Because It Is There

George Mallory -- by some mountaineers' estimation the first to summit Mt. Everest -- testily replied to reporters' questions when asked why climb the world's tallest mountain, "Because it is there."

I have found the Mt. Everest of knitting.

And I must -- one day -- climb the mountain.

Until then, I am in awe of Ted and K. standing at the Gates of Hell and apparently proceeding apace. Instead of being in Base Camp waiting for them to summit and return with the story, it's more like I'm watching their progress on the Discovery Channel from the safety of my couch. But consider me a Princess cheerleader!

Then there is Grumperina, my knitting idol, who not only knit the lace, but modified the pattern and made massive corrections to the design to turn out a shawl that is absotively, posilutely beautimous.

My Feather and Fan scarf/stole is on hold, waiting for the #114 Manos del Uruguay to show up again at the LYS. I'd say I'm about 1/2 way there with the one skein and will be able to finish up with another. Since it's such a heavy yarn, I hesitate to say it's "lace" but it is a lace stitch, just worked in heavier wool. Deadline is next Saturday, Feb. 18, for an 86th birthday party. The desired accompaniment is an antique or unusual scarf clip. Ideas on where to find one?

I'm a third of the way through Elizabeth's baby blanket, too. And I am very proud to have resisted casting on for any other project. I am stuck on the idea of Fuzzy Feet to use up some Lamb's Pride Worsted in my stash. I found some grey beads that match a Rowan Cashsoft DK that will go toward my first hat project -- Grumperina's Odessa. I have another Multi-Directional Scarf that I want to knit in a Berroco yarn I already have. And I'd love to find a pattern for a kid's sweater knit in the round on some Debbie Bliss yarn that Stitch DC had on sale. Mad props to me for focusing on stash-busting!

Speaking of sales, Happy 1st Anniversary, Stitch DC! I took my first knit stitch on November 14, 2005, at the Stitch DC Capitol Hill store. The Georgetown store had a sale today that the fam and I stopped at after a nice hike near the Dumbarton Oaks. Quite the workout with a 17-lb. kid on the back and 8 inches of snow on the ground.

One of the sale items I couldn't resist was Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. Another Everest -- the Norwegian stocking pattern. And hubby dear picked up some yarn today and said he would wear socks in this yarn in the Slate colorway. Well, all-rightey then.

The reason why I'm trying to hold back with new projects is that -- cross fingers -- my knitting class starts tomorrow. My gauge swatches are ready and one big mistake has already been discovered and planned for.

When one asks for one's bust measurement, one must actually measure the, ahem, bust across the -- cough -- bust line, not automatically assume that one's, ehr, bra size, is the correct number to base one's hand-knit sweater on, mustn't one?

Um. Ehr. Yeah. Well.

Knit on.