I tend to really dislike the whole squee knitter {or yarn store} in this book or that tv show type of posts.  Way back in the day I used to post quite often on the Knitter’s Magazine forums and invariably somebody would bring up something they had read and ask for more knit sightings.  Really, honestly, truly, I do not read or watch anything just because a fellow yarnophile makes an appearance.  To be fair I am sure the books and shows are quite good and I am merely being stubborn in refusing to give them a glance.

With all that said:

Bletchley Circle.

I was trying to think of something to watch and Netflix recommended this one based on my viewing history.  The premise, female code breakers from WW2, almost a decade later solving crime seemed worth a try and right off the bat I was hooked.  Not because of the knitting, although there is plenty starting right away with the moving to ‘modern day’ 1950s domestic scene where Susan is knitting a sweater.  And oh the sweaters.

The crime they are solving, a serial killer, is rather gruesome so if you are sensitive to such things, as I am, be forewarned.  Still if you have an hour for the first episode you might find yourself caught up in the story.

Bonus-or ugh-the show was cancelled after 2nd Season.  Being British we are talking under 7 hours in all so it certainly is not a huge time investment if you do end up watching all of the episodes.

Elka

Fairly recently I was hopping about Google looking for some information on a Nancy Bush pattern, cannot remember which at the moment, and found a blog by the name of Minding My Own Stitches.  I spent some time going through her blog and really was intrigued by her Year of Projects posts.  Apparently 6 ish years ago several knit bloggers decided to knit through a book, or other list, and post their progress on Sundays.  I know this because there is a Ravelry group.   The first official YOP post is next weeks and entails making a list of what you are planning on knitting the following year. This, in addition to my recent post listing WIPs and final items needing inspections/repairs, kinda spurned me onto being a bit more organized.

Reviewing the list of items needing minor repairs:

• Selbu Modern: repair completed and hat stollen by Nece, my youngest
• Shawl: a disaster.  Each time I inserted the needle to weave in my new yarn the hole just expanded because the ripped yarn just unworked itself further.  Debating if I want to knit it again in same yarn or in stash yarn. By the time my smallest hole had trebled I gave up. I took pictures but really I don’t feel up to subjecting innocent knitters to such horrors.
• Reef: still waiting for repairs and buttons.  Mainly because Tyler and Nece keep putting the sweater on and trying to claim it.

Reviewing the WIPs:

• Kokkeluri: I just cannot seem to pick this one up.  I know I won’t wear it, cannot think of who to give it to, but my husband likes it.  While I grapple with what to do I cast on—
• Socks: my last of the Ditto yarn in a lovely wine color.  This for the husbandly sort so plain old socks -no pattern being followed.
• Black Mohair Sweater: still needs ripping
• Knit circularly sweater awaiting underarm seams and neckband: Ripped.  By and by I was wrong.  For some reason I had cast on the sleeves and body and went right into stocking stitch.  I had done the underarm seam and neckband and set it aside prior to doing either a hem or ribbing.  I have gained weight since I knit this and I look terrible in it.
• Strokkur: lets be honest this too is a WIP even tho I set it aside to be ripped January.  I ripped it.

Stroker

Sock yarn sweater–EZ Saddle Shoulder recipe

EZ sweater ripped on Black Mohair sweater parts.

So I think this is the deal with the sweaters.  I am buxom and, well, round.  I almost always wear V-necks but all the sweaters I knit, such as Strokkur, and the saddle shouldered deal, are not V-necks.  I feel like a ball in them.  Seriously.  I need to start modifying things into V-necks although I am not exactly sure how I will do that in a Lopi sweater.  Supposedly the ‘necklace’ draws the eyes upward towards the face so I shouldn’t have to but I am still gun shy about the neckline… Why are almost all traditionally knit sweaters crew necked?

In perplexing news:  I cannot find my copy of Nancy Bush’s Folk Socks which I purchased when Zoe was a newborn.  I just had it a month ago. While looking for it I found American Portraits by Alice Starmore which I thought I had parted with years ago.  I obviously need to go through my library and catalogue my books.

In happy news: along with the YOP things I am about to embark upon, I have been stash downing.  Another Ravelry group fwiw.  For many, many years I have tried to gain control of my stash.  However two projects joining the YOP line-up are fair isle tams, my favorite, and I have most of the yarn called for in both patterns.  Instead of buying 15 different hanks of yarn I will only need to pick up 4 different hanks which is a major win for me.

In Elka is Weird news: I am freaking out about purchasing the aforementioned 4 hanks of J & S because of the economic uncertainty in the UK.  I feel like I would be taking advantage of favorable exchange rates if I even look at my favorite yarn shop in the world.  I mean I have oodles and oodles of patterns I could theoretically kit up and ordering is often a balancing act between constraint and pshaw you can’t go wrong with Shetland so the thought that I could buy even more yarn with my $ is scaring me.

ah well

yarny days and knitterly evenings~ elka