Monday, February 26, 2007

You rock!

Dear Laura:

Laura Mae, you are my very best friend forever and ever - you saved the ladybug sweater!!! Your tutorial on two-handed color weaving.....sheer genius! It works! I'm so excited that I can't wait to get to the next ladybug panel to practice.

Once I got over the hump of finishing that ladybug panel around the sleeve, I wizzed through the rest of the sleeve yesterday.
From Knitting Pict...

So, now we have the hat and two sleeves, with the body to go. That's not an insignificant amount of knitting, BUT I'm working on a circular, which will go faster than the dpns.

I did get bit again by the Dale of Norway pattern. The sleeves say to cast on in CC2, work the hem, then follow the chart. Ok. Then the instructions for the body say to cast on with MC (Main Color) and work the hem and then follow the chart. That seemed odd to me, since I thought the picture showed the sleeves matching the sweater at the bottom. However, I didn't want to get up from my chair to find the picture, so after double checking the instructions, I cast on in Spring Green and knitted 5 hem rows, purled a turning ridge and started the first five rows of the chart...wait, why is the chart calling for CC2?? I got the picture. The instructions are WRONG. You cast on and begin in CC2 - turquoise in my case. Oh well, I did get the hem rows done in the correct color before bed last night.

Friday was Finished Object Day - I finished crocheting the Girth Strap for my niece's horse.
From Knitting Pict...

From Knitting Pict...
My brother had estimated that they needed 42-44" - before felting I had around 70". I felted it Saturday morning - it didn't become a solid fabric, but it did lose all stretch, which was what we wanted. However, he looked at it and kept saying..."It's way too long!" I showed him that I would loop it through the second ring, and then sew and trim the excess. In fact, I actually doubled it, and he thought that was sturdier, although still too long. I measured, and it was 44". Which means that it grew from 70" to 88" in the felting process!! It didn't really lose much width tho - so it was quite interesting.

I went to my brother and sil's last night - she wanted me to help her start a baby blanket for a baby shower gift. She's doing the "make a big dishcloth" blanket. I'm doing one as well, although my yarn is chunkier than hers. I kept reminding her - mine will go faster because of the big yarn!! We had just knitted a few rows when the power went out. Now, I can certainly knit chunky garter stitch in the dark, but she's a pretty new knitter. She got up and got an oil lantern and put on the table between us. My brother came in from the barn and chuckled. I welcomed him to "Pioneer Days! Knitting by Lantern Light!" He went back out and came in with his camping lantern, which was MUCH brighter! We had a fun 1/2 hour recreating the past. (Except for him using his cell-phone to text-message his daughter...hmm..)

While I did start my quickie blanket last night, it's not in February goals, so I've put it back aside. I'm not going to give it at the shower - I went in on the car seat/stroller combo. And since my sil is a new knitter, I think it would be cool if she's giving the cool hand knitted gift at the shower. Having people making a fuss over her blanket will be good "positive reinforcement!" Besides, it will be a surprise to the new mom, as she doesn't know that Chris is knitting for her. She already knows I'm knitting like mad for this baby!

And finally from the weekend files....spotted while lost in Warsaw trying to find a co-worker's wedding.....
From Just for fun....

Fort Wayne Street!!! I've seen Auburn Road, Lower Huntington Road, New Haven Ave.....but never a street named for Fort Wayne!

Keep Knitting!!

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

1 comment:

  1. Ah, good ol Fort Wayne street. Im glad you got such a good picture of the sign, that was hilarious. Everyone notice Me in the corner of the first girth strap picture? lol. Im famous ;-). Your ladybug sweater is really coming together. We heart ladybugs! haha!

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