Just a little bit of knitting Part Duex

This title could become my running theme.  In fact, now that I think of it, wouldn't that be a great blog title?

I did some knitting yesterday, but not on the little shawl.  I did manage to get in some sock knitting yesterday.  There was doctoring to do, so as I waited, I knit on what was in my bag.  That ended up being enough for one day.  Here is hoping my hand heels soon.

I did try working on Granita. As I said yesterday, I was just up to the lace.  The first row went perfectly fine.  It is just a little lace, and it is a pretty simple lace with only a few rows and a very simple repeat.  Easy Peasy?

Not so much.  Somehow my vastly overrated (by me) pattern reading skills struck again.  This little puppy is a patterning on both the knit and purl sides lace patterning.  Peasy my patootie.  

I am very sure I will learn it, and am very sure that I will come to enjoy it, but it does mean I have to change my knitting style.  I have adapted my continental combination style so that I can knit my way no matter what I am doing.  In effect I translate patterns from the general knitting language to my knitting language as I go.  I know what stitches have to do to perfectly match the pattern.  I know what I have to do when a pattern says knit 2 together.  It translates to ssk in my knitting language.  

But not this. I don't speak this two sided language yet. I just have not done purl side decreases in lace using my style of knitting and pattern reading.  When you get right down to it, the only patterning on both sides pattern I have ever worked on was that lovely little Watershed design from Amy Swenson.  

It took me a while to sort that out and it took forever to fix and error a few rows below in the lace.  But I eventually got it. (I ended up frogging this, sadly.  I had to adapt the top for size and it made it sit oddly.  I don't have enough yarn for the adaptation I want to make it a comfortable vest, so, frogged.  It was a lovely thing though, and it does look wonderful on the dress form.  Sigh)

I know I will get used to this relatively simple little lace.  I do want to be able to climb inside it and come to understand it and do it without even thinking too much about it as I have with other knitting challenges. I want to make some Shetland shawls someday soon and some of that traditions patterns are very complex, long by row, long by repeat, and long by technical challenges.  This is going to be a fine project to practice two sided patterning on.  

Still, these first few rows are standing there, staring me in the face.  The last row is tinked back, and I am ready for it, knitting just a little differently so I don't have to translate anything.  But very soon, I will understand it in both the knitting languages.  

But only for the lace rows.  I'm going to knit my way for all the stockinette sections.  It's just plain faster and easier.  

So Granita.  A simple little thing, a good choice if you are bored easily.  Just enough bite to push your skills.  Small enough bite that it won't make you want to run home to mamma.  

I hope.