Box-o-knits

for my parents arrived at their house yesterday, so I can post the photos here! On the left, a shawl of my own design for my mom, requested to match one of her favorite skirts. I'll call it the "Picot-Point Shawl," since it's just your basic garter-stitch shawl with a not-too-dainty picot lace edging. I used 4 balls of Nashua "Vignette," which is a 100 % wool yarn that's actually a sort of knitted tube. This makes it light, warm, and makes a really interesting surface with minimum work. I can't find it online, but I got mine at Windsor Button here in Boston. I'll give a view from the back as well (knitters, you may see the flaw that led Chris to dub this the "scoliosis shawl." Okay, so I finished it up really late one night and I may have had a few beers. Okay!).

Also included in the box was a pirate hat for my dad, requested after he saw the photo of Leah in hers (see sidebar). And some secret things that my mom is going to model for a future pattern publication. She's lovely, and I like the idea of someone other than my nearly-thirty IRS self (Indie Rock Secretary... not my idea! A waiter once told me that was my look, and, well, it fits) modeling cool knitwear. Here's the hat. It matches his wheelchair and hand-pedaled bike perfectly. He used to have a motorcycle and all the accompanying gear in red and black as well. I'll wrangle a photo of him wearing it to post here. I have some good-looking parents and I want to show them off.

This morning was spent at Windsor Button buying yarn for some upcoming designs. Coming up Monday: Parade of Hats. I found a very special place to photograph them at my New Job.

Completed Rowan Sweater

just in time for the "Alberta Clipper" whipping through the area. Some weather slang (I know you love the BIG WEATHER content, Mom) for very cold winds.

In true Rowan style:
I decided not to do the big turtleneck thing the design calls for and just purl 1 row, knit one row, and bind off in purl. Easy. The sewing up and finishing was difficult, however; I think anything bulky needs extra care in the finishing department to keep it looking professional. I was rewarded for my extra effort every time I looked at the sleeves and could not tell where the seam was. Hooray!

And there is a matching hat. Action shots of that when it gets warm enough to leave the big Russian fur hat at home. Next up: two hats from patterns and one very special one of my own.

Indentured Servitude

So when one works for a temp agency, one sacrifices some of one's pay to said agency for the privilege of getting placed into positions that, in my case, my resume would never get me.

Another secret is that, even when one gets a "temp-to-permanent" position, one is under contract with said temp agency, making severely reduced wages, for SIX WEEKS. That's four weeks, four days more for me. At least I don't have to wonder when those above me will decide to transition me into the actual job position with benefits and all... that would be four weeks and four days from now.

The secrets! The sacrifice!!

To the right is a portrait of our two boys, Max and Henry Chinasky. This is where they spend their days when I remember to open the curtain for them. This is where I spent my days with them before Debt Servitude kicked in. The countdown begins.

No knitting to show, since it's all secrets, secrets.

The ones who help us

pay our COBRA health insurance bills are never forgotten when it comes to knitted goods.

If anyone does not know what COBRA is, lucky you. You are either exceptionally young, healthy, prescription-free and reckless, or you have never quit a job at which you had health insurance.

In any case, this is a sneak peak of the shawl for my mom that is currently blocking on the floor. My own simple design; photos and details upon its arrival. I know you're looking, mom and Dr. Wheels.

In other news, my new job includes a real wood floor in my tiny office, as well as a built-in real wood desk, small, yes, but wood. So warm and rustic that I got a splinter in my foot Monday when changing from my winter boots into my work shoes. The Faux-Oak name plate I got when I was a state bureaucrat has nothing on this.

The ones we take for granted

are the best ones. And sometimes they need a little something in the midst of pattern writing and commission stuff and new job.

Chris in new beanie hat. 1 skein Malabrigio on size 3 needles.

First big lace. SOOO BEEEEG!

Here it is, the Daria shawl from Knitpicks. I CAN'T WAIT TO DO MORE LACE!!!

Warning: this shawl takes nearly FIVE skeins of Gossamer, doubled, not TWO, as the pattern specifies. There was a lot of cursing, and reordering, and waiting, and restarting... fortunately the yarn is varregated, so I didn't need to worry about dye lots.

Spannende Wolle aus Deutchland!

If all goes well, a lot of this action should be shipping my way soon...

On this, my penultimate day as someone who doesn't really work (since I just can't firmly place what I've been doing for the past two weeks, occupying a physical location for a predetermined period of time for a small monetary reward, solidly in the category of "work"), I spent much of the day looking at the website above and figuring out an order that would fit both my limited budget and my need to experiment with new fibers and develop more of my own ideas.

Our trip to Germany in the summer of 2008 will be possible with my new job. It's a tradeoff... less knitting, less reading, less Maury at noon with a giant pot of coffee, but more paycheck, cheaper health insurance, more paid vacation that will begin to accumulate.

Until then, fond memories of outdoor sock knitting, Rhein wine, and the 2006 Weltmeisterschaft in Boppard, Germany!

PS. Photos of new finished knitting to be posted Saturday, when we are at the house when it is actually light outside!