Getting Out Of Dodge

Despite all of Madison's new-found sunshine, I have been feeling very uninspired recently. I can't seem to cast on anything besides 2x2 ribbed socks and have very limited enthusiasm for the lace shawl that has been on my needles for almost a full year. Coupled with a less-than-stellar week at work, it could only mean that a mini-vacation was desperately needed.


So I jetted off to DC this weekend to meet up with some of my best college friends. We caught up, laughed at inside jokes, and I even managed to knit on a sock while enjoying a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. A 1x1 rib sock, that is! It's not a big step towards inspiration, but every little bit counts.

And to add to my happiness upon returning to Wisconsin, I found that my Bike Helmet Earmuffs got a little mention on WhipUp.net. Woot!

Welcome Spring!

Living in Madison, Wisconsin has taught me to appreciate the Spring in a way I never knew before. The season comes a couple weeks later that it does in my home state of Ohio, and, together with the fact that Fall ends a couple weeks earlier, makes the end of Winter a momentous occasion here. Everyone in Madison flees outdoors in an effort to soak up all of the sunshine and fresh air that they have missed in the last few months.

I usually mark the transition of the seasons by spending an afternoon knitting outside.



I welcomed the springtime this year by working on a Baby Surprise Jacket out of leftover wool from my Walking Stripes. The garter stitch rows provided a simple backdrop to the birdsongs and the soft clatter of my husband and a friend fixing a bike. I wish there was a bike that you could ride and knit at the same time; but until that happens, I guess that I will just have to celebrate spring by knitting out on the deck.

Look What I Found

I was digging through my old files the other day and found this little gem:


Yes, that is the first sweater I ever knit. Based on the photo, I would say that I was a sophomore in college when I finally finished it.

The pattern was a 3x1 ribbed raglan, knit in pieces then seamed, from the magazine Rebecca. I used the yarn Rowanspun Chunky, which gave me a warm and bulky sweater, really only suitable for camping trips. (Luckily, the campfire smell does not seem to be permanent.) All things considered, I'm still pretty proud of this little sweater, even if I don't wear it out in public.