4.26.2007

Knitting With All the Windows Open

Spring came, unapologetically, and I've been doing my darnedest to enjoy it while I can. In New York, if you don't look hard, you'll miss the Spring altogether, and I'm not looking forward to having to employ my air conditioner in order to knit. (I'll do it, but grudgingly.)

So I've thrown open all the windows and spent the week enjoying sunlight and the fresh smelling air and zoning out on some mindless knitting. Night after night its been stripe after stripe of Noro and you know what? It's been wonderful. I'm finishing up my fourth ball of yarn and I'm still happy watching the colors change both inside (in my knitting) and outside (spring!). Not to mention the million-dollar light that has been pouring in through the windows every afternoon.

In many cases I'd consider this a knitting lull, but it isn't. When I need something more than meditative, I've got my new sweater at the ready, although that too is growing organically and without hurry.

My New Sweater


The sweater you see here is (the start of) Scott from RYC Classic Winter. The pattern is pretty fussy, in my opinion, so I'm making some pretty broad simplifications (mine will be completely seamless, and as a result, so much less stressful). Some super-soft, chunky colorwork in nice muted colors is just what the doctor ordered for relaxing window-side on the couch. And for the record, the yarn is as light as air.

I'm sure it's just a matter of time before the intensity will kick back up again, but for now I'm gonna zen-out with my needles and relax. Have a great weekend.

34 comments:

  1. Oh, you're finally starting Scott! You'll look great in that design!

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  2. Ohh! I'm excited to watch this one develop. Love the colors. You do such beautiful work.

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  3. I've seen Scott on your To Do list for a while and am happy you're getting started! :) It looks like a comfy, beautiful sweater.

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  4. i love the new muted tones!!

    sad to hear about having to use your A/C though...being that we are still in an earth day state of mind over here...definitely enjoy not having to use it while you can.

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  5. I'm excited about this sweater - I want to make on for my bro. I'll be watching to see how you do it! Good luck!

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  6. Lovin' it, both the sweater and the weather. I've been staring at your Noro a bit too long too...I thought after drooling over Adrian's (HelloYarn) that I could suck it up and get past it; hasn't been working too well.

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  7. Looking good! As usual, love the photography!

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  8. The sweater is looking great and, like you, I'm loving the newly found freedom of being able to open all of the windows in the house. It gets rid of some of the winter staleness and smelling the fresh air while listening to the birds outside is like an instant meditative drug.

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  9. Ooh, I like that sweater. It's going to be gorgeous.
    And by the way, many thanks for providing a link to the photo. The guy. The model. Wearing the sweater. Sigh.

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  10. Be VERY careful knitting with the window open. With all that yarn around, birds will swoop in and grab it to make their nests!
    Scott's nice.

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  11. Spring has sprung in Germany as well, and you're right: there's nothing quite as lovely as knitting with all the windows open.

    Scott looks wonderful, and the yarn is such a great color!

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  12. The sweater (and your beginings) are beautiful, that color is so lovely...it comes across on my screen as a putty. Really nice.

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  13. Sounds like THE life! Enjoy :)

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  14. did you ever see the seinfeld episode master of my domain ? well ... not to be as crude ... but, i don't plan on turning on my AC until unbearable has hit unliveable ! i live in NC. it's already quite warm. not to mention, in my part of the state, there's rarely a breeze (unless there is a tornado).
    and i sit here now, at my keyboard, and it's a balmy 87* indoors. the hot weather hasn't even hit yet. so, just let me know when you do turn on your AC. for me, it's kind of a game. the game of "i'm so not ready for those big power bills!". because, once you turn on the AC, there's no going back until the late fall. and, that's A LOT of yarn money =)

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  15. Dude. I love your taste in yarns.

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  16. Simply beautiful sock, so far! And great photo.

    Asaknitter
    www.knittingnutter.com

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  17. Have fun zenning out.
    I feel relaxed just reading about it.
    And that muted green in the colourwork? Muted is the word. Subtle and beautiful.

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  18. can't wait to see Scott when it's done. i was trying to admire it, but my partner saw me scroll past the noro scarf pictures and kept making me go back to that post, and i think in order to read the Scott post, i promised to start a noro scarf. oops.

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  19. Woo! You're on a roll. That will be another fantastic sweater! Enjoy the weather, and please send some of that warmth up the coast to Canada will you? We had one really warm day this week, and the rest...uh, not so much.

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  20. You have a great weekend too! Hope the infernal NYC summer is a while away, but just in case: knit fast!

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  21. i know what it feels like to just want to zone out and not think for a minute or two. i do that with the body of my sweaters usually. this yarn looks so soft though! i can't wait to see yours finished. i need to make another sweater for my husband. he's coming home from iraq by january *crosses fingers* so that gives me awhile to find a pattern i like.

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  22. You have a great weekend too!

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  23. I am such a lurker on your blog. You are such a talented knitter. I read your whole blog in one day. It was like reading a magazine. All of your projects were outstanding. I love the stitch definition. I am looking foward to continue reading your post. I miss Brooklyn, it's my home! Have a great weekend too!

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  24. Hey BT. Always a lovely choice of projects. I'd be interested in knowing how you changed the pattern...

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  25. Love the sweater, love the scarf with Noro... Nice to hear your thoughts about this yarn, since I have a couple of them, and didnt knit yet.... I was also cought by the colors.... have a nice weekend...
    Paty Ballarin

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  26. I was taking a walk through a wonderful forest of knitting blogs and I am very happy to find yours. It is kind of like stumbing upon a rare flower or mushroom. Exquisite! Thank you for being out there. I'll be back...

    Sarah

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  27. I swear... I don't know how you do it, but every time I look at one of your photographs of yarn I literally salivate. They take my breath away!

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  28. just lovely as usual.

    i have a few questions about your 'raspy.' i'm wanting to cast on, but i too want to omit the dropped stitches - did you just k2tog whenever you came to the sts you were supposed to drop? also, i'm hesitant about the neckline and how both the front and back are the exact same height. i don't mind the boat neck design (though your crew neck is fabulous, i know i would feel stangled by it) but i don't want it to bunch up or bother me. any tips on how to modify the neck shaping or height to combat that?

    alright, off to scroll through your flickr for more inspiration!!

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  29. Bravo on the simplifying! That sweater is going to be gorgeous.

    Sarah-Hope
    www.whatifknits.com

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  30. I'm coming to New York soon. Where do I absolutely have to go (LYS wise)?

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  31. Is there anything that you can't make look absolutely georgous??? I love those colors.

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  32. Have you got any idea why Rowan knocks itself out to convert what should be in-the-round patterns for traditional garments (ganseys, Fair Isles, etc.) into back-and-forth patterns that have to be converted back? Their directions, if followed, take twice as much time for the same result.

    Is it the snobbish and inaccurate notion that in-the-round is for peasants, and that there are no peasants among their customers?

    I just don't get it, do you?

    EZ began publishing her own patterns when a US magazine converted some clear and simple in-the-round instructions to back-and-forth. You'd think that part of the designer's prerogative would deciding which method best suits the design.

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  33. Looking great so far! Love this yarn, it definately is light as air. Working the sweater seamlessly will get rid of all those headaches I will be experiencing (if I ever get back to it)!

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  34. I'd like to knit with the windows open, but unfortunately due to years of neglect, our wood-frame windows no longer open and shut. The alternative is to move outside and fight with the mosquitoes. (I'm in Saskatchewan, where we have three seasons: winter, dust and mosquito.)
    Just found your blog through Prime Time Knitter- I'll be back.

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