FO: Thistle Tea

There are some items that inspire us to knit.  We may not knit them, but they're always there in the back of our minds, daring us to try.  For me that item has always been legwarmers.

I have had plans to knit many a pair of legwarmers, but never got around to it until now.  And move over store bought, Melissa LaBarre's pattern is stunning.  If you are on the fence about buying November Knits, this alone should push you over the edge.  The cables combine with seed stitch panels to create a deceptively simple pattern that has enough interest to occupy the knitter (reading while knitting was not as easy with this one), but is classic enough to carry them into the next season.  I just wove in the ends last night, but I can already guarantee that from now on these will be a staple part of my wardrobe.  I wish I did not work all daylight hours so that you could have some natural lighting to see just how lovely these turned out.

And as awesome as the pattern is, the yarn carries it off splendidly.  This is Work + Shelter yarn hand dyed with chamomile and it is absolutely delicious (Seriously, it kind of is.  I had to spit join a section because I did not have any water nearby and it actually tasted like tea).  There is something rustic and crunchy in the quality of this yarn that makes me feel like these legwarmers would be just as at home on a farm as they are on a night out.  My only complaint is that I wish this line came in more colors, but the humanitarian nature makes a growing affection of yellow totally worth it.

I know, I rave a lot about the projects I knit.  But don't let that detract from how lovely these turned out.  Maybe it is just because I still dream of wandering into an 80s dance video, but I think these go down in the books as one of my favorite FOs so far and a complete success!  And yes, I am still working on the Quilted Mitts of Crazy, but don't you want a rest from the insanity every once in a while?

For more FOs, check out the gang over at Tami's Amis!

Of Socks and Soups

Yesterday after my dismal morning spent enduring Laundry Day I decided to make dinner in the crockpot and spend time that should be spent on housework working on the Thistle Tea Legwarmers.  I was a woman possessed.  I sat at my computer reading knitting blogs and was to the bottom ribbing by the time dinner was ready.

I made this sweet potato soup recipe, only I substituted water for broth because we did not have any and substituted a can of mandarin oranges for the canned mangos.  I am of the belief that canned mangos can only be found in Southern California and I am unwilling to endure a return to Whole Foods to test my theory.

After playing with the submersible blender I added the cream and Chris and I walked to the grocery store to pick up some bread to go with our meal.

I am on a serious soup kick.  I picked up more of the Trader Joe's red pepper soup over the weekend and am already making plans to find something that involves pumpkin (mostly because I know I only have a few weeks left to decide what pumpkin items I want to stock up on before it is gone again until next year).  I also seem to think that if I keep making good filling soups that the weather will finally get the hint.  It is late October.  Time for a temperature drop (Please don't remind me of this when I complain about being cold.  I'll remember.  Trust me).

The Thistle Tea Legwarmers are now off the needles, but not before making one last stand against their completion.  My right hand has now decided that it is over this whole sOcktober thing and is pleading with me to start swatching that worsted weight in the corner.  But I'm not listening. I just started watching Freaks and Geeks for the first time.  I know I have at least one more pair in me.

Laundry Day

Today is one of the most dreaded of all days in our home.  Today is Laundry Day.  Laundry Day comes about every two weeks and always on a Monday because that is my day off.  Laundry Day has no consideration for what I want to do with my day off.  It doesn't care that my car looks like a carpetbagger has taken a few train rides inside.  It doesn't care that I have not one, but three packages to put together and pop in the mail.  It doesn't care that I would really like to try out this aqua zumba class.  Instead it pops up and says "Hey.  Your husband is out of clean undershirts and if you want to go to yoga tonight and continue rediscovering how to touch your toes you need to take care of this because everything you own smells."

There is one key piece of information you need right up front to truly understand Laundry Day.  We do not own a washer or dryer.  We also live in one of those rare apartment complexes with no laundry facility.  We must then pack up all of our dirty clothes into presorted sacks and then lug them a fair distance to the closest laundromat mat.  Evidently part of "urban renewal" is the elimination of many such facilities as we must drive ten minutes to the closest one in a slightly less desirable part of town (Not that there is anything wrong with that part of town.  The reason I know where the laundromat is is that we almost moved to an apartment complex next door but we couldn't afford the units they had available).

Now I know what you are all thinking.  You have immediately started singing lines from Dr. Horrible.

Well stop.

There is nothing sexy about the laundromat.  It is dark and cramped and while clean you always come out with the slight aroma of smoke in your work clothing.  The washers never hold quite enough and the dryers never get everything quite dry.  There are only two chairs in the whole place and those are being used by small children playing video games and chattering on loudly in a language you don't understand.  The only real good thing about the laundromat is that this is one of the few that still takes quarters.  Everyone is so proud of their reloadable cards, but I prefer to carry around eight dollars in change rather than be stuck with a perpetual fifteen cents on my card that I'll never get to use.

Joss Whedon lied to you.  There's no flirtatious interaction and absolutely no one wants to go more than absolutely necessary, let alone twice a week.  And there is absolutely nothing to do, at all, except time how fast I can knit a pattern repeat.

For the record, about six minutes.  It would be faster if I did not have to stop to explain myself to a very confused older woman.  Evidently people do not think better of you for surreptitiously pulling out your phone to snap a picture of your legwarmers in progress.  Who knew?

Thistle Shelter

This week for WIP Wednesday I thought I'd show you something besides socks.  I mean seriously, it's Socktober.  Aren't you tired of all the socks?  Me neither.  Which is why this project is knit out of fingering weight on small needles and comes in a pair.  And you wear it in proximity to socks, so it counts, right?

I am speaking of course about legwarmers.  That awesome article of clothing that I've always loved but with which most of our wardrobes have a love-hate relationship.  Well, prepare to fall completely in love.  This is Melissa LeBarre's Thistle Leg Warmers from the new book November Knits.  I am knitting mine out of WORK + SHELTER, a hand-dyed yarn that benefits women in India who need exactly what the label states -- work and shelter.  The combination of this yarn with the stitch pattern has been absolutely perfect.  The yarn has an almost crunchy quality that takes the seed stitch and cables in a wonderful rustic fabric.

Speaking of wonderful things, have you heard about November Knits?  I had seen it pop up on Amazon for pre-order and decided that it looked interesting to stick into my wish list for later viewing.  Next thing I knew it was my birthday and I received the book from a very dear friend who had fallen for the gorgeous photography and called around to find a copy.  Fortunately the book had just arrived at stores in our area.

Sometimes I like to wait to see what other people on Ravelry have knit up before I start a pattern, but nothing about this book makes me want to hold back.  The photography is stunning and the patterns are full of interest.  The Thistle Leg Warmers are deceptively simple.  I can knit them while reading, but they require quite a bit more concentration than I expected.  I already have stash yarn picked out for the Palomino Mittens and I am dying to buy yarn for the Walden Pond Socks and the Damask Mittens.  Clearly my knitting is veering sharply into a colorwork place.  And what is with all of this paired knitting?  Hopefully I will find my sweater mojo again soon.

For more Wednesday progress, check out Tami's Amis!