Thursday, June 09, 2016

Yesterday was a better day, nursing-wise, but none of them are easy.

I did finish the first ball of yarn employed in the centre of the Hansel hap, and attached the second. I doubt if I’ve knit more than a fifth of it yet. I have nine balls of MC altogether. But once the centre is finished, the main colour has no more to do until edging-time. And there's plenty more in Lerwick, I'm sure.

I’ve now got more than 100 stitches on the needle, and the rows are pleasantly endless. I’m loving this. I feel as if I were helping God to knit the baby.

I thought I might as well watch Gudrun’s Craftsy hap-class again, although I have half-a-dozen unfinished Craftsy classes. Here I am actually doing what the class is about, instead of feeling guilty all the time about not doing my homework, as with the others. And I learned that the trick of knitting into the back loop of the last stitch of every row, is only for the increase rows. Once the centre passes the halfway point, and starts declining, you’re meant to knit into the front of those stitches. It’s something to do with keeping the dear little edging loops as uniform as possible.

KD has posted an interesting tutorial by her husband Tom, about how to make a hap-stretcher. I’ll never do it, or even commission one, but it’s nice to know that the detailed instructions are available. The photographs include her Moder Dy pattern from the new book, knit in J&S jumper-weight instead of Buachaille. It looks to me as if the centre is knit straight – i.e., not on the diagonal. Only two more days and we will KNOW. I suspect the jumper-weight hap is a more useful size. It's thoroughly beautiful.

Susan Crawford has published another update about the progress of the Vintage Shetland Project. Everybody is hard at work on page layout, she says. What an interesting career it could be, these days, being a Graphic Artist who works on self-published books!


I am slightly worried when Crawford says: “I have worked very, very hard to try and ensure that the complexities in these unique pieces from the Shetland Museum are not obvious to the knitter.” I don’t quite know what I expect of this book any more, if anything – but I didn’t expect to have complexities concealed from me. Complexities are the whole fun. 

8 comments:

  1. Let's hope that quote from Crawford contains a teensy typo, and was meant to say, "... are NOW obvious to the knitter." Although neither do we wish her susceptible to typos.

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  2. Apparently we will get an email with a code to download the pdf as they ship the printed copy. All will be revealed.

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  3. Carol3:15 PM

    When my daughter and daughter-in-law were both "knitting" their sons, I made LOTS of haps and I am very sure I was helping them grow. Each of the boys got his own, as well as a few friends' babies. I know of nothing more soothing to get a (great)grandmother through pregnancy.

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  4. Jennifer4:09 PM

    I also found that comment somewhat oddly phrased, but took it to mean that after reading the book you will have a transition from "HOW did they do THAT?" to "Oh, of course that's how it was done." I.e. you know the key to knitting the complexities.

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  5. "Complexities are the whole fun." Oh, good for you. I used to feel as you do, but these days I'm all for mindless knitting. I keep waiting for my knitting brain to reengage!

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  6. I am using the 'waiting for hap book' time to plow through a very large pullover (48" around) full of cables and moss stitch. It will be lovely but it is slow going indeed! I keep reminding myself that once it's done and gifted, I'll have free time to contemplate which of the haps to knit.

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  7. skeindalous10:50 AM

    For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. Psalm 139:13

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  8. "I’m loving this. I feel as if I were helping God to knit the baby." I hope you give your words of pure love with the blanket. It would be so wonderful for this child, when older, to know your love for them is in each and every stitch. Beautiful sentiment.

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