It's done

The hole is no more.

While it may seem like I was procrastinating, I was thinking about it a lot; going over the stitch pattern in my mind. Occasionally I would even go and look at it. What threw me was not the stitches themselves, I could see where they went; it was the big loops of yarn I had that were supposed to be a complex pattern of 'bars' holding the leaf pattern together.

I just couldn't figure out how it all went together - especially the two long loops running parallel to the leaf! The hole got worse than this photo shows as I desperately tried to find where each strand belonged! I should have taken another photo before I began the repairs but that didn't occur to me.

Although I finished the repair this morning, I had been working on it for two days - I picked up the dropped stitches that I could see and yesterday I had a couple of tries to put it together but it wasn't working. More thinking, not procrastination, was needed; the shawl had given me too much trouble to rush in and do a bodgie* job.


So, here it is; I'm sure you won't have any trouble picking the repaired leaf but it's not too bad, if I do say so myself!

Thanks for the support and encouragement; it really means a lot to this often-close-to-tears-soon-to-be-mother-of-the-bride!

And now, we're off the reblock the border to our satisfaction [DD and I not the royal 'we'!]

*bodgie - something imperfect, flawed or without value

the best laid plans...

I wrote to some of the people who commented on yesterday's post. I told them the knitting is finished [which it is! Hurrah!!] I also told them that it would be grafted and blocked today. Alas - the best laid plans [you know how it goes]...

We had people coming and going today, including guests from The Wedding. I always block my knitting on the lounge [living] room floor - it has the largest amount of open space. So, with constant interruptions, there was no chance of grafting and with visitors, no chance of blocking.

I've got my fingers crossed for tomorrow...

I've turned a corner!

Actually I've turned two! Yesterday I began the long trek up the side of the stole, 57 repeats of an eight row pattern. I completed 30 repeats before calling it a day. This morning I started again - only to discover I had actually completed 40 repeats so was closer to the corner than first anticipated! I turned the first corner early this afternoon [despite the 40*C - 104*F - heat] and have just now completed the second corner! I'm on the home straight [so to speak].

So, I'm sure you'll cheer me on as we race towards the finish line and that you'll forgive my late post today.

I'm already planning my next project - probably socks; it's been a long time since I've been monogamous with my knitting. LOL

Oops! [a progress? report]

I was hoping to finish the centre panel - after all, I had only six repeats to go. But it wasn't to be!

First, I spent too much fun time writing my post about 'old' things. Then we got talking about seating arrangements for The Wedding; always a fun topic, right?

Finally I got around to knitting two repeats. I should backtrack and say that I had stopped using stitch markers at Round 18 which means I have to count every stitch and/or watch my knitting closely. I also hadn't put a lifeline in the last six rounds [72 rows]. Getting too cocky, that's for sure! On Row 10 of the second repeat I realised I'd made a mistake and started to tink back just a few stitches. Then 'it' happened. I looked down and saw a big hole in my knitting! Fortunately it was only two rounds below but it was still there and getting larger as I watched! Quickly I had my capable assistant [aka DD] pass me a safety pin and grabbed the offending six stitches. They had been one but had decided to go their separate ways in their bid for freedom! I had obviously dropped one when tinking back in an earlier row. Well, three hours later [including time for dinner] I had tinked back to that hole and an hour and half later I was back to where I was when I saw It!

So total for the day: knit two rounds, tink two rounds, knit two rounds! Total = 36 rounds [of 40]!

Ssshhh!

It's coming along! [Knitpicks Harmony circulars included for scale]



Because I think readers are becoming bored with the one topic of conversation knitting around here I have posted a special progress report in the sidebar.

FO - a diversion

Here is the baby blanket I finished knitting some months ago. The photo is a bit dark but true to colour. Tomodachi [a.k.a. Tom] is snooping around in the right of the picture. I sewed in the ends of the blanket on 28th December during my avoidance-of-lace-but-finishing-other-things period. It was blocked last week and photos were finally taken today - mostly to distract readers from the boringness of that "other project"! Here's another photo taken by WM in the role of photographer with my 51yr old bear [Ted] and Tomodachi assisting!



Although I didn't strictly knit this during the Long Lacy Summer, I did finish it during that time. It qualifies as lace [having both yo's and K2tog.] so this blanket is my first contribution to LLS.

The pattern is Snow Berries Blanket from "Easy Afghans for Knitters". I knitted mine in Cleckheaton Fiddle De Dee [100% cotton] on 4.5mm [US size 7] needles. I used the 500g I bought on special at Australian Country Spinners' Mill Shop when I was in Wangaratta in July. This photo shows how much of the ten balls I have left - from the last ball which was not enough to do another circuit of the blanket and the leftovers of two other balls.

It's a pity this yarn is discontinued - it's lovely and soft, and knits up quickly.

I made it for my next-door neighbour who is expecting her first child in February. I love it so much I might keep it for my first grand-child and knit something else for the neighbour. Hopefully, NDN will have a girl because this is such a boy's blanket! [Just kidding - I really want to keep it!] DD says I'm rushing things a bit - they're not even married yet; besides I knitted it for NDN so I should give it to her. I don't agree. I knitted it - I can choose who the recipient should be, can't I?

For those of you still following that "other project" - I have completed 10 repeats; that's a quarter of the centre panel!

poor sad neglected blog

It's not just this blog that's been neglected - I have 318 unread postings on Bloglines! Life has been hectic with end of year assessments [created and marked] and administration plus last minute preparations for Christmas and the wedding not to mention just plain dogged tiredness or, should I say, near-exhaustion?

The wedding stole [thanks for asking Bells] has not progressed in six weeks - I'm too tired to concentrate. I am however close to completing another crocheted blanket [2.1m x 1m; 70"x40"]. The squares have all been crocheted together, the border has been done and there's only the ends to be sewn in. I have also commenced a lapghan which is now about 90cm [36"] across. This one is based on a modified version of the Crocheted Pi Shawl in the latest Yarn magazine - except mine is square not round.

We had Christmas dinner last night with SIL2B - he has to work on Christmas Day. The pudding was as good as it looks, if I do say so myself!

A special thanks to Sally for emailing me to make sure I was okay - I am fine, just tired and busy, thanks. We're off to Tamworth today to spend Christmas with my family and we'll be back on Friday so WM can work on Saturday. Hopefully I'll then be able to keep up with all my blog friends more regularly.

Remember...

Sunday Ramble

Still here, still knitting. Monogamously and slowly. I've made it to seven repeats of the Myrtle Leaf stole. The lifelines, which are inserted every six rows, have only been needed once; which is a sign I'm improving! Only 33 repeats and the border to do in less than eleven weeks! Some days I don't knit at all so that doesn't help.

I've not been well - not sick - just not feeling 'well'. Extremely tired, down but not out - I'm sure you know what I mean. It's the end of the academic year and assessments are underway, which means marking and making decisions re grades - not the most glamorous part of my usually interesting job. And then there's the paperwork! I thought computers were supposed to make life easier?!

But, look on the bright side: there are only three weeks left of TAFE, and four weeks at the community college. Then I have an eight week break, or eight weeks without pay, whichever you prefer. I prefer the former because I need the break. WM has a regular income and we're used to my 'seasonal' wages.

Then there's Christmas for which I am nowhere near ready, and the wedding, which is almost completely organised; you see, I have my priorities straight! LOL

It's an easy Christmas for us in many ways; WM's family gathers the Sunday before Christmas. We hosted last year so this year we just pack some meat for the barbecue, drinks, some coleslaw and a cheesecake [so 70s] and travel to another sibling's home. Easy-peasy [as my students used to say in the 70s]. Then my family's Christmas will be at my sister's house - 500km away; the travel is the worst part. WM has Christmas Eve off as part of his normal roster, so that makes life easier. We'll drive up on Wednesday, stay in a 2-bedroom cabin at the local caravan park, spend Christmas Day and the morning of Boxing Day with the family and drive home in the afternoon; WM has to work on the Saturday.

As for the wedding: nearly everything is done; of course, there are still some little things - the seating plan [can't do that till we know who's coming], the order of service [when DD and SIL2B make up their minds] and the mother-of-the-bride's dress: yeah, that's me. I hate clothes shopping and am trying to lose weight by watching what I eat [sort of - really, I'm too tired to care] and vigilantly walking 10,000+ steps a day every day. The walking is supposed to help cure the tiredness too; the theory is "energy creates energy"! Hmmm!

Enough rambling; I'm off to work on Myrtle.

Are we tired of lace yet?

On Monday night I started, yet again, on the Myrtle Leaf Stole. I put a life-line in the last foundation row before pattern begins. I knitted Row One and Two and Three and Four and Five and Six with nary a dropped stitch! Aren't we all pleased?

Row Seven marks the half way point of the first pattern repeat [there are 40 repeats for the centre panel]. I inserted my lifeline as I knitted - still no dropped stitches but the yarn was snagging even more than usual. I tugged - too hard: the dental tape cut through my yarn! I frogged it all in disgust!

DD will wind the second skein [just as well I bought two] so I can start again.

Lace Hint #3: use dental floss not dental tape for lifelines - tape is too thick causing overly tight tension [gauge] and snagging with possible dire consequences.

The lace saga continues

Thanks all for the lace hints. Myrtle Leaf is not a difficult pattern, it's easily memorised and I travel along quite well while everything is under control. It's not the knitting that's hard, it's not even hard to drop stitches! ;-) I seem to do that intermittently on SSP when I have to purl through the back of two stitches. It's the finding of those teeny-tiny little loops and putting it all back together that's difficult.

Thanks especially to Rose Red for the hint about the lifeline when using Knitpicks. Knitting the lifeline in was a lot easier than threading a tapestry needle though those itty-bitty stitches! I found a hint that dental floss made a good lifeline so that's what I used.

Another challenge has been the needles themselves - the work doesn't slide as I'm used to when using thicker yarn and metal needles. I'm using Harmony needles and the yarn is so fine it jams where the wood meets the metal, where the metal and cable end join [yes it's done up correctly] and where the cable meets the metal [especially on WS rows]!

"Ah the joy, ah the fun, now the wedding stole knitting has begun."
[paraphrased from Chad Morgan's "Bogga Wogga Wedding"]

Knitted Lace - too scary!

I've been knitting for forty years and nothing much fazes me but knitting lace is the one experience that has almost made me give up on a project!

Firstly, let's all understand my terms. Lace knitting and knitted lace are two different things. Lace knitting I've done many times, though never with lace-weight. 3 ply baby yarn was used for my last lace knitting project. So what is lace knitting? And how is it different from knitted lace?

Lace Knitting has a pattern on only one side of the fabric; the reverse side is either simple knit or purl rows. This means that the holes created by yarn overs have two thread between them because they are two rows apart.

Knitted lace, on the other hand, has a pattern on both sides; thus there is only one thread between adjacent holes.

So, if I have so much experience and a modicum of knowledge - what's the problem? The problem is a combination of my aging eyesight and P2 tog in fine yarn. Let me give you an example:

Yesterday I dropped a stitch. Now that in itself is not usually a problem, I just pick up the stitch and carry on. Even if it unravels down a few rows I can fix the problem. But... the stitch I dropped was K2 tog in the previous row, and P2 tog the row before that, and K2 tog the row before that [you get the idea]. I saved that dropped stitch two rows back [while it was only four stitches!!] and now all I had to do was tink back 172 stitches [86 per row], right? No way, Jose! P2 tog has proved to be notoriously difficult for me to tink because a) the stitches are twisted around each other and b) the yarn is so fine I can't see where to insert the needle to tink! [I had my eyes tested two weeks ago but I'm still waiting for my new glasses. The optometrist said the prescription wasn't that much different!] So by the time I had tinked back one row I had dropped stitches which had unravelled way back - some three or four rows. Every K2 tog or P2 tog [there are fifteen per row] unravelled one way or another. Let me repeat, I am an expert tinker but this had me stumped.

So, close to tears, I put my knitting down and made my way to the computer. "What's a lifeline?" I wanted to know. So now I do know and I will use one every six rows for the rest of this stole - I have to knit it, it's DD's wedding stole and she really wants this one! Besides, no knitting will ever be allowed to defeat me!!

But first I had to unravel the whole thing; that had taken several hours of knitting because I knit the first eight rows three times - yes, my friends, I've had me some stinking tinking experience!

And another issue is I don't know how much knitting and unravelling this yarn can take - it's starting to look a little fuzzy!

One hint for those of you about to start on your first knitted lace: knit up a swatch in a thicker yarn first so you can see how the pattern works then you'll be able to understand what all those /, \ and O's do. You'll be able read your knitting and see if you are on the right track! Believe me, your knitting won't look like the graph! How can it? The graph has no way to show the results of knitting two stitches together.

Wish me luck in getting this finished by the end of January!