Food for the Sole

It's amazing what you can blame on the lack of light, for example, my newest purchase:

Liuba Boot by Lamica (never heard of this brand but I think it's German, though the boots are made in Italy). There's not much about the company online. I got mine at Browns

In truth, I have been wanting to get a new pair of boots - not "winter-weight", but chic and leather - for as long as I can remember. For years I've rotated through pairs of the ubiquitous Franco Sarto Scala stretch boot. Those don't last more than 2 years but they're compatible with just about any outfit and, cuz they're not leather (though designed to look like it), they're durable in most weather (though not snow). Note: The Scalas are not as shiny as that link photo would have you believe, but definitely get them in brown rather than black (to minimize the fakeness).

Here's the thing. Fake leather is not my bag, but I have exceedingly narrow calves. Lots of peeps will tell you about the misery of not being able to buy boots because their calves are so prominent or thick but it's just as hard (in terms of shopping for knee-high boots that look good) for the skinny-calved among us. Look, I'm not saying that slender calves are harder in general, just in terms of finding well-fitted knee boots. And every pair I've ever found that's fit (and that's about 5 over the last 10 years, not that I bother much) has cost a living fortune.

Because the Sartos work so adequately (though I'm paying $200 bucks for fake leather aka practically plastic), I've been lulled into a state of inertia.  They really do fit my calf perfectly and they fall nicely. However, the Scala really doesn't jibe with my "buy quality" philosophy. Don't misunderstand, the boot is fine (till the surface eventually scratches off on the inner ankle and you can actually see fabric underneath???), fine enough that I've owned many pairs.

A knee boot with beautiful slouch is a non-negotiable staple, from my perspective. It reminds me of the terrific offerings of the late 60s and 70s. My mother had a pair and I thought they were so elegant. A slouchy knee-boot goes perfectly with short skirts, long skirts, jeans (wide or narrow), pants of all stripes. I mean, in a zillion years I wouldn't wear fake fur. So why I'm wearing plastic at the age of 42 is beyond me.

Today I went to Browns, which is having a fairly good sale (esp. for pre-Xmas), to rectify the situation. I knew I wouldn't get off cheap, but I hoped I'd at least find something that would fit for less than the usual $600. (Sidebar: Why there's a proportional relationship between narrow boot shafts and expense is beyond me. I mean, shouldn't the wider shafts, which require more leather, be the ones to cost more??)

The Liuma called to me. The colour is fantastic. It's the shade of brandy, seriously, and the photos above don't do it justice. Furthermore, while they could be narrower (the very widest part of my calf has a circumference of 13.5"), there's no visible gap between my leg and the boot. (Can't tell you what a hideous look that is, IMO.) And the leather is a supple, Italian calfskin that, I sense, will crease and wear beautifully. Sure, this purchase wasn't cheap (after tax they came to $340 on sale), but I wear the Sartos, on average, 4 days a week for 8 months of the year and every time I put them on I regret that I'm wearing plastic.

What you can't see in the photos, and the ones I found online don't really show this off to good effect, is that there's a cognac leather insert that runs up the back on either side of the seam (above the ankle), that both defines the shape of the ankle and provides a rich design element.

So, today's questions are these: Do you like my new boots?? (Leading question, I realize...) Do you struggle with this shape of boot either because your calves are thinner or thicker than average? Have you heard of this brand and can you enlighten me about its origins? Have you worn the Sartos and, if yes, what are your thoughts about them? Let's talk...

Part Blue Sky, Part Mushroom

I actually think this thing is coming around:

Not to jump the gun, but my sense is this the scarf will not turn out to be overly open-knit (hallelujah).

It seems that short rows play a role in just about every knitting project you can imagine. Here, there are 4 short rows between Rows 1 and 2 and a repeat pattern of 6 full rows. Those short rows are like little wedges on the upper scarf (the outside curve part that looks a bit ruffle-y - cuz it is!).

I sense this is about half way finished (given how much yarn I have left).

I actually think the progression of colours is quite lovely. It's somehow like a cozy scarf and a miserable winter day, all at the same time.

What do you think so far? Do the colours appeal to you? Is it a weird shape, as far as you're concerned? Do tell...

My House Smells Like Christmas

Yesterday afternoon, which is to say "at approximately 5 pm when it had already been dark for some time", I found myself in the florist, binge buying just about every (gorgeously fragrant) seasonal offering I could get my hands on.

We might call this the season Kristin spent money cuz if it's not a cab (I usually do not indulge this kind of expensive laziness but I'm tired), then it's a something from Etsy or a yarn or vegan mousse that costs 5 dollars for 3 tablespoons or presents for Xmas or a Yumalite (on the wacky end of my purchase spectrum but the lack of daylight is making me crazy and I just can't take it lying down this year).

My haul included a lovely fir wreath (for inside):

This isn't this wreath's final home - and it's certainly not an artful shot, but I was trying to manage 15 things at the same time so it will have to do...

 And these lusciously intense, tomato-red winterberries:

I also got a near-to-bloom paperwhite plant for my room (with an adorable green ceramic pot), some eucalyptus and some other berries (larger, more muted, droopier and on a leafy stem), the name of which I don't know.

I'd probably have bought more but that's all I could carry.

Don't worry, tomorrow's another day.

Not Making This A Habu

Have you read Linda's blog? I only just discovered it and, so far, I seem to be very impressionable, as far as it's concerned. For instance, Linda recently wrote about this chic (read: very cool, NYC-meets-Japanese, not inexpensive) yarn boutique, Habu Textiles. Of course, I was intrigued. Then I checked out the link (suggestion: just don't click). And now I own these:

These safety pins don't have the "collar" that catches yarn when you use them as either stitch markers or holders for wrapped yarn when doing Japanese short rows.

This shawl pin should work nicely to affix the Sisika Scarf. It's about 2 inches long. Very light.

Yeah, some more variegated yarn. I guess I'm going through some kind of phase...

Here's what you need to know:

• The parcel arrived rather quickly and well-packaged.

• The shawl pin, while lovely, cost way too much money for what it is - essentially a safety pin. I don't care if it is light and sleek. Really, it shouldn't have cost more than 9 bucks, IMO.

• The yarn - and I wish I'd known this before ordering cuz it sure isn't clearly (or otherwise, as far as I can tell) indicated on the website - is actually Malabrigo. Um, practically everything they sell is "Habu brand and made". How is it that I managed to get the only thing they don't make? I could have bought Malabrigo in 5 shops within 5 kilometers of where I live. I didn't need to source it from hipster-expensive-land USA?! Look, I've been wanting to try Malabrigo, as it happens. Everyone's always on about how terrific it is. But getting it like this seems vaguely disappointing. 

• The yarn does not look variegated on the website. I did call the shop to find out if it was variegated (other yarns in the series are) and I was told yes, but only extremely mildly. Turns out that everyone's interpretation of extremely mild is extremely different. I think this stuff is crazily variegated. So much so that the old me - she of 2 weeks ago - would have freaked out and resold this on Ravelry. The new me is all: I use variegated yarn and I'm down with it as long as it looks cool and intentional as opposed to, say, natural.

• Ain't no way this yarn is treated. It's pure merino and it feels much less soft and drapey, at least prior-to-washing and on the skein, than any superwash I've ever bought. This is yet another thing I'm going to have to develop an appreciation for. Mind you, I suspect it will actually hold its freakin' shape. And if I choose the right project, it could work out very well. (Intriguingly - and I'll tell you soon about some cashmere that I bought in early fall - untreated cashmere is about 8 zillion times softer and more luscious than merino any day, she says with practically no experience of either.)

• Habu is happy to offer you a 5% discount on all regular-priced yarn BUT, if you order anything else with the yarn order (and ask me how I know) the yarn discount is rescinded. What the fuck? When's the last time you were penalized for spending more??

On balance, gotta say this shop isn't going to be on my regular go-to list of yarn vendors. I may well order from there again, if I actually find a Habu-made yarn that I desperately want, or if I need some kind of specialized product (like the safety pins) that are hard to find elsewhere, but I'm going to exhaust all other options first. The service I received was not bad. The product I purchased is not inferior. But I really didn't get the experience I signed up for.

Discomfort Zone

Meet Exhibit A (the partially complete Sisika Scarf using Amitola yarn by Louisa Harding):

The theory is that eventually I'm going to it's going to look like this:

So, in addition to taking on a project using nubby, variegated, untreated aka "mega natural" yarn that contains my bugbear, silk - the scarf also appears to be asymmetrical (vaguely visible in the pic above, much more visible in the pic of my partially-finished version). Why don't we just get me a spinning wheel and call it a day?

OMG, it's like I took my every fibre-fear and put it together in one project. This is the spider's nest of knitting and I'm apparently in flooding therapy.

Allow me to articulate my concerns:

• The yarn (which is knit from two skeins, simultaneously, in a double strand) appears to have different textures as it blends into different colours (see the uniformly grey part with the halo).

• Though I tried to start the skeins on the same shade (and chose similarly coloured balls, as directed, with similar colouring), somehow - you can see - it hasn't worked out. I've got charcoal blending with camel and it shows no sign of abating.

• Also, how freakin' long is it going to take to get to the pretty blue colour I was certain would make a meaningful appearance?? I want this to look like a clear sky strung with clouds. Right now it looks a bit, um, fungal.

• I'm working on a size 10US needle. Yeah, each strand of yarn appears to be approximately fingering weight but, according to what I've read, each strand knits up like DK-weight and so 2 strands, one assumes, would rightly knit on a larger needle - though 10US is a gateway to the ridiculously large sizes. Mind you, it's uncomfortable knitting above an 8US. Everything gets clunky. And this thing is so whimsical. How can I knit on indelicate needles??

• The outcome of knitting rather thin yarn on rather thick needles is that the yarn takes on an open-knit look. I LOATHE open-knit. I mean, lace-work will pass, on occasion, but I cannot stand it when you can see through stockinette. So I am working mindfully to keep it together. It appears that the only needle size I don't own (below a 10US) is a 9US. Which is unfortunate. And I'm not about to start fussing with this. Unknitting this yarn, in its double strand, would be an exercise in futility, I imagine. So it's onward and upward, with as much tension as I can bring to the stitches without compromising what I hope will be some beautiful drape.

Why I took this on in the first place:

• My Ravelry projects page looks like a study in cerise and blue. In truth, there are many shades going on in my knitting - if linked to the same general level of saturation - but they don't really seem different from one another in the photos. Blame your computer screen. That's what I do. So, to rectify this, I decided to mush all the greys, beiges and blues into one skein :-) Yeah, I know, this isn't entirely the most earth-shattering departure from my norm, but I don't want to be so far from it that I can't get with the finished item. I wear the things I like.

• All of these great first-wave knitters are on about natural yarn and working with it to produce beautifully textured results. I don't know how much I like texture, but how will I ever know if I don't try?

• I have a knack for understanding how something will drape or fall. I can tell how it's going to be, simply by touching the fabric or yarn. Often, I can also tell by looking at a photo of a finished object (not the surest technique, but if it works for bra-shopping sight unseen, it generally works for everything else). I can't explain it but, if there's one natural talent I have when it comes to knitting and sewing, it's this: I commune with the fibre or textile in question and it tells me what to do. I realize this sounds ridiculous but it's actually exquisite to experience. This yarn (along with the Amitola look book), totally spoke to me. And I go with my gut. Of course, if this thing is a wretched failure, I'll have to revisit my perspective on my skill set, but till then, I'm gonna keep on.

So, whatcha think - hideous so far or kind of nice? Do you have hope for this scarf? Does its naturalness creep you out? What are your special, secret sewing or knitting or crafting talents?

Christmas Crafting: The Madeline Cowl and How I'm Shopping This Season

Somewhere between a cowl and a shawl, this quick-knit is a good gift:

I should have positioned this off-centre but it didn't happen. Try to imagine it.

Madeleine Cowl by Teresa Chorzepa

This 50-row, 133 stitch project took 2 evenings. Then I wet blocked it and dried it using blocking wires to stabilize the shape (another day and a half). Then I spent 10 minutes seaming it up. You could easily make 5 of them before Xmas and they do look chic / serve a valuable function.

While I swore that I wouldn't be making any gifts this Xmas - in light of my commitment to conserve energy - I have busy-knit a bunch of things that seem better suited to friends or family. This is one of those items. I sense it will be wonderful on Hilary. How fortunate that she is having her traditional (and very exclusive - just our two families) tree-trimming party tomorrow, wherein gifts may be exchanged. I'm trying to resist baking something for that gathering, but I don't know how I can go to a Christmas-themed event without turning up like the treat Santa. I did find some perfect hand-made ornaments for the kids on Etsy, from CarynBay's shop. The arms are made of actual twigs?!

Not only did I say I wouldn't make or bake stuff, I've also committed not to shopping in stores this year. Partly, I just can't stand the crowds. Partly, it takes too much energy. Partly, I'm afraid of germs. By the time I go to work, I really don't have much left over.

Now, I have had to go into stores for a couple of items I couldn't get online (absurdly), but I was able to roll that "real" shopping into lunch.

I've had a steady parade of parcels arriving from all over the world since the middle of October. Seriously, it takes 3 minutes to buy a present online and then YOU get a present when it arrives at your door. It's two-times a gift.

I can't list everything right now (people might see!, also, it would take too long) but I have purchased just about anything you can think of, mainly on Etsy, but on a variety of other online boutiques also.  It's hard to say if I've saved any money. Surely, not going out to the shops has minimized my opportunities for holiday lunching in expensive restaurants. Mind you, since I can't pleasure-eat or -drink, it's just as well I don't have to push off that associative experience. These days, I'm trying to associate online Xmas shopping with coffee or tea. Yeah, it's not working so well.

One great thing about the online shopping is that, if you opt for pre-wrapping, you can send the gift directly to an out-of-town recipient. It's not as personal as I'd like, but then neither is not seeing someone you're getting a gift for at Xmas dinner.

There is one trick to online shopping - and Xmas crafting, for that matter. You have to start early. Happily, it takes very little actual effort (just thought and skill), and it's utterly comfortable to shop from your own home. But if you wait much longer, it's not going to be an option. Many vendors have already indicated that the end of next week is the deadline for things that can be expected to arrive before Xmas eve.

It's never been a better time to buy online for that person who crafts - I mean, other than you! :-)

• You can find beautiful yarn at WEBS.
• Check out this washi tape. (Kids who love to "duck tape" craft are so into this.)
• Colette Patterns has put together some lovely sewing-related gifts.
• Give a Craftsy course.
• Or, for your fibre-craft friends, gift a pattern from Ravelry. (This can be complicated if you don't know Ravelry or knitting, so do be sure to ask for help if you need it.)
• Buy a great book like this new knitting offer or this terrific sewing reference. (Honestly, anyone who buys books any way other than online is insane. You save an average of 40 percent on the list price and heavy items are delivered, generally within two days, to your front door.)

So, let me turn it over to you: How are you approaching gift-giving this season? Do you love or hate to online shop? Are you crafting for others and, if yes, what are you making?? Can you recommend a great online gift?

Teaser

I do intend to post some pics of me in the excellently flattering (dare I say it myself) Bettie's Pullover. Alas, it may be a while, so I didn't want to leave you hanging:

At this point, it would be more prudent (and time saving) to buy a new dress form than to keep reminding you that the dress form shape is not mine. Alas, who has 2 thousand bucks to throw at a custom form?

While I'm disinclined to mention this, because the overall impact of the garment is rather impressive, I really fucked up on about 8 of the Japanese short row wrap pick ups. Given that there were approximately 100 and I had no idea of what I was doing, until the end really, I think I did alright. I know that, were I to make this garment again, it would go quite a bit faster and definitely it would be easier - not to mention that it would have a fighting chance at being visible-error-free. Nonetheless, that isn't going to happen. Once is enough.

Ordinarily I would not accept any errors, but I really didn't have a choice. What I've come to realize is that, on a very steep learning curve, you can only process so much, rip back so much, accomplish so much before you become utterly overwhelmed and throw the thing in the "finish someday, maybe" pile. My primary goal is to learn, so sometimes I sacrifice perfectionism for a completed object. I learned far more in finishing this sweater than I ever would have if I'd tried to perfect it too. As it is, the knitting took well over 100 hours, probably close to 200. To perfect (and I really didn't get it till I'd done it, keep in mind), I'd have to rip it back now and start half way back. I'd rather apply my hard-won expertise to a new item.

I'm going to figure out how to minimize the look of the errors, by adjusting them on the wrong side. Having said this, when I've worn it, twice this week already, people have been nothing but complimentary - and not in a "good job for a home crafter" way. That's the power of good fit, peeps.

A word on the yarn: The colour is awesome and the wool incredibly soft and adequately halo free. This is Debbie Bliss DK, which I've used before to good effect. I should say, now that I've lived the Debbie Bliss sweat(er) shop, I only intend to knit with the Rialto Chunky, DK and Baby Cashmerino in the future. And I'm likely to give the brand a rest for a good while, because it's nice yarn but - in the crazy, treated, superwash category - I'm loving Zara more.

Thoughts?