Pimp my armoire

About this time last year, I was contemplating a carrel; it looked messy. So once again I am fixing up our armoires. Each one holds the promise of an entire extra room. Pictured here is the beginnings of a young Lear's private library - much like the Duke d'Urbino's "cabinet". We are planning covered bulletinboard panels on the doors, a fold-down desktop and customized cubbies for stationery and supplies.

The Minimalist Cooks Dinner

I love this book. My Cafe Bastille sweater is coming along, but it is too hot to even pick it up. I'm going to start some socks and listen to the speeches.

Gansey complete

I knit the collar during the closing ceremonies. The color in this photo isn't true. I may knit another of these for myself. I usually don't knit sweaters in pieces, but I needed this one to be portable. I do not like sewing seams or fitting the sleeves. I will go back to picking up stitches and knitting sleeves in the round. My favorite way to knit a sweater is from the top down, a la Barbara Walker. That way I can be sure I have the shoulders and armholes fitted correctly before I take on the bulk of the sweater. But I also like being able to knit in pieces here and there.

Readymade Eames cabinet

I checked out the Readymade book - a collection of DIY ideas from the magazine of the same name. I love this Eames-ish cabinet made of discarded drawers. Gansey front is finished and blocking! This weekend I'll sew it together and knit the neck! What next?!

Gansey back complete

I'm knitting away on the front now. I love this Ultra Alpaca - the heathered colors are wonderful, the softness, the warmth! This Olympic knitting project has gone so smoothly (except when I knit the sleeves two at a time and 8" in realized I wasn't increasing and had to frog it all). I've never planned so well for a project. Since the starting time was set for the first day of the Olympics, I took my time swatching, blocking the swatches, gathering the supplies, setting it all up in a picnic tin by my tv chair. I'll have to do this again!

Wool 100%

Did you see the Mai Tominaga interview in Vogue Knitting? I nudged this ahead of Double Indemnity as a little break in the Barbara Stanwyck festival. I am only and always working on my olympic knitting, but I can't wait to start some of the projects in A Fine Fleece. I've hit upon an idea for my PIF gifts, and I'm thinking about Christmas gifts.

Green sleeves

Well I have a sleeve, and the other is coming along. I'm heavy into terrariums. The honey wine was dumped and that empty glass gallon jug is calling to me on the porch steps. I also want to macrame some hangers for jars so they can hang in the window.

Christmas in Connecticut

This was a nice movie - it got me thinking about Christmas gifts. I've always wanted to make a pile of mittens for gifts - each pair connected by a long ribbon. Then I'd have to think of a game where everyone stands on one side of the room and chooses a mitten, and then unravels the tangle to the other mitten? No, I think it has to be some sort of team sport, and that ribbon has to be elastic, a slingshot game. I have to think about this while I continue my Olympic knitting.

Library day

We're having company tomorrow. I have to come up with a dinner menu, and then I have to cook it. (Usually, I come up with the menu, and Mr. Lear cooks it!) So I checked out both of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and I'm just going to pick something, shop for it, and make it - sweep the toys into the nursery, put some rosemary in a vase, and pour myself some wine. I once read a story by a Georgetown hostess in which her caterer mixed up the dates and a half hour before cocktails called to give her the bad news. She simply called Popeyes, ordered a ton of fried chicken and biscuits, and placed it in the caterer's silver serving dishes.

Lavender ice cream

This dish of lavender ice cream goes out to Sel & Poivre. I think this batch marks the moment I gave up my silly feelings about fancy flavors. Now, I'm Gary Cooper once he discovers the beauty of 1940s NYC slang. I adore lavender ice cream! Yesterday I made Guinness milk chocolate. Next I'm going to try goat cheese! My copy of The Perfect Scoop is due this week, but my bookstore has promised me one by Thursday.

Dark Daisy at last

This was knitted during Cardinal's games. I can see where we weren't doing well and I fell off the chart. I like that. I might make another pattern for the orange chairs - a big round swirly pattern.

Ball of Fire

I feel a Barbara Stanwyck film festival coming on. Then I'm going to lose this Mrs. Lear schtick and change my name to Sugarpuss, and write songs for my nightclub act and wear sequined dresses. You got that Daddy? At one point in the movie Daddy snarls, "Why don't you knit them eight little sweaters to remember you by?" and I thought, what a great idea - with little sequined labels inside the collars that read, "Hand Knit by Sugarpuss". I'd use very soft heathery alpaca blends and beautiful old leather buttons with short personalized quotes on the turned under hems. 

Twist Collective

I have no photo. I haven't figured out which ice cream to make. I'm not knitting the last inch on the Dark Daisy cushion. I'm not doing any of my chores. I'm not even dressed! I'm sitting here with my coffee and the Premiere Issue of Twist Collective - so happy to at last have found a knitting magazine for me!