Men Who Knit Promoting and inspiring the art of knitting amongst men.

Is anyone else signed up for the Mystery Stole Three? The yahoo group is well over 6000 knitters, and Melanie (the designer) was just interviewed by USA Today regarding this "World wide event".

While waiting for mistakes to show up in the test knitting of QAL (Queen Anne's Lace) pattern and finishing up some other projects, working on writing up the Fibonacci Eyelet Shawl(s) - there will be

*sigh* I must say I am disappointed. So much hoopla and people so excited. But I doubt I will spend much time there.

first and foremost the site is so slow to load (noticable at work over a T3 line - excruciateingly painful at home over dial-up)

I have no access to Flickr (not by choice) so have no way to load photos at Ravelry.

The site is very counter-intuitive to my mind. This is most likely my fault, I know that features I hate on some sites are the reason others like the site.

To me the place reeks of clique-ishness and MySpace/YouTube mentality"

So many up-to-the=second bells and whistles are in use and included that people without access to such (for example: those of us rural dwellers who have no choice but to use 24k* connections because there is nothing else available) are handicapped severely. aut0omaticly creating a "second class" citizenship

So I guess the not so fancy mainly text forums will remain my mainstay.

* on a good day - connection is often slower.

I am almost done with a clerical stole I knit for my nephew's ordination. (11 am, saturday - he will be ordained a Deacon in the Episcopal Church)

Red wool, sport weight from Black Oak Wool of Dundee NY (I think they are out of business now)
Knit on size US 3 needles.

about 4 inches x 110 inches, with eyelet lace designs for about 16 inches either end.

All I have left to do is finish sewing the backing on, then steam blocking it.

I posted pictures out in my folder at Knitted lace.

MMario's Gallery

goddamn sizing! I'm looking for some new garb - and I'm beginning to think that sizing charts are written for munchkins.

I know I am a-hem! as they say, "large" - but I'm sorry, an XL shirt should be more then a 40 inch chest! And when a cuff circumfrence of 6 inches (my wrist is 9 inches) is described as "generous" - I'm sorry; they are not fitting real people.

when you add in the long arms (I take a 37 inch sleeve) and the short legs (30.5 inch inseam) I **deTEST** clothes shopping.

yes - I succumbed to advertizing. Popped into KnitPicks just to see what they might have these days...and they are having a sale.

I did manage to keep it down to 12 skeins of laceweight merino and round out the order with some needles I've been wanting to order.

flying to West Palm Beach tomorrow, (Niece's wedding) and will be gone a few days.

The various WIP's are either too big at this point, or worked from cones, which is awkward, or both, so of course I had to start a new project. (ouch! twist my arm!)

It will be a rectangular stole, done in an eyelet diamond pattern, alternated with stockinette diamonds and a simple "frame" of reverse garter stitch.

It's using some black laceweight - I think it's alpaca but I may be wrong - on size US 6 needles (small size for me, but they are the "brightest" needles I have, and with black laceweight I need the contrast)

eleven repeats of the diamonds should give me the length I need. *IF* my sister did as I requested and got me an aisle seat, then I should have a good length of this done by the time the weekend is over. Should have some good qaulity knitting time both Saturday and Sunday; I'm not in the wedding party so my time should be mostly free except for the ceremony and reception - and since Saturday is KIP International, it seems appropriate that The Hampton Inn Lobby be graced by my presence.

I'm waiting for any mistakes in 'Queen Anne's Lace' to display themselves, preparing for several family functions;trying to write up the various variations for Fibonaccci Eyelets, catch up with the spawning blankets and wedding shawls and resist the temptation to cast on about a gazillion projects...

So - for "mindless knitting" - I'm working on Desert Sun from GoddessKnits.

Now, I know it doesn't look mindless, but the repeats are not long, very logical and very easy to "read" against your finished stitches - and each one is done 24 times.... the next three rows are all "knit 22, purl 2" - and the purls are verticallly aligned, so it really is the next best thing to mindless garter.

I started this last summmer, and currently have under 40 rows and the edge to knit. My version is being worked on US 8 needles in a heathered bayberry 2/8 Jagger Spun Maine Line wool.

addendum:6/7 - Under 35 rows left (plus edge)

Because it's been vewwy, vewwy quiet!

QAL bind-off begins in 161 stitches.

Had a wierd/scary/serious evening yesterday with a young couple who are "chosen family" - in which I agreed to be designated legal guardain for their three kids "in case".
As I said at one point last, not that I'm unwilling or I don't love the sproutlings (the two girls are already my god-children and I imagine the (unknown gender) in the oven will be as well) - but I do **NOT** wish for that partular legal document to ever be used.

So between the nervous energy, the late chit-chatting, and the loverly glass of home brewed kahlua synapses not firing too well today.
I'd ask if it showed, but don't want to know.

Nephew got final approval on his June 30th ordination to the Episcopal Deaconate yesterday as well, he and his not-quite-yet-fiance both graduate from Yale Divinity School this weekend.

I'm gonna be cat sitting. Which is not as easy as it sounds, since 3 of the five cats do not consider me to be an acceptable substitute in the "snuggle/petme" department. Which means they spend a lot of time going here, there, and complaining that the appropriate person is not available. And there's some siamese somewhere in their ancestry - I can tell by the yowls. So they need to check outdoors; then because he ain't there, they come in; then they need to check the *other* door.

an article on my Dad was published in my parents local paper today:

it's here online at least for a few days.