All last week we were bombarded by weather notices from all sources warning of a snow storm coming early Friday morning. Well, it started at 2:00 a.m. so I guess that counts as really early. We had tickets with my friend Barb Tinsler to see Beautiful in Toledo, so we were a little nervous it might come early. We got out of the Stranahan at about 10:00 and there was nothing. We safely arrived home and awoke to this. Oh, by the way, Beautiful was beautiful. If you haven't seen it and you're of a certain age, see it. It is a huge step back into your adolescence. A night of nostalgia. There was a steady snow all day Friday but that was ok because we had made an emergency trip to the grocery and had plenty of food. Thanks to the Stash Studio, I had plenty of yarn. I started the amazing Chrystal Falls during the brief time I was at the Coastal Condo. For comfort after Mom's illness, I left Crystal Falls and finished 10 Stitch Zigzag Afghan. I decided it would be Crystal Falls while being house bound. I love this picture and the Kauni it's made from. You would think I would be a happy girl. The cast-on was a 415 stitch I-cord cast-on, tedious to say the least. It took forever. Once the cast-on was finished, I decided it would be all down hill from there. There is something mind-numbing about a 415 stitch row. See that part of the scarf that looks like little dashes? The scarf is totally mosaic or slip stitch. I usually love that but the 36 rows were done with slipping four stitches. It is so time consuming to make sure you haven't made your carry yarn too tight or too loose. I think I got 6 rows done and asked the questions, "Are you having fun? Is this bring you joy? Does this feel like 'want to' knitting?" The answer to all of those questions was "NO" so I slipped back into My Year Of Selfish Knitting mode and said ENOUGH! Luckily while Kathy and I were here together during Mom's hospital stay, I received Vogue Knitting. It wasn't a pattern from the magazine (more on that in a future blog) but an advertisement that caught my eye. This is Euphoric which can be found in the Universal Yarn ebook called Happy Sock Shawls. I immediately fell in love with it and ordered this exact Wisdom Yarns Pix in Techno. I decided this was what I wanted to knit. The problem was I had neglected to order black sock yarn. This problem called for a trip to the Stash Studio where I found Ultra Alpaca Lite in black. IT WAS PERFECT! The alpaca made it have a little plumpness which looks great. It is an 18 row pattern with some fun twists. I tried three bind-off/cast-on combinations for where you see the little holes until I found one I thought was perfect. The Cable Cast-on left a little hole I didn't like. The Loop Cast-on didn't always look the same. But the Knitted Cast-on was just right! (I can hear the three bears in my head.) I have three complete patterns done and I must say, I really love this scarf. The Pix raises my spirits just looking at it and then when the colors change it makes me smile. I think this was just what I was looking for. It has finally stopped snowing but the snow hasn't receded. It is still there and still plentiful. But I did have an enjoyable weekend of reading, drinking coffee, drinking wine, trying new recipes and of course knitting. I am so glad My Year Of Selfish Knitting intervened. Frustration turned into excitement thanks to a change in project. If you live in a place where snow some times shuts things down, you know the peaceful enjoyment of knitting while house bound. If you don't, I would suggest you close your blinds, put on the coffee pot, uncork a bottle of wine and bring out the knitting. Picture in your mind there is 12 inches of snow outside then pretend you are snow bound. It is one of the most relaxing days you will ever experience.
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jan parsonThis blog is dedicated to Mary Helen Growt my first knitting teacher and the woman who changed my life. The mission of Knitting: A Love Story is to preserve, share and promote the love of knitting. Archives
April 2021
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