Sweater Update

With a few missteps (like having to re-knit the end of one sleeve because it was too short) I've made good progress with my sweater.  I've re-engineered the pattern, so I wasn't exactly sure that knitting the front bands separately and sewing them on would give me the results I wanted, but it worked perfectly.

I've got both sleeves and both front bands knitted up.  The bottom is still on the needles so I can add length and make this sweater reach at least the top of my thighs, if not longer.  I tried it on, and it looks great.  I think I will be able to finish this one soon.

Ravellenic Games

Every time there are Olympic games, the knitting site Ravelry has the Ravellenics: a sort of knitting competition with teams, badges, and lots of hoopla.  The spirit of the thing is to challenge yourself with a project that is to be completed (more or less) during the time of the Olympic games.

My challenge is to finish this sweater.  I set it aside before the holidays to focus on other things, but now I'm hoping to finish it off in a couple of weeks.  Here's my project page.

When I started I needed sleeves, the front bands, and I'm going to use whatever yarn is left over to lengthen the body. 

At the end of day 4, I've got one sleeve done, and one on the needles.  I'm making pretty good progress.

Chevron on the Brain

There's something irresistible about chevron, and I'm afraid the trend will evaporate as quickly as it's started, but for the time being, in addition to my crocheted chevron afghan, I've cast on this little scarf.

It's an easy and repetitive pattern, the Wavy Lace Scarf, and self-striping sock yarn does the hard work.  I had picked up more than a few of these big balls at Tuesday Morning.

The new year sparked a bit of self-indulgent knitting after making mitts for the family for the holidays.  I finally found the perfect pattern for a ball of mohair yarn with a hint of shiny lurex that I brought back from Italy a couple of years ago.  The Melissa Scarf is an easy, fast and satisfying pattern (even though it has no chevrons).  It feels cozy around my neck in the cold wet weather that has finally blown in.

Mexican Jenny and Other Poems

My new book of poetry, Mexican Jenny and Other Poems, has recently been published by Anhinga Press.  The book was awarded the 2012 Philip Levine Prize.

The book features the story of a Colorado prostitute who in 1913 killed her abusive husband and then served time for murder.  Legend has it that while incarcerated Jenny made a crazy quilt from the clothes she had worn as as a sex worker.  The long narrative poem about Jenny addresses the question of what we can know about events of the past.

Mexican Jenny and Other Poems is available now from Anhinga Press and Amazon  The Ahninga page has a sample of the book and my artist’s statement for your perusal.  I feel a sense of accomplishment that I've found a way to fuse my textile work with my writing, and I'm very proud of this book.

In the interest of keeping it real, here's a new project:

 

57 inches wide, I'm crocheting this chevron afghan from a basket of complimentary stash yarns.  I'll keep going until it gets to hot and big for my lap.  I've still got a ways to go.