THIS is Love...or "What I Knitted on Christmas Vacation"

Remember this? (Last week's Eye Candy Friday photo)...
If you didn't guess, it's Tom Baker's famous scarf from Doctor Who! Chris is a big fan of The Doctor, and asked me, one fine fall day, if I'd make him a copy of The Scarf. Being the adorable, wonderful husband he is, how could I refuse him? Plus, it meant I got to buy lots of yarn without the guilt (it wasn't for ME, after all). All good.

It HAD to be authentic, or what's the point? So we did some research and found http://www.doctorwhoscarf.com/, where you can read the history of the scarf favored by the fourth Doctor (for those familiar with the show -- if you're not, I can't really help, since I've never been that much into it myself), learn about its different iterations, AND find patterns for each one (every season featured a different scarf). You can also buy Doctor Who scarves there, but Chris wanted one knitted with my own little paws. And, of course, it has plenty of Maggie and Katja knitted in for good luck.

SO, I searched again to find just the right yarn at a good price, and finally settled on KnitPicks' Telemark. I have to say, here, that I really do love this yarn. It's a sportweight 100 percent wool yarn with a crisp feel -- not too itchy, just the right amount of wooliness. And the color range is fab.

When the package came, I dove excitedly into the project. Sixty stitches on US#6 needles. Lots of color changes. Lots of rows. All in garter stitch. ALLLLLL in garter stitch.... My God, what a long stretch of knitting that was! It actually took me about two-and-a-half months because: (A) I needed to take breaks from the tedium, and (B) I finished several other projects during the same period.

Don't get me wrong...it wasn't unpleasant knitting. Sometimes it was boring, but it was the PERFECT project to work on while watching DVDs in the evenings. That scarf saw many, many Poirots, Rumpoles, Jeeves & Woosters, and other fantastic BBC productions.

For us, since we chose not to give Comcast any more money than absolutely necessary, Netflix has become a continual source of pleasure: Our own line-up of British television. Exquisitely funny (at times), beautifully filmed (mostly), bitterly sarcastic (which we both love). TV as ONLY the British can make it. I despair of US television programming, with only a few exceptions.

ANYWAYZZZ....Come January, the end was in sight. I had knitted about 13 feet of garter stitch. Working harder, knitting faster -- then, one night I wove in the final end. There were TONS of ends to weave in. While I finished the last few rows and final end weaving, Chris cut and organized the yarn for the fringe (honestly, has there ever been a better husband???), which I applied late that evening.

The next day, Friday, was the coldest day (so far) of the winter. Like a little boy on Christmas morning, Chris pulled out the vintage men's Harris Tweed coat I bought in college (for $5!!!) and wrestled with the scarf for a few minutes (hey, this thing is HEAVY). He donned his hat and the fingerless gloves I made for him last year. Ready for work, he paused for a few minutes so I could snap this:
Now, is he the cutest thing ever, or what???

********************************************************

Pattern: Season 12 Doctor Who Scarf from www.doctorwhoscarf.com
Needles: US#6 Addi Turbo circular (24")
Yarn: KnitPicks Telemark in Burlap, Grey Wolf, Aubergine, Lichen, Chestnut, Bayberry, and Pesto (approx. 4 balls of each)
Final measurements: I was simply too exhausted to bother. But here's a visual aid (this is a double bed--the scarf is spread from the foot to the pillows and back again without any stretching at all):
Yep. This is love. And I LOVE it!

THIS is Love...or "What I Knitted on Christmas Vacation"

Eye Candy Friday: Pure Bliss

Just imagine...

This is my favorite picture of ALL TIME...I don't remember where I found the photo. I've been "carrying it around" with me for years, using it as wallpaper.

PS. This tiny little piece of paradise is in Sri Lanka.

Eye Candy Friday: Pure Bliss

EYE CANDY FRIDAY!

Rug? Blanket? Knitted snail? What IS this, you may wonder...

This photo may or may not be eye candy to you...but it's like chocolate-dipped, dark-chocolate truffles with hot fudge on top to MY eyes.

I'll tell you why soon. Promise.

EYE CANDY FRIDAY!

Eye-Candy Friday (and Comcast woes)

Well, it's now January 19th, and I've had Internet access for about four days this month. Not once, but twice, our cable was literally cut (by a Comcast contractor or someone in the building). And to make matters worse, the building is getting an extremely "weak signal." Ugh. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent dealing with this.

Hopefully I'll have fully functioning Internet access soon. And hopefully no one will go back into the cable room and slice our wire a third time.

Meanwhile, it's EYE CANDY FRIDAY!

Enjoy....
(c) Hannah Six, 2006

PS. Click on the photo and admire the GORGEOUS curves in the shingles!

Eye-Candy Friday (and Comcast woes)

New Year's Monkey...Um, Resolution...

In the year 2007 I resolve to: Spam a monkey a day. Get your resolution here.

New Year's Monkey...Um, Resolution...

Winter's Deep Silence

"I only write when I'm inspired, and I make sure I'm inspired every day at 9 a.m."
--Peter DeVries.

After more than six weeks of silence (Sorry!!!), I'm finally writing again. I don't feel particularly inspired, but I know (from writing for a daily newspaper) that if you wait to feel inspired, you could be waiting an awfully long time. That's why DeVries' comment resonates with me.

So...Christmas and New Year's celebrations have come and gone.


As has the Winter Solstice--the most important event in December, to me, anyway.

Full moon in downtown D.C., December 2006, through a bamboo shade.

I can already tell that the sun is slightly higher in the sky, that we have a few more minutes of daylight in the evenings. And I can feel my spirits lifting. I love the sun, love the light. Winter is very difficult for me. I wish I could be more like those people who yearn for "long dark evenings of knitting, reading, and sipping hot chocolate in front of the fire." But we don't have a fireplace, and I don't like that many hours of darkness. Different strokes, right?

Katja, meditating. Obviously, I'm not the only one in the house who enjoys the sun.

Here I am, now, ready to pick up where I left off. Knitting important to me, but so is writing. When I don't write, I don't feel well. This year, I want to focus more on my creative writing, something that tends to fall by the wayside as I try to earn a living.

I also want to focus more on knitting fun projects, more garments, fewer gifts (I know that sounds selfish, but so be it). Money is frequently tight, so I forego the pleasure of making sweaters for myself and for Chris, and spend lots of time knitting small projects. But that's starting to bring me down. So I'm going to save my yarn dollars and spend them on fewer--but larger--projects.

Speaking of projects (and garments), here are some photos of the Soleil tank top I made last year. I finished it in October, but never got around to posting these...



I used Rowan Calmer, which is a joy to knit with, in that dark plummy blue. After the lace and a few rows of knitting, I switched to a smaller size so that it would be snug up top, but not at the bottom. It fits like a dream. I love it. AND, since we've had so much warm weather in DC over the past six months, I actually had a few chances to wear it before autumn set in.

Right now, I'm working on a surprise gift for my sister, and on my husband's Dr. Who scarf. Oh, my God, that thing is long. More than 1,000 rows, each one consisting of 60 stitches of DK-weight wool. All garter stitch. If it weren't for the color changes (and the fact that I love Chris overwhelmingly) it would have driven me to distraction by now.

As it is, once that scarf is done, I'm going to buy a few hunks of great yarn and make myself something special. But I don't know what, yet.

Suggestions always welcome...

Winter's Deep Silence

I'm in Yarnival! (and so is my husband...)

I woke up to the nicest surprise today: Cara wrote to tell me that Knit*Six appears in the November issue of Yarnival! AND my husband, Chris, was named "Hunk of the Month."


He's had quite a good month in terms of fame: He played with Brooks Tegler at Blues Alley (a world-famous jazz club in Georgetown), played AND did all the vocals at Brooks' Glenn Miller Tribute in Wye Mills, MD, and appeared in a photo in Jazz Times. And now this: Yarnival's Hunk of the Month. I don't know how much more of this I can handle...pretty soon he'll be running from screaming mobs of fans ;-)

But he deserves it, for putting up with this:


(The huge stash I just realized I've accumulated...I never knew I was hording so much!)

And this:

(The pile of yarn on the stereo behind "my chair.")

And this:

(The pile of yarn and mountain of needles and other knitting paraphernalia under the table between our chairs.)

Anyway, thanks, Cara, for featuring my blog! And welcome to anyone who comes browsing from www.JanuaryOne.com (I'm addicted to her blog...from knitting to social commentary, she rocks!). There's a link to it at right...

So, we spent a week in Cape May, NJ, which was absolutely wonderful and relaxing. Obviously, since this is only my second post this month...my first one in two weeks...I'm having trouble getting back in the swing of things. For example, I had a pile of editing to do (freelance writing and editing is my bread and butter), but spent the morning rooting around in my mountain of fiber and taking the pictures above. I also took this one...it's the "eat in" area in our kitchen:



Notice how there's no place to "eat in"? It's been usurped, and now I call it my studio. Thank God for windows. I couldn't have done that in our old apartment, an "English Basement" in Georgetown (think: damp, mold, ant infestations, and noisy upstairs neighbors who stomped around like elephants and used TONS of electricity and gas -- we had to pay 25% of the utilities for the house, and it was SO expensive). Jeez...thank God for more than windows, huh?

If you look in the photo above, you'll notice the umbrella swift and skeins of gorgeous yarn hanging over a drying rack. You might also glimpse and peek of the fabulous raspberry colored sock yarn on the table, next to the bag of batting. Those are all Neighborhood Fiber Company yarns: Victorian Bulky, Duplex (50% mohair/50% merino), Studio Sport and Studio Sock).

This particular batch was headed for a special customer who's starting her own knitting business in D.C. But there's plenty more where that came from. And we also sell drop spindle kits and offer spinning wheel rentals in the District. Check out our new and improved Web site!

Well, the Hunk is home from work, so I'll wrap it up for the day. It's been a long one, and I'm rambling. And, after all, tomorrow is another day...(What the Hell does that mean? Of COURSE it's another day. It's not TODAY is it? No, it's tomorrow!)

Ah. Bon soir, mes amis.

I'm in Yarnival! (and so is my husband...)

We're back - in body, if not in spirit...

Once again, Cape May was wonderful. I love the shore during the off-season months...it's lovely and melancholy, and more peaceful than any other place I can imagine.

Now I'm returning to the daily "grind" (that's a bit of an overstatement), trying to catch up and get back into the swing of things. So until I can post "for real" (I'm a perfectionist and refuse to put up a half-assed blog entry), I'll leave you with this...

We're back - in body, if not in spirit...