Wool in my soup

I am a 67 year-old grandmother living on Vancouver Island. I have crocheted, cross-stitched and rug hooked, but I always had yarn on needles. Recently knitting has become my primary hobby!

Name:
Location: Canada

Sunday, October 22, 2006

My Life In The Frog Pond!

In case you think I have gone off to Rhinebeck - noooooooooooo, DARN! I have spent so much time in the frog pond this week that I am all 'pruney'! It seemed that I knit 2 frogged 1, and so on and so on.



Remember the scarf I was knitting in the rose and mauve, well I realized that I would not have enough yarn to have a scarf of any size, so I frogged it. Here is the new scarf -
This is a simple garter lace pattern. The pattern is on 4 + 2. Both rows are the same. I CO 30 stitches - *K2, yrn, P2tog* continue to last 2 st and K2. I will continue until I run out of yarn. This silk and mohair does not frog well - it does not give up easily!!





I am still working on my lacy Sirdar cardigan. Not much progress, as you can see, but that has something to do with stubborness of a knitter who thinks she is just good enough at lace to not require life lines. See those red life lines? That tells the story - humbled knitter will always use life lines with lace, well almost always.




Now what could I do with 2+ skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca? I had wanted a vest for sometime, so I started looking in my pattern books. You know you buy those old knitting magazines and stash them away and forget that there were a few good patterns in them - this vest came from one of my old magazines. It was not a simple knit - well actually it is simple, but I complicated it. I learned on this knit to measure, measure, measure as I knit, even if my gauge swatch is okay! The back was knit twice and part of the front was also knit twice. It is'dry' blocking. I have to sew up one shoulder seam, pick up around the neck and knit 8 rows of garter stitch and then cast off. Sew up the remaining shoulder seam and neck band. Pick up and knit 8 rows of garter stitch around both arm openings and sew up side seams and arms 'bands'. Give it all a little blocking - let dry - put on and pray! Surely it will fit - I have measured more than I ever did before. You know we all should check our measurements from time to time - somewhere I have lost two inches on my chest. Nor for me, I could easily change this by adding more fiberfil to my 'tit bits', but I don't want to! I always wanted to be small busted, go figure, I was large busted. If I had to give them up on the war on breast cancer, I could then be whatever size I wanted to!! Every cloud does have a silver lining!

I guess you wonder what I mean by 'dry' blocking. You know, this is probably the way that you all block, but I read somewhere that you need to wet - like drench - the garment and then block. This does not work for me, at least it did not on Tilia. That darn yarn got very 'stretchy' when you wet it and I was not taking a chance on this one. I carefully pinned the vest onto the towel, measuring as I went and then I took a mister bottle of water and gave it a good mist. Tomorrow, I will unpin the beauty and finish it off. Is this the correct way to do it? For me it seems better, as working with wet wool is not easy - at least for me.

I am involved in a little exchange with Ms. Knitingale and a few others, and here are the questions I had to answer for my secret pal! Even you, if you are not in the exchange, will get to know a bit more about me!

The questions:

1. What is your favorite color?
It is usually red, but lately I have started to love teal/turquoise!

2. Is there a color you dislike?
It is not so much that I don't like them, but I cannot wear burgundy or orange reds. I am beginning to love solid colours more and more, although you will see lots of variegated yarns on my blog.

3. Do you have any pets? What kind?
We have two Cairn Terriers, Isla and Tibbie!

4. Is there any knitting-related item you’re longing to have?
I cannot think of anything!

5. Are you a sock knitter?
Yes I am and I knit them on 2.25mm dpns that used to be my grandmother's.

6. Do have any online wish lists?
No!

7. Do you collect anything that isn’t terribly expensive?
Not really, but I have a bathroom with angels everywhere!

8. What would make you smile or giggle with delight to find it in your gift box?
Anything can bring a smile to my face, if it is chosen by someone just for me!

9. Is there anything that would make you cringe if you found it in your gift box?
Nothing I can think of!

10. Do you have a favorite edible treat?
I love ginger!

11. Do you drink coffee, tea, cocoa, or….?
I love tea - black, green, herbal - all kinds!

12. Are there any dietary restrictions your pal should know about?
I do not eat things with added sugar. I am lucky enough to get sugar-free chocolates here where I live!

13. Do you celebrate a winter holiday of any kind and, if so, would you like to receive anything holiday themed?
We celebrate Christmas and a little ornament means a lot to me. I enjoy decorating the tree and reminiscing over all the ornaments from my children, friends, etc. I also have an Advent story that I read to myself each Christmas. I guess I am a child at heart!

Now that wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. This should be fun and I look forward to finding out about my secret pal! I have already got a few things in mind. You know this blogging is just the best. I get to learn about other countries, other gals who love to knit and they get to know about my part of the world and me. Of course, meeting Jo and Lisa, two fellow bloggers is just the very best. On Friday, Lisa and I went to our two local LYSs. The newest one had a new shipment in of Handmaiden yarns - lots of Sea Silk, Jo.

If you want to see some beautiful winter landscape photos go to Lene's blog, Dances With Wool. Just look at those beautiful frost flowers!

5 Comments:

Blogger Rain said...

That way of blocking is just fine, all yarns react differently so it's best to find a method that suits.

Your knits look great so far, especially the scarves.

1:04 AM  
Blogger LaurieM said...

I dry blocked my mohair cabled jacket that way. I didn't relish the though of getting that thinkg wet! Anyway, it worked just fine.

3:44 AM  
Blogger Jan said...

That is the way I blocked my Tilia, since I was afraid to get it wet. Lace I always wet-block. Love the colors your working with. Red has always been my favorite color but that scarf is so lovely I may have to look for some purple in the future.

1:24 PM  
Blogger Ms. Knitingale said...

Oh, Peg--I'm so sorry to hear that you're all pruney! I wish I didn't know that feeling all too well. But thanks for the dryblocking tip. I have a feeling that will come in handy.

6:39 AM  
Blogger Charity said...

Those frost flowers really were beautiful! Sorry to hear you weren't off on a wonderful yarny adventure - that's always my first thought when a knitting friend disappears for a few days! :0)

10:05 AM  

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