Adventures of a Desi Knitter

I have two left feet. All the dancing talent in our family went to my older sister, who practises and teaches Bharatanatyam, a form of classical south Indian dance. I love going to Bharatanatyam performances whenever I can (which isn’t often) but I felt really awful about missing this special one.
After a very difficult struggle with her knee that prevented her from dancing for a long time, my sister performed on stage with a colleague for a full-length public performance. (She’s in green, the colleague’s in mustard, and these are lousy photos from the scanned invitation) I got up early this morning while it was on at the other end of the world, and sat by the phone alternately cursing myself and everyone I could think of and was surely more nervous than she was. When I did talk to everyone in the family after the performance it was insane.

In the past I’ve compered, and even sung occasionally for shows that she and her students put up and it’s been a lot of fun. She’s a great choreographer. My hysterically happy dad assured me on the phone, though, that this one was like nothing that came before. (Sudha: if you’re reading this, do send me a nice long report of how everything went!) They both performed their own compositions and traditional ones, and my sister also sang for the other dancer’s individual numbers (there’s a live musical orchestra of sorts). Am proud of her for her sheer grit in making this possible. I also wish I’d been there to see the show in person.

Tags: Everything else by desiknitter
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I’m sorry for neglecting the blog, friends. I said to someone that this semester was going to kick my ass, but I didn’t think it would start doing so, that too enthusiastially, quite so early on. It’s taking me a while to get settled back in, but in trying to get a routine going with all my new resolutions to spend less time online and get more serious work done, I’m finding a lot less time to knit. Also, it’s been bloody cold here, with my landlord being rather stingy with the heat, and it’s not fun to knit when your fingers threaten to fall off. (okay, it’s not that bad, but you get the point).

I did start one small thing though, after several false attempts, including one where like an idiot I twisted the round. It is not fun to cast on 136 stitches thrice over, so hopefully this one will continue:

It’s an attempt at a cap, a beret, actually, with this motif over the crown.

The motif is a rangoli pattern of a lotus roughly sketched by my mother a while ago (on a rather special date as it turns out, the birthdate I share with Spud!). The plan is to make it either as twisted single stitches or celtic-style two-stitch cables, am not sure yet. I won’t reproduce it just as it is, the end squiggles in particular need some work, as I’m not overly fond of bobbles or nupps, but the dots in the middle of circles and squares made by the rangoli lines are quite essential to that form. So let’s see. This one in any case is not a classic rangoli pattern, it’s a more free-form type, but one I’ve seen her outline quite often on our front doorstep.

The yarn is Knitpicks Elegance (Alpaca/Silk) and is behaving itself so far at a gauge of 6.5 stitches
on size 3s. Hopefully I’ll get time this week to make progress on this project, about which I am quite excited!

edited to add: I just looked at the picture, and apologize for the smudge. I need to get my camera lens cleaned properly. Also, what is it with me and red alpaca yarn and size 3s? But at least, this one is not on an overambitious deadline, what?

Tags: Caps, Hats, Etc. by desiknitter
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I have made several resolutions for 2007. Amidst the usual ‘eat less, exercise more, snap at people less, breathe more deeply’ type virtuous ones in my list, is the one most virtuous for knitters: finish all UFOs before beginning new ones. Considering that at least ten people have pissed me off already the first week of the year and I have snarled at seven (and the less said about the amount I consumed as I got bored to tears at a conference the last three days the better), I figured, wth, I might as well break another resolution.

So the new year begins with the excitement of choosing a new project. I don’t know what yet, maybe a pair of socks to keep it small, and wipe out the memory of those months spent doing twisted knitted stitch trying to finish the alpaca pullover, when I actually progressed only four miserable inches. As I unpack my suitcase, those Oxblood skeins are staring balefully at me, an almost violent reminder of my failure to meet my deadline. Another resolution, no doubt to be binned soon: not to take on more than I can deal with.

Of course, one can always feel better by looking at what was actually completed. There’s a certain neatness in the fact that I began and ended with gloves.

Brooks Farm gloves
Turkish Balaclava hat
Cashmere vest
Clapotis
Koigu Eyelet Rib socks
Cloverleaf Koigu socks
Opal Brasil socks
Leaf Lace shawl 
Odessa hat
Swallowtail Merino lace shawl
Merino fingerless gloves

The funniest thing about this list is the number of items that accompanied me across the world this time on the trip to Shimla. Various other members of my family brought older items I’d made for them, and if I’d been better organized (resolution…), I’d have remembered to take pictures for a nice "Desiknitter’s knits go to Shimla" post. Instead, you have to imagine a freezing family swathed in handknits of variable quality, grateful for the warmth, if not the style. I saw an old vest my brother in law wore and averted my eyes when he reminded me I had made it for him. Talk about gauge improving with time!

Tags: Everything else by desiknitter
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