Guess what? I blocked the Tokyo shawl!
What a rush of joy and energy one feels, doing something at
last which one might – indeed, should -- have done a fortnight ago. I’m
terribly pleased with the way it looks. Now all I need is for the equinoctial
weather to turn sour, so that I can huddle in it.
Perdita is interested in the bright heads of the pins, and pulls them out, greatly endangering herself and distressing me,
This means that I’m free to add another project to my
weekly schedule – it’ll be my half-brioche sweater of madtosh Whiskey Barrel and
Roast Hatch Chillies. I won’t do it, though, just at the moment. I’m decreasing
for the deep v-neck of the Sous Sous. I am engaged with a six-row sequence
which must be repeated five times, two of the six rows being decrease rows. All is
well, the count is right, my beloved Sirka counter is earning its keep. But I
think I had better keep my eye on the ball until the front of the Sous Sous is
finished.
That will leave two small sleeves to do, and lots of
mattress stitch. Another project wouldn’t hurt at that stage.
The half-brioche (if that is the correct term) produces a
vertical striped effect, with one colour very much in the ascendancy over the
other. The pattern picture shows a bright colour peeping out from a dark one,
and I think I’ll go with that – Whiskey Barrel (it feels as if I have been
knitting with it since the dawn of history) as the predominant colour, the
Chillies peeping out.
I had a good day yesterday doing nothing much, except
blocking that shawl and tidying away my purchases and class handouts from the
EYF. What a glorious event it was! I took taxis both ways every day – there was
always one dropping off a knitter or two, when I wanted to go home. By day
three, the drivers were asking me what was going on.
I took presumption in both hands just now, and emailed
Franklin to tell him that he should book a gig here for next year. Did I get
the idiom right?
One small thing – and I’m sure there’ll be lots more in the
next few days. Carol Feller told us, that when one is knitting chevrons – one of
those patterns where increases and decreases alternate across the row, but
never next to each other – when you’re doing that, the effect of an increase is to draw the
knitting up, of a decrease to let it down. This seems a bit counter-intuitive,
and Feller herself clearly had to stop and think it through whenever the
situation arose.
It’s what’s happening with the Sous Sous, all right (pictures
soon) – on the back, the pattern (double moss stitch with a central cable
pattern) is knit straight across. On the front, there are decreases just inside
each selvedge, and corresponding increases to the right and left of the central
panel. With the result that the edges droop down, and the centre is scooped
out.
Interesting.
I would not have thought to put it that way, but thinking of Feather and Fan, that makes sense. Oh, the Tokyo! The colors! I wish you a chilly Spring day.
ReplyDeleteLove the Tokyo! Perfect for huddlung under!
ReplyDeleteWe celebrated first day of spring yesterday with a little snow. This, in a winter of no snow and above-average temperatures. Could have really used such a cozy shawl!
Beverly in NJ
The Tokyo is gorgeous. Worth every second you have worked on it. I am squelching down all the thoughts that your post just inspired regarding should-have-dones, Whiskey Barrel til the end of time and that wonderful clarification of chevrons and how the Sous Sous drape is achieved. Because it would take a whole page and who wants that. So..just congratulations on Tokyo and happy knitting with Sous-Sous! (Chloe)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you had such a wonderful time at the EYF. I was picturing you there at the market with your Bernie sweatshirt and a smile on your face like the one you had when you first met Franklin. Yes, you got the idiom right.
ReplyDeleteHe should definitely book a gig at EYF next year! And the Tokyo shawl is gorgeous. Congratulations!
Carol in Long Island
Good to see the Tokyo - such a wearable-looking piece. Yes, that rush of energy when doing something one ought to have done much earlier - good reminder for all of us, thank you!
ReplyDelete- Beth in Ontario
Love the shawl - and Perdita!
ReplyDeleteYour Tokyo shawl is gorgeous - great blocking job! I'm about 2/3 through knitting mine. I adore Perdita; she just wants to help.
ReplyDeleteFranklin will be at Vogue Live Pasadena in May teaching 3 classes!
Wow that Tokyo is so lovely. Glad you are keeping that epic amount of knitting so you can enjoy using it.
ReplyDeleteLisaRR