Restingmotion

The gray skies, luckily no longer rain-filled, remind me of soft things and lazy days.  In keeping with this general theme, it was a slow and lazy weekend, not terribly ambitious, but more or less relaxed,  especially after the rain stopped on Saturday.

Saturday was a little busier, just with moving buckets around the family room and kitchen catching the leaks.  They seemed to move about along a fixed path, and there was constant re-adjusting of bucket location, followed by a chorus of pings and pops.  When the music stopped, it was time to move the buckets, not as I always hoped, a signal that the drips had ceased.  The masons actually came on Sunday morning to cap the chimneys, and three hours and about 2000 pounds of concrete later they were done.  Tomorrow they will come add a cricket to the roof to drain water from behind the rather massive chimney and finish the flashing.  Hopefully this week’s rains will remain outside where they belong.

After the rain on Saturday we went down to the Samuel F. B, Morse estate for their annual gala.  It is an outdoor event under a tent, planned to take advantage of their spectacular gardens and the height of the peony blooms.  The rain did not help and even the peonies looked a little bedraggled.  The humans crowded into the indoor spaces hoping to stay dry and not wilt in the heat of so many in a small space.

I had been frazzled that morning rearranging my evening wardrobe choices.  The original garment was long and delicate, made of fine silk, and I was reluctant to drag the hem through the wet grass and mud.  G picked an outfit for me that I would never have chosen, pointing out that I don’t have to worship at the shrine of Armani for every event, but which ended up being perfect.  I truly had not noticed that the invitation had not specified black tie this year, I assumed it was the same as in the past.  I wore a heavily beaded Indian printed cotton skirt, long, just above the ankle, with strappy black sandals. It is a skirt I have never been able to figure how to wear.  I would put it on and try outfits and take it off – I love the piece but it was always too ethnic, too heavy, too something.   I had a matching red silk sweater set which was perfect, simple and classic, and just the right combination with the skirt. The whole thing was set off by several pieces of large turquoise jewelry. A bracelet of Chinese turquoise:

And an American Indian turquoise pendant:

And I felt very festive and yet not too dressed.  Perfect for a summer garden party with a bit of dancing.  This revising of my image of myself is proving very interesting.

Sunday we puttered in the garden watching the masons sweating on the roof and then we wandered off to the Farmer’s Market and a little grocery shopping.  That afternoon we headed over to a neighbor’s house for a “barbecue”, which prompted a little discussion in our small household.

G wants to know why the term “barbecue” is used when someone is just cooking burgers or hotdogs, or if you are lucky, chicken and steak, on a grill, most commonly a gas grill.   European born and bred, barbecue was not a part of his early cultural training.  Barbecue is something he encountered later, in college in North Carolina, and the term will forever be linked in his mind with Carolina style pulled pork. 

Truthfully I can’t answer.  When I invite people over to food prepared on the grill, I still think in terms of the probably old-fashioned term “cookout” and reserve “barbecue” for when we are, indeed, serving barbecue.  Although with my Texas roots, my definition of barbecue encompasses a variety of cuts  beef and pork as well as various sausages.  Is this a regionalism, like the terms soda, pop, and, in certain parts of the country, plain old “coke” used for any carbonated soft drink, or is it a shift in usage?

Anyway, there was no barbecue: just the standard cookout fare: hotdogs, hamburgers, potato salad and cole slaw.  We came home sated and tired and settled down to watch The 4400 while I knitted. Otto is progressing.  His soft colors fit the weather and my mood. I have begun the armhole shaping.

I have calculated that there are only 78 more rows before the shoulders.

Oh, and I have some pulled pork barbecue waiting for G when he comes in from mowing.   

Gauge is a devil, it is.  Getting gauge for Sweetie Pie has been an interesting challenge.

I mentioned the other day that I started my battle with gauge using the Cotton Stria yarn with the recommended needle size, size 6.  What I did not mention was the type of needle I was using.  I was using a beautiful pair of Lantern Moon hardwood needles.

Why? 

My original thoughts were something in this vein:  I prefer knitting on metal needles, usually Addi Turbo or Inox, circular, but straight on occasion, depending on project.  I knit loosely.  Usually I knit cotton more loosely than wool and cotton needs the support of a tighter gauge.  My gauge is usually smaller on wooden needles than metal.  Start with wood..  I prefer hardwood to bamboo.  Start with hardwood.  The Lantern Moon needles are pretty and short.  Good choice for a baby sweater.

When the swatch ended up considerably too small, we had an interesting discussion around the table on Claire’s front porch. 

Alexine, who is an accomplished and excellent knitter, tends to be of the opinion that you should get the same gauge on any needle of the same size, regardless of material.  I can certainly understand the logic of this.  Alexine may be such an accomplished knitter that this is indeed her experience.  I am not so experienced.  I will admit that in a nice smooth wool I do get the same gauge with any needle.  Branch out into other fibers, or unplied wool yarns and anything can happen.

I did have a pair of size 6 addis on me and thought I would try to swatch on those.  Eileen thought that since the metal is smoother and more slippery I would knit more tightly, trying to keep the yarn on the needle.  This is not usually the case with me.  The more the yarn sticks to the needle the more tightly I knit – probably due to pure frustration as I like my yarn to flow nicely and smoothly from skein to knitted fabric.

At any rate I did try the metal needles with no success.  It was very hot and humid Tuesday night.  We moved inside when the rain began, but there was no air-conditioning and, if anything, the heat was worse indoors.  The yarn stuck to my hands and I could not control the tension.  The needles however were perfectly slippery.  I had tight yarn in my hands falling off slippery needles.  The situation was impossibly frustrating and I gave up.    Lesson learned: do not knit this yarn outdoors in hot humid weather.

At home, in the AC, I tried several more swatches and did end up using turbo, size 5’s, not so bad really.  When I am cool the yarn slips over my hands and over the needles, It makes a nice, soft, fabric with nice drape.

Otto is progressing well, but not particularly photogenically. 

Therefore I have decided to regale you with a few other pending projects.

Remember the Zephyr yarn I purchased a few weeks ago at Yarn Central?

Well, I finally picked a shawl pattern.  I am going to use this one:

It is called Seascape Shawl from Fiber Trends and it took me a while to make the decision.  I went through my lace and shawl patterns, an easy task as there are precious few.  Then I started sorting through all the accumulated knitting journals and decided it was a thankless task.  I started searching the web instead.  There wee many appealing options, and I ended up ordering several shawl patterns.  Seize any excuse for ordering more knitting patterns, that’s my motto.  I will probably knit all of them eventually.    This is actually the one I thought I would chose all along.  So why did I order more lace patterns?  I don’t know.  I suppose I was just second-guessing myself.

I don’t think I will start this right away.  I am enjoying knitting Otto.  Besides I can’t really see myself wearing it for a couple of months yet.

I also started playing with baby sweater ideas again.  My next baby sweater project will be this really cute pattern from Minnow Knits called Sweetie Pie.

The yarn is Manos del Uruguay Cotton Stria.  I started a gauge swatch tonight when I met up with Alexine and the Tuesday knitters.  The group has been rather erratic of late, my attendance as well.  At any rate I took needles from size 6 down to size 3 figuring the pattern stated that the sample was knit on a size 6, and I usually go down two needle sizes for most projects.  It is true that I occasionally, more frequently of late, have been knitting true to the specified gauge, but, before tonight, I don’t think I have ever had to go up a needle size.  I am a bonafide member of the loosey-goosey knitting club.  But the evidence was incontrovertible.  The swatch was only 3 inches wide.  Even if it relaxes upon washing, I have serious doubts that it will expand that much.  Alexine says she usually goes up two needle sizes using that yarn, and she is another loose knitter.  Well, I didn’t have larger needles, although I was aware that I could borrow some. I was so amazed and stunned that I really needed to let this news slowly filter through the neurons.  Otto provided an adequate excuse.