Back to real business

    Since the felting fiasco, I've gone back to working on my previous projects, specifically the Pi Shawl and the double knit pad thing for Owen. It was hard going back to the shawl, with its sock weight yarn. I'd been using two strands of worsted weight for so long, my hands hurt from the much smaller knitting movements required for the Pi Shawl.


    I've only done a couple of rows on the double knit pad for Owen, but I did find the two color sample I had made of regular double knitting. One side is one color, and the other side is a different, contrasting color. You can make a design on both sides simply by using the second color to knit the first color's stitch, and vice versa. Here are photos of my sample:

    And there you have it. It is harder to do, because you are holding both colors at the same time. But once you get the hang of it, it's not really that bad.


   Lastly, I have a new photo of the Pi Shawl progress. Again, it doesn't look like much, and you'll see it better when it's all done and stretched out.

    As it gets bigger, the stripes of color get thinner. And that's all I have for today.

An all projects update

   I am still knitting like a mad woman here. Unfortunately, every other project is in a time out. The Pi Shawl, the double knit pad for Owen, the legwarmers (remember them?), I'm sure there are more but I just can't recall right now. They are all in sleep mode and someday I will get back to them.


   Of course, in the meantime, I'm still working on the Huge Adventure Bag. This thing is taking on a life of its own. I am currently almost to the ends of skeins 7 and 8, with 9 and 10 ready to go. I still have 25 more rounds to go until I increase on the short sides for the handle attachment flaps. I would take a photo, but I really don't think it would make much sense to the eye. It would just look  like a giant mound of double stranded, purple stockinette, with four stitch markers  indicating the corners. 


    I'm still plugging away on the 36 inch circular needle. I did find a set of double pointed needles in the size needed, at Out Of The Loop, one of my favorite LYS's. I feel I should mention that Hubs actually volunteered to take me there! We were in Fishkill making a Sam's run, and he mentioned it, so off we went. While we were there, I decided to buy another skein of the yarn I'm using for the Pi Shawl, since I was concerned I would run out before I finished. Now I can make sure it's big enough to suit me.


    I may very well be out of touch for the next few days, as it's my turn to babysit little Owen tomorrow and Friday. I am out of touch with the internet while performing that task. I need to concentrate on the little guy. He's growing so fast! He's become so much more vocal, trying out his little voice! I have so much fun with him....

It seems as though the knitting never ends.....

    Sometimes it feels that way. I knit for a while on this project, then knit for a while on that one. I pick up the super boring "no-holes-please" crocheted afghan and work on that for a row or two. That's usually all I can manage in one spurt. Sometimes I get two or even three spurts a day.


    Then along comes this pattern for a felted purse. I purchased it a long time ago, even bought the crocheted version. It's calling to me. It wants me to make it. I even bought some purple wool with which I can make it. I have the pattern out and have read it through at least three times. It's still sitting here, on the table right next to my chair.


    I am thinking that right now, I just have too many projects on the needles and hooks. Something will have to be finished before I can even think about starting another project. I'm trying to be really stern with myself, but I can feel my resolve slipping. I can't tell you how many times I've stopped myself from getting the needle out for the purse.


   Today I've been knitting on the Pi Shawl. I'm on the last section, after the final stitch count increase. Elizabeth Zimmermann says that about forty more rounds and you will think it's big enough. I have a feeling that's not big enough for me.


    I'm currently using a 29 inch circular needle. I was going to move to a 60 inch, but changed my mind because the tips of the longer needle are much more blunt. I prefer the sharper tips, especially for lace weight or sock weight yarn. So I plug along with the huge number of stitches on the shorter needle.


    I needed to write about this today, it's really been bugging me. Hopefully I can stay strong and not give in until I get something, anything, finished. I'm hoping some of you will send me strength. Thanks!

Seems like progress is slow

    I calculated that I've done about 6 rounds a day on my Pi Shawl. I figured this out today at Bonny's house. The last time I was there was two days ago and while I was there, I did a lace round, which is a yarn over then knit 2 together. Or YO, K2tog in knitspeak. While I was there today, I did another lace round. Since they are 12 rounds apart, that makes 6 rounds a day.


    That doesn't seem like much, but at 288 stitches each round, that gives you a total of over 1700 stitches per day. And in 28 more rounds, the stitch count will double again. Yee haw. That's when the fun really begins, and the progress seems even slower! And don't even get me started on the border! But I think that in the long run it'll be worth it, and I'll have a gorgeous circular shawl.


    I'm hoping that this one will be bigger than the last two I made. I could re-block them to make them bigger, which is something I am considering. Although I have no space, either on the carpet or a big spare bed, on which to do so. I bought two skeins of this yarn, so I doubt I'll run out before it's big enough. Although it's a real possibility that I will lose my mind in the process...

Yesterday's Photos

    As I promised, here are the photos of what I told you about yesterday. First up is the one-strand double knit sample.

    For the next one, I pulled the two sides apart, and you can see the cord of the circular needle (I hope) in the middle.

    And lastly, here is a photo of the Pi Shawl progress as of last night. Some of you may have already seen it, I posted it on facebook last night.

    I decided that I was going to make lace holes every 12 rounds, as well as the increase rounds. I can't wait to see this one all done!

Babysitting and New Discoveries

    I know I've been lax and haven't written in a few days. But I was kind of busy. Wednesday, Kim H. thought that since it would be just the two of us for Stitch n Bitch, she proposed a road trip, not just breakfast. So we went to Out of the Loop yarn shop, a LYS down in the Fishkill area. I frequented this shop when we lived down that way.


   I found some absolutely luscious yarn that I had to buy, and of course I had to use it right away! I wound it up after I got home, and started my third Pi Shawl by Elizabeth Zimmermann. It's so pretty! I will take photos another day.


    I babysat all day for little OG Thursday and today. It still amazes me that I get so freaking tired just hanging out with a 3 month old baby! It's not like I'm chasing him around or anything. He just lays there! Granted, it's awesome now that he is laughing and smiling.


    The other day, as I was reacquainting myself with the directions for the Pi Shawl, I was flipping through the book Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Almanac. This copy is special, as it was a gift from a friend. So there I was reading her stories, and something caught my eye. It was a little ditty about double knitting, and how it makes a light yet cozy blanket.


    Now, I have done some double knitting, and while it's do-able, it's not easy. But as I read her instructions, it occurred to me that she is talking about doing the whole thing with only ONE yarn strand. Every other time I've seen it, it's always with two strands of yarn. I read it, and couldn't wait to try it. I had some heavy-ish weight yarn and grabbed my size 11 bamboo circulars and set to work. And guess what? It works! I am making a small sample as she suggests, and it works!


    The resulting fabric is soft and extra cushiony just as she said! I will take photos soon, so you can see what I'm talking about. Can you blame me for being excited? I am bursting with plans to make a blanket for my favorite son-in-law, as well as a wee one for his son.

Crafting frustrations

    I am getting frustrated in my crafting. Not all of it, just the designs of the brilliant knitter, and yarn goddess Elizabeth Zimmermann. I have so far only been able to make one of her patterns, the Pi Shawl. But there was a problem.


    I can not start anything on double pointed needles. I have tried, believe me. I get going, and as soon as I start thinking "OK, I think I got this..." there is the tell tale metallic TINK sound of the back needle sliding out and hitting the floor.


   In order to make the Pi Shawls that I made, I needed to cheat. Since I couldn't do the beginning on dp's, I had to improvise. I actually knit it back and forth until it was big enough to go on a 16" circular. Then I joined it and continued working in the round.


    When it was all done, I had a short seam I had to sew up in the very center of the giant circle. No one has ever noticed it.


    I have had problems with her pattern for the Baby Surprise Jacket too. I really want to make this, but I can't decipher her instructions. I hope someday that someone translates her "pithy directions" into modern knitting jargon that I can understand.


    Now for the most frustrating project. I want, so very badly, to make her garter stitch Square Baby Blanket. I have tried twice. This time there's no problem with the instructions, I got that. The first time I attempted this pattern, I used up all the really pretty baby yarn that I had, and was only into the 2nd quarter of the blanket. For months I looked for more of the yarn. NO ONE had any. It was like it disappeared off the face of the planet. I still, to this day, have not seen any more of the yarn.


    So I decide to try again, and buy lots of the yarn I chose. I'm not gonna run out this time! And what happens, as I'm in the 2nd quarter of the blanket? Well that's when my arthritis in my shoulder decides to act up. And I have to stop knitting. Hopefully it's only temporary, but I'm not holding my breath. For some reason I am destined to not make any of E.Z.'s designs except for the Pi Shawl. Maybe I'll start another one of those... I do have enough awesome black and white lace weight yarn to make a really big shawl.