Wednesday, February 05, 2014

I am low in health and spirits this morning, fit for nothing but to curl up with the denouement of Mansfield Park while the rain lashes the windows.

I made a good start on the centre of the Unst Bridal Shawl yesterday, indeed, have nearly reached the row where I will award myself a percentage point.

There are an awful lot of k3togs in the design. I discovered long ago, knitting an Amedro, that actually knitting three stitches together isn't a good idea, at least in lace, at least for me. It looks fine, and then, three rows later, I notice that the middle stitch has escaped and is wandering off on its own.

I now  usually centre the decrease (if anyone's looking) by slipping the first two stitches – not SSK-style, but by putting the right-hand needle through both at once as if to knit them together – and then knitting the third and passing the slipped stitches over. There were two such decreases in the 12 rows of the edging pattern, and it worked fine.

But now they're all over the place and I'm finding it slow to work them as just described. I've switched to slip 1, k2tog, psso – easy and secure. Not centred, but Miller herself doesn't think directional decreases matter in fine lace.


I hope to be brighter tomorrow.

6 comments:

  1. KarenE9:58 AM

    Slip 1, K2tog, psso is centred, it's just that the centre stitch is at the back of the work instead of the front. Which 3-to-1 decrease I use depends whether the line of decreases is meant to make a feature (in which case it needs the central stitch at the front) or is just meant to be balancing stitch count after some yo (in which case central stitch at back is nicely unobtrusive). I hope the February bleaghs vanish soon.

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  2. It is rather vile out there isn't it? Sympathy, I hope you feel better soon, praying for you xxx

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  3. Reading a favorite book on rainy dark day is just the ticket, isn'tit? I recently did a cowl pattern with a double decrease and tried all methods to see if I cared how they looked. It didn't really matter too much, so I went with the sl 1 k2tog psso. Easier to execute than k3tog, I think.

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  4. You are an inspiration to me everyday, Jean. I hope you feel better soon. Would a bit of chocolate help?

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  5. I hope that you're feeling a little better and that the black cloud has lifted a bit. Are you not to see the doctor again soon? I hope you have also shared you low spirits with him as well.
    I have always turned to Austen when times are difficult, or when I am unwell. There is something about the sense that everything will somehow work out as it should in the end that I find very reassuring...this probably accounts for the fact that I have read all the books several times! Nothing comforts me more in the middle of the night when I can't sleep, for whatever reason. I hope Mansfield Park is working its spell.

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