More adjectives

 Now that I have turned the corner on Celtic Sage, worked through all (I hope!) the design issues, and started the main guts of the design, I have been zipping along at record lace speed. 

I have completed nearly six inches in the past week or two.  That is more than I think I completed in the past year.  I have rekindled my love for this shawl. 

I am enchanted, mesmerized, intrigued, inspired, motivated, enraptured, exhilarated,  fascinated,  and  enthralled.  Really, I am all that, and mostly obsessed. 

I am also starting to worry about if I have enough yarn, because that is what knitters do.  If things are going well with a project, then you start worrying about yarn, because I have to have something to worry about.  I started with a massive ball of yarn.  That is not an understatement.  I am talking about a ball of yarn some 8 inches in diameter.  The yarn is part mohair, so I was shocked as I kept rolling and rolling this ball, how monstrous it grew.  Ultra-light, and loosely balled, it was huge!  I am nearing the end of that ball.   I have two more bunches of yarn, waiting to be balled. 

By my calculations, the entire shawl should be six feet in length.  So if this ball makes it to two feet of shawl, I should be ok. 

If we trust my math. 

Math and I have a love-hate relationship when it comes to knitting.


Today, it is all about the mathematical optimism.      

Second Re-Working.

I have three out of four Christmas Teacher mitts finished right now.  Before Thanksgiving. I can't believe how far ahead I am for Christmas knitting!

As a bit of a celebration (or revolt, I try not to self-examine such things too closely) I worked on a lacey shawl for myself. Celtic Sage, which I haven't touched in quite a while. I was nearing the point that I had already designated as the starting point for the central motif. And quickly realized that I was on track to have a four foot shawl.



So I went back to the drawing board, or at least the pattern.  I counted.  I tweaked. I counted.  I added.   And I counted again.  I think I have the design figured out.

And I started the central motif.

Today, it is all about the reworking as you go.

What a Difference Three Hours Makes

I haven't had a chance to blog, but I have barely had time to knit either. A row here, a row there, nothing to blog about. I was able to finish Mandy's blanket, presented with pride a few days before the baby is born.

 

I was pleased with the crochet border, and even added an additional double crochet row, since I had a couple days before the planned gifting. 

In the weeks after, I found myself not knitting.  I was busy with life.  Work, kids, house, stress, etc.  These are the things that usually drive me to knitting, but I just wasn't sure what to knit.  I knew what I SHOULD be knitting: mitts for the teachers' Christmas present, my sweeties hunting mitts and a few other things that had been in progress for close to forever.  I knew what I was tempted to knit, new and exciting things for myself, but then I felt guilt for the older and only unexciting because of their age things.  So I just didn't pick up the needles.  I would pack them in my bag, and carry them around the house, but without actually knitting.  No knitting meant no need to blog about knitting.

I finally broke through my knitting ennui last Friday, but finding something more boring.  I had continuing education for three hours.  I needed some non-complicated knitting that would occupy my hands and keep me awake for three hours.  I  started with a few lines completed, and made it all the way to finishing thumb increases.  A re-joining after casting off the thumb and a dozen or so ribbed rows later, and I was casting off this morning.  And casting off the second.  I guess if I even wanted to know how long it took to knit one mitt, the answer is four to five hours.  I estimate that I have to finish one mitt every two weeks in October and November, and now I find myself well ahead of my deadline. 

Today, it is all about the break, but not a break up. 

3-2-1

Mandy starts her maternity leave on Friday. I thought that I had a few more weeks, but the powers that be have been running her ragged, so she is starting earlier than anticipated. 

That means the blanket needs to be finished within 60 hours. I have started purple, so this is not a completely unreasonable goal. But it does require focus, dedication and perseverance. 

Today, it is all about the end of the rainbow. 

While binge-watching

PBS had a Downton Abbey marathon this holiday weekend. Three days, all six seasons. I assume, at least. I didn't notice until Sunday afternoon, during Season 4.

It was a busy weekend, but by this afternoon, I could finally enjoy the marathon for season six. I knit during the show, and did my work reading during the lengthy PBS pleas for support. I brought home a stack of papers four inches high, and I got through 3/4 of the stack. Not bad.

And now, I am about 1/3 through blue. Mandy is starting to talk about stopping work earlier than planned. I may only have a week or two to finish those last two colors.

Today, it is all about a ticking calendar.

2 and 34

Just when I was starting to feel confident about my deadline, Mandy mentioned she was 34 weeks along. 34 weeks? That means I only have six more weeks, AT BEST. Two wedges in six weeks. Green took exactly two weeks, so in theory, I am good. But I am not certain anyone told the baby. I will have to be very monogamous if I am going to get this thing done in time. 

Considering I am still on row one of my latest symptom of startitis, it doesn't sound like too much of a hardship. 

Today, it is all about hoping a baby can read a calendar. 

Fourth time was the charm

Last week, while I was waiting on court, I cast on something new. (Yes, I probably do have a problem, which can be discussed in a later post.) Long-tail cast on, 166 stitches, shouldn't be too difficult, right? Famous last words. 

I ran out of tail at about 145 stitches. Yank out, pull out more tail. Take 2. 

I forget what the problem was with Take 2, except that I am pretty sure my tail was plenty long, and it was unrelated to the tail. 

Take 3. I ran out of tail at 120 stitches. Bloody hell! How did my tail get shorter? I started in exactly the same spot? Yank. By this time, my obvious distress and swearing at my knitting was leading to chuckles in the hallway. "You do this for relaxation, right?"

Take 4, I was finally about to successfully cast on 166 stitches. I recounted, and was able start Row 1. Only took a week. 

Today, it is all about the correlation between swearing and relaxation.