Damson (and other knitting stuff)

When we got back to Taiwan it was cold: apparently it rained through Chinese New Year, and the temperature in our bedroom was only about 60F (15C). Definitely weather for snuggling - and knitting! And I'm pleased that I get to wear my Rogue sweater today, since I really thought it would be too hot by now.

When I left the Netherlands, a friend from the knitting group there gave me some sock yarn she'd picked up at the knitting fair in Zwolle: one skein (big enough for two socks) of wool hand-dyed in the blue and white of Delft pottery and two skeins of a light fingering / heavy lace yarn in deep turquoise. The second one had no label, but has enough halo in the yarn that I think it probably has some mohair or alpaca content in with the wool. I'm embarassed to say that I never knit either yarn, though I spent time petting them and thinking about what to make.

Since I will be going back to the Netherlands so soon, I needed to make something to show my friend how I appreciated the gift! So right before leaving for South Africa, I cast on Damson. I couldn't quite finish it on the trip as I'd only taken one skein and I ran out of yarn but finished and blocked it yesterday. Here it is:




I took the Delft sock yarn as a second project, since Damson was going so fast. Unfortunately one of the wood circs I'd taken broke in my luggage! (Harmony from Knitpicks, but it was only a size 1 so not really a reflection on their strength.) I began a Hatheel sock magic loop-style, but my remaining needle was short enough to make that frustrating, so I'll save it to work on (with other needles) on the next trip. Meanwhile, I've somewhat foolishly begun a lap blanket in in the probably-forlorn hope of finishing it before I move. For this one I'm holding together two strands of Peace Fleece, one in worsted weight and one DK. I think their processes could use some work; the colors are gorgeous, but the first skeins in both colors were so tangled that they were a nightmare to wind. I had to do the worsted by hand on a nostepinne, as it just wouldn't stay on the ball winder. I've also seen a few knots in the worsted, but the yarn can be spit-spliced so that's not an issue.

I'd have to say that the foolish gamble I took on Rogue paid off. The merino yarn with a strange label that I bought here for stupidly cheap is soft, was pleasant to knit with and bloomed nicely when washed, and after all the knitting and a few hours of wearing today (and wearing as a vest once before I sewed the sleeves on) there is no pilling at all - I've worked with yarn that was showing pills by the time I finished knitting, let alone washing or wearing. It's a good thing that I found that one extra skein and that I didn't make a pocket, but I did have just barely enough yarn to finish and sew up the pieces. Whew. (To decrease bulk, I used sock yarn to sew the hems.)

OJ and organization (also, tenterhooks)

I'm not quite running on all cylinders today; partly this is because I'm warding off an encroaching UTI with copious amounts of fluids, some of which are orange juice. (I don't think cranberry juice would be easy to find here.) Partly is because I've been wide awake since 5AM. Around 6 I ave up on sleep and light a light weight workout (that is, only a few crcuial exercises, not light weights!) I don't seem to be totally crashing, fortunately - I was afraid the 5AM waking was my body saying, "5:30 game drive, let's go!!! .... we nap later, right??" The unfortunate thing is that I have a 9PM telecon tonight that's one I never enjoy anyway (it's with a rather forceful VP). On the upside, I came back to only 134 emails in my inbox, since the rest of Taiwan was out last week for Chinese New Year.

In addition to all the knitting stuff, I finally did some getting ready for the move; filed loose papers (I generally let them pile up, then file a bunch at once), culled clothing that doesn't fit, moved things that won't go with me out of the room that is Moving Central. (Also known as my craft room, which is why I didn't do such a great job blocking Damson.) What I told the movers' coordinator person is that everything movable in that room will go with me, except the desk chair (I will probably take that out too - movers tend to go into packing frenzies and next thing you know they've carefully wrapped up your trash and put it in a box.) Outside that room, only a few marked things or clusters of things will go: the clothes on my side of the closet, one dresser and contents of a few other drawers, the erg, the two short bookshelves and their contents, and then my oars, bikes, and boat.


I've also concocted a Devious Plan for next week's trip to the Netherlands; I will leave my suitcase there, either in the office or the rowing club's boathouse or in a corner of someone's house. That way I'll have two suitcases of clothing (shoes, books, yarn) to live out of for the five weeks until my stuff gets there. And if I am a Very Good Girl and cross my fingers just right, the new Kindle will be here tomorrow. I ordered it on the next-to-last day in S. Africa, carefully waiting until then because Amazon said somewhat unbelievably that their International Priority Courier would have it to me in a mere two days. I didn't want it to arrive before I did - I had to give money to our apartment guard in case customs are due, though I think the courier service actually deals with that (there was a fee that seemed to be for it). They fibbed, of course, but it has arrived in-country and now just needs to be delivered.

*twiddles thumbs*

*rechecks package tracking*

*repeat ad lib*