The house is quiet. The TV is off, there is no music playing, I can hear birds outside, the sun is shining through the window, the frost has melted, I have just finished my first ever chai latte - I have the house to myself....
Let's Party!!!!
Well, not really. On Tuesday mornings (plague permitting), I have one child at kindergarten and one at child care - this is my morning off - 3 and 1/2 hourse of my time - that's it for the week. Occasionally I have a massage,mostly I clean or gardden, generally I frantically run errands without 2 children to get in and out of the car, into strollers, into shops - some days it's like herding cats!
Today is MY day. I cleaned at the weekend. I have washing on and I've been having a bit of a blogfest. I have discovered a wonderful blog - Black Dog Knits! What a woman! She has the most wonderful patterns up on her blog - Free! Gratis! Gorgeous! How could I resist! I'm now thinking that the swing jumper has to be made - will it come before Juno or after?
Last night I did 3 pattern repeats on the Monkey Socks - now for you experienced lace knitters, that's probably not much - for me that's my whole 2 hour knitting period - that's 33 rows x 64 stitches - that's 2112 stitches! in 2 hours! that's over 1000 stitches an hour. I'm impressed! Usually I can only do 2 repeats of the pattern in that time.
I'll let you into a secret. I'm not a natural lace knitter. I have to concentrate on every stitch (except the knit rows) I have to have the pattern in front of me (except for F and F), The 2112 stitches does not include the half rows tinked because somehow my count got out in an exciting bit of the movie or conversation. But I love knitting lace. I love the way it looks, I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when I finish a repeat, or even better a garment or sock.
I had no idea, back in the dark ages of the 1980's that fair isle and intarsia were supposed to be hard. I had knitted 2 jumpers and just went for it! and I finished them - and decided they weren't that hard or terrifying after all Mind you, I still have half a sleeve to do on the intarsia jumper - but all the rest is done!). But I've always been scared of lace and of cables. Now I knit lace - the Cherry bomb, a shawl, the F and F socks, scarves, the Monkeys. I'm brave - I love knitting.
I adored knitting this - Bianca's Jacket from Interweave, Fall 2006, in Jo Sharp Silkroad in Butternut, on needles a size larger than the pattern says (my usual strategy for getting a larger size without doing any maths - Please don't strike me down Oh Knitting Goddess)
Still haven't knitted a cable. What an admission. So that is why I have decided to knit Juno. I love it - love the pattern and I'm trying to get back my youthful insouciance. I look at the pattern and say 'I can do that'. But deep down - I'm afraid I can't. So that's why I'm going to.
5 comments:
Black Dog Knits is a great site!
I feel the same way as you with the lace - have to (almost obsessively) look at the chart all the time, but love doing it.
You can cable - it's no way as hard as it looks!
(and I should have added, the woman behind Black Dog Knits is great too!)
I havent been brave enough to try lacew yet, but bought some yarn on the weekend to give it a go. You've given me a push that perhaps I can do it too!
As for cables - until about 2 months ago I was exactly the same, but they are actually waaaay less scary than things like intarsia. I started with a very easy flat knit kids beanie with brilliant instructions - can send you the link.
Go For It!!!
BDK is a great blog. Nora is a very talented person.
And lace is cool. I'm gearing up for my first big lace project. Not quite ready yet, but I'm getting there.
Nora is so lovely and she has a wonderful dog too!!!! I want to make Monkeys, they are on my list of things I ant to make!!! Hope you have great 'me' time!!!
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