Dear Ann,
Working. What a concept. When I post Instagrams of my latest Icelandic sweater, people express amazement at my speed. It’s not speed, it’s a daily half-hour in each direction on the A/C or sometimes the B/D to the R. Until you get to the yoke, it’s perfect subway knitting, around and around in stockinette on circulars. Circular needles are the commuter-knitter’s friend. One less thing to go wrong. If a ball of yarn rolls across the floor of the subway car: indulgent smiles, help the old dear by picking it up for her. When a needle falls: all eyes avert.
At my rather ordinary rate of knitting speed (I’m an English/American style knitter, a thrower if you will, and this is not the speediest knitting method but the one I learned at age 12 so I’M NOT CHANGING IT or my synapses will BLOW), the body of a children’s size 14 lopapeysa takes 2 weeks of subway riding, and each sleeve takes a week, or less if you work on it while watching TV at night before you drop off into the sleep of the just.
So now I’m at the Exciting Yoke Phase of this sweater. The pattern is Verur, from Vedis Jonsdottir’s book Knitting With Icelandic Wool. It is the third in my series of 6 Lopapeysas for young members of our June 2012 trip to Iceland. It was an unforgettable trip, but just to make sure, the kids are all getting sweaters. A lopapeysa is for life.
I’m not risking taking this on the subway, so here’s the current Commuter Knitting.
This is the start of my first Clapoktus. Apparently Clapotis and Baktus got together and gave us Clapoktus. You don’t question these things, you just cast on. I’m thrilled to be finally using my stashlet of Handmaiden Sea Silk, bought in a fever that time we went to Oregon for Cat Bordhi’s moebius knitting festival. I’ve got enough for an XXL Clapoktus, and enough in another color for a second one. This is the summer accessory of 2013 for me.
Happy Monday, all! Miss you! Love you!
Love,
Kay
Your lopapeysa mojo continues to astound! Those are lucky travelers indeed.
The Clapoktus is more my personal knitting speed. It looks like a perfect pattern for cashmere, and I just happen to have some sitting idly by…
Ooh, neato!
And a present for you: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/dida88/dida88_19900701-1115a.mp3 A podcast of Kaffe on Desert Island Disks. Thanks to someone or other on Rav for pointing this out!
I have experienced the eyes-averted-lookaway!LOOKAWAY! phenomenon of the dropped metal needle on the subway, as well. It does my heart good to think even those who do not knit instinctively know when something Has Gone Wrong.
I have experienced the eyes-averted-lookaway!LOOKAWAY! phenomenon of the dropped metal needle on the subway, as well. It does my heart good to think even those who do not knit instinctively know when something Has Gone Wrong.
I also love the circular needles, because they allow me to knit without worrying about poking the person next to me. I’m doing a striped top down sweater right now with them, and other than the fact that sock yarn sweaters have huge rows it feels really good to knit on the train.
Nice to hear from you, and your refreshing wit is good on this Monday morning.
Thanks for the hybrid suggestion. I put it in my queue right away!
You sent me on a trip down the rabbit hole. My queue just grew. I love your shawl, plus the Sagrantino plus. . . Loredana is a brilliant one!
whoa – did not know about Clapoktus! Worked on a Baktus over vac, may have to look this up! love the sweaters!
Nice to read your witty words on a Monday morning. I needed some cheering up. And now I think I will go order some Lopi yarn… you’re an instigator!
Lucky you! I have a 40 minute commute each direction, but I’m driving a car. My cruise control won’t quite handle the steering for me!
Those lopi sweaters are sooo pretty. I’ll probably buy the book just so I can stare at them and dream. You are an angel to knit 6 of them — I hope you have one planned for yourself! Evil arthritis may force me to switch my knitting technique pretty soon, but I’m resisting!
I have a barely in-progress baktus that now needs to be re-born as Clapoktus. Riiiippp. thank you very much.
I am another [proud] thrower of yarn, my mother taught me at age 8. She, however, knit continental. Always thought my tension was more even. Sigh.
Knitting on the subway — that means you get a seat!
(me, I stand and read. That is what The New Yorker is for.)
I thought there were 4 kids on the Iceland trip? Is the commute making you count oddly? X x x
p.s. – Clapotukus reminds me, though, of the Yiddish term “poch in der tuchus.”
My stuck-in-traffic knitting (Miami roadways edition) for my hour-long commute was the MDK Moderne Log Cabin Blanket, until my lap was overtaken and the car’s turning radius was affected (I kid – it was only when the blanket got bunched up under the steering wheel). Now I’m enjoying Mitered Crosses Blanket squares and feeling so much lighter! Recorded books + knitting = Zen Commuting Experience.
Clapoktus looks lovely, cannot wait for the recipe.
Mary, knitting while driving is a little scary to me!
Guess that spells the end of the Hanami watch 🙂
Miss you too!
Fabulous Icelandic sweater. Best designer name ever!
Never was stoical enough to finish a Clapotis. Doubt a Clapoktus would get finished either. It will look fabulous draped over linen though, so worth your persistence. xxx
What sort of increase are you using? There seems to be some dissension.
Nice to hear from you again, Kay!
I also went down the Ravelry pattern search rabbit hole and found the Clapoktus tempting, especially for spring/summer knitting and wearing. Wingspan? Clapoktus? Good dilemma!
Stephanie B. – I only knit while stuck in traffic and/or at long lights, which in Miami is a constant & normal occurrence. When everyone starts moving, I drop what I’m doing in my lap & drive safely. Pinky promise.
Yay, it’s Kay!
Commuting knitting is so satisfying, isn’t it.
As always, lovely knitting, but I just don’t get how you get so much done! I started working full time in December after years of working part time, and I have to say, I find it very uncivilized. Even when part time went from 7:30-ish (ok, 8am) to 2:30 I had time to go to the library or swim, do some laundry, start dinner and still have time to knit at nite. Now I’m just wiped. Terribly uncivilized.
I’m right there with you on the throwing. I learned when I was 14. That’s a lot of muscle memory there. Although I did practice picking on some endless garter stitch squares for a blanket for Portland’s Broadway Bridge…
“My synapses will BLOW” — HA! Also learned at 12 and have no desire to put my own synapses at risk. Glad to know I’m keeping such good company.
“My synapses will BLOW” — HA! Also learned at 12 and have no desire to put my own synapses at risk. Glad to know I’m keeping such good company.
“My synapses will BLOW” — HA! Also learned at 12 and have no desire to put my own synapses at risk. Glad to know I’m keeping such good company.
how does clapotis get mixed up with batkus? aaannd what did i miss? you’re a commutin’ these days? i must say, when i had my first job, i could not drive so commuting meant i could work on my knit/crocheting. projects. ( that was short lived, i earned my drivers license within six months “& purchased my first car).
anyway kay, tell.us more about yoir work if you can, in future posts.
love to you both, diane
Trying to figure out how I could qualify for the Be A Recipient of A Sweater from Kay list. For now I’ll have to add the pattern to my Knit in the Future List.
x.o.
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene! I, too, was a thrower….a left-handed one to boot. But one day I read about or maybe saw Continental, and saw how fast it went, and I vowed to learn. I did it! And I love it now. No more hand cramps, elbow gouges, dropped stitches, etc.
I just watched a few YouTube videos, sat down with a good instruction book, READ THE DIRECTIONS, and adapted to my own personal preferences. It has transformed my knitting.
Clapoktus. Sounds vaguely Yiddish. I like that.
I slipped on the ice and busted my clapoktus.
PS That Handmaiden Sea Silk lives as a tender memory of a very amazing and crazy trip. SIGH! I think I made a Moebius cowl with triple-stranded Sea Silk. What was I thinking? Madness. It was like a zillion dollarz of that stuff. Cat Bordhi needs to be locked up! Dangerous to be near her! ; )
I’ve been following you both on IG. But I’m more of a lurker there. I love that you’re going to make that many lopi sweaters. I can’t conceive of it myself. We live in the land of HOT = cotton. Sad…Glad to hear you’re alive & knitting!!
What is IG?!
Here’s an unrelated question: have you ever felted a miter, and did it work?
Beautiful projects! As someone who learned to knit by throwing the yarn and then switching to Continental, I will admit that it took me several years to feel really comfortable that I could do it well and feel comfortable with my gauge. In fact, there was a long period where I would do knit stitches in Continental and the purls by throwing. If pressed, I guess I would say that I’m glad I made the switch; however, the method used on a project depends greatly on the yarn and the pattern (I will probably always do lace patterns by throwing — it feels so much safer). Now that I think about it, watching me knit (not that anyone would care to) is probably not a pretty sight.
Thank you for letting us know your choice of summer accessory in advance. I am ALWAYS the last person to jump on the bandwagon for most everything, so maybe this time I can get on board ahead of the curve! Your straight decorative needles make the project look even more beautiful.
OH, Clapoktus. Although all this time in my head, I have been saying clapotikus. I stand corrected. I can’t get it out of my head since some ravelry friend or other favorited the sea cell variety and now I have to find some sea cell in my stash. I’m sure it’s there. Just some digging. I should find it in the next two or three months. By then the urge will have passed, yes? Yours will be LOVELY and my enthusiasm will be reinvigorated.
Yes, must guard those aging synapses! my own have put me on notice,and I just have to knit the way I always did, with long needles tucked under my arm or with DPNs. So though I don’t commute, I do have to choose my location, because losing a dpn is no joke, they being little and invisible once they hit the floor…oh yes, and thank you for moving on from your cowl phase! I do like the current piece.
I’ve looked at that gorgeous sweater-in-progress a couple of times and suddenly the background textile, which hadn’t crossed my threshold of consciousness, jumped out at me. What is that beautiful piece?
The great economic conundrum: When I work, I have money for yarn but no time to knit. When I don’t work, I have time to knit, but no money for yarn. What’s a girl to do?
Am jading on your knitting. I so want to knit an Icelandic sweater but have sworn myself to sweater monogamy so no Lopapeysae for me right now…but I could do a Clapotkus. I just am going to avoid saying it outloud if I can.
I love how you call it your “first” clapoktus. As if you know that it is inevitable that you will knit more than one.