We knit a --- a -- a what??

Friday night was the greatly looked forward to Magical Mystery Knitting Party at the always wonderful knit-one-one. Past mystery parties have knit a wine tote or a skinny flowery scarf. The way it works is the instructor tells you what yarn and needles to bring, then instructs you in the knitting pattern line by line. Hilarity ensues while trying to figure out just what this will be when finished.

Our yarn this time was the very strange and expensive Colinette Point Five, a fuzzy, 100% wool, super bulky weight, thick and thin yarn in bright variegated colorways. Síle and Kate had found a cheaper substitute for us but I decided to buy my own to make sure I liked the colors. Hard to pick something when you don't know what the end product will be but I found a lovely gray with brights that I liked. As a hint of what we'd be knitting, we needed size 13 dpns. Hmmm. Wool and circular: I was thinking we'd be felting before the night was over.

Classes at knit-one-one normally start with a glass of wine and this was the same. We all chatted and got to know each other while everyone arrived, then took our places and started in. Cast on, join, knit, increase, knit, increase. Line by line Kate instructed us in the project. I really disliked knitting with this yarn; every time I'd get to the thicker parts it would stick to my hands. I expended three times the energy jabbing my needles away, trying to get this stuff to flow. Midway through the project we stopped for a bite to eat. Arizmendi pizza, carrots and hummus. Yum. Then back to knitting. Knit knit, then decrease. More decrease. Guesses abounded, some so off the wall it was amazing. Last decrease round, draw it together in a point and still nobody could figure out what they were. Bright, colorful lumps.
The next step was cutting strands of yarn. Twenty of them, then attaching them to the open end of the -- uh -- thingie. What we had then was a -- uh -- thingie with long strands. Off to the washer! I was right, we were felting them. When the first ones came out of the washing machine they still looked like -- hmm -- felted thingies with long twisted strands hanging down. Hey! It looks like a jellyfish. Hahaha.
No, really, that's what it is. You hang it from the top with the feelers hanging down. Now, this mystery party was a blast. Everyone had a great time knitting away to the instructions, guessing, drinking wine, eating pizza. Looking at how different people get different gauge, knit at different speeds, have different problems. Getting to know strangers, having a great time. But a jellyfish?

I'm thinking of it more as a night of entertainment, less as a finished knitting project. For that, it was entirely successful. As a knitting project, not so much. I do realize that it's really hard to find a 3 hour project for people of all skill levels. Hopefully next time the product will be as great as the production.

There was more yarn this weekend. I succumbed to the lure of the show in Oakland, although I waited until almost the last minute. Sunday afternoon I headed to the CGOA Knit and Crochet Show. After going to a couple of Stitches events this show was like the old, poor, tired relative. Don't get me wrong, there was still some yarn that I just had to buy, but very little. Also, a lot of the booths were down to dregs, having sold lots of their merchandise over the past few days. Which was my point in arriving late.

Saturday's run on the Iron Horse went very well. As a complete surprise to me, it was 48 degrees when we started at 7:30 am. That's 48 degrees! Cold! After being in the upper 80's only a few days ago. Pam, Anita and I enjoyed our run and really enjoyed our breakfast afterward. It's always a treat to go out after the run because normally most of us are too busy.

I also checked out a new sushi restaurant in the 'hood. Itto Sushi has been open for several months but I was hesitant to try another strip mall sushi joint. Bree and I wanted sushi so we decided to give it a try. Most of the tables were full, a good sign. We ordered saki (me) and beer (Bree) and decided to split a few rolls. The food was very good, the service kinda sucked. They never did get around to delivering our third roll, never asked if we wanted anything else, never filled our water glasses. We had to ask for the check and ask them to remove the item we hadn't gotten from it. I'll get take-out from there in the future but I'm not sure I'll go inside again. There are too many other places with better service.

Portland's coming up. It's time to start pre-planning my trip, getting my brain together for another marathon!