There Comes A Time

In every project, but especially in mindless projects like scarves, when I just can't stand them.

It's the reason I always swear after I finish a scarf, that I am never going to knit another one. Last week the lacy mohair cowl (Whats a cowl but a scarf sewn into a circle?) reached that point.

I started on skein 5, and OH, the dreariness of it. The Yarn is OK—its soft, but not too soft, not to scratchy (even the softest mohair can be a little scratchy some time)  but its really nothing very special. Same goes for the colors. I like peach, and green and purple--but I am not a big fan of very light pastels. I like bright, clear colors best. Skeins and skeins of washed out pastels?  Not so much.

Even the pattern is boring at this point.

OK there are some details I like. I like the edge—Nancy--a newish knitter (who just competed her first ever hat (knit in the round) yesterday) was wow'd by the edge. So look here and see –a double chain –almost a triple chain—One chain stitch on front, one on back and a third where the two meet.(that last one is a pseudo chain.)

So finally I finished skein 5, (it's only taken a week!) and much as I would like to say its done but for the finishing—It's not. It still needs an inch or two. So the partial skein is going into finishing up the last bit of knitting. I am not sure exactly how many more inches—but 8 rows should do it (or in the worst case 16 rows) I want to graft the last row to the first—and I want the diagonal lace patterns to match up. I'll still have two full skeins left--I am not going to continue and make this a long scarf--but I still have no idea what to do with the remaining skeins of yarn. Something will suggest it self, eventually. 

The seam will be slightly visible—I cast on (plain knit) using a provisional cast on. The pattern is 1 row pattern work, 1 row plain knitting. I will end after a pattern row, and graft the live stitches to the provisional ones. I will not try to end with a plain row, and to graft in pattern.  

Once its long enough,  I will  graft a pattern row to the provisional edge. The graft will be an extra row of plain knitting. NOT as noticeable as a seam, but still not quite invisible.

I have been working a bit on my secret socks, too... an inch or two done—not much at all.

I went to visit B again on Friday—and that is mentally exhausting—but he is doing well—and there is visible progresses every time I see him—so there is that. But personality quirks that are interesting get old quickly when some one is ill.  He can be so annoying--But I am really happy to see him making real progress. 

Then on Saturday, I took a power hose and shovel to the kitchen—cleaned and re-organized. Well, still re-organizing. There are things that tend to collect (plastic containers) that eventually overwhelm—and a bunch got thrown out. My old toaster over that was intermittently working? It got trashed too. (Its about 20 years old—it was time) The new replacement convection toaster over has more bells and whistles—and a bigger foot print too. Not a good thing in a small kitchen. So I had to decide (again and again) what else gets to live on the counter-top—now that there is a huge chunk less of it. What do I need handy and conveniently on the lower shelves, and what get bumped up to the second or third shelf of the cabinet? What do I keep and what do I get rid of? Culling un needed stuff is the biggest chore for me!

Eating habits have changed, too. Rice has been replaced by quinoa, simple pasta with high protean pasta. Less baking (bread and quick breads, means maybe the flour shouldn't be front and center on the shelf—and maybe some of the new spices in my diet (turmeric, for one) do need to be front and center.

I also made a half hearted start at sewing—there is another thing that kept me from knitting. And in cleaning up and reorganizing, I found a lovely little single skein of long color change yarn. This,  too will become a cowl—no--not a cowl –a neck ring--(50 g is just about enough!)--It's a pastel too—Lilac and lavender, and pink and lime green—but mostly purple—and I like purple.

I have been itching to dye some wools, too--sock yarns mostly.  But then, I always want to dye yarn when I am at rut in my knitting.   Something with some bright blues, and hot pink and teal green—and maybe something with some red—Mostly red, with some bits of coral or orange and a splash of yellow—a really hot wild color way.

And lastly—some eye candy. A half dozen long stemmed red roses. Aren't they just the most beautiful thing?

(I usually post small size photos--but this time, I made an exception!)  They are just beginning to open and the fragrance is a wonder spring tonic.