The MBTA, my precious
May 17, 2007
1) After reading about spinning silk hankies on Two Sheep and KnittySpin (via WhipUp), I was itching to leave the office. So I jumped on the train, destined for Lucy’s shop. I ran down to the Kendall Square station, and dashed toward the train sitting in the station. I slid through the closing doors, knocked my arm on the edge, and dropped my T-pass ($235/mo!). The doors closed and I watched my pass hit the yellow stripe on the platform as we pulled out of the station. “OH SHIT!” The entire car full of people looked at me. “I dropped my pass!” I got off at the next stop. I found a T staffer and begged him to call someone at Kendall Sq. When I told him it’s a “Zone 7,” he said “OhhhhNoooo” and fired up the walkie talkie. He beeped me back through the turnstile (i.e. free ride), told me not to worry, explained how he could “dig in the pit” (i.e. the tracks) between incoming trains to find it, and rode back to Kendall with me. When we arrived, an old man in a T uniform strolled up to me and handed over my Zone 7. I nearly tackled and kissed him. Seriously. Instead, I think I’ll bring cookies to his booth tomorrow.
2) I went back into the station, gripping my pass, and the train carried me to Lucy’s place. I introduced myself by name+moniker and got a big hug with “I thought I’d recognize you!” [which made my covert soul very happy. mwah ha ha] We chatted about spinning lessons (note to self: schedule one), fiber, drop spindles, yarn, patterns, etc. It was lovely. Shortly before I was due back at MIT, Guido walked in. I’ve never met him, but he’s very sweet, and when I got back to my office, I immediately downloaded a couple of his podcasts. Oh, and did I mention the wee indulgence (stash bust who)?
Want a closer look at Lucy’s hand dyed sock yarn? Yeah, I thought so.
What should I do with it? At first, I imagined socks. But the tencel is so shiny, it looks like silk. So maybe a shawl is a better plan? Perhaps a nice rectangular one that Wifey could use for a scarf? Would knitting a beautiful scarf for Wifey get me out of the indulgence dog house?
That Elsebeth Lavold book also includes the illusive CAT that I’ve been seeking for over a year! Little Man is clearly getting a sweater soon.
3) As I’ve mentioned before, I knit almost exclusively on the train. Since I spend so much time on the train, I get to know the conductors. Beth, with whom I share most evening commutes, thinks this is hilarious. But she also says that Brian has “twinkly eyes,” which is absolutely the truth. Every day, when he checks my pass, Brian asks how the knitting is coming along. He’s particularly interested in the Dale sweater, and after hearing about the steeking process, practically begged me to do the steeks on the train. [I'm considering it...] When I get tired of the Dale and switch to the Anastasia socks, he walks by and says “Moved to the socks, have we?” After I completed the bulk of the body of the Dale, he rejoiced like any good Stitch & Bitch member, saying “you’re out of the black hole!” [clearly someone's been reading the YarnHarlot after his wife goes to bed] So of course I asked him to pose with the Dale:
Sorry for the blurry. You only have one shot at such things.
I finished the Dale body yesterday (yes, it’s huge. don’t ask).
Since then, I’ve been fighting with the front neck cast off stitches. I suspect that there’s a typo in the pattern, but I can’t find Dale errata anywhere! Surely even the Norwegians make mistakes from time to time. So I’ve been knitting and tinking and knitting and tinking ad nauseum. Just when I figured it out (I think), the next step is to knit back and forth. Stranded purling? yuck! Then I looked at the pattern. Shit, it’s a 3-color row! Stranded purling on a 3 color row?? YuckYuckdangdamnYuck! More knitting and tinking, knitting and tinking. Just when I got the hang of the purl tension and the proper color dominance orientation of the yarns and remembered to read the chart from L-R (that would be three tinks, if you’re counting along at home), I discovered this:
I was knitting with the short end, not off the bobbin! Only Brian kept me from tossing the Dale from the moving train. For real. He’s a good muggle-conductor-man. Everyone needs a Brian.
Entry Filed under: Give It Up, Knitting, Sweaters. .
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1.
Janine | May 17, 2007 at 3:18 pm
The Dale is lovely, and far too much work has gone into it to simply throw it from the train. Yay for Brian!
The Cat will loook awesome on Little Man, I think. In fact, I think my niece needs a sweater with a cat on it. I’ll put it on the list, and what with the saving for school and cleaning the house and buying groceries, I’ll have that all wrapped up by… next May. Hmmm. Maybe I’ll just knit vicariously through you, instead :).
2.
Pi Grrrl | May 17, 2007 at 3:22 pm
That’s some MBTA service! Holy moly.
3.
Beth S. | May 17, 2007 at 3:25 pm
It’s BRIAN!
I’m so glad the world knows about Brian now. He’s awesome.
I can’t believe they actually rescued your T pass. That’s insane. I mean, sure, Brian would totally do that, but anyone else?… Whoa.
4.
PumpkinMama | May 17, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Three things: 1.) I would’ve totally kissed the T dude. 2.) I’ve been resisting going to Minds Eye for some time now (its walking dist. from my work!) so please stop tempting me 3.) You MUST steek on the train - how cool would that be?
5.
Danielle | May 17, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Wow. You need a stiff drink now …
6.
margene | May 17, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Extreme knitting…steeking on a train! I love Lucy yarn
7.
Lisa | May 17, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Mafia!
The Dale is simply fab! Please don’t toss it out now….Must Finish….Must Finish…..Must Finish. Enough Said.
I would have kissed the Train guy too. That was such a wonderful thing. Pay it Forward like…..
I love the sweater on the front of that Elsebeth Lavold book. That yarn looks so much like it that it is now invading my concious. Must finish Sahara…must finish wifey’s socks…..must finish baby blanket.
Your karma has been in a fab groove lately. Keep it up, as you are certainly deserving!
8.
maryse | May 17, 2007 at 4:03 pm
wow. what great T people!
9.
maryse | May 17, 2007 at 4:04 pm
and i can’t help myself here but …
“STEEKS ON A TRAIN!!!!”
10.
Kim | May 17, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Awesome MBTA people!
11.
JessZ | May 17, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Omigod the drama!
I don’t think patterns should count as an indulgence. I mean how else are you supposed to use all the yarn. And the pink stuff would make a lovely stole for the wifey. Surely purchases for the wifey can’t count as personal indulgences.
If you do the steeks on the train will you use a stunt-sweater?
I think “she’s knitting from the short end” is my new fav euphemism for crazy.
12.
Sparkles | May 17, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Damn, sorry about the wrong end of the bobbin thing…but I have to admit it makes me feel a wee bit better to know that someone I admire does that too!
You are lucky to have a Brian!
13.
wenders | May 17, 2007 at 5:07 pm
When you posted on my blog I realized you weren’t gone, and double checked my blog feeds. You had disappeared off my list I thought you’d faded away. Glad you’re ‘back’… and what a MBTA man… both the one who returned your pass and Brian.
14.
Alison | May 17, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Wow, these stories make me feel much cosier about the MBTA, not usually my favorite. Congrats on getting your pass rescued!! Oh, and let me know if you want company for spinning lessons…
15.
pamela wynne | May 17, 2007 at 6:42 pm
The Dale is rocking my world. Love love love it, and it will be a perfect gift. If you steek on the train, I want pictures!
16.
Kathode Ray Tube | May 17, 2007 at 7:29 pm
The Dale sweater looks great! And yay for T employees who are helpful! Maybe they’ll start a trend….
17.
Dana | May 17, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Wow. I have an entirely different opinion of the MBTA now. Makes me even prouder to be living in the Boston area.
18.
Ashley | May 17, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Aw, I love Brian! I wish I had public transpo.
19.
Dorothy B | May 18, 2007 at 12:04 am
Dude (I watched a surfer movie. I am easily led) that really sucks! I think I’d snip the bobbin and felt it to the short end. There’s a tutorial on Knittinghelp.com
Love Brian of the T! How awesome is he?
20.
Jill | May 18, 2007 at 12:11 am
I’m lovin’ the Dale. The colors are great together and the entire thing just makes me wish I had the nerve to tackle that kind of knitting. Maybe I need to come take lessons from you?
I’m sure Little Man will love the sweater. Especially after the way he was um, making out(?) with that fluff ball from the festival. I do believe if you gave that boy either needles or a spindle, he’d surprise the heck out of you.
21.
Ann | May 18, 2007 at 2:20 pm
Hi, just wanted to thank you for your (much earlier) post about the cable error in Zoe Mellor’s chunky cabled sweater. It saved me much frogging! I finally got my blog going recently and took the chance to credit your post.
22.
mamacate | May 18, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Tell Brian he is admired by knitters far and wide. What a guy! What a transit system! XO MBTA!
23.
Haddy | May 18, 2007 at 8:48 pm
OMG! That’s my nightmare! Losing my T pass! And mine’s only a Zone 2! I’m sooo glad you got it back.
I had a good time on the train with you today. Hopefully I’ll run into you again.
24.
Rhonda the Stitchingnut | May 19, 2007 at 7:58 am
I think my conductors remember me from my knitting also. The regulars don’t even ask for my Tpass if I forget to take it out. It’s like they look at the knitting and on they go to the next person. An what an adreline rush to see the MBTA guy with your pass huh? Whoa, my heart skipped a beat when you said you dropped it. I always worried about that myself. But your Karma seems to be bright lately … don’t give up on the sweater … but I’d think twice about doing the steeks on the train tho. Use a stand-in! A STAND-IN.
25.
The Purloined Letter | May 20, 2007 at 7:31 am
The Dale is fantastic! You’ll have to talk me through my first colorwork sweater next fall….
26.
Rebecca H. | May 21, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Hi! Friend of Suzanne here - we met at one of her knitting ellipses. Anyway, you delight in finding the cat sweater for Little Man has prompted me to delurk. I, too, have a little boy who loves the kitties. And of course in the world of children’s clothing, cats are a girl thing, not boy. I’m fond of this sweater: http://www.nordicfiberarts.com/norskstrikkedesign/norskstrikke_lg96.jpg It’s from Norsk Strikkedesign, a really lovely book (and since you’ve already cut your teeth on a Dale pattern, you may very well want this book). Anyway, the sweater may be shown on a girl, but it’s not a “girl” sweater.
27.
kelp! | May 29, 2007 at 11:34 pm
That Dale sweater is absolutely stunning. I hear you on the knit-from-tail thing, but I’ve never done that in colorwork before, yikes!
28.
Judy | May 31, 2007 at 2:14 pm
We are so wery pleased that somebody loves us.
Sniff !
Signed
The T
29.
A Dead Elfine + Spun Silk&hellip | June 7, 2007 at 9:54 am
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