Confessions of a reluctant blocker
Confession time, while I’ve been knitting like a fiend, I’ve let a lot of my finished items fester in my closet, waiting for a good blocking. “I’ll wait till I get a blocking board.” I told myself, but weekend trips to home depot just ain’t happening as frequently as they once were. Earlier this week I even took out the Patternworks catalouge thinking I’d spring for one. Then on Friday, something funny happened, Alex went down for his nap unusually early and Cate was sitting at the dining room table, estatic that the ban had been lifted on using magic markers. Suddenly I had a few moments to actually do something constructive and I had two very important projects that needed the attention.
The first is for my man -a long time coming – along. It is from Nancie Weiseman’s Classic Vests book and is based on what I think is a brilliant system. She shows you the basic template, lets you chose your yarn and get gauge, then you match that up with one of the four categories she has directions for. The vest is knit up in Manos Grey and Red, the stripes purely an attempt to make up for my uncertainty with the amount of grey I had on hand. I’ve now sewn up the sides and have turned my attention to the button bands, which are driving me batty. I can not get the # of stitches picked up that she calls for, and even after looking to my bible (also by Nancie Weiseman – The Knitter’s Book of
Finishing Techniques) I am beyond stumped. I’ve put the sweater on hold for a day or two till I can get back to the yarn shop and ask for some help with button bands. Picking up stitches aside, I loved this pattern and am thinking of making one for myself using yarn my new favorite blogger sent me (blogger is Dawn, yarn is Schaefer Esperanza in Indira Ghandi colorway).
Speaking of Schaefer, my current yarn of choice, feast your eyes on this beast:
I’m calling it Blueberry Pie – based on Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Pies are Square Shawl, knit up in Schaefer’s Miss Priss – Mr. Funny colorway with a trim in Danya . This was my debate project, the tedium of hearing each candidate not answer the question they asked but instead repeat the same old stump speach was matched by the mindnumbing task knitting into the front and back of each stitch on this mamoth shawl. I am guessing that when I bound off (again knitting into the front and back of each stitch) I had close to 5,000 stitches on my fully extended Denise needle. Just like Elizabeth promised, blocking added 1/3 more length. I am looking forward to wearing this out tonight for trick or treating.
What is next? I should re-do the front piece of last years cardigan disaster, but I think I’ll wait till I can declare my long size 8 circular retired for the man-along vest. In the meant time I am thinking instant satisfaction, possible Monmouth Cap, from Sarah Bradberry’s excellent site knitting-and.com? (Site appears to be down, or I’d link).
Oh and since Hell Froze Over, maybe it is time to tackle a project that will take me 86 years to complete, just in time for the next time the Sox win the world series!
“Why not us?”
Tonight is the first night of the World Series and even if the Red Sox don’t win, the curse of the bambino is already reversed for this fan. I believe they can win, which has never happened in my years following them. When I was little, I saw a doctor who just happened to be the team doctor. My father had season tix at the time so in the summer of 1978, I saw an amazing number of day games, and even went into the dugout to meet the boys. My first real crush was on Carlton Fisk. In my senior year in High School, the Sox went to the World Series and I was one of the fortunate ones to get in and see one of the early games in the series. A few nights later, I remember listening to the last game on the radio as I layed out my high school newspaper. One moment, I believed they would win, the next, I was sure they would never come this far again. From then on they were those damn sox, always screwing up when it counted the most. But not tonight, Cate and Alex will be chanting “GO GO SOX” and I’ll be working on my man-along vest, and I even if they don’t win a game in the series, I’ll be ok with my hometown sluggers again, because they made me believe it was possible.
-> Hopefully DH and I will hit home depot tomorrow to pick up the makings for a blocking board. I’ve got a closet full of projects that need to be blocked before photos and debuts. Have you made your own blocking board? Anything I should know?
GSRP a few answers
Yep, round two is still on hold. One of Slip Stitch members was in a horrible car accident and has been unable to move the box along. As soon as that box moves on to one more person on the list and then off to Captain Karin, I’ll wave the flag and round two will begin.
Between the debates and the Sox post season play, I’ve gotten in a few rounds on my shawl. I took off the lace border, fearing I’d run short of yarn again. I added about 20 more ridges to the body of the shawl in the regular yarn and am now working my around the sides, neck and bottom, creating a ruffle in a thin mohair yarn. Lovely!
Hiding
I can hear the screams from the other room as my two children take turns having meltdowns. I must trust that DH is handling it, or else there will be three people melting down and I’m just not on the mood.
Go check out Hello Yarn’s amazing new sweater. I’m going to get myself a beer.
Panic Attacks?
Now that the book is out of my hands and at the publisher and now that I’ve outsourced most of my work for my startup (a good thing, means we are closer to seeing the light of day), I need something else to fixate on. My normal work in project pile is small, I like to keep two different projects going, with something small going on in the background. But something happened and my projects multiplied. I tried to explain it to DH last night, but he just rolled his eyes and told me put a few on the disabled list and wait it out.
But who goes on the DL?
Here is what I’ve got:
The Pi Shawl – the body of the shawl is done, and I am working on a lovely lace border that is a twelve row repeat. The border is done perpendicular to the shawl body, with the last stitch of every even row being knit together with a stitch on the body. I taught myself to knit backwards (or purl as the case may be in a garter lace pattern) so that I don’t have to turn over the whole thing after every 10 stitches.
Faroese Shawl – in shades of green with bamboo and silk yarn. I was hoping to finish this in time to wear to my book signing in December. Maybe over a black cashmere turtleneck and a black wool skirt?
Cate’s pull over vest – done in the yarn shown above. I’m about 3/4 the way through this, but it is BORING.
DH’s manos vest – for the man along, am about 1/25th of the way through this. But am thankful my DH isn’t as big as Amy’s.
Socks: One on double pointed needles for Cate – I knit the first, was working on the toe decreases for the second when Cate pulled out the needle and snapped it. Not normally a problem, but she lost one so now I have three double pointed size 3s not 5. She may have to wait that one out for a while.
One 2″ band of Lorna’s Laces worth of sock. On size 1s. Moving to the way back of my pile.
So, I ask you what do I move to the DL?
Rippit Rippit
Fall has come up quickly on me, the yard is filling with leaves and my closet is showing the signs of the New England bridge – I’ve still got a few shorts and tee shirts intermingled with long pants and wool. As I was surveying the mess the other day, I spotted Purple Fuzz. If you’ve read this blog for a while, (going on my third anniversary!!!) you’ll remember I had a bit of a love-hate relationship with this sweater. It was designed, for me, but a woman who runs a very small yarn shop. She came highly recommended, but without the caveat I ususally give when I tell people about her – she designs as you knit, so you can’t get the pattern and go away, you must come back again and again and again (and her customers don’t seem to mind this, each trip back gets them onto another project, then another …) And, you must be willing to check your free thinking ways at the door. Hers is a shop for people who like their knitting with a strong dose of discipline.
Having neither the time to go back weekly nor the interest in taking on my own personal knitting dominatrix, I struck it out on my own and finished it without further consultation. The result was a sweater that I hated, and didn’t really enjoy wearing last year.
So yesterday, even though my works in progress count is starting to give me panic attacts, I undid my seams, took off the collar and the front pieces and wound them back into balls. My goal is to lenghten the sleeves, knit one piece for the front, pick up the neck pieces and make myself a turtleneck. Wish me luck!