Thursday, July 27, 2006

Jedi Knitting






Dear Cathy, Naomi, and Sharon - This is what I've been up to recently! The socks are Austermann Step yarn, superwash wool and nylon treated with aloe and jojoba oil. I used the magic toe cast-on and short-row heels, and the cuffs are all ribbing. The yarn is heavenly to knit; I have another skein waiting for me.
The purple tank top is Silky Wool by Elsebeth Lavold, and the pattern if from her book Sophisticated Lady 1, I think. I knit most of it during April, but ended up doing the top part (lace around the armholes and the straps) at least 3 times. There was a little problem with the pattern, and lots of big problems with my ability to count and read.

The other tank top is a remake of something I did last year. It is Giotto by Colinette, and the first time I made it it was just too big, and it didn't feel right. I pulled it all out and knit it again one size smaller and on size 6 instead of size seven needles. Now it is the snug little top I had in mind, and I only need to weave in the ends and make a button loop. If you look carefully at one of the pictures you will see why I felt like a Jedi knitter on the flight to Norway. My lovely daughter sent me LED knitting needles for mothers day! I have 2 pairs: sizes 6 and 8. The plastic is not too slippery and was fine for Giotto, a cotton-rayon ribbon, and I think it will be good for wool, too. I have visions of knitting baby blankets in movie theaters, or letting my DH watch TV with the lights turned down.

The unfelted cat bed features the most popular house paint colors of Norway (if you ignore white since it doesn't felt.) I plan to send it to grandcat Larry, but for him it need to be a big bed and I may have to block it agressively.

The scarf is approaching completion! The pattern is Trellis scarf, and it's turning out to be a stash-buster, using turquoise Zephyr left from another project and blue Zephyr for which I had no particular plan. I've done 16 of 20 repeats and, barring any major backtracking, should have it ready to block by the end of the weekend.

All of this finishing up is in anticipation of starting the Hanne Falkenberg sweater. I get nervous if there are too many projects going on at one time, and I want to start with a Zen-like concentration, at least for the cast-on and first few rows.

Cathy, I bought the Mason-Dixon Knitting book and have gotten lots of ideas for baby blankets. It is almost too tempting; probably I should have waited.

Ellen

1 comment:

gray la gran said...

have you tried your light saber knittin' sticks yet? i was wondering if you were knitting in a theatre, or in a dim living room, would the points of light be distracting for anyone around? (of course, when i go to the movies alone, i sit in the very back ... bet no one would bother the freaky chick with her light sticks and bag of booze!)