Category Archives: music

Distracted

Posted on October 26, 2009 | 17 comments

Not much knitting this past weekend. I’m a little distracted.

I played a friend’s new guitar (picture in previous post), and the sound of it took me back to high school youth group. Hanging out and singing was a big part of my life. About 5 years ago, I decided to learn to play, just a little, so I could revisit some of the music that I loved so much. I bought a little Norman folk acoustic then, and it has served me well.

But the sound of my friend’s guitar is calling my name. Insistently. So I’ve been shopping for a new guitar, and I’m going to end up with the same Takamine. I can’t wait!

To make up for today’s lack of knitting content, I’m offering up a bit of yarn that came my way. This is Berroco Vintage Wool. It’s worsted weight, 50% acrylic, 40% wool, 10% nylon. It was in the goodie bag at the Sock Summit Ravelry party in August, and it’s nice, but I’m kind of a natural fiber snob and so I don’t think I’ll ever use it.

The other yarn is Brown Sheep Lanaloft, which is a sport weight 100% wool single. I bought it when I was designing my Seafoam Socks, but then decided to use a different yarn. I’m not sure it would be great for socks; it’s a single and it’s also not superwash. I’ve discovered that my other non-superwash socks need more tender care than I’ve been giving them!

If you’re interested in either of these yarns, tell me which one, or both, and what you’d make with it. I’ll take names until midnight Friday, October 30, and then I’ll do two drawings with the random number thingy.

Good luck!

17 Comments

Posted in Knit, music

Tagged contest, guitar, yarn

Knitting project design process

Posted on October 20, 2009 | 14 comments

All the cool kids were at Rhinebeck last weekend, and I was way over here on the left coast, just hanging out. But I walked to Twisted on Saturday and bought some yarn, so I didn’t feel so left out. I came back with these.

Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky, 55% merino, 33% microfiber, 12% cashmere. This is incredibly soft and squishy to knit with. One ball makes a very efficient neck warmer (kind of like a mock T-neck), but it’s not very big. I don’t really want to use two for this project, so we’ll see how it goes. The color is somewhere between the two pictures: deep, vibrant, wine-y.

Malabrigo Chunky, 100% kettle dyed merino, 100 grams. It’s slightly heavier. And also really fun to knit with. The stitch definition is divine.

And I have one more on hand; it’s a bulky 100% merino yarn from Knitted Wit. Why am I suddenly obsessed with chunky yarn?

I’m hosting another party for the high school Booster Auction. Twisted is supplying the venue, and Lantern Moon is donating the needles. (Thank you to both!) Last year, I designed the Checkerboard Scarflet as a party project. I need a new project for this year. Yes, it’s above and beyond hosting the party, but it’s fun and for a good cause.

I’ve decided that I want to use a chunky yarn this year, to get near instant gratification. The project needs to be beginner friendly, but interesting enough for an experienced knitter to get some joy from it. I don’t want another flat scarf/scarflet. Fingerless mitts would be great, but you have to make two. I think a single item would be better. I think it’s going to be a cowl.

Next step: The perfect stitch pattern. I want to give options, so I think I’ll have three of them. I want at least one of them to be simple enough that a relative beginner will have a successful experience. I want something easily memorized. I want it to be elegant. Soon, with these chunky yarns!

In the meantime, I’ve returned to the piano bench and am picking my way through a Clementi sonatina (hey, I can still read music!) for relatively instant gratification, as well as trying to resurrect old repertoire. Hello, Mozart? Are you still there?

And I’m playing this guitar, just for a couple days. I have it on temporary swap with a friend; it’s new and I may want one of my own. Yes I have a guitar, but it’s not this nice! (Thanks to the Teen for being guitar model. He plays way better than I do.)

14 Comments

Posted in Knit, music, pattern design, piano

Tagged Knit, knit design, yarn

Piano weekend

Posted on June 22, 2009 | 10 comments

Picture this: Sitting in your seat, knitting on an airplane. A pattern is on the tray table; Ishbel is in your hands. A ball of blue laceweight yarn is on your lap. You shift in your seat slightly, and the ball rolls off your lap, under the seat in front of you, and down the aisle…

No, it didn’t happen, but I was visualizing it as I was knitting. Just in case, next time the yarn should be in “cake” form!

The weekend was lovely. Five erstwhile pianists (I think only two of us are actively playing right now) who met at piano camp several years ago. Two more piano buddies came down on Saturday to play for us: Satie, Grieg, Mozart, Bach… D’s piano sounds fantastic in its new space. It sounds rich and round. The space is very open, with a cathedral ceiling. And the view from the piano is inspiring, looking across the Carmel Valley.

How could I not be inspired to play? I re-acquainted myself with the Granados Waltzes from Valses Poeticos. And the Adagio movement from Mozart’s K 332.

Friday afternoon’s sky was especially lovely.

Saturday’s walk took us down by the beach.

In other piano buddy news, fellow piano camper Katie Hafner’s book on Glenn Gould, A Romance on Three Legs, is now available in paperback. The book is a great read. Katie is one of the smartest, funniest, and most charming people I’ve ever met.

I did a lot of knitting on Ishbel while listening to my friends. But it’s not done yet. :sigh:

10 Comments

Posted in Knit, music, piano, travel

Tagged Knit, piano

Ishbel exorcism

Posted on May 22, 2009 | 19 comments

Mmmmmm. Malabrigo! I bought this purple Malabrigo Sock yarn, color is Violeta Africana. I really wanted blue, but Twisted didn’t have any, and I needed to cast something on in a hurry. My knitting mojo was at stake.

Looks like this will work just fine. It’s the color of grape soda. The camera can’t quite catch the fizzy goodness; it’s not as blue as you’d think from the picture. But I’m knitting, and I’m happy. One of the problems of not having many projects on the needles is that when one project stops, there aren’t many alternatives. I’m still looking for a good mindless knit project. Right now, Ishbel can be it, until it gets to the lace.

I’m hoping that my next project doesn’t require a yarn change, because I’ve just had two in a row. Ouch.

In other knit news, Sock Summit registration opens on Tuesday at 10 a.m. I still haven’t decided what I want to take, but now the pressure is on!

And in non-knitting news, the Adult Beginner Forum’s quarterly recital went live on the 15th. I haven’t been playing much, but I had this worked up in March before I fell off the piano wagon, and it came back pretty quickly. It’s another waltz from Valses Poeticos by Enrique Granados. This is vals no. 6, also called Vals Sentimental. I love how melancholy and sentimental this is. I envision a woman looking at faded photographs of her long ago love. She goes into quite a reverie in the second half of this piece. But it’s so over, baby…just like I’m over that silk Ishbel.

19 Comments

Posted in Knit, music, piano

Tagged ishbel, Knit, piano

Ishbel update

Posted on May 6, 2009 | 12 comments

I just finished Ishbel‘s stockinette stitch center. There are 221 stitches on the needle.

Not much to look at, is it? The vine lace edge and the blocking had better make this thing sing!

Speaking of singing, I just signed up for this term’s community choir. First meeting was Monday. It’s nice to be back.

12 Comments

Posted in Knit, music

Tagged community choir, ishbel, Knit

A different kind of music

Posted on December 13, 2008 | 3 comments

Country!

I love the song “El Paso” by Marty Robbins. It’s so much fun to sing it with my Day Old Pastry friends. My friends Mitch and Karen introduced me to “Red Velvet Slippers” by Juni Fisher, the same story told from the girl’s point of view. The Pastries puzzled it out, and we love to sing that, too.

When blog friend Dee mentioned “El Paso” on her blog, I commented with an introduction to Juni Fisher. That got her wheels turning, and she invited Juni to do a house concert as a surprise for her husband’s grandmother. Nanny’s a Marty Robbins fan. Sounds like the event was a hit!

No pix; I didn’t make it to the event. But Dee was so sweet to invite me!

3 Comments

Posted in Blogging, music

Tagged juni fisher, marty robbins

Sing to me

Posted on December 8, 2008 | 8 comments

Or, behind the scenes in the process of choosing a project.

The new yarn (Crystal Palace Taos) is being a bit difficult. It’s lovely stuff, very soft, and the colors are beautiful. But I’m still not sure what to knit with it. Nothing is singing to me.

At first I thought a bit of feather and fan would be fun. I’ve always wanted to knit a feather and fan lace pattern, and Two Weeknights with Warrick looked like it would be perfect. Great pattern, easy to memorize. Alas, it doesn’t do justice to the yarn. I’ll knit this pattern with a different yarn somewhere down the road.

So I cast on for the checkerboard scarflet. But the checkerboard was getting lost in the color changes, or the color changes were getting lost in the checkerboard. I’m not sure which.

I poked around on Ravelry to see what other people made with this gorgeous yarn. A lot of entrelac! And some mitered scarves. Aha. How about the Pioneer Braid Scarf? I cast on this morning and knit for a bit. The pattern is ingenious. Here’s what it looks like. And this is a much better depiction of the true colors.

It’s better than the first two tries, but it still doesn’t sing to me. And I’m not sure I want to knit an entire scarf right now. Tempus fugit! I’m thinking that I’ll play with some entrelac. I’d make a Quant, but the intended recipient isn’t a headband sort of person. On the other hand, I’m not sure she’d use the entrelac item I have percolating in my mind, either. But at least I’d get a design out of the yarn. If I do it. What I thought would be a straightforward project, isn’t. Le sigh.

Well, the yarn isn’t singing to me yet, but I was singing yesterday! The Day Old Pastries, my folkie group, played and sang carols at our church Advent Festival in the afternoon. From there I went to sing with the Everyone Welcome Community Choir at Artichoke Music, and that was a blast. Here’s a clip of one of my favorite songs from yesterday, Siyahamba. It’s South African (Zulu). Enjoy!

8 Comments

Posted in Day Old Pastries, Knit, music, pattern design, ravelry

Tagged Knit, singing, siyahamba, taos yarn

Moving right along…

Posted on November 29, 2008 | 9 comments

Moving right along…

I finished the third purple afghan square, the Twirly Square. It does look better with fewer rounds of stockinette and reverse stockinette. More chances to alternate! I found out that Anne lives just a few blocks from me, so that will be an easy drop-off. It’s a small world.

I think I finished the left front for Hey, Teach. I don’t have the back with me to make sure they’re exactly the same number of rows, so nothing is bound off. That’s what stitch holders are for! I’m going to use a three needle bind off for the shoulders anyway, so I won’t bind off until assembling.

Where am I? Here’s a hint.

I love this statue; it’s all rounded and smooth and chunky, too. It went up several years ago and was a source of bemusement for the family, but I think it’s cool. Do you know where it lives?

He looks a bit chilly this morning. Maybe next time I’ll bring him a hand knit scarf. And fingerless gloves. And socks! I’d have to enlist some help getting him accessorized, though; the horse is pretty tall.

Other fun: I’ve joined the Everyone Welcome Community Choir for six weeks. This was an outgrowth of the harmony singing class I took in October and November; the teacher is the director of the choir. We’re singing at a benefit concert at/for Artichoke Music at 5 pm on Sunday, December 7. If you’re in PDX and looking for something cool to do, come on over! The music is interesting, lots of world music. My favorite songs so far have been from South Africa.

Enjoy your weekend!

9 Comments

Posted in Knit, music, travel

Tagged charity knit, hey teach, Knit

At loose ends

Posted on November 6, 2008 | 7 comments

That’s how I feel, now that my Central Park Hoodie and the related Checkerboard Scarflet from the leftover yarn and buttons are done. I finished writing the pattern for the Checkerboard Scarflet, and Marie was kind enough to look it over for me. I’ve incorporated most of her suggestions, and the pattern is now available through Ravelry download/PayPal for $4.

I have another scarflet on the needles, the mindless log cabin blanket, and a secret holiday-related project, but no sweater. I’m antsy. Apparently I’ve become accustomed to bigger projects, and feel bereft without a sweater in progress.

What to do?

I think I’m going to have to make Hey, Teach. I even bought yarn for it. The pattern calls for four skeins of this yarn, and I hope it doesn’t need more, because this is all they had in this color at Yarn Garden. I usually have to shorten garments, so for once in my life, the fact that I’m not tall and willowy should work in my favor. At least the not tall part, anyway. 😉

The music behind the yarn is what I’m working at the piano. Which means not often lately! It’s from Valses Poeticos by Enrique Granados. Granados has usurped Mozart’s place in my affections, at least temporarily.

What else is going on? I’ve been taking a harmony singing class at the local community college. Just for fun! The day after the class started, the local paper had a feature on the teacher, Anne Weiss. Sweet! It’s been a great class, but it’s only four sessions and next week is the last one. I’ve been using my Zoom H2 digital recorder to record the songs we sing, and it’s been great to have those recordings for practice. I’ve loaded them onto my iPod, and there’s always a song running through my head these days.

7 Comments

Posted in Knit, music, pattern design, piano, ravelry

Tagged anne weiss, checkerboard scarflet, granados, hey teach, Knit, Zoom H2

A little help from our friends…

Posted on August 29, 2008 | 5 comments

Who doesn’t need a little help sometimes?

It’s crunch time at Sharon’s house. Her daughter is leaving for college this weekend, and the longtime UFO (unfinished object) needs to be finished so it can go with her! I had offered to knit the i-cord handles for her; one of them came with me on vacation, but the second had to wait for a yarn infusion, so I knit it last week when I came home. Yesterday, I felted the bag for her.

I love how this bag turned out. Sharon is a genius with color. I wish I had taken a picture before I felted it, but yesterday was a bit crunchy here, too, between work and a meeting last night. There’s a picture of it in this previous post, unfinished; you can get an idea of how much it shrank. I opted for firm but not too tight. If Sharon would like it to be stiffer, it can go back in the washer for a bit more time. There’s a fine line there; the colors wouldn’t be quite as brilliant if it were felted down a lot more. Voice of experience; I’ve made at least four of them! I’ve lost count…

Who’s Zooming who(m)?

I just got an early birthday present. It’s a digital recorder, the Zoom H2.

My new laptop doesn’t record piano as well as my old one did, but my old one takes 10 minutes to fully boot up, and the hard drive is nearly full. I’ve been wanting a Zoom for a while (they’re highly recommended on the piano forums), and a birthday is a perfect opportunity. It will be great for recording piano for online recitals, practice feedback, and Kid2’s school concerts. Also, I sing with a group of friends; it’s guitar and mandolin and a lot of fun. We’re the Day Old Pastries, a bit crusty but fresh enough! We’re getting together this evening, and it will be instructive to know what we really sound like, since we’re playing on Sunday!

I dinked around with the Zoom last night, and it’s easy to set up, easy to use. I listened to playback, and it’s really clear. Thumbs up!

5 Comments

Posted in Day Old Pastries, Knit, music, piano, Uncategorized

Tagged entrelac, felting, Knit, Zoom H2