Knitting by the sea

     After another amazing time in the ocean with my family, and another beachside dance lesson, I finally dragged out my Hitofude cardigan.

 Knitting was a little challenging by the breezy ocean, so later I decided go by the pool. I hadn't worked it for more than a month so it took a while to remember what I was doing, but it's a pretty easy repeat to remember. Words of advice for this and all other lace projects - put in stitch markers for every repeat and use a lifeline. I knew enough to put the stitch markers right away, and I would have been totally screwed without them. It's a 12 stitch repeat and there are hundreds of stitches on the needles, so you really need to know if there's an issue so you can keep it contained. I can't stress this enough. On lifelines, on the other hand, I thought I would be punk rock and do without them because I'm a rough rider that way. Sure enough, I dropped a few stitches that were impossible to fix, and had to tink back over a thousand stitches, and then redo the whole thing. Lesson humbly learned. I mean, this is slow going as it is. The life line is a bit of a pain, but like all insurance, a necessary evil. One nice thing is that I had 2 ladies come up to me and ask what I was sewing while I was putting one in.  We had a nice conversation and it turned out one had been a knitter herself. They complimented the color and I evangelized a little about Tosh. I dawned on me that we really live for this as knitters, for someone to ask us what we're doing and to be able to share a little bit about it.

     My family members where due in today but I couldn't find them, so we just decided to head out to dinner. Lo and behold, there were 4 of them in the restaurant we chose, who just happened to find each other, and then 2 more friends came, same story. We all independently and at the same time chose the same place out of about 6 restaurants. That is some kismet. Then we headed out to the beachside bar for some drinks and catching up. Good times. Wanted to get this in before midnight but I think it still counts.

Hola!

This was the view from lunch today at the Majestic Elegance Resort

I'm firmly convinced that salt water cures most ills and this was true today. Everyone is feeling much more refreshed after spending the day in the beautiful ocean. My son was a little disappointed with the size of the waves but I reminded him that no comes comes to the Caribbean to surf. That was followed by a beachside merengue lesson which was super goofy and fun. Spent the rest of the time reading and have yet to do any knitting, but I do want to wear that tank. Going to drag my son to the magic show tonight, although he'd much rather be on his computer (kids). Tomorrow some family members arrive!

Vacay

     I'm in Punta Cana so my blog automatically comes up in Espanol. Luckily I know a little bit so I can navigate my way around. We took a red-eye, so after checking out the beach and the resort (and the bar) and an informal dinner, we're calling it a night. My husband has flu-like symptoms so we're keeping our fingers crossed that he'll feel better soon. The weather is glorious and the beach divine. Here it is

There was a full moon and I just wanted to jump right in the water. For those of you wondering: don't you live at the beach? Well yes, but it's not the tropics, and this is. Everyone is very nice and culturally it's like being back in NY, although the English spoken is spotty at best. Let's see how well I can butcher the Spanish language. No knitting today but I can see getting a few lace repeats done under those cabanas mañana.

Clearing out the WIPs

     One of the first things I want to do this year is finishing up those pesky WIPs that are hanging around. The first order of business would be my lovely, excuisite Veyla Mitts by Ysolda. I checked the start date and was almost two years ago. That is ridiculous. The problem is, I have huge hands. Once I finished the first one, I realized that I would have to rip back to below the thumb gusset and add 12 rows. So what I decided to do was start the other glove, adding the 12 rows and see how that worked out, which was fine for the hand, but not long enough, so I ripped the finishing back and went to add some rows, but since the beginning of the round changed, I didn't know where it was, plus I forgot how many rows I added in the first place because I'm terrible at taking notes. I seem to think I'm just going to remember these details. Anyhow, summer probably came and I put them aside. I would take them out occasionally to pet them. They are made out of the glorious Malabrigo Finito, which is kitten soft. The color is also ingenious - variegated, but blended into a cohesive whole. There have been many chilly times that I've longed to be wearing them.

I even found the cutest buttons at Joann's. The gloves have a delicate, vintage feel about them. So they are going to be what I finish first when I get back. Too mentally taxing to figure out in the tropics. Plus the thumb turned out wonky so I have to redo that too.


     Speaking of unfinished things, I started the big, wonderful new translation of War and Peace 3 years ago.

Now, I lived in Russia for a few months so I’m familiar with the idea of patronymic names, but every character in this book is referred to by their full name, nickname, and their patronymic at various times. And there are a lot of characters, many of them related, and there’s only about 10 Russian names to begin with, so I was constantly having to flip back and forth from the page to the character breakdown to the notes in back. Even so, it was a really gripping read right from the beginning. I got 120 pages in before I realized the the best course of action would either be to print out a character sheet or to go ahead and get the Kindle version. I know what you’re thinking, that reading the greatest piece of Russian literature on an electronic device is just… wrong. I hear you. I love the idea of curling up with a tome. The Kindle has several things going for it, though - the ability to instantly see who the heck a character is and every place they’re showed up in the book, and an alternative to carrying around said tome. I seem to remember the reason I put is aside was because we were going to Las Vegas and there was no way I was going to be in the right frame of mind, so I opted for Elmore Leonard's Djibouti instead. Much more appropriate. Then I spent the summer in NY, so wasn't about the lug it all the way over there, so back on the shelf it went.

     I think the time might be right to finish it up now. I was participating in Facebook read-along back then so I won't have that, though there's bound to be one somewhere on the interwebs. Mostly, I'm no longer intimidated by the size, having conquered the epic 1Q84 last year, which is about the same length at around 1200 pages. The winter just started, and it's the only time in Southern California that we have any really weather, which is a necessary component for reading Tolstoy in my opinion. Plus, with everything that's going on in the world, and especially with Putin, it may be instructive to revisit not-so-distant history to put things into perspective. The thing that struck me while reading this was that this was my history, and it might be yours too. As a European-American whose earliest relatives came to the US in 1884, it dawned on me that the Germans and Italians traipsing through the pages of this book belonged to me. (I'm also Irish, but I don't think they show up). The point is, most of us Americans especially look at this as foreign history but for many of us it's the story of who we were, and maybe how we got here. I hope that makes sense, and I hope to have much more to say about it when I finish.

What to take on vacation?

     It's every knitter's and reader's conundrum. You want to take just the right thing on vacation, one that will be the perfect fit for the climate and surroundings you're going to. Luckily for me I'm in the middle of a huge lace project and a massive book, so I didn't have to put a whole lot of thought into it. I am bringing along my Mackinac Tank  This was on the cover of Knitscene in the summer of 2003. I wasn't sure about those ruffles in back, but they're adorable. I almost had finished it this summer, but got stuck on a finishing detail and put it away, because I hate finishing. It didn't bother me too much because it's a tank and it's winter, but now it would be great to wear in the Carribean. I was supposed to cast on 24 stitches for the shoulder strap which was way to much, so reduced it down to 10, which turned out to be too little. This I found out after the strap was done and I tried it on, so the prospect of redoing it was a little depressing. Picking up stitches is annoying, probably because I'm enough of a math geek where they have to be spaced perfectly. So I figure a good hour or 2 of just doing it and I will hopefully be able to model it for you holding an umbrella drink.

     


















     So the big fiber-y thing that happened to me was that Santa brought me an Ashford 2 Spinning Wheel! I don't know anything about spinning wheels, except this one was foldable and affordable. I had just taught my self to spindle spin last Spring and really loved it, so I thought why not. I was reluctant to dive in because I was afraid of becoming this girl




who is pretty awesome but a little, oh, obsessed. I thought it best not to take it out of the box yet until I get back, but I promise myself I won't wait 2 years like I did with my spindle (that's a whole other story). I realized I had to spin because that was the only way of justifying collecting all that yummy fiber out there.

     After I finish Life After Life, I have Lost in Shangri-La loaded on the Kindle. I'm a big fan of survival stories and this is one I've been meaning to read for a few years. I had read another book about Borneo called Stranger in the Forest and it was fascinating. As a back-up I'm bringing a physical copy of The Bat by Jo Nesbo, one of the great writers of Nordic Noir. I read The Snowman a few years ago, which was the 7th in the Harry Hole series, so I want to start from the beginning. My taste in books mostly runs to literature, science, adventure and comparative religion, but the foreign detective novel is one I can't resist. 

     Finally, Whale Wars is back! I'm a passionate supporter of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Tonight was a 3 hour marathon which I'll try to watch before we leave. If you want a riveting read about the organization and their campaigns, I can highly recommend The Whale Warriors by Peter Heller.  Just so you know, this is how we feel about that.

Worldwide Empty the Tanks Day, May 24, 2014, San Diego

     

Pardon the layout issues, it will take me a while to figure this format out!

                                                                                                                                                                   

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

     Thanks for visiting and I'm glad you're here. I'm a fiber artist, theatre artist, yogi and mom living in Venice, CA. I'm starting this blog (and later podcast) to share adventures in knitting and other crafts and all things high and low culture, in Los Angeles and beyond. Along the way I'll be talking about travel, yoga, photography, the causes I'm passionate about and life in general.
     I'm new to this platform so it will be pretty basic for a while. I'm in the middle of packing for a family trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic but I want to post every day this year, so I'll focus on content for now and let the visuals evolve. Just for fun, let's start Knit Culturista with:
   

Culture

     My husband is an ER doctor and was unfortunately working New Year's Eve and today, so my son and I had a fun and low key night. We went to Killer Shrimp, one of our favorite places, and then onto LA Connection Comedy Theatre. I did quite a bit of improv back in the day and thought my 12 year old son would enjoy it.

   
     I haven't seen any live improv since The Groundlings kicked me to the curb in 2000, but this was really fun. Great cast, some classic games and some that are all theirs. They're also known for dubbing scenes in classic movies, which they screen before the show. They did a great job making it a fun and festive evening. They're in a small black box theatre on Ventura Bl. in Sherman Oaks. This is the view from one side, with another seating area stage left.

I was really in the mood for a big, critically acclaimed novel so Life After Life was a natural choice. I'm more than halfway through it and it's just kind of chugging along, like a train that pulls out of the station and slowly picks up speed. This is my first Kate Atkinson, and it's beautifully written and inventive, though not exactly keeping me up at night. I'll be finishing this up on vacation so have to start scouring my shelves for the perfect beach read.

A wonderful thing happened this year - I decided that, except for a few comedies and Revenge, I'm no longer watching anything on network TV. How liberating! Having pretty much cleaned out the old DVR, I've turned my sights to Netflix and happened upon this gem. The set-up is similar to Fargo set in West Yorkshire, though a comedy it's not. I'm about to watch the last episode tonight, and it's been picked up for another season. I do have to watch this with English subtitles, which you can easily set on Apple TV by pressing and holding the center button.

The last film I saw in the theatre was Gone Girl - I have a kid and don't get out much. Plus he's past the age of wanting to see every animation and more into stuff only his father will take him to. I loved this book and really wanted to see this in the theatre, and it was everything it was cracked up to be. It was a very faithful interpretion of the book, so if you read it you'll be watching the whole thing unfold and if you haven't, well you're in for a treat.

I know, me and everyone else, but really, how could I not mention Serial. I've been a podcast fanatic for years now but this has made the format go viral. My Downcast list is filled with mostly knitting and true crime, oddly enough, so this was a given. I'm not an obsessive of the Reddit caliber, but a series of articles called Jay Speaks is a follow up that you'll want to read if you're a fan.

As for music, I haven't really cared much since the 90's about anything new. This has to do less with age than 1. The death of CDs 2. Parenthood 3. Podcasts and audiobooks. Music seems to be everywhere and always available, which makes it kind of like a lover you get bored with. Having said that, after streaming my own extensive holiday playlist for the last few weeks, I stepped down to jazz for a few days, and finally settled on Electronic Chill on iTunes Radio. Just right for hanging around the house and won't put you to sleep. Which brings us to:

Knitting

I've finished my first design! Unfortunately I can't share it with you yet because I'd like to submit it to    Knitty, and they are very particular about designs they accept never appearing anywhere. It's a long shot, but as soon as that's ruled out it's all yours. In the meantime, I'm working on the Hitofude Cardigan by Hiroko Fukatsu. It's less than $2.00 on Ravelry. It's an all-over lace design in fingering weight yarn with an innovative construction. It will take me forever because I'm not the fastest knitter, but it's pretty easy to memorize after a few repeats. For this project I will thank my favorite podcasters Barb and Tracie at 2 Knit Lit Chicks, plus a haul of Madelinetosh that I bought  from a massive Craigslist destash.

Cheryl's Hitofude

Well I'm knackered (thank you BBC).  So much more to discuss tomorrow, including my new spinning wheel! Once again, happy new year. Let's make this one great.

Welcome!

    Here is a little Christmas gift for you. I hadn't planned to add my first post to my blog 2 days before Christmas, but I came up with this soap sweater as a last minute present and needed a place to link it up to on Ravelry. It's seamless all the way around, uses a very small amount of yarn and in about an hour you can have a very cute little stocking stuffer.

Seamless soap sweater

Seamless soap sweater

     You can use any non-superwash wool. Here I've used Cascade 200 Heathers. As you use the soap and it shrinks, the wool will felt and shrink around it. You will also get a nice exfoliating effect. Since I don't care for purling, seaming, magic loop or double-pointed needles, I found a way to avoid all of those while incorporating kitchener stitch, which I love.  Best of all, the recipient will wonder how the heck you got that soap in there. Magic!

Soap Sweater

Yarn - Worsted weight yarn. For best results, use 100% wool, non-superwash. I'm not exactly sure how much I used, but I think about 20 yards should do it. You can really use any weight yarn as long as you cast on enough stitches so that it fits around your bar of soap when stretched.

Needles - 2 size 7 circular needles any length, or a set of size 7 DPNs. You can also use a size 7 circular with a long, flexible cord if you like doing magic loop. Even if you use the circulars it's handy to have the DPNs for kitchener stitch. 

Crochet hook -  size G or similar

Embroidery needle.

Scrap yarn in contrasting color.

Bar of handmade or commercial soap. The bar I used measured 3 1/8 x 1 7/8. Adjust the stitch count for a larger bar.

Gauge - About 5 st/in in st st, 3.5 st/in once stretched around soap.

In the following instructions I will be describing the use of 2 circular needles. You can easily adjust for your preferred technique.

Using the scrap yarn and crochet hook, ch 21. Using circular needle and working yarn and leaving a 12" tail, pick up and knit 20 st in the purl bumps of chain. Transfer 10 stitches onto the other circular needle. Join in the round, being careful not to twist. Continue knitting every row, using one set of circulars for half the stitches and the other circular for the rest. After a few rows, pull the stitches onto the cords and check to see if it will fit over your soap. Remove soap and continue knitting until tube is about 1" longer than your soap. Carefully unzip the provisional cast-on and transfer the stitches evenly to 2 DPNs or straight needles. Graft together using kitchener stitch and weave in end. Place soap inside tube. The stitches on the needle should just about meet up. Make sure there is an even number of stitches on each needle and either transfer to straight/DPNs or leave them on the circulars. Graft together using kitchener stitch and weave in end.

Here's a great tutorial for the kitchener stitch:

Kitchener stitch

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!