FiberTribe

Welcome to My Rainforest

No pictures today so the progress on Mom's Ribs of Hell halter, the topdown lacy baby jacket, and Frolic will have to wait till tonight or tomorrow. So instead you get a big Welcome to the Tropics lowdown on hurricanes instead. To what do you owe this weather report? To the torrential downpour that descended upon my head as I stepped out the door to go to the orifice this morning. Heh. Yah, yah, rain is good, the flowers love it, my pink grapefruit tree is singing and her fruit will be juicy sweet in a month or so, but jeez. I mean, I grew up here in Miami and it still amazes me how much water can fall from the sky in how short a period of time. We're talking rain that falls so hard it bounces 3 feet back up. At least that was the high water mark on my skirt.
So why else is rain so good down here? Hurricane season is why. The more it rains, the less chance of a big blow. No, that's not high science, that's low-to-the-ground native Floridian experience. Seasons with high heat and little rain tend to produce monster hurricanes. The rainy season arrived big time about a week ago, thankfully, because it was shaping up to be one of those scary seasons. Maybe we'll get lucky and the big blow will pass us by one more year. But you know, the season goes from June 1 to October 31st and yes, October hurricanes do happen they are not pretty. So. The next time you're tempted to go for that fine whine, "I wanna go to Miami", remember that even paradise has a price tag. That would be apart from the lunatic third world drivers. And the fact that everyone is armed because Florida is (courtesy of our right-wing, fundamentalist Bushy-bro governor, you remember him? the one who stole the election for his brother, W?) a right to carry state. No flippin' the finger in traffic here, peeps. You'd be likely to get it shot off.
On a lighter note, though after that last little bit Rachel may not want me to claim that Miami is in the South, a big shout out to all the Southern Knit Bloggers! Thanks, Rachel, for organizing it. Are you ready for your Southern lesson of the day? How to pronounce Miami like a true, native Miamian:
my-AM-uh. And yes, we do eat grits here... with our huevos rancheros, je, je (spanish for heh, heh).

Some Fun and Frolic

So here's the progress so far on Frolic. It's really a delight to watch the colors unfold in the Koigu, as so many others have pointed out. But if I'm doing the boring 2x2 rib thing, it really does make it tolerable. Also, I seldom knit at so small a gauge, so the color changes and permutations keep pulling me along. It's amazing how little I have to show for an hour or so of knitting.
Well, immediate gratification is on the way, since I've signed up for Shobhana and Lori's Carla Along. I chose the color Enchant, a red, and ordered it post haste from Colourway. A very good sale they have going on right now, btw. So off to the orifice I go... later, gators.

Wine and Rubies

Do I love red? Ya think? The picture shows the colors as louder more brilliant than the subtle mix they really are. If you've never touched the Mountain Colors merino ribbon, get thee to a yarn store.. don't be put off by the fact that it is merino, it is light as a feather and could even be worn in the summer. See yesterday's post for the details on the top I'll be making out of it. I could not find a ready-made pic of the top but will take one of my own tomorrow to show you. And it only takes three skeins, heh.
Gotta run so tomorrow will be the show of the first bit of my Koigu Rowan Frolic...O Frabjous Rabidous Koigu Love!

Koigu Out the Wazoo + Mountain Colors

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So here is the wave of Koigu that came crashing over my barricades upon seeing Kirsten's Frolic in KPPPM. As always with Koigu, capturing the colors in a photo is the challenge. the transition from blues to reds is much more subtle than it appears in the photo... I'll try this again later in natural light and see if I luck out. Next up will be a picture of the first variegated blues... The photo shows the reverse order of knitting. I'm starting with the variegated blues at the bottom, moving up through indigos onto the muted reds/purples and onto the redder reds... Peeps, please understand that I live for color so how I failed to succumb to this amazing stuff sooner, I don't know. Don't care. Am I the only one who has discovered that Koigu = Yarn Crack??? heh. Mom's Ribs of Hell halter will just have to wait. I can't resist starting the Rowan Frolic (Rowan Mag. # 29) like, yesterday. Oh. For anyone craving the Rowan #29, my local yarn store has a copy. Drop a line in comments and I'll put you in touch with them.

Next up is this beautiful batch of Mountain Colors Merino Ribbon in colorway Flathead Cherry. Knitting up the v-necked, shortsleeved top (pattern # 12) in the most recent Family Circle Easy Knitting. I've recently discovered how flattering a raglan-cut top can be, especially for those of us with serious rackage issues.
In other news, I may one day figure out how to center photos on this blog. Till then, lean left...

And in reading news, I have just begun Gretel Ehrlich's This Cold Heaven about her 7 seasons spent in Greenland. If you've never read her before, you have a serious, life-altering treat before you. Her first book was The Solace of Open Spaces about her first years as a self-exiled New Yorker/filmmaker who started over in Wyoming after the death of her lover from leukemia. Apart from one novel and some poetry, she writes non-fiction. Unflinchingly, sparely, and with a fierce, raw, and quite rare beauty.

Koigu Raid

Kirsten's Koigu KPPPM Rowan Frolic top is so lovely that it pushed me right over the edge. On Saturday I beat feet over to my LYS and picked out what I hope will be a lovely colorway from blues to muted reds for a Frolic of my own. I immediately knit up a swatch and got gauge on my first try and with the stated needle size. Who knew? I NEVER get gauge on the stated needle size since I knit so loosely, go figure. Am so happy Kirsten had that brainstorm because though this is blog heresy, I am just not a shawl person and the Charlotte shawls don't do anything for me. Should I duck now? And I am so not a herd animal. If everyone is going one way I'll instinctively head in the other direction. Just counter-suggestible, I guess.
And while I was there, I picked up some light-as-a-feather mostly merino tape from Mountain Colors in the Flathead Cherry colorway. From my favorite ruby red through indigo and back again. I chose another variegated yarn to offset the boring knitting of the simple stockinette shortsleeved, v-neck pullover from the recent Family Circle Easy Knitting. The one in light mango, pattern number 12. Only three skeins of the Mountain Colors (yeah, they're hefty skeins) required.
And to my amazement in the face of Koigu attraction, I really did make some progress on Mom's candy pink Ribs of Hell halter and am now up to the seed stitch rib part. Not up to the titty triangles, mind you, but soooo close. Pictures soon, I know, I know, promises, promises... but really.
Best of all, I may be going up to Toronto in two weeks and can't wait to visit Lettuce Knit and maybe even look up a knitting blogger or three for yarn shop raid... like any of us need an excuse? Enjoy the day, peeps!

photo, no photo?

No photos of da knitting due to technical difficulties...It's technically difficult to take and post photos when you're lying horizontally on your bed contemplating why the hell should you move when it just feels so luscious to lie there watching the ceiling fan spin, eh? That and a new book out by Tanya Huff, Smoke and Shadow, which continues (finally) her series of vampire detective mysteries set in Canada. The first 5 were set in T.O. (Toronto) and this one is set in Vancouver. It's a quick read but I miss Vicki, the detective and main character of the 5 previous books. I like the setting, the movie industry in Vancouver, but I really pine for T.O. (I used to live there). So can anyone recommend some books, mystery or otherwise, set in T.O.?
And no, I won't blame you for the resulting lack of knitting content!
In other news, has anyone else seen the recent issue of Vogue Italia with the gorgeous knit skirt and top on the cover? promises, promises but I WILL post that pic tonight... heh.
till later, dudettes...

Lazy is as lazy does...

Hope everyone had as relaxing a (Pick One) July 4th/Canada Day weekend as I did. Hanging out with friends, lazing at the beach, ducking bullets fired into the air on Sunday..heh... Let me explain that it is a Latino tradition (certain social classes, certain countries only, eh) to fire off your guns on celebratory occasions like July 4th and especially New Years. And since what goes up must come down, being outside on these holidays gets a little sketchy in certain neighborhoods in Miami. I was in Miami Lakes for the weekend and that is one of the 'hoods you really want to be under solid cover on holidays. Sooo... we watched the NYC fireworks on TV and chilled...Sunday was bitchin hot and a perfect beach day.

Hollywood Beach is funky and undeveloped and still looks much as it did in the 50s and 60s. In the winter it's the fave of the French Canadian tourists. Don't ask me why, but the Quebecois come to the East coast of Florida and English Canada goes to the West coast. Anyway, you park and there's a concrete boardwalk/promenade and then boom, the sand, the water. There are still outside showers to rinse off the salt and sand and as yet not even any chaise longue/umbrella concessions to mar the informality. And there are palm trees growing right out into the sand whose shade is a hotly contested and desirable item. Come early or roast in the sun...very Darwinian..heh.

So it was a lovely, beachy kind of day. Too lazy to knit much but mom's eternal Ribs of Hell bubblegum pink halter is inching along. I know I promised pictures but will have to wait till tonight to get them posted. Was too roasted and toasted last night to take pics and upload. Ack.