The Keyboard Biologist Knits

Sophie and Sophie*

2012-04-11T03:09:24Z

After a somewhat unhappy trip to the dentist, I promised my small person a treat for dealing with it so well. It is funny what sticks in the memory of my child. She has been asking me for a Sophie since I made this one for a close friend's new arrival over two years ago, not too long after she had turned two. The dentist is conveniently close to a nice yarn store, and after fortifying myself with a latte from my favorite coffee shop (also conveniently close to the dentist) we headed over to Nina and I told her that she could pick out yarn for something she'd like.

I want a pink bunny, Mama.

The color of the year is pink. I haven't really tried to influence her interest in color... but like most little girls, pink and purple have risen to the top of he list. So we picked out a nice pink washable (and even affordable) yarn. I thought she might let it go for a little while, but right after we walked in the door...

When are you going to start my bunny, Mama?

Followed by:

Mama, is that the head of the bunny?

When do you put the stuffing in the body, Mama?

Mama, you need to knit the bunny another leg. Bunnies need two legs, Mama!

Mama, how come the bunny only has one arm?

When are you going to knit the other ear, Mama? Are you working on it yet?

My bunny needs a face, Mama! My bunny needs a face!

Ms. Z has been my constant coach and task master when it comes to her Sophie. Even with all the wheedling and cajoling a very verbal 4 year old can muster I sill managed to take several months to bring Sophie to the finish line. Since handing Sophie off (she refused to give the bunny a different name) she's insisted on bringing the bunny everywhere with her. Sophie sleeps with her, she has to be belted in next to her in the car, she's been to pre-kindergarten for a day and she has had a busy life following Ms. Z around. This is the first time a hand knit toy has been so well loved by my kiddo, even if for just a short period of time. It's enough to make a Mama think that maybe she should get her act together and start working on that pair of striped knee socks she has the yarn for....

*My daughter's name is the Polish version of Sophie.

Forty-three going on Twenty-five

2012-03-11T18:39:06Z

It will probably come as no surprise to anyone reading her that I am a goal oriented person. This fits with my very product focused approach to craft projects (I. Want. That. Sweater. NOW!) but it also bleeds over into most everything else I do. And, truth be told, I'm pretty hard on myself (and others) when I don't accomplish exactly what I think it should be possible to do, even when my definition of possible borders on the unrealistic.

One of the other consequences of hitting my mid-40s is that it's brought me face to face with the reality that I am not getting any younger and that there are some things, if I want to do them, I have to do them now.

A big chunk of those focus on health and body image. I've decided that in my ideal world, I'd have my 43 year old brain in a 25 year old body.

Not long after John and I got married, we embarked on a personal crusade to get in shape and get to body weights that were good for us. I knew when I started trying to get pregnant that I wasn't going to hold that weight, but I never thought it was going to be challenging to get back there, either. I didn't sweat it too much after we first had Zosia because I was certain we would have another child and I didn't see the point. But after it became clear that she was gong to be our one and only I found that it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be. There were always extra kid snacks around, we didn't walk around the neighborhood or take long walks as much as we once did, our stress levels were high and a child in pre-school meant that I spent a lot of time sharing viruses and feeling sick. It was easy for me to justify all sorts of sweet treats and low activity.

The "keyboard biologist" name for this blog comes from a colleague that I worked with when I was working at a genomics company. I was making the transition from bench immunologist to informaticist and it felt like the right descriptor. I've always been interested in genetics and using genetic information to help make good health decisions. So it should be no surprise that when my husband found a good deal on 23&Me personal genomic services, that I jumped on the chance to get screened and see what my genes could tell me about my health potential*.

A couple of things stood out to me in my results. I have an elevated risk for both Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes as well as Celiac Disease**. There's a lot of high blood pressure in my family, so I've always known that I have some potential for cardiovascular disease. As a woman who had her child in her late 30s and wants to live as long and healthy life as I can, this seemed like an obvious signal that I needed to think about improving my health and changing my diet. So my personal goal is to get back to my pre-baby weight and to be more physically fit.

I can do nothing, it seems, without a reliance on electronic toys, so to help me watch my diet, I've been tracking my calories in MyFitnessPal through an App that I have on both my iPhone and iPad. I've done Weight Watchers before, but it's a lot easier to track calories than points (and it more or less amounts to the same thing) and this app has a great food database to help you figure things out -- combined with the ability to scan food package barcodes. If you tell it how much you want to lose and how much per week, it will help you identify a good calorie target. It also has a mechanism for you to track your exercise. And, of course, you can track your weight loss progress as well as your waist line and hip dimensions. So not only does this help me keep honest about what I'm eating, it satisfies my inner data junkie as well. And there are a number of studies that correlate weight loss with regular and honest food journaling. And, it has a social dimension. So if you're embarking on this journey too and would like a pal, let me know!

On the exercise side, I've been focusing mostly on aerobic activity and improving my abdominal muscles.

Finally, as I mentioned in a previous post, I've been toying with gluten-free and John and I have been reducing the wheat gluten load in our diet. It would be hard for me to say at this point that there's been any results to this, but it's a lot easier to do than I would have thought when you have access to a good grocery store. And it's been fun taste testing. I think the best outcome from this is that it reminds me to think about the value of the carbs I'm getting.

For the aerobic piece, I turn to my elliptical. I've tried gyms, but the truth is that unless I can do it at home, it just isn't going to happen regularly. I upgraded from my ancient HealthRider e370 (or some such) to a LifeFitness X1 which uses wireless technology so that you can optimize your work out by heart rate. All I can say is wow! The machine is amazing and the heart rate monitor has me so captivated that I haven't even wanted to read a book on my machine.

For the abdominals...Again, there's an App for that! I'm a big fan of "Ab Workout" and the series of other apps that go with it. They have very clear videos of the exercise and come with workout plans or randomized workouts. You can choose the length of time for the workout as well. With the paid version you can create your own customized workout from all the available exercises as well. They are not particularly high tech, but they are easy to follow.

So far, I'm pleased with my current trajectory. When I started in the middle of February, I was about 15 pounds over my ideal weight. Now I'm about 10***. I'm hoping to hit my target in June or so, at which point I plant to treat myself to some new and flattering swim wear.

And that brings us to clothes....I've been doing a great deal of thinking about those, too.

* I really encourage anyone who can afford it to do this... you'll learn something about yourself, something about human biology and a little bit about probability as well. Genes are not everything, environment also plays a role, but genes set the foundation for many things, and being aware of what your genes set the stage for is important. That said, understanding your genetic potential can have an impact on a lot of things and not everyone likes to have a glimpse at the potential future. Read carefully and make sure you're comfortable with what could show up in the results.

** When it comes to evaluating results from genetic screens, elevated risk Does NOT equal "going to get it" -- what it means is that your genetics increase the potential that this could present in the future, but that environment and personal habits can still have an impact. How much impact depends on the gene, some are more deterministic than others, but most chronic illnesses rely on more than one gene or mutation and a particular set of triggers. And in most cases we don't really understand all the genes or all the triggers.

*** This sounds more impressive than it really is since my first measurements occurred at a bloatier time of the month.

Reflections and Changes

2012-03-03T18:01:41Z

Some ways back, when I was in grad school, we had a tradition of hazing my thesis adviser on his birthday. It started on his fortieth birthday because he had promised everyone "when I turn 40, I'll mellow out". For whatever reason, I specifically remember when we helped toast (or roast as the case may be) his 43rd birthday. We gave him something framed with a list of good reasons to be 43. I think we put his phone number on signs around campus. There was cake and probably an alcoholic beverage or two. As a group whose average age was about 25 we thought we were pretty clever.

What has made this particular even so memorable for me was at the time I really thought that your 40s must be both about getting older and about having some magical wisdom to impart to others. It seemed like he knew everything and could get almost anything done. At any given time, the lab I worked in had 12-15 people employed at various levels of the scientific food chain, most working on independent projects that my thesis adviser had to impart both advice and funding for. I was always impressed with the things he knew, the way he connected ideas, the network of resource he was connected to, the fact that he always had another idea or a way to test something ready to go. And I never felt that I would be able to make that leap from grad student who couldn't think her way out of a paper bag to someone mentoring others.

Flash forward sixteen or seventeen years and I find myself in the position of celebrating my own 43rd birthday. Even though I'm not running my own lab, I'm back at a university (a place I never thought I'd be again) and I'm managing a group that all told encompasses 12-15 people. I'm the one sitting across the desk trying to help someone on my team work through an issue that they are stuck on or develop a plan of attack for something they are embarking on. Or tapping into my network to find a resource or a tool.

It is odd to think that there is nothing magical that got me to this place, and that the real thing you build up between your twenties and your forties is experience, confidence in your abilities and an overall better understanding of yourself.

The past 6 months or so have been strange for me because at the same time that I've felt like I'm truly coming into my own, I've also had this realization that I am getting older.   I'm trying to grow and improve on those things that make me feel happy with who I am and at the same time, I'm trying to make significant change in those things that I know are weighing me down.

I can remember when I defended my thesis, that my adviser made a comment about the changeability of my hair. At the time, I wasn't sure of what to make of that and didn't entirely take it in the humor with which it was meant. But looking back now, it makes me laugh because it's true. Whenever I need change, the first thing I do is attack my hair.   And what did I give myself for my 43rd birthday* this year?

Yep. Indeed. Red hair. I've always loved color in my crafting and I can't believe that it took me so long to realize that I could update me with a healthy dose of color, too. To say that I like being a red head would be an understatement.   And what could be better than hearing from Z "Oh Momma! I love your red hair!"

And the hair color is just the beginning.

*this event is about a month old now... in a rare occurrence, it made it on Twitter and Facebook before the blog

And the Winter Goes On, with Change in the Air

2012-02-26T18:46:40Z

if If you've been anywhere near Chicago this winter, you've seen Midwesterners looking up cautiously into the sky and being very suspicious of both the lack of snow and high amount of sunshine descending from it. I was born in Buffalo (NY) and have spent the better part of 4 decades worth of winters in and around the Great Lakes. February means cold, snowy and grey -- the hardest month before March starts to show the promise of spring coming soon.

Not so this year. My birthday month has been mostly devoid of snow, surprisingly sunny and with reasonably moderate temperatures (for February in Chicago). As a result, my overall optimism levels have been better and apparently that fuels my motivation levels as well. And my motivation for 2012 seems to be "It's. Time. To. Change!"

The need to change this year is focused on several places, but our house has been the most major place for me.   We've been here for 10 years and both of us agree that there's very little tat would tell you that it was our home. Not only that, it's time to simplify. Reclaim rooms for the things that they were meant for. I started with my bedroom. The goal is to remove anything that is not strictly part of what a bedroom is used for by two married adults. Out went the big TV. Out went the old clothes. Out went all my crafting tools. Out went the miscellaneous kid things. The only thing that now remains is a book case full of craft books that will have a new home as soon as activities in our office begin.

It was surprising how satisfying this purging was, to both me and my husband. We walk into the room and it feels more spacious. It's easier to keep things tidy because the things that don't belong there aren't getting in the way. And when a room is clean and open, I'm more motivated to keep it that way. And the room is inspiring. Now I can imagine the special chair that would make it perfect or the kind of curtains that belong around the balcony door. And it makes me happy just to be there. I can't wait to continue the process in our office.

The other change area has been personal. The red hair was just the start of it. I'd like to be more fit, eat better, have better rituals around taking care of our house. For a variety of reasons we're exploring a more gluten-free diet. Which is surprisingly fun because it gives us an opportunity to try new things. I've made a commitment to making sure that my elliptical machine is not lonely and that I'm doing something about the abdominal muscles I keep complaining about to myself. The side benefit (besides a more positive attitude when I look in the mirror) is that it gives me guaranteed reading time.   So I've been happily working my way through the Southern Vampire series and Sherlock Holmes. My final commitment has been to doing a better job of taking care of things. It is just as easy to hang up clothes as it is to pile them on something. Regular kitchen maintenance is easier than more significant effort every couple of days. And so on.   (I can happily recommend a little iPhone App called "Commit" if you, too are looking for help with keeping on track with this sort of thing). Developing these better habits has made me happy about my personal commitment as well as my house. What could be nicer than starting a morning with a clean kitchen when I come down to make coffee.

This monologue is pretty much my long winded way of saying: not so much crafting going on right now. Or maybe that my inspiration is being directed towards decoration.   But I've also discovered that I've been missing my blog. So I hope you'll forgive me if my posts drift away from strictly the crafty into the personal restructuring for a bit.

Winter Socks

2012-01-29T06:15:43Z

Yarn: Austerman Step 01
Pattern: My Standard Toe Up Short Row Heel Socks
Needles: US 1

Simple socks are about all you'll find on my needles right now. They can be easily knit while I watch John play Skyrim or while I am participating in a conference call or webinar where I am not a significant participant, but need something for my hands to do to keep me from checking my email and not paying attention all together. I started these socks some time ago... maybe in early 2011 when it was chilly out. Even though this yarn is a commercially dyed self-striping yarn, I'm excited about it: it's Austerman Step, the yarn that was impregnated with jojoba oil and is supposed to be moisturizing for your feet.

After Z was born, my skin when from just being sensitive to a full blown eczema*. With help from a good dermatologist and a lot of Zyrtec it's under control, but the dry Chicago winter weather is still hard on my skin, so I'm always looking for ways to make it feel better. I've never figured out whether I'm wool sensitive or not, but since most wools do amp up the itchiness factor, I've been weeding most of them out of my life in favor of the softer merinos, silk and cotton. Those fibers (except for merino) aren't common in sock yarn so I'm looking forward to seeing if this one keeps the irritation down but still gives me warm winter feet.

*I don't get rashes so much as I feel like I want to itch the top layer of skin off. And I love the irony of being an immunologist with an overactive immune system...

Triana Scarf

2012-01-24T06:42:26Z

Clearly there is no witty knitting post title today, but if you want to feel knitting witty and make friends with people you don't know, this scarf will do it for you.

Yarn: Katia Triana
Pattern: Triana Scarf
Needles: US 10

Ribbon lace yarns seem to be the new thing in novelty yarns. I am a little embarrassed to admit that there are times when I dig a dive into a big bucket of novelty. This is definitely one of them, because the results are just awesome, and I think a bit more timeless than the average fun fur scarf.

This scarf is dirt simple to make but no one around you will know unless you tell them. I made 4 of them during December -- and my schedule was not exactly filled with leisurely knitting time. This is a project where the novelty yarn does all the work for you, all you have to do pull loops through loops. The only thing challenging about making these scarves is getting a good visual for how it's done -- and Google and YouTube will be happy to provide assistance with that. It makes a great affordable last minute gift. I could probably have made 2 of these in a day if I was focused.

After knitting this up, I've been thinking what a blast this stuff would be to use to make frilly cuffs or a collar for the right sweater. Of course, by the time I get around to it, it will no longer seem fashionable any more.

I blink....

2011-12-19T02:10:26Z

and its 2012.

Wow.

And the silence of the blog might make you think that I've been doing nothing but working.

Which is sort of true.

But would leave out:

The fun I've had making pin boards over at Pinterest. I think it's my new favorite social networking site. Looking at other people's pins gives me lots of ideas.
The fact that I have a new crush on novelty ribbon yarns like Katia Triana and Trendsetter Cha Cha and that I made 4 of these scarves before New Years and have started 1 of these. The scarf is deceptively easy and is highly likely to make you the recipient's new best knitting friend. My only regret is that I gave three of them away as gifts and didn't get to photograph the whole group together.
Making play dough for the kiddo using this recipe and McCormick's so-called neon color food dyes. The small person had great fun with it.
Making 2 batches of these Double Chocolate Cookies and a batch of these very fun and extremely easy Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites -- I glitzed them up for the holidays by dipping them in sugars, nonpariels and jimmies. I tested out a molasses cookie recipe as well, but that one didn't give me the results I was looking for.
Downloading Rainmeter and customizing my computer desktop -- I can spend hours downloading skins and playing with things and not getting bored.
All the time I've spent with my elliptical

Life is fun, but I don't get as much time as I would like to document it.

I think my only goal for the new year is to get back in touch with the programmer girl... she's been AWOL for a while and I miss her.

Catkin Swatch

2011-11-07T06:19:23Z

Inspired by the Yarn Harlot, I've decided to tackle Catkin. During the winter, I spend a lot of time in turtlenecks, and my favorite way to accessorize them is with scarves and shawls. Catkin appealed to me both because of the many ways it can be worn and because I liked the way it used two colors, but seemed to keep the knitting pretty simple.

After digging through my stash (I really am still dedicated to shopping my stash for most of my projects right now) I decided that I wanted to give the Madeline Tosh Merino Light suggested by the author a chance. I selected Fathom and Glazed Pecan after looking back over my last 20 or so projects and realizing I was stuck in a magenta/burgundy colored rut. I've always loved deep sapphire/electric blues and Fathom is no exception. Glazed Pecan has something of a tarnished brass quality. Together, I think the two colors make a smashing pair.

I always think it's a good omen when the suggested needles result in a swatch of the suggested size -- so I have high hopes for Catkin being a great project. Perhaps the biggest surprise was that I actually didn't have circular needles of the suggested size. I was certain by this time I had every needle size known to knitterkind multiplied by several times.

P.S. to Claudia. Sorry to see you wrap up your blogging days. I'll miss your wit and thoughtful project consideration. Keep in touch!

So Called Scarf

2011-10-31T05:58:42Z

I'd been feeling a little guilty about not making anything for Ms. Z. So on a recent errand running excursion, I told her if she was good, we could go to the yarn store and she could pick out yarn for a scarf.

After some consideration, I guided her to the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted (because it is washable, and thus child friendly). She selected a skein in "Somerset" -- which does a wonderful job of being both sophisticated and including the favorite colors of every little girl I have ever known: pink and purple.

It took me a little while to identify a good pattern. I've had my fill of ribbed scarves, but still wanted something with an interesting texture. I opted for he must do scarf of 2008: My So Called Scarf minus the fringe (I like fringe, but it seemed like one more thing to get caught in a zipper, leading to frustration for both me and the kid).

It's not quite scarf weather yet, but Ms. Z helped me out with an indoor Sunday morning photo shoot.

I cast on the suggested number of stitches and knit through the entire skein -- and the scarf length and width were on target for a small person.

This pattern is a quick knit -- definitely one of those to remember for the "last minute hand knitted gift" file given it's unique texture and compatibility with hand-painted yarn. It's designed with worsted weight in mind, but would be just as great in Aran or bulky weight.

Flaming Herbivore

2011-10-17T05:04:08Z

Project: Herbivore from WestKnits
Yarn: Sundara Fingering Silky Merino in "Flaming Flamingo"
Needles: US Size 6 (4 mm) KnitPicks Harmony

After I finished up Pogona for my mother earlier this year, I've wanted a similar shaped scarf for myself. I didn't want to make another Pogona right away so I looked through the rest of Stephen West's catalog to see if I could find a shawl with a different design, but similar shaping -- and not too complicated for distracted knitting, Herbivore seemed like an obvious choice.

I love silk blend yarns, and I've had a skein of Sundara Fingering Silky Merino that has been considered and tried out for several previous ideas, none of which really seemed like a perfect match. If there's anything I like about Ravelry, it's the opportunity to see what results other knitters have gotten from yarns similar to those in my stash. The FSM seemed like a nice pairing for Herbivore -- lots of drape and sheen and enough extra yardage to make it a little bigger than the standard pattern (I think the pattern calls for the middle motif to be 12" from the starting point, and I was able to knit to at least 14" -- it gets larger after blocking).

As a sidelight: I really enjoyed knitting with the FSM. It's got great hand and minimal pooling and the stitch definition is beautiful.

As with Pogona, I think the best way to wear this scarf/shawl is with the center motif in the front and the wings wrapped around and secured with a shawl pin. Honestly, I have never been able to figure out shawls where the most beautiful part of the garment is on the back where only people walking behind you get to see it. With the extra inches I got into the pattern, this shawl wraps over my shoulders, giving me an extra layer of light weight warmth (silk is a great insulator) that isn't bulky. And the shaping of the shawl means it stays put -- even without the shawl pin in place.

As with Pogona, this pattern is another easy to follow, easy to knit design -- and it doesn't take very long to knit up a very pleasant fall warmer. I think this scarf is likely to get a lot of air time over turtlenecks this winter.

I'd like to give a little shout out to Ysolda Teague's Farinelli gauntlets. I wear these all the time. They don't entirely go with the scarf, but they are so perfect in the fall and winter when you don't want mittens or gloves but do want some extra warmth. If you're looking for another quick to knit treat for you or someone else, they really are perfect -- and the Dream In Color Smooshy has really held up well to a lot of wear -- much better than I expected from a 100% merino yarn.

A Donation that Doesn't Cost Anything -- And a Committment

2011-09-19T05:15:20Z

About 4 months after Ms. Z was born, my dad needed heart surgery to replace an aortic valve. The surgery went well, but there were complications with the anti-coagulant therapy that resulted in my dad experiencing a ruptured spleen and significant internal bleeding. My dad jokes that he needed "a full oil change" -- when all was said and done, it took 7 units of O positive to help save his life.

Up until that point in my life, I'd always been a little scared of giving blood -- needles and bleeding just weirded me out. But if there's anything I got used to in the process of trying to and having a baby, it was to deal with blood draws and IVs. So I got to thinking about it. As I've gotten into Health IT and started working at a university with major medical center, I've spent a lot more time thinking about health care, and how I can make a difference personally. Giving blood seemed like the perfect way to start.

In honor of my dad, I've made a long term pledge (to myself) to donate 7 units of blood. On Friday I made my first donation, and I promise to update my progress here as I go along. Here's a few things I learned from my first donation:

At any given time only 38% of people in the US are eligible to give blood (i.e. they meet the health previous history requirements)
Only 8% of people give blood
Giving blood is easy and does not take a long time -- it took about 10 minutes for me to make my donation and another 15-20 to hang out after the donation while you drink some juice.
Drink a lot of water before hand -- it will help the donation go faster and more smoothly (and you'll feel better, too!)
You feel like a real hero when you're done.

The Red Cross website is great at helping you find out more about your local Red Cross chapter as well as a a place to donate in your area -- most of the time you can even make an appointment so that you can do it at a time that works best for you.

To put the incredible gift that my father received in perspective: when people donate blood, they can only donate 1 unit at a time and you have to wait at least 2 months to donate more. There's a good chance that 7 different people contributed to what my dad received. Although they will never know it, there are seven people in Southeastern Michigan who helped make sure that my dad is still here to watch his granddaughter grow up.

If you can donate, I'd really like to encourage to to do so. So many people need blood and when it's needed, there's no more precious gift in the world.

Blog Exile

2011-09-06T20:14:59Z

I've been so sporadic in my blogging this year that I am beginning to feel like an exile from my own blog. My absence hasn't been from a lack of interest in posting or crafting. I'd like to be doing more of both of those (and certainly the latter feeds the former). Instead, it's been about priorities.

I've come to discover that it's really hard for me to have more than 3 or 4 active priorities in my life. Right now, kid, job and some semblance of physical fitness have been the dominant ones. You'd think it wouldn't be all that hard to include some crafting, but I've been having difficulty finding time to carve out space for it -- mostly because I've just never been the kind of person who is good at taking advantage of small amounts of unused time. And because knitting needles and elliptical machines seem to be mutually exclusive devices when it comes to using either of them effectively.

With fall coming, I have high hopes that there will be more inspiration for engaging my needles. Certainly someone in my house must need some new socks....

Summer Cocktail: Papa Doble

2011-08-08T05:49:07Z

It has not been a summer of much crafting, but it has been a summer of enjoying a refreshing cocktail. On our recent trip to Ann Arbor, we stopped at Zingerman's Roadhouse (Chef Alex won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Great Lakes this year) and I decided to try one of their classic cocktails: the Papa Doble.

It's a wonderful drink, inspired by Ernest Hemingway's desire to double the rum and lower the sweet on a Daquiri. When I asked for the recipe for the drink, the Roadhouse was happy to oblige. Now that I have successfully repeated it at home, I thought I would share.

Zingerman's Roadhouse Papa Doble
(makes 1)

1.5 oz   10 Cane Trinidad Rum
0.25 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
0.75 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
0.5 oz   Grapefruit Juice
0.5 oz   Simple Syrup

Mix all ingredients, shake over ice and strain into Martini style glass

For best results, chill glasses before hand as well as the juices. When I made drinks for two, I tripled the recipe with excellent results. I don't know if there's a difference between pink and white grapefruit juice, but I selected white.

The recommended liquors are on the pricey side, but well worth it when you taste the drink. If you opt for a different rum option, I would select a gold rum.

Happy summer, everyone!

Now We Are 4

2011-07-19T05:34:32Z

In what seems like the blink of an eye, my baby is a little girl. To celebrate her birthday she got a "big girl" bed and a trip to the spa to get a mini pedicure. (Thank you so much to Margarita at Mojo Spa who really treated my girl like a little person!)

Happy 4th Birthday, Little Girl. Mama is having a wonderful time watching you grow into yourself!

Trillian

2011-06-13T05:28:08Z

Project: Trillian by Martina Behm
Yarn: Bright Dyes Sock Yarn in "Scarlet Macaw"*
Needles: 3 mm

I think it is likely to be the summer of one skein scarf/shawl projects with simple knitting elements. Trillian is a simple asymetrical scarf with a lacy little border and a clever way of getting the lace border on two sides of the scarf. The pattern works with almost any fingering weight yarn, but lends itself particularly well to crazy multicolors because the number of stitches changes every other row. The bias stitching also lends itself well to stripey yarns. I've been tempted to find some Noro Silk Garden Sock to test out with it.

The Scarlet Macaw yarn, with it's vivid primary colors seemed like a perfect test. Of course, it did have areas of pooling, but I thought they looked lovely and gave the scarf a bright watercolor aesthetic. The pattern was intended to be used with a skein of Wollemeise, which has more yardage than this skein, so it's a little smaller than the scarf in the pattern. The pattern is written such that you can take it on without worrying about how much yarn you have. Again, making it perfect for a single skein of sock yarn that you can't quite imagine as socks.

As summery as the colors are, the yarn is a wool/nylon blend, so it won't likely see too much action until fall rolls around again. I think it will be great matched up against a black or red turtleneck

Hopefully I'll be back again soon. My work world is a busy place right now and it's been seriously cutting into my crafty time.

*This yarn was a trading gift from Emma, who found the most lovely indy UK dyers. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that the dyer is actively dyeing anymore. It feels like I just got the yarn from her, but of course it's been in my stash waiting to be called on for almost 3 years. Time flies...