Tuesday, July 26, 2011

framboise

Done and dusted! I enjoyed knitting Hilary's beautiful Citron pattern. Miles of stockinette, perfect for knitting night or catching up on a boatload of Masterpiece Mystery episodes.
yarn: Sweet Georgia Yarns Superfudge, 1 skein (~550 yds)
needles: Clover US 7 bamboo circular

notes:
Easy, classic pattern that will be very wearable. I intended all along to give this shawlette to a friend, but parting with it will still be difficult. I didn't get to knit the whole ruffle -- 100% my own fault, as I substituted a fingering-weight yarn (for laceweight), upped the needle size, and blissfully ignored gauge issues. I'll definitely revisit this pattern for myself.
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So, back to Masterpiece Mystery...  this is an addiction I've cultivated since childhood (credit the Edward Gorey intro for that one), and luckily I married someone who enjoys it, too.

The most recent Poirot episodes have been beautifully shot, and the wardrobes and sets are magnificent, but the actual stories... oy vey. I know that David Suchet would like to finish the entire Poirot catalog, but I get the impression that they're now scraping the bottom of the barrel (not the best Agatha Christie has to offer).



I'm also getting caught up on Wallander -- Kenneth Branagh is fantastic, and the whole milieu is evocative (plus that amazing theme song by Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo). That said, Scandinavian crime fiction and TV series seem particularly awful to read and watch given the terrible events in Norway this past week. My heart goes out to my family's homeland.
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On a more uplifting note, my friends are in the midst of a baby boom! So many opportunities to knit wee sweaters and the like.

I'm branching out and trying a new pattern, the little garter cardigan by Ragga Eiriksdottir (from Knitting Iceland). Don't worry -- the shocking pink yarn is all waste yarn -- there will be no gaudy contrast in the finished product. I absolutely love how Ragga incorporates an i-cord edge as you knit the body. It's very clever, and Elizabeth Zimmermann would highly approve! The pattern is pithy and expects you to use your noodle as you knit -- it would be very easy to miss the instructions for buttonholes. Susan B. Anderson just posted a very handy tutorial on how to do a crochet provisional cast-on that works well for this cardi.
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in other news...

- Spotify is now available in the U.S.! Are you using it? I am! It's pretty handy and user-friendly.

- Brooklyn Tweed's new Wool People pattern collaboration is just beautiful! It makes me long for autumn. Gudrun Johnston's Levenwick assymetrical cardigan pattern has captured my fancy. I'm not sure I'm ready to cough up the cash for Shelter, though. I wonder if some stashed Cascade 220 or Rowan tweed might do the trick?

- The fall 2011 issue of Knitscene is out, and some of the projects are just lovely! I've let my Interweave Knits subscription lapse (there's never anything in there that I want to knit anymore) -- perhaps it's time to switch to Knitscene.

16 comments:

Mia said...

I love the color in your Citron. I have yet to make it. But I have some Malabrigo sock for it.

And I do not see why you can't use 220 or Rowan tweed so long as you get gauge. I kind of like Shadow but I am biased towards it since I know the designer.

And how well do you like tart stuff? My what was supposed to be blackberry lime preserves turned into a jam. And it is a bit on the tart side. But oh so nice! I am playing with jelly recipes now.

Chris said...

Your Citron is gorgeous! Like Mia, I love the color.

I'm glad I'm not the only person who let my subscription to IWK lapse for that reason...

Sharon said...

I loved getting caught up here - shared the Julia Roberts prank of Facebook. That was totally fun. As for the baby sweater - you rock. You are the queen of baby sweaters!!
(Cool that you got the china hutch - someone looking out for you)

Katie M. said...

Love, love, love the Citron! And that cardigan is the one that caught my eye, too -- though Shelter seems like lovely stuff, I was wondering about using Cascade instead ...
As for Poirot, I totally agree: they look so lovely, but sometimes the stories are not up to the costumes.
Hope you're surviving the heat!
p.s. Super cute baby cardigan!

Carrie K said...

Citron is so pretty!

I can't seem to get into any MMT mystery but Miss Marple lately.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the inspiration! I was just looking at some laceweight in my stash and wondering what I was going to do with it. It will be some time before I get to it with what feels like a zillion WIPs.

I love that you love knitting and Masterpiece. I FEEL you on the Agatha Christie. I really enjoyed ZEN the past few weeks. Rufus Sewell is dreamy. Also keep an eye out for new Inspector Lewis' this fall! Yay!

Anonymous said...

You've inspired me! I was just looking at some laceweight in the stash this week and wondering what the heck I'm going to do with it. However there are too many things in progress to start something new now.

I am so glad you like Masterpiece too! I completely feel you on the Agatha Christie. Great production value, but sadface for the stories themselves.

Have you caught ZEN yet? Rufus Sewell. sigh.

And stay tuned as those t.v. folks say, I hear that Inspector Lewis will start up next fall!

Thanks for posting. I always enjoy them :)

Rue said...

Great minds and all that . . . . I just started Citron. Those ruffles are addictive, aren't they?

And I absolutely love Wool People! Stash diet, stash, diet, stash diet.e

Rachael said...

I got some new (ish) Poirots on dvd and he was playing them much more seriously; without the humour, I just don't like them nearly as much.

elizabeth said...

Thank you for the pointer to the Fall Knitscene. I like ALL of the pullovers, and I can't tell you how long it's been since I've seen patterns that have made me want to buy a knitting mag!

Your Citron is great, I need to make one!

Andi said...

Beautiful Citron! Makes me want to cast on. I always love your love for the same shows and music that I do. I have been streaming Midsomer Murders on Netflix, they are wonderful.
Now those baby knits...instant love!

cilla rule said...

My first trip to our site, glad to hea someone is still studying latin I thought it had dissapeared from the syllabus of the world altogether. Many fond memories of me latin studies. Love your knitting and links to patterns. Goind to try the slouchy cable beret looks great

Many thanks let you know how I go

cilla Rule

Anonymous said...

I LOVE the color, if I would be you I would knit one more for myself.

Hilary said...

I LOVE your Citron...I mean, your Framboise. :) The color is so, so pretty, and I'm glad you enjoyed knitting it! I know it's a lot of Stockinette, especially there at the end...

Oh, I miss Masterpiece Mystery! We don't have any sort of tv recording device anymore (well, my husband has been meaning to fix it for two years) and I seem to always be doing something baby-related on Sunday nights. One day I'll see those Poirot episodes!

Catherine said...

I love that shawl (I get into trouble with gauge too, see my green sweater post) I also love teh garter cardi, I have downloaded the pattern already.

Stephy said...

You always have the best tips! I'm really intrigued by Wallander, now.

Shelter is pricey, but it's such a wonderful yarn. If you haven't tried it, get enough for a hat or scarf. It has an amazing texture--light, but sort of rustic, too.

Love your Citron!