I ordered the copy of Knitscene with the Sideways Shawl. I
hesitated over the digital version. It would have saved a lot of time and
postage. But I don’t like digital knitting magazines, and I’ve never seen
Knitscene. It’s nice to know, KayT, that I have the Toulouse pattern to look forward to as well.
I have noted that if I ever actually knit that shawl, I’ll
need the errata on the Ravelry pattern page.
Lots of the people who have knit it seem to think that 320
stitches is a lot. (They soon decrease.) I’ve been knitting my beloved Milano
round and round on 372 for ages, and recently increased at the underarm to 420.
Now I’m whizzing back and forth on 210.
I was tired last night, and sat down late, and was tempted
to go straight to the Milano and skip the rest. But then I reflected that
that’s how things turn into UFO’s – not that they’re abandoned, just that I’ll
get back to them tomorrow. So I stuck to the straight and narrow: I reached the
halfway point of the Rams & Yowes pattern. I tacked down the 7th
piece of the Silly Christmas Project, and embarked on the 8th.
This one is knit with fine yarn on 2mm needles and I find
myself very clumsy. Knitting a whole shawl on a million stitches is easier than
starting with only 5. I got about halfway through it. Is the yarn too fine? I
could always try again holding it double. The yarn specified is Rowan Fine
Lace. I saw it in John Lewis, and it looks very fine indeed. I would have
bought some – no expense spared, for this ridiculous project – if they had had
it in the colour I needed. But they didn’t, and I knew I had some lace yarn of
the right colour in my stash.
Stephen West has been turning sweaters into pants
(tights, they’d be called here in Britain ). My husband has recently
abandoned a good Fair Isle that I knit him
decades ago – but I don’t know anyone who would be remotely interested in
prancing about in a pair of Swants.
Non-knit
Foggy Knitter, I don’t know the “Fantastic Mr. Fox”. I’d
better have a look, for the sake of the character who lived on cider. I weigh
about what I weighed this time last year – but that’s as much as half-a-stone
more than the point I was at this time two years ago, and three. I must press
on with abstinence.
I continue to enjoy Reginald Hill. I suspect I’m going to have to buy
that book with “Beulah” in the title even though it’s only available on paper.
Sunday presses, I’m afraid.
I agree that fiddling around with a few stitches is much harder. When I was a little girl I wanted my mother to sew me some dresses for Barbie, and couldn't understand her explanation that sewing smaller things was too much trouble. Adulthood and similar requests for American Girl doll clothes showed me the wisdom of her attitude. Surely you don't have to give up cider for Advent?
ReplyDeleteI just cast off my Aurora shawl (by Rose Beck), it had over 400 stitches toward the end, the purl rows seemed to go on forever. Totally worth it in the end, absolutely cozy and wonderful size. The shaping is brilliant, it sits beautifully on the shoulders, no need for any fastener whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteAs a quilter, I'm always looking for a variety of marking tools. If they're available in the UK, you may want to try the Clover Chaco-liner. The one I use has a little wheel and dispenses chalk powder. The chalk stays on long enough to get the job done, but it will brush off or, if it leaves a shadow, come off completely with a damp cloth. I think it would be perfect on something textured. I use the white most often because it's perfect on any but the very lightest colors and has never left a permanent mark. Good luck!
ReplyDelete