Marking Time

Stephanie wrote:

I've always been interested in the concept of time - how we measure time, the effects of more or less daylight, why time seems to go faster as we get older. And then there are my daily efforts to maximize time.

Just this week I heard an interesting story on NPR about time. Why does time seem to fly by as we get older? It seems that people all over the world experience this same feeling. This isn't a cultural concept. Some scientists theorize that our first experiences are dense because they are new and fresh. They seem to take up more time. As we experience these same events over and over they are no longer new and seem to go by faster.

Food for thought - when you reach your 60s and 70s and realize that your time is limited, you try to savor your memories and remember all the details. I find it all very fascinating.

Well, for Dye Dreams these are busy times. We are packing up our yarn and shipping it to California for Stitches West. We have never done this event before, and I'm sure it will be quite an adventure. It will be a relief to have these boxes on their way.

I've been busy with last minute dyeing, labeling yarn, counting and re-counting. Sometimes the simplest math can be the most challenging. With all this packing and counting I don't have many pictures to show. I did finish the booth sample of the Fishbone Gansey Sock.

Here it is drying after a quick bath. I'm anxious to start a pair for myself. Maybe that will be my reward if I finish all my work for the day.

A few days ago we marked time with a birthday celebration.

These candles are supposed to be tall and straight. Perhaps the heat of summer got to them, but that didn't stop us from enjoying them. Warm light glowing at crazy, funky angles. And the cake? Homemade German chocolate.

Making Progress

Stephanie wrote:

It's the dead of winter, and the time for all things warm and woolly is now. While I've been finishing up the last of my holiday gifts (a second sock, a second pop up paw . . . there seems to be a theme here), I've also been working on my knit along projects.

I often have a debate with myself. Should I concentrate all of my knitting energy on finishing one thing, or is it better to go back and forth between a couple of projects so that I can see some progress all the way around? Often I'm forced to go with the latter. I'm always knitting on the go and some projects just don't travel well. What I can knit in one situation, I can't work on in another. So I bounce back and forth between projects, noting slow but steady progress.

This week I completed one Celtic Frost Mitten.

After numerous shots of various poses I've decided that it's hard to model mittens. The mate for this mitten is underway. They should be united very soon.

I've also been working on the Fishbone Gansey Sock. I have to agree with Anne Hanson - this sock does travel well. I think most of it has been knit while I've been waiting for appointments and sitting through meetings. I'm closing in on the toe and will share pictures of the finished sock very soon.

And the dye pots have been busy, too. I'm still sampling new colors for Classy Sox.

This one has potential.

And so does this one.

Subtle shades.

The sampling process is almost done. Then comes the hard part - deciding which colors to use.

The other day I was gifted with this.

A two tone rose. I don't think I've ever seen one before. As it opens up I'm watching the colors unfold, providing more inspiration.

All In A Day's Work

Stephanie wrote:

Some days I'm amazed at what I can accomplish when I focus my time and energy. Yesterday I woke up and decided I was going to put all my knitting time into one and only one project. I surveyed the pile of possible candidates and chose this project already underway. It was to be my companion for the whole day, and it was a good choice - a lingering holiday gift.

This is Pretty Thing, a simple yet entertaining cowl pattern. The yarn is our Alpaca Sox Eggplant (sorry, still not up on our website). We had this yarn spun especially for us. It's a blend of 60% superwash merino, 25% alpaca and 15% nylon. I love working with this yarn. It takes the dye beautifully and has a subtle alpaca halo.

The cowl saw a dance class, various other errands and finally a quiet night of knitting. And in the morning I woke up to this - all done except for the bind off.

Before I let myself pick up another project, I had this one off the needles, bathed and blocked.

I like this so much that I think I'm going to have to make one for myself.

I especially like the way this pattern plays with the color variation of this yarn. The pattern calls for 164 yards making it a good choice for a small amount of luxury yarn. I added a repeat for this cowl and didn't use the full 50 gram/245 yard skein.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of two knit alongs hosted by Dye Dreams. The Mitten Club features the Celtic Frost Mittens. The Sock Club will be knitting the Fishbone Gansey Sock. Both events are happening over at our Ravelry group, Dye Dreamers.

Thanks to everyone who responded with comments to the contest. There has been a wide range of responses which I think is healthy. Remember the contest is open until Sunday. Leave a comment and let me know where you find your knitting inspiration.

For those who have been following events in Haiti Stephanie has put up the Knit-Signal for knitters who want to respond. Today I heard one veteran radio reporter moved to tears on air. The tragedy is overwhelming. As always events such as this offer an opportunity to pause and reflect.