Sunday, September 21, 2008

Finished Objects and the Cold From Hell

I hate when clients bring the plague into my office. Why don't they tell me they're sick *before* they've gotten their germy hands on everything. I washed my hands, I thought I'd washed down everything he'd touched with alcohol, but alas, I missed a rhinovirus which has taken up residence inside my sinuses, my nose and my chest.

What I hate is that anything that sends my immune system in overdrive also send me into fibromyalgia flare-up. So in addition to the whole cold/fever thing, I also hurt like hell.

With all this going on, we still went to BJ's yesterday and did the major monthly food shop, and stopped at Lowes to get styrofoam insulation boards for blocking the Pennance Shawl which is, indeed, done!!!!

There it is being blocked. I spent a good chunk of the early part of today grafting the sucker. I'd never grafted seed stitch before.

Unfortunately, you really can't see the stitch definition:

And, since it's raw silk, you can't even imagine the texture.

Is it okay to be that much in love with something you've produced yourself?

Speaking of love...

This is 4 oz, just under 700 yards of merino goodness. The dying was done by Carolyn and I'm just head over heels in love with it. I'm thinking of an oversized Clapotis scarf (not quite enough for the shawl.)

Just because I love it so much, here's another picture:


Speaking of finished objects, here is the cardigan for baby William, the very young son of one of Tim's co-workers:

Those are my glasses to show scale.


I just adore the little seed stitch collar and the bar increase on the raglan.

In fact, I loved the bar increase on the raglan so much, that I decided to use it on Tim's sweater.
You know how the bar increase is a very visible increase? And if it's not there, you really can tell?
Well.....The other night, I was looking at the sweater:

What you can't see in this picture, but what I could see...and once I saw it, I couldn't NOT see it, is that I missed one of those wonderful bar increases.

And so, I decided that I'm a good enough knitter that I don't have to rip back 15 rows of sweater, I can just fix it. So I put nearby stitches on stitchholders, grabbed a crochet hook and more needles, and proceeded to rip down to where I'd made the mistake.

Tim and Kali left the room



Morgan was pressed against my leg, lending moral support



I knit, I ripped, Morgan purred. I knit and ripped some more. Morgan purred harder. I knit some more. Between us, we persevered.



Morgan claims she was never worried.

But I think she looks relieved.

I have a cute new gadget. It's a row counter stitch marker, for when you do something every other row (like a bar increase on a raglan sweater).


Basically, it's two jump rings, each with a different color bead, joined by a split ring. On increase rows, I pick the green ring. When I come around again, and it's not an increase row, I pick up the red one. That way, if I put my knitting down in the middle of a round, I can just look at the marker and tell if it's an increase row or not. Or frankly, with the onset of menopause, if I get to the middle of the row and forget what I'm doing.....

And last but not least is another handspun that I'm in love with. This started life as two bobbins of laceweight spun on Phaedre. One was 100% wool (unidentified) and the other was 100% merino. In an effort to clear the bobbins, Tim plied them together. This is what resulted:


And unfortunately this does not do it justice. It's airy, it's light, it's freakin' wonderful and I only have 200 yards of it. I don't think I'll ever be able to spin more.

Right now, I'm still working on Tim's sweater (which will be done by Rhinebeck) and the socks, which I still don't want to talk about. Let's just say I've cast them on for the 7th time. I'm down to 60 stitches (from the pattern's called for 84) on size 1 needles. I think we have a winner.

Asherah has a 1/4 full bobbin of BFL in Lichen from Miss Babs

and the camera doesn't do the colors justice. Mauve and green and grey. Moody and autumny. Deep woods and rocks that don't get the sun. The roving is whistle clean and smells yummy and sheepy (in the best possible way).

That's what I've been up to.

6 comments:

ComputerMechanic said...

I still am sorry that I did mix those two fibers, I did not ply them perfectly.. I need more practice...

Kim said...

You did it! When I saw those huge waving unraveled bits, I thought "Oh no!" Great job. I love those jump ring markers. Genius. Hope you feel better.

Jessica said...

Wow! Everything is gorgeous! And go you on the increase fix. Not everyone is brave enough to do it. I'm sure the companion helped. :)

Feel better!

CrazyFiberLady said...

Haven't you been busy! WTG on fixing the knitting and its always nice to do it with a confident companion at your side. The shawl looks lovely as does all the spinning.

Linda said...

Harriet,
You are unbelievably talented! I had no idea your knitting looked so wonderful and you do such complicated things. So what do I have to do to get something special to wear? Everything you do with yarn is so loving since each piece flows through your fingers, how special is that.
I love you and miss you and thanks for the great pictures of Morgan.
Linda

Anonymous said...

The shawl is even more gorgeous in person, it truly is. It's 100% you! Aren't you glad you kept slogging away at it now? :)

Keep up the good work, you really are growing by leaps and bounds as a knitter.