needyl
knitting, among other things
Not much
Published by Shana | Filed under Knitting
We must all be more skeptical when people answer “what’s new?” with “not much”. During my and the fella’s first six months here in Seattle, we answered that question with such enthusiastic run-on sentences.
- What’s new? OMG, we took a hike and it wasn’t even rated that high on the hiking site and there were like THREE waterfalls - Three! - it was so beautiful! Everything here is so gorgeous!
- What’s new? Public transportation is so AWESOME! We only need one car, cause I can get anywhere I want by bus or Car2Go and you would not believe how much money you can save if you only have one car - enough to travel more!
- What’s new? This adorable new coffee shop opened up which has THE BEST LATTE I have ever had, well, unless you count the other coffee shop in the other direction, but you would not believe how many delicious places there are to eat out here.
Over a year in, “what’s new?” is typically answered with far fewer exclamation points and caps lock. “oh, you know. Same old. Work’s fine. Oh, I guess we did go hiking to see some parasailors jump off the mountain that is only 30 minutes from our house. That was pretty cool. Might have to try it.”
I strongly question the judgement of someone who would break out the caps lock for the 7 bus (which the Stranger called, not inaccurately, a “mobile patchwork of crackheads and vomit”. I love you, #7.), but be nonchalant about people jumping off a mountain. You’d think I’d be superfit after all the time spent on the Hedonic treadmill.
There’s also a knitting Hedonic treadmill where projects which once would have been major accomplishments are cast off with little fanfare.
Oh, look. 1,700 yards of lace. Yawn.
Print 
PDFOn Knowing
Published by Shana | Filed under Knitting
Spanish has two verbs for “to know” - saber and conocer. At risk of embarrassing my former Spanish teachers, I’d describe the difference as intellectual knowing and experiential or emotional knowing. You ‘saber’ facts and skills. Years and years of education and great Google-fu have made your ‘saber-ness’ greater. ”Conocer” is knowing people and places - lived knowledge. It’s how you know people and places and the truth of things. It’s the difference between being able to quote all the lines of Sherlock and rattle off Benedict Cumberbatch facts, and having Ben invite you to a BBQ.
So when it came to my and the fella’s week long adventure to Costa Rica, these were the things we were able to “ser” in advance:
- It’s hot and humid in the rain forest
- May is the start of the rainy season
- There are bugs, especially mosquitoes
- We would be taking a 20 km hike through this (~13 miles) which is dangerous enough that gringos are required to have a guide
- It’s easy to catch a stomach bug in the tropics
- Howler monkeys didn’t get their name ironically
Not really an environment I want to live in (Perfection is 65 degrees and overcast - can I get a what what, Seattle?), but as a price to pay to see the rainforest? Full of animals I read about in National Geographic magazines? Animals with BABIES? I mean, come on - what’s a little mosey through the woods on a warm afternoon?
We’ll frolic on beaches! It’ll be so great!
A Love Letter to Lithuania
Published by Shana | Filed under Free, Knitting, Patterns
I have been working on a world tour of sock patterns. An ebook or something to honor places that I love. The only design I’ve fully finished is Šiauliai (pronounced “show-lay”), which is my tribute to Lithuania. I planned to publish these the patterns all together, but with all the goings on in the region, I couldn’t wait to express my love for this oft-overlooked corner of Europe.
Hand in hand
Like a first love, the small Baltic country has secured a place in my heart.
Lithuania was the first country I ever visited when I signed up for a study abroad program. I was 19 years old and had only traveled more than 3 hours from Nebraska through reading the 1991 edition of the World Book Encyclopedias. My cluelessness knew no limits.
Goals, or How to Fail at Fun
Published by Shana | Filed under Knitting
I’ve been away for a bit because I have been using all of my brain getting up to speed at my first job out here in Seattle. I’m a project manager, which means I organize things for a living and then annoy people about it. It’s fun - “Let’s check things off lists! Ahead of schedule! And then make more lists!” - so you’d think applying goals, checklists and deadlines to crafts would be exactly what is needed to make the most of my now reduced hobby time.
Yeah… no. Craft related goals are more like, “Let’s take this relaxing thing and make it stressful! Feel like you’re never good enough! Hating working on that project? Tough! You have a deadline!”
My latest set of missed craft goals was the Ravellenic Games. This is a huge knit-a-long on Ravelry.com where everyone starts their projects during the opening ceremonies and finishes them by closing ceremonies. The idea is to have your project be a challenge of, ahem, Olympic proportions.
Only a fourth of the performance of those who were victorious, but it’s fun! It is the Jamaican Bobsled team of projects
It’s Complicated
Published by Shana | Filed under Knitting
I am a skill accumulator. For no good reason whatsoever, I want to be able to do things myself.
Colorwork. Bagged it. Though apparently I skipped product photography. (Pattern: modified ‘A New Family Portrait‘)
It’s evident in how I play role playing computer games. Rather than actually attempting to meet the game’s objectives or obtain the Helm of Mordor or whatever, I spend hours learning how to smith and speak languages. And the great thing about games is that once you’re a level 50 archer, no one’s taking that away. You can one-up William Tell into perpetuity. Thus, perfectly illustrating why video games are better than reality.
Set. Match.
Published by Shana | Filed under Free, Knitting, Patterns
I finally have something that matches. Remember the gloves I finished a few weeks ago? They are officially a part of a set now.
I am so fancy!
This hat was based off the mitten pattern - Eugenia’s Mitts designed by Mollie Woodworth. I’ve included women’s (20″) and men’s (22″) sizes. The cables pull the fabric in quite a bit and make it less stretchy, so a good fit is important with this one. In the pic, I’m actually wearing the woman’s size, though I have a gigantic, man-sized head. It works, but it’s definitely snug due to the lack of stretch.
You can grab the hat pattern for free on its Ravelry page.
Finish Him
Published by Shana | Filed under Knitting, Quilting
Somewhere around October 1st, a switch flips, and I go from contently plodding through large, somewhat complicated projects with no real goal in mind to Mortal Combat knitting. Completing projects becomes an obsession, and the stash starts chanting “Larger needles! Looser gauge! Garter stitch!”
finish him.
Maybe it’s the cooling air that makes my mind go nuts. Last year’s hats, gloves and scarves certainly won’t do. They were slightly less than perfect, and in the whole heap, you can’t find two things that match. What else can you do but create a new pile of slightly off, mismatched knits?
I own nothing else that is light pink.
Marhaban Socks
Published by Shana | Filed under Knitting, Patterns
I have a new sock pattern.
Socks. And sassy shoes.
Why this pattern is great:
- Toe up and cuff down instructions
- Charts and written instructions
- Fast knit that doesn’t use much yarn
- Simple lace stitch is easy to remember
- Great for showing off yarns with fancy dye jobs
- It’s 25% off until November 15th!
Delightful in both solid and color changing yarns.
I’ve actually been sitting on this pattern for a while. Dragging my well-adorned feet at every point of the design process. Not because the pattern isn’t lovely - it is - or because I don’t like them - I do - but because I had no idea what I would say in this blog post.
Blue Star Beanie Pattern
Published by Shana | Filed under Free, Knitting, Patterns
Today was the pinnacle of Fall.
After a walk to the coffee shop under trees ablaze in orange and yellow, there was football and knitting. Acorn squash and apple cider are on the menu for dinner. Politicians are slipping flyers in the door. I might make an apple crisp real quick just to make sure that maximum autumn saturation has been obtained.
Quick! Add pumpkin to something!
The 50 degree weather was the perfect opportunity for the fella to take his new hat on it’s maiden journey. It’s knit with just under half a skein of fingering weight yarn, which makes it just warm enough for these days when it’s just a bit too cold to go hatless, but too warm for the winter hats.
Not feminine yet not boring. What more could you ask for in a dude’s hat?
Named for the restaurant where my knitting group meets, Blue Star is comprised of twisted stitches. It is deceptively stretchy for the amount of texture going on. The twisted stitches are also quick to work if you get the hang of cabling without a cable needle.
He’s cute.
Isosceles
Published by Shana | Filed under Quilting
When I saw Hoffman Fabric’s Natural Instinct line, I almost passed out from delight at the sight of ‘smoke’, ‘ice’ and ‘eggplant’. So, I impulse bought a yard of each and then proceeded to wage an unrelenting war with it until this materialized.
Meet my nemesis.
What you’re thinking (I assume) is “cute!”. But really, what you should be saying is, “Here, let me pour you a glass of wine. I know this was rough, but it’s over now.”
Why so rough?