Mark. All. Read.
Wow, has it really been a month since my last post? Oh, but the semester! It is almost over! I’m into the home stretch now, with just a stack of exams to grade and some final math to do.
And even though I’ve been feeling like the semester wasn’t very productive in the academic/professional sense, when I think about all I did, it’s kind of exciting: teach two new classes; finish and submit an article for publication; re-construct a draft of one of the lost chapters of my dissertation; go to two conferences… I am quite not as lazy as I thought! Or at least, not as unproductive.
But now there are 857 (857!) unread blog posts in my Bloglines. I love you all, but I’m taking three precious words of advice from Laura, who heard them once from Rachel: “Mark. All. Read.”
Done.
And moving on. As soon as you all gave your input about the best baby knits (thanks again!), I started another Baby Surprise Jacket.
yarn: Twisted Fiber Art Duchess merino in “Portal”
and Gems sport weight merino in “Caribou”
buttons: big box craft store
needles: US6 Addi Turbo
The Twisted yarn is fantastic to work with. Meg hand-dyes it here in Michigan, and there’s always a massive pile of it at Threadbear Fiber Arts in Lansing (seriously. massive. I call it Twisted Mountain). It’s one of my favorite indie self-stripers, because she does several different styles of striping/fading, and because it comes in heavier weights, along with the sock yarn.
(Also, I think she just updated her shop. So, go!)
I alternated between the self-striper and a solid brown merino, then did the trim and edges in brown. If it’s possible, I might be even happier with this BSJ than I was with my last one.
But I’ve also bought another supply of Hello Yarn Fat Sock, so a third is definitely on the way.
p.s. these photos were taken in November, after the first snow of the year. There’s not a trace of any of this greenery (or ground) left. Happy Winter to those of you in my part of the world!
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December 18th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
what great non-traditional colors for baby! twisted has some of the best self stripers out there…..
December 18th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Sometimes you just need to clear the slate. I think it is very good for the soul.
Love the baby jacket!
December 18th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
That turned out SO WELL!
Hey, is it about the time of the year that you head out to MN? Yarnzilla’s not open to the public anymore…
December 18th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Welcome back to the land of the living. I just got back, it’s magical. Your BSJ is adorbale.
December 18th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Mark all as read is your FRIEND!!
December 18th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
congrats on getting though all that work. I love love love the BSJ and how you did the striping.
December 18th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
i adore the colors.
good luck finishing up the rest of the grading!
December 18th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
Congrats on reaching the home stretch!
I absolutely love that BSJ. The colors are just so rich and fantastic!
Happy Winter to you, too!
December 18th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
but if you mark all read your miss my birthday countdown!!
the BSJ looks great
and you got tons done this semester!
December 18th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Almost done!
Your BSJ is divine. That pattern shows off variegated yarn so well, and striping it with a solid was genius! May have to copy.
December 18th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Mark all read can be so liberating.
I love the BSJ, what’s with all there people being pregnant? I know 6 or so right now. It’s def. keeping my needles busy.
Happy semester’s end (almost)!
December 18th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
mark all read is the best advice that I won’t take for myself (stupidly), how liberating. And congrats on a productive year. Happy holidays to you!
December 18th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Yep, “mark all read” is as liberating and refreshing as a trip to the frog pond can be. Glad I could be of service.
That BSJ is amazing.
December 18th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Such a great sweater … I clicked right on over to her etsy shop. Like Pavlov’s dog, I am.
December 18th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Love the colours of the BSJ - nice work. Have to make one myself one of these days.
More snow you say? That must mean it’s a good time to hunker down and knit! Or finish the semester…you know, whatever works for you. ;p
December 18th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Great BSJ! I am so far behind on my blog reading too… I guess I’ve been doing more actual knitting lately
Good luck with the last few things you have to finish up for the semester! YAY!
December 18th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Lovely BSJ! I love the colors!
December 18th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Adorable! I like how you alternated the self-striping and the solid. Gives it a nice balance. And the colors are great!
December 18th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
But if I marked all read, I would have missed this BSJ, which might just be the best-designed one I’ve ever seen.
December 18th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
Ooh, I’m tempted to M.A.R. Hmmm…
December 18th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
It is absolutely adorable. Love the colors and the picture in the snow is sooo cute!!
December 18th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
Mark all read is a great idea. Really, who has time–even when a semester is over–to read that many posts?
The BSJ looks wonderful–I love the colors you chose!
December 18th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
wow that BSJ is super cool!! i love it more than any other. Very cute!
December 19th, 2007 at 12:06 am
Gorgeous baby sweater! I love your choice of yarn. It sounds like you were HUGELY productive this semester - I’d give yourself a big pat on the back. Or maybe a margarita or two.
December 19th, 2007 at 12:09 am
Ooh yeah! That one click is so hard to do!
Really nice BSJ! Love the stripes/brown!
December 19th, 2007 at 2:22 am
I will be marking all read any minute now. But see, then I wouldn’t have gotten to bask in this sweater again. So stripy! So cute!
December 19th, 2007 at 3:00 am
If I make it to ‘f’ on bloglines, I’m having a really good day (like today).
The BSJ is lovely - it alwasy looks so warm and wonderful in those deep jewel like autumnal colours.
December 19th, 2007 at 3:15 am
That is one fabulous BSJ!!
December 19th, 2007 at 3:32 am
I *completely* understand. Enjoy your holiday from school and knit, knit, knit.
December 19th, 2007 at 5:18 am
Super cute!
December 19th, 2007 at 7:04 am
that bsj is the cutest one i’ve ever seen! great color choice!
December 19th, 2007 at 7:18 am
It’s beautiful! I love the colors! And the buttons….!
December 19th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Every time I see one of these I want to make one. I really like this one. And, yay(!) for the end of the semester. Seriously. It can not come fast enough…
December 19th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
That sweater is so cute! I love the retro feel of the color combinations!
December 19th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
I hear you! I haven’t caught up blogreading since May. I just can’t bring myself to mark them all read. You courage, girl! Nice baby sweater!
December 20th, 2007 at 12:03 am
How very cute! I can’t stop looking at it! The colors are gorgeous!
December 20th, 2007 at 12:31 am
I’ve been in a funk, so I totally understand the “marking all as read” need. We can be bad bloggers together. The sweater is adorable–such wonderful colors! Glad your semester is almost done. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!
December 20th, 2007 at 4:39 am
ohmigawd, so cute! those colors are just delightful.
December 20th, 2007 at 5:27 am
I like this one even better. It’s lovely!
December 20th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
really like the BSJ. . . i’m planning on starting one as soon as christmas knitting is finished!
December 21st, 2007 at 2:05 am
Marvelous sweater! I’m just loving chocolate brown lately myself. I don’t usually make it as far as Lansing when I go to MI (usu. to a lake home in the K-Zoo area), but Threadbear sounds pretty tempting.
December 21st, 2007 at 4:31 am
Lovely lovely baby sweater! Happy Holidays!
December 22nd, 2007 at 1:11 am
Yeah…I think I should mark all read. Though my blogs aren’t that out of control. The BSJ is adorable. I so need to knit one. Let’s not talk about it. lol
December 25th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Perhaps I will start 2008 fresh and mark all as read. Esp since you posted this a week ago and I’m only just getting to it!!
January 1st, 2008 at 2:36 am
I am so pleased that the gospel of “Mark All Read” is spreading. Feels great, doesn’t it?
Congratulations on a very busy and productive year! I hope 2008 is just as good but perhaps a bit more manageable.
I adore the colors of your Baby Surprise Jacket.
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:29 am
Can I get this pattern for the baby sweater anywhere? It’s really, really nice. Thanks.