Spiced Earth

I got this yarn second hand. The photo on the screen looked interesting, it's kettle-dyed with a bunch of colors, so I felt it wouldn't pool badly even if i knit something smallish with it. I was thinking a baby kimono (I'm working on my pattern and trying different yarns) or something of the sort.

But when I got my hands on it, I knew it had to be mine.

It's an alpaca/silk blend dyed by Dashing Dachs in the "Spiced Earth" colorway. And I am in love. Plums, russet, olive and spring greens, deep steely blue, even a stitch or two of periwinkle showing up every now and then. Truly an amazing blend of colors.

I have 333 yards of it. And I want it to be something I wear often. I would have loved to have more of this yarn, in a solid something coordinating, and make a yoked sweater with this color as the yoke and the remainder of the sweater solid. Nice, huh? Alas. I was impatient and didn't feel like waiting for more yarn. Besides, my anatomy this winter will do horrific things to the shape of sweaters so I'd rather not waste the yarn.

So I thought a scarf would be a good choice. I originally started to make Branching Out and while i enjoyed the pattern it wasn't doing justice to the yarn or the lace. It looked like a mess, actually. I had done 5 repeats and I just knew I would never wear it. i considered a memorial photo but just went right to frogging instead.

Then I went back and forth and hemmed and hawed and settled on Clapotis. I didn't make one last year when the craze was on. I'm not a stole kind of person. And not crazy about variegated yarns for myself, most of the time. And, truth be told, I'm not nuts about the pattern. But it did seem an excellent showcase for this yarn, so I went for it.



It was a good choice. I'm making a skinny Clap, scarf-sized, which means I'll wear it. Seven dropped stitches, it measures about nine inches across. I like it. If i have enough yarn I might even go whole-hog internet knitting trendy and make a matching Panta. So when I walk around all winter in my out-of-date poncho that I really did buy in Ireland 10 years ago before ponchos were back (and over again) that I'm wearing despite it's has-beenness simply because it fits over my gut, I'll at least have some of last-years fashionable accoutrements.

Of course, I could also make swanky Knucks and bring a little of this year trendy into my life.

In other knitting news, my husband wanted to go with a worsted weight yarn for the seamless hybrid. I didn't even coach him in the sheer number of stitches he'd save me. I showed him a sweater knit in DK and a sweater knit in worsted and he preferred the weight of the worsted. And he preferred the slightly deeper, slightly bluer tone to the 'wild plum' color of the worsted as opposed to the 'revel' dk. The darker yarn will look better with his olive skin and black hair. So I ordered it. Phew. Let's see what happens.

One note: It's not that I am irreverent. It's simply that I can't stand the use of human suffering for political propaganda. So I had a long post written up, about how my day began 5 years ago. How I had been up until 5 am playing cut-throat backgammon and drinking bourbon, toasting at midnight (and all the rest of the night) with my friend to celebrate my turning 30. About how I watched, incredulous, still half-drunk the next morning as the world turned upside down outside my bedroom window.

And I decided to scrap it. We all know what happened. We were all touched and affected in different ways, to different degrees. You don't need to read about my experience. Not today.

I will tell you one thing. The best part about having a birthday that is September 11? what I lose in parties and celebrations (because yes, people do feel like heels going out and cheering on this day, in this city) I gain in words. Where everyone else gets email animated cards with funny animals and off-color humor, I get sincere, loving words from my friends who tell me that today they are choosing to take a moment today to celebrate life instead of death.

So take a moment and look at something you cherish, something you are glad to be alive to witness. Some joy that outweighs all suffering. And as you mourn the dead and our tragic planet, find a way to celebrate your life today.