Tuesday, December 21, 2010

A Shrug for Her Shoulders

I have been monogamous to one knitting project--virtually one project alone for about two weeks. It's making me nuts! Not that I don't like it: I think it's lovely. But one project?
Of course, I couldn't stand it. I finally broke last night. I've had this package of charms sitting on my desk staring at me, daring me to do something. When I blinked first, I was forced to make them into stitch markers, using the first tool to hand, namely fingernails. Yup, I just slid my nail into the jump ring, slipped in the charm, nail out, worked the charm around, and voila! It's not my fault. And on to the monotonous--er, monogamous--knitting.
It's for Tiny's Christmas gift. Foolishly, I imagined that I could make this little beauty from stashed yarn: a size large shrug from a single skein of sock yarn. 400 measly yards. Enough to make a pair of women's socks. One pair. A shrug is like two long socks (sleeves, actually) connected by a long flat bit to go across the back. So it's more like three long socks. That's a lot of yarn!
So, easy solution, right? Just go back to where I got that gorgeous yarn in the first place. sigh
No, this yarn was part of the Jane Austen Yarn Club from last year. It's the Northanger Abbey colorway. Even the dyer didn't have any left... and doesn't remember how she made it. I asked. I asked other members, but no luck. They'd either used it, lost it, or had plans for it.
So I did the next best thing: I went into Knitting in La Jolla with my project in hand and asked to see the sock yarn. I told her I knew she couldn't match it, but maybe we could find something that would look nice. I mean, I may be a doofus, but I'm not an idiot. Wait. That didn't sound good. But we had success: a nice plain purple sock yarn from Cascade. It's working in well, I think.
First I knit it every other row with the new yarn, then two rows on and two rows off. Then four-two, then six-two... then I ran out. So just Cascade for the rest.

This is how it currently stands. Ooh, I hope I can get it done by Christmas morning. The Yarn Harlot knit a whole sock in a day. Maybe I can borrow her helper monkeys...

Monday, December 20, 2010

No notes

Bugs! I usually have a few sticky notes hanging around to tell me what to blog about--not orders, you understand, but suggestions. And all I can find is my TV watching list, a couple things I want to buy from Knit Picks, and a note about vitamins. Also something about emptying the shredder before it explodes. Eh. It could take a few more bank receipts.
Oh, I know. I'll check my photo uploads. December, December... ew, it's organized by days of the week. Sunday, nope. Monday, ahhhh!
Here's the Bleaf Lace Scarf on my sweet aunt as it's being stolen by her granddaughter. That kid's got good taste! I'm told she still wears the red sweater I made her last year.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Dressing Up the Lace

Here's the Bleaf Lace Scarf being dressed, one half pinned out. Yes, I know it's in two pieces. I made it that way. The pattern required me to make one half, then make another. That seemed dumb. So I made the two halves at the same time on the same needle. It set things up so that I'd do the lace row, then repeat it. Then I'd do the back, twice. Worked great! I know somebody who does both sleeves at once when making sweaters. That's probably where I got the idea. Or maybe from the two-at-a-time socks idea. Or maybe it came from outer space. Yeah. My alien implant from when I was working at the MIB branch. But I'm not supposed to talk about that. Oops. Would you please look carefully at this bright light while I erase your memory?
I can never figure out which way to point these silly things.... flash... What was I talking about?