Cosmicknitter

December 5, 2023

She’s Come Undone

It feels like I am coming out of a blogging hibernation. It was a long period of very little knitting and no writing. I am delighted to be back in the company of all you wonderful bloggers and readers!

As I get back into it, I would like to share my latest project: The Wild Posy, by Melodie Hoffmann. Many things make this sweater special so I will start at the beginning with the yarn.

The sweater was designed with Plötulopi, an unspun Icelandic wool. If you have ever worked with Lopi, this will feel familiar. It is a lovely, toothy wool. But it is unspun. UNSPUN, people! The yarn breaks if you look at it crossly. The yarn was given to me by my bestie who tried her darndest to like it, but soon learned it was best to part ways. As I swatched for this sweater, the yarn broke on the regular. It seems the yarn and I were coming undone. I so wanted this to work; I really loved this pattern. Not to be deterred, I decided to carry a strand of Baby Alpaca Fingering by Ice Yarns. The name is deceptive; this is really not a fingering weight. I would describe it as more of a fine lace weight yarn.

The cast:

The strand of Alpaca did the trick and knitting commenced.

In spite of its tendency to break, this yarn has some wonderful qualities. When it does break, just grab the two ends, rub between your palms and it THAT’S IT! No spit needed. (how often does a gal get to say that?)

You can see the textured yoke in the bottom photo. This is achieved by knitting stitches out of turn, much like cables. There is no need to use a cable needle, however, the stitches hang out and wait for their turn to be picked up due to the nature of the grippy wool. Finally, this has to be one of the lightest weight sweaters I have ever knit. Now that I am knitting the body, the sweater should be done in no time. Maybe in time for Christmas.

Another project recently off the needles is the Snowglobe Hat by Tin Can Knits. Knit with a strand of The Knitting Goddess BFL and that versatile Baby Alpaca mentioned above, this hat was a fun and fast knit. The pattern was easy enough to memorize. If you decide to knit one for yourself, read the pattern through before casting on. The designers create the crown decreases in pattern. It is that attention to detail that makes this a keeper. This hat is a gift for my beautiful sister!

School Shenanigans!

Nothing makes the work day fly by quite like shenanigans.

See if you can guess the references.

This has been sitting in the office since early September, waiting to be installed.

Two by Two Zoo came to the school as part of our Madagascar Day activities. I got kissed by this little joey. I thought we bonded, but apparently he detected the smell of cheese on my breath. I knew someday someone would find that attractive!

Let’s wrap it up, shall we?

Saint of the Day: St. John the Wonder-Worker. St. John the Wonder-Worker died on this day in the year 750. John was a fierce defender of sacred images. This position placed him in considerable danger. But fear not! This saint performed so many miracles that the ruler, Emperor Leo V was afraid to prosecute him. I am personally grateful for this man. Sacred images and icons deeply enrich my time in prayer and meditation.

What’s in my cup: This hot deliciousness:

It’s Ireland’s finest after all…Curious if my friends across the pond drink this.

In my earballs: Pardon my Stash, knitting podcast. This bunch hail from Connecticut and spend a little time talking about knitting and a lot of time laughing. They are geeks so I love them!

Be well and take care!

Love,

ReginaMary

November 30, 2023November 30, 2023

A Little Golden Corner of the World

A formal introduction.

https://cosmicknitter.com/carvers-corner/

It only seems fitting that Carver have his own page here on Cosmicknitter. A little place we like to call Carver’s Corner. Stop by and see what the little monkey has been up to these days.

November 29, 2023November 30, 2023

Working My Way Back To You

And just like that {{shesnapsfingers}} two years have passed. It has been too long since I last sat down to write. Where does the time go? It has been a full and eventful time, to be sure.

There are two significant updates I wish to share. We lost our treasured Razzle in November 2022. Razz lived a long and inspiring life where he did what Goldies do…bring joy, melt hearts! We were with him and held him as he passed. Not a day goes by, folks…not a day goes by.

Enter Carver. Born two days before Thanksgiving in 2021, my husband chose the fitting name of Carver.

Carver and Razz were brothers for one year and during that time, Carver tortured the tar out of Razz (as any little brother is wont to do!) Allow me to indulge you with some photos.

Brothers. Amiright???

What these photos don’t tell you is how much Carver loves yarn. That would be 400 yds of super fine lace weight alpaca all knotted up there. Thank you very much.

There have been chewed on skeins of sock yarn and de-pom-pomed caps galore. Needless to say, there were many months of NO KNITTING! Now, y’all have known me long enough to know what happens when I don’t knit. It’s bad.

But now he’s two! And suddenly, he is a good boi. Well, almost.

::sigh::

I hope you all are well. I look forward to catching up on all the things!

With love,

ReginaMary

January 10, 2022November 30, 2023

On God and Fruitcake

Do you think God has an opinion on fruitcake? I started thinking about this on my walk today. To be accurate I started thinking about Genesis 4.

Genesis

Cain and Abel

Pleasing God

First fruits

Old fruit

Fruitcake

Does God like fruitcake? It’s a perfectly normal question.

For decades I have heard the story of Cain and Abel but never understood why God was so unhappy with Cain. I am listening to the Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike for the second year (yes, it’s that good) and it was his explanation of Genesis 4 that finally made things click. Abel gave God his first fruits while Cain sort of gave God his sloppy seconds. The re-gifted fruitcake. No parent would stop loving their child over a fruitcake, but it would be a sad encounter for sure! And that led me to think about my daily offerings. What part of my day do I give to God? Most days it is the very first thing I do each day. I say most days. And this is ultimately the icing on the fruitcake. This is what I took away from that chapter in Genesis and the revelation on that walk. God deserves my best, but at the very least, my first.

Now, on to the knitting!

I had the joy of doing another test knit for Melinda of Yankee Knitter Designs. The Color Block Mitten is a flexible and modifiable pattern in a variety of sizes. The first set I knit according to the pattern. Size Large, I used Malabrigo Chunky – Dusty for the main color with Tutto Santa Fe Fine Merino DK – Black Gorge as the contrast. I loved the pattern and the outcome. The mittens were true to size but since I wear size Medium, I tossed them in the wash for a spell and they felted beautifully! The fabric is dense and soft. These mittens keep my paws warm on the coldest days.

This is a great pattern because it is written for circular knitting using magic loop, or dpns and a version knit flat on straight needles. For my next pair, I used the same yarn, but rather than a color block design, I knit with both yarns held together. I also knit them flat using two 6″ dpns. Aren’t they cute? You can have a lot of fun with this pattern and the potential for modifications is endless. Oh, I forgot to mention, these knit up in a day!

**Two yarns held together make for warm and cozy mittens**

Our Holidays were quiet and peaceful; just the way I like them. The break from school always comes at a good time. Razz was hoping one of these gifts was for him.

I am making progress on Shawlography with only one set of clues to go. I know, better late than never.

Take a gander at this beautiful necklace. It was a gift from a very thoughtful server at our favorite restaurant. We bonded one evening over insects. These are the wings from a Brood X Cicada. Have you ever???

We had our first snow day last Friday. There is something really fun about having a snow day on a Friday and this school secretary secretly did a happy fanny dance. OK, so maybe not so secretly.

That’s all I have for the first post of the year. No resolutions, no ‘word of the year’, just a whole lot ‘o nuthin!

Saint of the Day: Saint Gregory of Nyssa. St. Gregory the Bishop of Nyssa. He was a very smart fella who fought the Arian Heresy (a really big deal). He is the patron saint of musicians, singers, students, and teachers.

“Peace is defined as harmony among those who are divided. When, therefore, we end the civil war within our nature and cultivate peace within ourselves, we become at peace.”
––St. Gregory of Nyssa

December 21, 2021December 21, 2021

The Gift

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain. ~Henry David Thoreau~

This beautiful necklace was given to me by a server at our favorite restaurant. A few months ago we shared a conversation about Brood X cicadas. She remembered the exchange and held on to this necklace until now. These are the wings of a Cicada. What elicited “eeewwwws” as a child has graced me with joy as an adult. I am so moved by this geature. So honored by this exchange. Thank you, Kim!

November 24, 2021November 24, 2021

If You Love Something, Set It Free

Or some such non-sense. The premise here is to not have attachments to things or people. If they are meant to be in your life, the cosmos will see that they are.

I am prepared to share a story. It’s a funny story. I can say that now; at the time it elicited a different response. Fellow creator and blogger Tierney recently share a quilting mishap brought on by her partner, John. I am sharing this story for Tierney because, well…misery loves company.

I knit myself a Felix pullover. I wrote about it here. It was lovely. It fit to a ‘T’. I could not wait for the cool weather to wear it. Would I wear it to the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival? Why not? It was prance-worthy. If it were a cardigan, I might have just busted a few buttons off. OK, that is a slight exaggeration. Regardless, I was super happy with the sweater.

It was a Sunday afternoon. My sweater had been blocking on the dining room table. It was also mom’s 94th birthday and she was over for dinner. As I cleared the sweater from the table, mom commented on how lovely the sweater was.

“Is is for me?” she asked. Of course it wasn’t. But that didn’t stop my husband from stating:

“YES! Yes it is!”.

::the camera pans to our heroine who is now in the kitchen sucking down red wine::

“Gimme a minute”, I tell him as he struggles to find a way to take back his comment. “What can I do?” he asks?

“I don’t know what I was thinking!” he stated.

“Gimme a minute.” I reply.

::our heroine consumes more wine::

She replies: “It’s ok, sweetie. If she wants the sweater, she can have the sweater.”

::our heroine consumes more wine…::

Upon walking her home that evening, she ducked into the bedroom to try on the sweater. It fit her beautifully. I am 5’6″ and she is 5′. How this sweater fit both of us so well is a mystery, but it did. She was beaming. The sweater was meant for her after all.

Hello, webs? Send more yarn, STAT! This shade is deeper in real life. It will be perfect for the next version of the Felix Pullover.

More googly-eyed tomfoolery abounds. My boss received some peppers from a colleague’s garden. It appears I cannot be left alone for a minute.

In knitting knews, I am doing something a bit out of my comfort zone. My friend Katherine asked me to join the Stephen West MKAL. I’m not a huge fan of Stephen West’s designs, but I have been told they are a fun blend of knitting and engineering madness. The only requirement for me was that the 5 skeins would have to come from stash. I chose the following:

These yarns have been residing in my stash for a while. Miss Babs was purchased at the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival, Suburban Stitcher from https://suburbanstitcher.com/, Emma’s and Shirsty Cat were acquisitions from the Long Island Yarn Crawl. The mystery skein of JDMS was kindly gifted by my bff Jennifer and selected by her son, the ever-yarn savy Enzo. The vibrant blue adds the recommended “pop”. Thanks kiddo! The result is dynamic and I am truly enjoying the experience! Working on a project that uses 5 different skeins of yarn is something akin to herding cats. Here is how I am handling the rodeo:

**By Jove! There is method to her madness!**

Ziploc bags keep the yarn manageable and the ball bands are marked with the color sequence. Don’t knock it til you try it. If only I could tame all my loose ends with ziploc ::sigh:: Isn’t the shawl fun though? The key for me was choosing yarns I love in mellow colors (Enzo’s ‘pop’ excluded!)

Another project on the needles is a sweater for my son, Alexander. This is going to be a cozy hug of a knit when it’s done. The pattern is Of the Sea Pullover by DROPS Design. The pattern was published in 2007 and consists of a basic 6×6 rib, raglan sleeves and a mock turtleneck (which I may or may not keep). The yarn is Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky in Deep Charcoal.

I have more to share, but it will have to wait for another day. Consider yourselves fairly warned.

As we head into the Thanksgiving Holiday here in America, I have so much to be thankful for. I count you all amongst my blessings.

In my cup: Harney and Sons Tea, Paris blend. Follow on Instagram @harneyteas

In my earballs: A Charlie Brown Christmas

St. of the Day: St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc and companions.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

ReginaMary

PS. Please say a prayer for Razz; he is having surgery next week.

October 25, 2021

Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut

Sometimes you don’t.

I love Almond Joy. I wish it was dark chocolate like Mounds, but a gal can’t have everything.

Have you ever noticed all of the merchandise on the market promoting Joy? “Find Joy”, “Choose Joy”, “Seek Joy” or just “Joy”.

Is joy really that elusive? I don’t think it is. I am going to be bold and actually suggest that joy resides within us all. It is our default. It is the noise of the world that pulls us away from our nature to be joy-filled and positive people. So why are people so comfortable with being pissy? Stop being pissy, people. Just stop it. Get help. Get to know God. Go for a walk. But for cryin’ out loud, cheer the h*ck up! 🙂

I received a message from WordPress the other day. It congratulated me on 10 years of blogging. Well, isn’t that special. I thought I would share one of my very first posts with you, but in doing so, I realized I have been babbling on as Cosmicknitter for much longer than ten years. I started this blog on the Blogger site in 2007 and it was in 2011 that I migrated to WordPress. I have officially been talking about absolutely nothing for 14 years! What the heck??

I don’t know the fate of the first ever post; I can’t locate it in my archives. Let’s hear it for sloppy seconds! Cosmicknitter circa 2007. Classic. Vintage, even. The photos did not migrate with the new platform. As you can clearly see, I had little to say then and I have stayed true to form since.

Long time, no see

That’s all for today. I have knitting to report on, but that will have to wait for another day.

Happy Monday!

Love,

ReginaMary

September 16, 2021April 2, 2024

I See What You Did There

About the eyeballs.

When you work at a middle school and you’re friends with the art teacher, googly eyes are bound to appear.

It appears I took the summer off from writing. It wasn’t intentional, I assure you, but during the summer months, I love spending as much of my free time outside as I possibly can. I love the heat and humidity and enjoy working in the yard until the sweat drips off the tip of my nose.

We took a trip up to Autumn Lake again and it was wonderful. I made many new friends. There were two beavers, a barred owl and blue heron on the lake. It was fun watching the activity on and around the water. It was an encounter with a playful Loon that was the highlight. I found myself playing hide-and-seek with this guy:

Razz enjoyed his time at the lake as well. He made himself right at home in my suitcase.

The yard is shaping up and I enjoyed hours and hours of playing in the dirt and hauling stone. We added a number of plants which attract pollinators. Here are a few images:

**St. John’s Wort is a bumble bee’s paradise**

I managed a bit of knitting this summer. I tried knitting socks from the toe up using the Turkish cast-on and absolutely loved it! Using Lolodidit Plush Sock in the Auburn Tiger colorway, this pair of vanilla socks fit my son perfectly. I did a German short row heel which turned out fine, but I am not in love with it. If you knit your socks toe up, what is your favorite heel?

I also finished the Felix Pullover by Amy Christoffers. I loved everything about this project. My project notes can be found here. The yarn is Donegal Tweed by Tahki in Blue. This sweater was gifted to my mama for her 94th birthday. I hope to get a photo of her modeling it, but here are some photos of it blocking. This is a straightforward top-down raglan design with lace detail at the increases. Look at all the pretty, tweedy bits.

The only modification I made to the pattern is on the cuff. Rather than finishing with the same 1×1 rib as the hem, I finished with an I-cord bind off. I like the nice, neat finish it provides. I don’t like cuffs that get out of shape. I plan on making a Felix for myself. I might even choose the same yarn, too. Yes, that is how much I liked this project.

Do you remember the Perth yarn I attempted socks with on three separate occasions? I finally found a project that suited the wool nicely. The Sockhead Cowl by Kelly McClure is a classic. Her other pattern, Sockhead Hat is equally popular. I found the Perth yarn to be a bit fussy, so the simplicity of the Sockhead created a nice balance. I love the results. I have another ball of Perth in my stash, and rather than pull my hair out again, I just might cast on another Sockhead. Aren’t the colors pretty?

How many of you are planning on taking part in Stephen West’s next MKAL? I am the world’s worst when it comes to knitting timelines. Nonetheless, my friend Katherine suggested it and well…anything that I do with her is a hoot! The pattern calls for 5 skeins of fingering weight yarn in 5 different colors. Here are mine:

From top to bottom: Miss Babs-Babette “Thankful”, Suburban Stitcher-Silky Single “Sage”, Emma’s Yarn-Hella Hank “Mood”, Shirsty Cat Designs-Sock “Druid’s Rest” and Jill Draper Makes Stuff-Windham (unknown colorway).

Even though I am not a huge fan of the designer, I absolutely LOVE these yarns, so I feel good about the project. This is really busting down my fingering weight yarn stash.

The final item on the needles is a pair of socks. Deep stash merino and bamboo sock yarn purchased years ago at a craft chain. Another toe-up pair, but I have not decided on the heel to use.

Suggestions, anyone?

In non-knitting related news, school is open and all the kids are back! I am waiting for someone to figure out how to bottle up all that middle school energy and sell it to old goats like me. According to my fitbit, on the first day of school, I walked over 18,000 steps and 7.5 miles by the end of the school day.

For my first post in months, this is not very exciting. I have been keeping very low key and off line in an effort to maintain my sanity. I don’t have much to work with so I have to guard every bit! I am way behind on reading my favorite blogs as well. I look forward to seeing what everyone has been up to in the knitting/crafting/blogging world.

Thanks for stopping by!

ReginaMary

In my cup: Lavazza Perfetto coffee (molto delizioso)

In my earballs: The birds quarreling at the feeder.

Saint of the Day: September 17: St. Hildegard of Bingen. One of my absolute favorites! St. Hildegard was an abbess, artist, author, composer, mystic, pharmacist, poet, preacher, theologian. She is a Doctor of the Church. She is a rock star. From the time she was a little girl, she began having visions. Hildegard’s visions caused her to see humans as “living sparks” of God’s love, “coming from God as daylight comes from the sun”. Virtuous living reduces the estrangement from God and others that sin causes. Like all mystics, Hildegard saw the harmony of God’s creation and the place of women and men in that.

Being in nature always brings me closer to God and the writings and philosophies of St. Hildegard really speak to these experiences. Feeling stressed out? Put the kettle on, light a candles and let this beautiful music fill your heart. Voices of Angels – Voices of Ascension

“The Word is living, being, spirit, all verdant greening, all creativity. This Word manifests itself in every creature.” —Saint Hildegard of Bingen

Note: the featured image is “Cosmos, Body and Soul” by St. Hildegard

May 4, 2021April 2, 2024

Look What the Cat Dragged In

I thought I would give you an update on my knitting follies. Thanks to the generous support and endless creativity of my amazing readers, I have decided to resurrect the yarn from my past fails. And here they are:

The simpler the better for this yarn. I attempted socks and fingerless mitts, but the yarn was too fine, the circumferences were too small and the needles were too dark for my aging eyeballs.

I am taking the advice of Mildlygranola who recommended casting on something simple and fun. And that’s exactly what I did. I started a Sockhead Cowl by Kelly McClure. I love the Sockhead patterns for their ease and how they showcase the colors in the wool. I am naming this project Bandicoot after that lovable video game character Crash!

Next up is the former Weekender, now the future Felix Pullover by Savory Knitting. I have admired this pattern since it was released. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? It has all the features I love in a sweater: top-down, raglan sleeves and a bit o’ eyelet. I think it will be a perfect match. I have named this project Venus Adept after Felix, the main character in the video game Golden Sun. Felix is a Venus Adept, and a main playable character in Golden Sun: The Lost Age. See what I did there?

Regina, you are quite the clever one.

I also knit a pattern that has long been in my queue. These are the Simple House Slippers by Temple of Knit. This is a great pattern to have in your library. They are simple to knit, customizable for any yarn weight and for my size (8.5 US or smaller) great for using up less than 55g of worsted weight yarn. Knit them, you won’t regret it!

In non-knitting news…

That wonderful potter, Margaret of WildDesignNY has been at it again and just look at the beautiful pieces that are blessing our home:

I really wish you could see the glaze up close and personal. The colors are so divine. So get to know Margaret, and if you need a personal trainer, she’ll kick your butt and whip you into shape. Get Fit with Margaret.

Look what happened to me at work! My BFF Kate braided my hair! We had fun and she made me feel like a princess. Do you see all those red highlights? Those are natural. Would you believe that as a child I was a little toe head? All I need now is my tiara, but that won’t make an appearance until my birthday.

There has been a lot of activity at the Cosmicknitter household. One of my favorite springtime visitors has arrived.

Razz made another trip around the sun. My baby boy is 12 years old now. I feel like next year he should be allowed a date to the tailgate.

His brother Ben (featured on the right) gave him a birthday present fit for a good boy.

So much stuff. So little time. How have you all been? Please know that I am thinking of you and praying for you and hoping that you know that God is holding you close to His heart.

Saint of the Day: St. Florian. I won’t go into detail about his life and ultimate death because is it very tragic. You can learn more of his faith here. He is the protector of those in danger from fire or water, which are two very powerful forces.

In my glass: Harney and Sons Tea, Staatsburg blend. Follow on Instagram @harneyteas

In my earballs: This guy

There is so much that bumbles around in my head that I want to chat with y’all every day! I keep telling myself “ReginaMary, write more…talk more. Ah, well, this is me, so take me or leave me.

I continue to pray for my interweb friends. I hope each day brings you joy. I am humbled when you share you struggles with me and I celebrate when you have joys.

Happy May, the month of Mary!

Love always,

ReginaMary.

P.S. I don’t know where I got the idea for this title from. Maybe I was inspired by a gift Razz dragged in; a garter snake. I can take a lot of stuff, but snakes and spiders freak me out!

April 20, 2021

Funny Strange or Funny Haha?

Whenever someone mentioned to my daddy that something was funny, that was his response.

So here is a funny conversation that occurred in my house the other day.

Me (kinda to myself but a little out loud): “I feel like casting on socks…should I do double points or circulars? hmm…”

Spouse (from other room): “How did you knit your last pair?”

Me (a little surprised by the question): “Circulars”

Spouse: “Magic Loop?”

Me (increasingly surprised): “Yes”

Spouse: “Do one at a time on dpns.”

Me:

I’m in a bit of a knitting quagmire. I cast on and ripped out two separate projects. I learned that I do not like knitting bottom-up sweaters. I knit the entire body of The Weekender before realizing the neckline did not flatter. I love the yarn – Donegal Tweed by Takhi. Then, because I like kicking myself while down, I ripped out the work on the Flux Hand Warmers by Martina Behm, a pattern included in Arnall-Culliford Knitwear’s Confident Knitting program. No issue with the pattern, mind you, rather I attempted to knit them with that confounded Queensland Collection Perth. That was my fourth attempt to knit a project with this yarn. Well, you know what they say: Five times a charm! If anyone has knit with this wool, please share any pattern recommendations.

You know, with all of this ripping out, I never did cast on those socks!

So I have nothing to show.

“She hung her head in shame.”

Have a beautiful and blessed day!

Much love,

ReginaMary

School Shenanigans!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!