My clapotis is done... finally!

Way back in late 2007, I started work on my Clapotis shawl. At that time I was studying Mandarin on a scholarship, so I couldn't really afford to buy luxuries like Noro Silk Garden yarn. When my parents came to visit me that winter, however, I managed to finagle them into visiting a yarn shop with me. I planned to find a less expensive variegated wool yarn, but then my Mom offered to buy me enough Silk Garden to make a full-length Clapotis. Obviously I was thrilled! When I got home, cradling my bundle of precious, precious luxury yarn, I immediately cast on for my shawl. I spent the next few weeks working on it... and then got bored.

For two years, my Clapotis languished in my yarn drawer. During that time, I finished a nine-month-long language intensive, started working at features writing job where I had to conduct interviews and do research in Mandarin, learned more about my family's heritage and background here in Taiwan, made new friends and got married in San Francisco. All those things happened and yet Clapotis sat in a lump, unloved and forgotten because the thought of having to do yet another meter and a half of mostly stockinette stitch made me want to eat my head.

A few weeks ago, I pulled out the Clapotis again and decided to finish it. I felt guilty for all that nice yarn sitting in my closet, unused. At first I thought about unraveling it and finding a more exciting pattern, but Noro Silk Garden is a very sticky yarn and that would have taken forever. So I just clicked on with my knitting needles... and now I have a nice, warm Clapotis! Yay, just in time for summer!

Fortunately it's been a cloudy and windy lately, so I still have time to enjoy my Clapotis before I have to put it away with my winter clothes. I'll try to work it into an outfit post soon. In the meantime, my cat will court it. He's totally in love with my Clapotis. When I was finishing it the other day, he plopped down on top of it, kneaded the soft wool and then started suckling it. AHHHHHHH!!!

Socks of nostalgia for my husband

The 10 days or so have not been very style-oriented ones for me, as you can probably tell by my lack of outfit posts. I had a doctor's appointment to check up on a chronic condition I have and got so wound up over it that I couldn't think of anything else. Fortunately, it turned out okay, but then Taipei's weather decided to become incredibly insolent, with temperatures zig-zagging all over the place and the rain and sun duking it out for dominance. On the chilly days, I've just pulled on the comfiest things I have (mostly polo dresses from American Apparel, leggings and various sweater coats). On the warm days, I've worn the same few sundresses I've owned for the past couple of years, which reminds me... I need to buy more summer clothes! Oh, I hate shopping for summer clothes. But that's another post.

When I was stressed out about my doctor's appointment, I started knitting in a frenzy. I finished a pair of socks that I'd started two years ago (my excuse is that I fell out of love with the yarn midway through the first sock). When those were done, I pulled out this ball of Zitron Trekking XXL from my stash:

I call it my nostalgic sock yarn because I bought it three years ago from Downtown Yarns in New York City, my favorite yarn shop when I was still living in the States. Casting it on reminds me of the trips I used to make there, ostensibly just to take a peek and fondle some fiber, though I more often than not returned home with at least a skein of Koigu or a ball of handpainted laceweight yarn tucked guiltily in my purse. If I had known how intensely one little skein could bring me back to a place I miss... I'd have bought even more yarn! As I knit, I thought of the trips I took to Alphabet City (where Downtown Yarns is located), strolling through the East Village on my way and then sometimes wandering into the Lower East Side to window shop or gorge myself at Economy Candy (I once bought and ate so much halvah that I can no longer stand the stuff!). At that point, Ron and I were in a long distance relationship (we spent 18 months on opposite sides of the planet), so I had plenty of time to walk around by myself on weekends. It wasn't easy being apart, but I can't say that I didn't enjoy my solitary rambles through the city.

My husband's favorite color is orange, which I'm usually not very fond of. For some reason, I really, really dislike transparent orange things. I remember looking up at some stained glass with glowing orange diamonds inset into the design when I was about seven years old and just wanting to dry heave. Yes, I know, that is totally weird. My husband, on the other hand, loves flaming orange things. As a compromise, I found this tweedy yarn and I actually love working with it. If Ron ever wants a neon orange sweater/scarf/socks, however, he'll just have to learn how to knit himself!

I'm working on getting my dressing-up mojo back. Over the past few days of knitting, it occurred to me that styling an outfit is very much like starting a craft project. You have to think of the textures, colors, materials and (if it's something for yourself) whether or not it will suit you and how the final product will make you feel when you wear it or see it.