yarn: Fiesta Yarns Kokopelli in terracotta and mountain sky
Needles: sizes 7 and 6 US
Mods: I knit the hat to 8 inches before starting the decreases.  This gave the hat a nice wide brim to keep cold ears warm.  This hat is destined for the Adopt-A-Native-Elder program in Utah.  I think of the hat as my Zuni hat, because the colors remind me of Zuni jewelry - with turquoise and red coral.

P and I are off to San Francisco for several days - he is attending a conference, and I am tagging along.  My first trip to San Fran, and I can't wait!

This time of year is always a new beginning - I think because I feel like I should be heading back to school. New clothes, new school supplies (yippeee!), new classes, and new friends always come from the end of August.  It also feels like a new beginning because my birthday (yesterday) signals a chance to make my new year a better/healthier/friendlier/happier/craftier one.  I hope for big things, this my 35th year on Earth!

Meanwhile, I finished this little scarf back in July.  It is lovely, and I have already worn it a few times during this peculiarly cool summer.

Pattern: Baktus Scarf by Strikkelise
Yarn: 1 skein of Koigu KPPPM in pink/blue flecks, and 1 skein of Louet Gems Sport weight, in charcoal. The Koigu came from Hill Country Weavers in Austin, TX.  The Louet was purchased at Newbury Yarns, my former place of employment.
Needles: US 3 needles
Mods: none!



I wore this scarf all day today - when I work up this morning it wasn't even 60 degrees!  But since I had a birthday manicure and pedicure, I HAD to wear my dansko sandals.  I don't care if I am freezing in August, I am wearing my sandals!


In 5,460 more stitches I will have another finished project for you!