Catching up

Where did all the days go? Wasn’t it just Thanksgiving? It’s already the Remarkable R’s birthday! I have gifts for my favorite fourteen year olds, and there’s a party this evening. Until it’s time to go I’m happy to be home, and to have a chance to write.

I have been away from the blog, but there has been knitting. I’ve been meaning to take some pictures and post. It’s just that the days are getting so short, and my time at home in the daylight is almost nonexistent. When I am home it always seems to be cloudy, or else I am under the weather myself…


This is my version of the Palindrome Reversible Cable scarf, which I found on Ravelry, naturally. My yarn is Foxfire Fiber and Designs Cormo and Silk DK. I made a couple of modifications to suit this yarn, including adding two rows to the repeat to give the cables a little room to relax, and I’m really pleased with how it’s going. I began knitting on Monday night, in anticipation of needing a few days of mindless knitting.

On Tuesday I had to have a wisdom tooth “extracted.” I hate that word. I suppose I must have thought of myself as lucky back in my twenties, when everybody else had their wisdom teeth taken out and I didn’t have to. But now? In my fifties? Yikes. I’m okay and healing quickly, but this was the beginning of a long process of repair that will last for months. That’s where mindless knitting comes in.

Last night I began a little not-so-mindless Christmas knitting for my coworker C:


It’s Jared Flood’s Koolhaas hat from IK’s Holiday 2007 issue. I’m using Malabrigo in Roanoke, which is a rich chestnutty brown, and US 7 needles. I love the pattern, and it’s another one of those complex but not hard knitting experiences that I enjoy. C deserves a special gift. It’s been a long and crazy year, and he’s been our first line of defense against any and all insanity.

I haven’t found either good enough light or a teapot-like object that does justice to my cozy, but here’s a little cable (and cat hair) close-up anyway.


I’m blessed with yarn bounty these days! The luscious Malabrigo, the luxurious Foxfire Cormo Silk, and two more yarns dyed by Sundara. The first is the final Petals Collection yarn:


It’s named Magnolia. It will take its place in the stash next to some other gorgeous sock yarn for the time being, because of this:


It’s the first installment in Sundara’s new Seasons Yarn Club. I chose Autumn, and received 1000 yards of Copper over Bamboo Silk Lace. This amazing yarn is hard to photograph, especially on this grey day (there are many more beautiful examples of it on Ravelry). I’m thinking I might make Mim Felton’s Juno Regina.

I’ll decide in the New Year, because I want to begin something lacey and different. I have many possibilities in my queue and yarn in my stash to make whatever I decide on.

In the meantime, it’s back to the cables and laundry for me!

19 thoughts on “Catching up

  1. Sweet Jane,Lovely pictures of lovely yarns & projects. As per your usual, my dear.Hope your mouth is doing better. Try some extra Vit. C – it will help your gingiva heal. (Was a dental hygienist way back when.)Sending you much love, dear friend.XOXO

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  2. Love the scarf, hat, and the cozy. I can always count on your blog to have pretty knitting, and today you did not disappoint. May your extraction be as painless and effortless as possible, and may you heal quickly. Hard to believe you’re in your fifties, though!

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  3. Ooh, I hope you heal quickly from the wisdom tooth extractions. Yowza–I wish I’d done mine sooner, and I did them as soon as I got a real job post grad school.The cozy looks great! And so much good yarn to look forward to working with.

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  4. I feel for you and your wisdom teeth – I had three of mine out this summer, after having had one out a couple of years ago. It all happened in my 20s, and it wasn’t too traumatic, but I’m glad it’s behind me.

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  5. how funny – I was just going to email you to see how you were doing and there you were 😀 Hope the bday party was fun and the bday girls loved their presents ..

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  6. Your knitting is, as always, exquisite.I’m happy to hear about the extraction – you’re going to feel so much better once you recover. A bad wisdom tooth could explain a lot about your immune system’s fragility of late. Good move. I salute you!

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  7. What beautiful projects on your needles these days. And beautiful yarn additions to your stash as well. Glad to hear you’re on the mend from the wisdom tooth – I remember getting all 4 removed at once my senior year of high school.

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  8. There you are! Your post is a ray of colorful fiber sunshine. I applaud you for taking care of yourself and having that tooth “extricated.” (Sounds so much more sophisticated, no?) Stay warm and take good care of yourself.

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  9. OUCH! A wisdom tooth now would be very hard to deal with. Hope it all goes smoothly on the recovery. I had all four pulled at the same time in my 20s. Looked just like a chipmunk for a week.Thanks for the picture of the reversible scarf. I’ve been looking at that pattern and now here it is, and in lovely soft blue. Thanks Jane 🙂

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  10. Only Jane would call a cabled scarf “mindless knitting”. It’s really lovely and now I must look up the pattern for the hat. I knew it was mistake to see what you were up to. And I was doing so well keeping my projects in check…..Hope your mouth is healing well.Looks like you haven’t let it slow you down.

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  11. Wish I was closer to make you soups to eat during your recovery.. 4 months worth of work planned? sounds like your dentist is having a field day in your mouth (ugh) So sorry it has you flattened. having a tooth pulled is never fun. and to have it during holiday season is crumby. Yet the end result is hopefully less pain. (right?)I hope that the next steps of the work are less involved. Your tea cozy is amazing. I might just have to make one of those! and Jared’s hat.. well, I have been drooling over that pattern for ages. I’m sure that C will love it too.and the scarf? gorgeous.

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  12. I do love your work. I envy people who have their camera ready at a moments notice. The tea cozy looks like a project I could get into – did you felt it? I have seen felted ones that I love – problem being we drink out tea a cup at a time (due to the microwave being so handy) sigh!Heal fast – love reading your blog!

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  13. Oh, I’m so sorry about the tooth pulling. I had mine out a few years back and they had to knock me out for it. As it was, I cried like a baby. Oy.Oh, now I can’t decide…I was going to go home and cast on for a Shedir tonight, but maybe it should be a Koolhaas instead? Decisions, decisions.

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  14. I might try Palindrome with some funky yarn by Mountain Colors floating in my stash. I need to email myself right now to remember when I get home so I can check the yardage and swatch away.

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  15. Just reviewed all your socks and now I am having a hard time wanting to go to work (LOL)Your collections are beautiful. Motivation to finish the one and start the second. I noticed you do the 4 needles – have you ever knit socks on two circs? I am glad someone knits away the days – love the beach pics the best – SIGH!

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  16. Your knitting is always an inspiration Jane. Just beautiful.ouch! Nothing wise about wisdom teeth. Mine were all pulled in my early 20s. I feel for you!

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