Wednesday, May 9, 2012

YARN ALONG

"We should all do what,
 in the long run, gives us joy,
even if it is only picking grapes                  
or sorting the laundry."
[or knitting]

~ E.B. White

 Well, most of my yarn projects
are items you have already seen,
but I hope you can tell I've added
inches to both my cardi and my
basket. I have been knitting every
spare minute I can find.

I am not sure if I am getting
stronger or not, but I am finding
knitting with clothesline has become
much easier. This basket already
measures  10 inches tall and I would
like it to be at least 14 inches tall
before I begin the base. I have
a feeling I will be knitting quite
a few of these and with the
purchase of size 15 dpn's the
bind off should go much easier.

I am almost done with the body
of my cardi and am just hoping
I have enough yarn as it's looking
pretty close and I still have the
sleeves along with the ribbing to go.
My fingers are crossed.

Every summer I read The Gift of the Sea,
but this year I started a little
earlier; with temperatures reaching
95 degrees it feels like summer.

All the knitting for Lori's pockets
had me thinking of a book I read
to my children when they were
little, Katy No Pocket. While Katy
receives a slightly different pocket,
it's still a pocket and I thought the
wee one here would love the
story along with a new pocket
of her own. I have been thinking
about knitting a few dozen pockets,
writing a little note to put in each,
and storing them in my cedar
chest for future grand and great
grandchildren to have whether I
am here to hand them out or
not.

What have you been up to this week?


Joining up with Ginny for this week's
yarn along.

55 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. 95 degrees!! Sheesh, that's hot!
    I love the big chunky stitches of your basket. I'm excited to see it finished!

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  3. Your cardi is coming on beautifully. I love the colour. And 15 mm needles sound awesome!... and huge :)
    Hope your basket comes along a little easier for you now.
    I will be ordering "Gift of the Sea", it sounds right up my street!

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  4. Eeepp.. too warm for me! I'll come visit when it's cooler! ;-)

    Your cardi is looking awesome! Mom is impressed with the basket you're knitting.

    We both think putting away a few pockets with notes is a wonderful idea.

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  5. Yes, very very warm! I have a hard time knitting in the heat, not sure why. I think because we get so little of it here in Maine. :-) Your hands are probably getting stronger since you are still knitting with the clothesline :-) And definitely jealous of those grapes growing! We can grow grapes up here, but it is not easy!

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  6. The stored pockets would be such a treasure to those who would receive them. I am also making a few more pockets for the small people here. Your cardigan is getting close. I hate the uncertainty of sufficient yarn to complete. Good luck.

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  7. thanks for the book recommendation! I think you are building some muscle making those baskets ;) I love the stitch definition and I bet they will look so lovely in your home.

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  8. All of this looks delicious - love the vines and the grapes.
    Pretty cardy and nearly done - gorgeous.
    That 'fat' knitting sounds like a challenge but I see yours is very neat.
    Enjoy the sunshine.

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  9. I so love that E B White quote and your idea about the pockets in your cedar chest.

    What lovely photos...I especially like the curling vine fronds...ours are late this year no grapes yet and the leaves just beginning to grow.

    You mention getting better Tracey...I didn't know that you had been ill but hope you get stronger and healthier each an every day.
    Take good care of yourself,
    Deb

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  10. Lovely garden photos as always. I bet you are gaining muscles by the minute knitting those baskets. I love the idea of you putting messages away for future grand and great grandchildren. How special that would be. Jacinta

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  11. I've been looking for a good read this summer. I think I may just pick your recommendation up! Thank you. Your cardi looks beautiful by the way, that color is divine!

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  12. I love the photos of the delicate tendrils winding around things...I find it so charming and mysterious how vines do that!

    You have me thinking about knitting a clothesline bath mat...

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    Replies
    1. What an inspiring idea! I just added that to my list of projects!

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  13. I LOVE the quote!
    Yikes - 95 certainly sounds like summer! I'm not good in the heat and I pray we don't end up moving south.

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  14. as always those photos are stunning! Your cardi is looking fabulous---the yarn amount thing....will I have enough???? just sort of turns it into a game. (I hate when I lose!---here's hoping you WIN!)

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  15. I love how your cardi is coming along! That is going to be such a wearable piece this summer, and the color is fantastic!

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  16. The cardi is gorgeous! The basket is so awesome. I love it. But I REALLY love your idea of making up a whole bunch of pockets with little notes. Beautiful idea!

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  17. This basket you're making... gah, it's amazing! Love that it was such a thrifty idea that you've got the skills to turn into a reality.

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  18. I love the idea of future pockets, and that cardi color is so fabulous.

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  19. Very very sweet idea, Tracey. Love the little notes in pockets. You really do think ahead. (or is that a little hint to your son and daughter in law?) :)

    A grape arbor! Are they the type of grapes you eat or ones with which you make wine?

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    1. Hi Ellen. The grapes are white grapes and we just eat them.

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  20. Great color for the cardi. Katy No Pocket was one of my faves.

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  21. Ohhhh look at those beautiful grapes!!! And i love the quote up top, especially with your little added ending there...knitting. I agree! I love your idea of putting away a pocket with the book for someone special someday. Very sweet. Enjoy your Wednesday.

    :)Lisa

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  22. I love your knits this week Tracey. And I love love love the idea of pockets with notes for future grand babies. You are so creative!

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  23. Oh, wow, amazing photographs! I love that your pictures give the real sense of the grapes growing.

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  24. Grapes! We have grape vines all over the place, but they don't bear fruit. They just creep over the ground and die back in the winter.

    (I'm going to respond to you insanely generous comment in email form today - the middle one woke up sick so there's much chaos today.)

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  25. Tracey you are brilliant! I think that is a spectacular idea to knit pockets for future littles whether you are here physically or not! I think knitting is the new arm workout-good for you. Your knits look fabulous!
    xo

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  26. Oh wow. I'm not ready for those temperatures yet in my neck of the woods. Keep cool, Tracey!

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  27. love the pocket idea! as always you are full of inspiration! your grapes are just beautiful. are they scuppernongs? love love love!

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    1. Hi Ivey, the grapes are white grapes [which really are green].

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  28. Beautiful images amongst the grapevines. I so love the cardi and the color you chose.
    Lurv the quote.

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  29. Your grape vine is looking lovely Tracey, we have one just outside our front door which we make wine from in early February, during our summer.

    All your projets are looking beautiful, I can't wait to see your basket finished.

    Such a lovely idea about the pockets for your grand children with a little note inside.

    xo
    Linda

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  30. the pockets for your grandchildren is such a wonderful idea!

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  31. you're going to have a ton of grapes! what do you make with them when they're ripe?

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  32. Hey Tracey:
    I am at the thumb and just confused. Do I CO to the waste yarn or just hold the four stitches there and continue to knit in the round until I bind off and then backwrd loop co to the needle when I am ready to knit the thumb. Or do I do some sort of bl co w/the sts that come after the 4 sts I put onto the waste yarn. I am sure it is simple but I am at sea with this one. Oh, sorry to use your comment section for this, bu I couldn't find your email.
    Thanks!
    xo

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  33. I haven't been knitting AT ALL ever since we came back from our holiday, isn't that crazy? Loving your knitting projects in your beautiful garden, as always!

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  34. Beautiful knitting... beautiful photographs.xxx

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  35. Your pictures are gorgeous!!! And your knitting, well, it is always amazing. Beautiful colour on the cardi.

    Love the idea for the pockets with little notes, so very special for your future grandchildren to receive.

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  36. I love those pockets and I am trying to find time to make some - my kids would love them I think. Will check out the book as well. The grapes look beautiful!

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  37. Everything looks like it's moving along beautifully. Can't wait to see the finished basket. I'm falling in love with that project!

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  38. Oh my your pictures and knitting are gorgeous! Clothes line baskets - I'm so intrigued. I can't wait to see the finished one. Katy No Pocket has been a favorite book here. And what a lovely idea, a pocket with a note. Pure love!

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  39. Oh that clothes line knitting looks so interesting to me. Your pictures are stunning !

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  40. Love the grape vine, as well as the projects, and of course your classic reading. Thanks for sharing the awesome photography.

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  41. Such beautiful photos, as always. x

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  42. Your sweater is going to be so pretty! The only mushroom I've heard about are morels, but I've yet to find any. Believe me, I've looked...

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  43. Beautiful photos! and knitting with clothesline?! I'm going to have to read some more of your blog to find out about that!

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  44. Can I complement your photography? I love the way you captured how sunlight looks coming through grape leaves - it reminds me of how the light looks at the Santa Barbara Mission courtyard in CA.

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  45. I'm admiring not only your knitting but also your grapes. Are they on an arbor? Our second year grapes from cuttings are just beginning to leaf, here in central California. Thank you for visiting.

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  46. What wonderful progress you're making, Tracey! I think the idea of stowing away some pockets for future grandchildren is absolutely precious. I would treasure such a thing from my own grandmothers.

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  47. Your basket is fantastic, Gift from the Sea, has always been a favorite, I even have it on tape, so I can listen to it when I walk or when I am knitting.

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  48. What a wonderful idea to make pockets for your future grandchildren and great-grandchildren! Very inspiring.

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  49. pretty, pretty, pretty! the knits, the grapes and that basket is amazing! you really do find wonderful ways to spend your time.
    XO

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  50. Your cardi is coming along beautifully, as is your basket. And look at all of that lush green!

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