Plain and Simple

Sometimes the simple things are the best things.  We've all heard that one before, right?  This is true for me in knitting.  Sure, I admire fancy knitting: the best new yarn, the great cable stitch that I haven't quite mastered...all of that looks great.  But what I find myself turning to again and again are the simplest patterns and the plainest stitches.  Maybe it's because this is a time in my life when knitting time is at a premium and often has to happen while I'm having a conversation or watching something on TV, times when my attention is divided.  But sometimes it's just because the very act of doing a basic stitch, over and over again as uniformly as possible is so satisfying that it is an end in itself.  I like to knit.  I like to knit beautiful things.  But I also like to knit plain things, things that will get used, that no one will put away in a closet because they are "too good" to be used.  Socks.  Wash cloths.  Baby blankets, the kind that can be thrown in the wash.  Good things.  Plain things.  Satisfying things.

Knitting for the Pens

Some of you may have heard of the tradition of "growing one for the team" as the Stanley Cup Playoffs progress. Well, as a woman, I don't have that option (fortunately...my husband might not be so pleased if I could participate). What I can do is knit socks.

Some people in Pittsburgh seem to have strong opinions against those who have the gall to knit during a hockey game, imagining that it implies a lack of attention, support, or complete devotion to the home hockey team. Those of us who do knit while watching hockey however, I believe, have a perfect combination of something to do which does not require a whole lot of attention (read: I can still watch the game while I knit) while still indulging our love of crafting AND spending quality time with the (ahem admittedly more devoted) hockey fan we live with.

My favorite knitting hockey fan is Michelle, who is so devoted she drives hours each way to attend games at the Igloo and won't even get up to go to the bathroom for the whole game. If that isn't sending a message to the bench, I don't know what is. And you know all those wool socks have to be great for hanging out in an arena all the time.

In honor of Michelle, and as my small contribution to hockey fandom, I'll be knitting tonight during the Penguin's game. I may have kids to get to bed, dishes to wash and other sundry things to do (laundry, for one) but you will find me parked in front of the TV this evening, watching the game, cheering on the Penguins and yes, knitting a sock.

What have I been up to?

Well, in addition to cleaning out our basement, having three days of celebration for one eleven-year-old's birthday and looking after new baby bunnies (yes, the cuteness is beyond words) I have been making some stuff. I will post some photos soon, but I have been working on a little afghan to use up some of my stash, and I've also made a couple of Lobby Dishcloths from my friends at Mason-Dixon Knitting.

At the moment, though, I am staying up too late watching youTube videos like this one, in preparation for the season opener of House, MD coming up on the 21st.

This morning I spent a lot of time with my one of my friends, who is about to have a baby. Talking to her reminded me of the times before my children were born, when every step is more difficult and you are both looking forward to giving birth and dreading it at the same time. Now that I have four kids I don't anticipate any more pregnancies, so it is admittedly fun to participate vicariously in my friend's experience.

I first met this friend in graduate school, where we were both training to be librarians. While we were at Pitt together we used to get together with a bunch of other students to knit and drink coffee and shoot the breeze. One thing I've been getting into lately has been social networking sites. A very good one in my opinion is Ravelry, a site for knitters and crocheters. Ravelry is particularly effective because it combines useful tools like a pattern database with more social phenomena like message boards, "friends," and blogging.

Today, after spending time with Emily and thinking about Ravelry, I have put together a group trying to unite those same people who used to knit and chat (and study) at Pitt. I'm wondering if anyone will join it. I guess that is the big thing about these technologies...you can lead a horse to water, eh?

Feather and Fan

This is my first post on this blog, which I have set up in conjunction with the public library continuing education project "23 Things." So far I am enjoying the experience. I haven't been particularly challenged by anything yet but it has been interesting and fun seeing what other people have been saying about the whole thing.

On a more "bloggish" note, this is what I have been thinking about lately:

I have just cast on a new knitting project. Other knitters will know the lovely feeling: what was just an idea is becoming concrete. Some of that endless stash is getting used up (note to non-crafters: "stash" = a huge heap of yet to be used yarn, which grows inexorably with every trip to a local yarn store or craft emporium). Hopefully, none of the inevitable mistakes, tangles or redoes have had to be redone (yet).

This project is especially interesting for me because it represents my first foray into lacemaking. I am trying out a "feather and fan" pattern scarf, using fingering weight yarn on size 6 needles. What that means is that the yarn is thin and the pattern will be very airy. So far it looks fabulous, knits up quickly and is so easy it seems incredible I didn't start this a long time ago.