Ten (oh no how is it ten)

I write to you now from the airport in Saint John, New Brunswick, as I try to make my way home from Knit East, which was very lovely, as always.  Great students, the venue is so pretty – the sea and Passamaquoddy Bay beckoning to me through the windows. I had a very good time, indeed,  but I really did miss everyone at Knit City more than I can say. I really wanted to be cloned this past weekend – three versions of me would have been wonderful, one for Knit East, one for Knit City, one for a wedding that I was very sorry to miss.  Wait, actually – four.  Four Stephanies would have been the magic number, because one could have just knit and maybe my Rhinebeck dreams would be all coming true.

I have ten days to go, and here’s where I’m at. I’ve finished the back of the Must Have Cardi – and I’m about halfway done the left front.  (Sweater parts pictured here elegantly spread out on an airport cafe table.)  I don’t know how hopeful I feel about this right now. The back took a lot longer than I was hoping, but it is the biggest part so I am trying not to freak out. (I am sort of freaking out.)

Remi doesn’t feel like it’s faring much better – but I am making some progress.  Lucy Neatby forgot her knitting when we were together the other evening and I gave her Remi, so for 30 minutes she made progress for me while I worked on the Must Have. It was glorious.

Sweater in-progress here elegantly pictured on my lap in the aforementioned airport cafe. (Someone will ask, so that fabulous project bag is from Wool Needle Thread, and yes, I do match my project bag to my project because I AM NOT AN ANIMAL. Matching the shirt was an accident.)

Just as I arrived at the airport today my original flight home cancelled and my travel plans are now sort of unclear, which is something that would usually make me a crazy person, but today I really don’t care.  This zen attitude about a cancelled flight is likely brought to you by the pressing need to work on these sweaters, and the fact that this morning as I was packing, I put the extra yarn and needles for them in my checked bag, sure I wouldn’t need that much for today – and then in a moment of absolutely unusual clarity,  I took it out of my checked bag and put it in my carry on “just in case.”

For once, I am in a travel crisis and I am not underyarned on a deadline.  I feel like my whole life has just been practice for this moment.

55 thoughts on “Ten (oh no how is it ten)

  1. Happy airport knitting! May these projects continue quickly and without mistakes! (Are you considering focusing on one to ensure the completion of one and then finish the other if able, or going with the both or none strategy?)

  2. Getting Lucy Neatby to work on your sweater for a while? That’s evil genius level work there. Begs the question: did you have anything to do with her forgetting her own knitting?

  3. Good call on the carry-on contents. But what I want to know is what are those boots/shoes/feet covers? Looks so cute but I guess there’s more to the story hidden under your jeans, right?

    • Those are Blundstones (out of Australia, I think?) ….a perfect blend of comfort and hard-wearing boots. I think they’re essentially essential boots for fall & spring Canadian weather.

      • Blundies are definitely from Australia- wonderfully tough work boots that can survive almost anything. And they look pretty good too. But I guess as an Australian, I’m a bit biased

  4. And the drama begins! (Great idea to put the extra yarn in your carry-on, BTW. Even if you’re using the colors of ’70s appliances, it saved you from hot pink crapcrylic!)

  5. Ah, that was your knitter’s intuition alerting you. Nothing better than having yarn and time with which to knit it. Your sweaters are beautiful, I wish you the fastest of knitting.

    • Yes! When I don’t listen to that voice in the back of my head I regret it! It does represent clarity amidst the chaos at hand! It is a gift from our wiser self.

  6. I feel matching projects to their containers adds a level of stress that knitting is supposed to combat … and I am not an animal. I choose to not be judged by my choices. Just as you probably were not being judgy on purpose when you called me out for not matching project to bag, I will not call you out for over-zealous ocd… 🙂 Let’s call it square and put away dueling dpn…

  7. Between airport time and flying time, I’m guessing your sweaters are going to be much further along by the time you get home. Hope you get home soon.

  8. How good to see someone else who needs to turn up the hem on jeans. Mine are always left at the original length, too. Who has time to cut and sew hems on jeans??

    When you made your first Must Have cardigan, I bought the pattern but it and its yarn are still in their project bag unmade. Maybe this year??

    • My question also. Knitting a pullover in the round can result in a perhaps undesirable slant. But knitting a cardigan back and forth, sides and back together as far as the armholes, saves much time and temper (and looks so very nice in progress).

  9. Who else would have LUCY FREAKIN’ NEATBY just work on a sweater for her?!? Not ONLY were you not underyarned – but Lucy FREAKIN’ Neatby “forgot” her knitting!! That’s a moon and planetary alignment of the highest order…

  10. How do people who don’t knit (or read) manage to travel at all? With the inevitable wait times and delays, that’s all that keeps me sane.

  11. I am sorry you missed everything else but I am very glad you came to Knit East! I hope you make it home eventually with sweaters much further along.

  12. The tension…the suspense!! Will she make it folks? Or will she… shudder…have to wear a sweater from one of the previous 20 Rhinebecks?? Tune in next week to find out! 😉

    Both are coming along nicely, and so very much faster than the 37 stitches a day I am lucky to average this year.

    🙂

    Deana

    • Sitting on the edge of my seat with baited breath to see the exciting conclusion of this year’s episode…

      And I may actually get to see it LIVE from Rhinebeck as I am on a bus trip there for the Saturday!

  13. I don’t always match projects and project bags up intentionally. However, on knit nights, I may also have on coordinating clothing and earrings…

    And I second the comment about people who don’t knit/crochet/read traveling. Things happen. There are delays. We are endlessly entertained most of the time (though I will say that, while spending the night in the airport at Newark (missed connection due to low cloud ceiling and the early AM flight out made it impractical to get a hotel room for a couple of hours (IMHO…not so much in my DH’s opinion…but he wasn’t with me!), I did not get a lot accomplished on any project…

  14. Thank heavens for second thoughts on packing that yarn. And thankful for help by the lovely Lucy!!! Can’t wait to see ONE of those FO at Rhinebeck!!

  15. Underyarned? Unimaginable! 😉

    I am relieved to NOT be on-strike, as of today, although I was planning to put my “knit and walk” abilities to the test…

    I have a half-ball (with the current on-the-needles project) and daily wonder if it’s time to put the next ball in-bag!!

    [Given that it’s a work-day, and orchestra rehearsal tonight, that half-ball will keep me going…until tomorrow, perhaps!]

    Knit on, all…

  16. “For once, I am in a travel crisis and I am not underyarned on a deadline. I feel like my whole life has just been practice for this moment.”

    Goddess of Travel Knitting to God of Remembering Yarn: Well, crikey, it’s ABOUT TIME!

    God of Remembering Yarn: Don’t blame me for her zany schedules!

  17. thank you for coming to Knit East, I think i can knit my way out of the room, with a sock…. at least i now have the courage to go forth and try. Thank you for the laughes and sharing your knowledge with us.

  18. I am glad you came to KnitEast as well. Always learn something new in one of your classes. I do think I could knit my way out too a small room as well. Thank you very much for what you do. I really enjoyed your class.

    ps good luck on the sweaters and getting out of Saint John.

  19. I’m with everyone else who’s floored that Lucy Neatby took over your sweater for a bit, but am I the only one wondering how you two ensured that her gauge matched yours? Have you done this before? Sorry to be hung up on minutiae. Love that Must Have Cardy; I’ve knitted a few for myself and friends and it’s as lovely to wear as it is lovely to look at.

    Good luck with the next ten days. All that Bike Rally training is serving you well on a marathon like this.

  20. I, too, laughed out loud at the ‘not an animal’ comment, though technically all of us are animals… (witness some certain politicians’ behavior of late – no names).
    Underyarned…a term that may represent the death of me yet, as we wait for our new home to be built and I am 1 month and 9 days into the bulk of my stash being in deep storage. Will I be underyarned over the winter of 19-20? Time will tell. Being in Minnesota, this could result in a walk in a blizzard to a yarn store or something. I’ll report back occasionally to let you all know that I (and those around me) are still alive….

  21. We were on vacation in Canada, and must have driven right past you on Sunday! So happy the universe saw fit to get that extra yarn in your carry-on bag. Knit like the wind!

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