Lost in Lace

What has happened to the knitting side of my brain? Last night I was looking forward to completing another section of the Penobscott Scarf just as I had done the previous nights. (You can see on the picture the section labeled "normal night.") Something was different, though, and it had nothing to do with the amount of alcohol I had consumed. I could not get this silly little mindless lace pattern to work. The pattern is only on the knit side, and it has 4 repeats over 25 stitches plus 1. How hard can that be? Well last night, it was too hard, as you can see by the part marked "last night." I ripped back at least 1 row for every 2 I worked. The really galling part is that I realized early on that it wasn't going well, and that I should put it down and back away slowly, but no, I kept thinking I'd do just one more row to "get it right." DH and I were watching Notes on a Scandal; maybe it was more distracting than I realized. It is a very creepy movie.

The other picture is me in my usual knitting spot, with my usual knitting companion, Frau Kitze. I often have to extricate her claws from clothes and knitting, but she is very sweet and loving. I am working on an Elizabeth Zimmerman sock, which has become a black hole of knitting inertia. It is time to remove the soles and try again, or not.

Backlog Blog

This must have been the spring of shawls! On the left is the Little Arrowhead Shawl from the Summer 2006 Interweave Knits worked in the Sea Silk that my DS gave me for Christmas. It is wonderful to wear, but very slithery to knit! On the right is a very simple, airy shawl of Ritratto, knit in stockinette and reverse stockinette with a garter stitch ruffle. I have learned not to wear it when I'm also wearing a charm bracelet.

I got knitting gifts from the DDs for Mothers' Day. Alexa sent me the Harlot's new book, and Camille bought me a scarf kit in Paris. The instructions are in French, but I think it is possible to figure out from the picture and the logic of the instructions. If it get's too confusing, Erica (at Wooly Bully) told me she knows a local knitter who learned to knit in French. I think Camille was really brave to buy something in a Parisian knitting shop. For a non-knitter any knitting shop is daunting, and Parisian shopkeepers are not known for their welcoming attitude!

Cathy, I want to see pictures of socks, especially the sock club offerings. My friend from Germany sent several skeins of sock yarn, but I'm stuck in the black hole of Elizabeth Zimmer' s removeable sole sock. I completed one (doing the sole twice) but am not happy with it because it is too loose, so I'm working on the other one now with a smaller sole. If it turns out well I'll go back and redo the first one, but right now I'm heartily sick of the whole thing.

I've almost finished a summer cardigan in Yoga, a ribbon yarn by Berocco. I may add short sleeves; there seems to be enough left over. It is very loud.

What I am most hoping for is a successful completion of the Florida Legislature's Special Session on property tax. I have been working evenings and weekends since February, and it is just tiresome, as well as intruding on my knitting time! What's the point in accruing all these hours of comp time if I can't use them?

But enough moaning. I'll survive to knit another day.

Ellen

She's Back!

Oh, the guilt of having neglected you for so long! My only lame excuse is that work has been much busier than usual since New Years, but it really has more to do with the evil habit of procrastination than any work requirements. Yesterday fellow angel Rayma Ball mentioned stumbling across our little endeavor and I was mortified to think how long it has been since I had even looked at it.

The pictures show just a small part of my knitting ouput since January. Red scarf went to the Red Scarf Project (duh!) It is just Brown Sheep bulky weight in a simple diagonal stitch. I hope it went to someone in a cold climate! The pink and red stripe is a riff on the Argosy pattern, which I had to modify to make the stripes work out. It is a very soft kid mohair/slik blend that requires a Zen knitting attitude. I took it with me on my work road trips and found it very theraputic.

I've missed reading about your projects and adventures, and I've missed singing with you, Cathy. I hope you and your mom are doing well. The wife of a friend just opened an antique shop in Bainbridge so I really have to come up and see you and it.

I'll be back soon with more finished objects, works in progress, and stash additions (not too many, and most were gifts.) LYS Wooly Bully has moved to a more spacious, less sketchy location so if you are in Tallahassee we could go there together.

Ellen