Monday 12 August 2019

Every coin Two sides.

Last night as the kids were getting ready for bed, Marcus realized that he had left his pyjama pants at home.  In the way that only a four years old's heart can be broken, his was obliterated and he was very upset, almost panicking, because everybody would see his shorts.  He cried just heartbroken because he wasn't comfortable.  He said we needed to go to the store to get some pants, right now.  In the end he wrapped himself up in Great, Great Grandpa Diederichs blanket, because he said it felt like grandpa was hugging him.

And to the morning, this self same four year old isn't getting dressed, is quite happily running about in his underwear and pyjama shirt.  He wants to go to the store that way.

Oh to be four.  

I made a decision on Friday.  I am going to try to make my stash dash goal. The blanket will wait.  It's like dishes.  No one ever does it for you, only knitting is much, much more fun.

I am still a bit uninspired by socks after a winter's worth of them so I pulled out my other small project waiting for finishing,  a project I am going to call There should be umlauts.  


The pattern is called HÜJ TÜB and that is exactly what it is, a Huge Tube.  I wanted something for winter so that when it is cold, I have something that I can pull up over my head and yet wear comfortably around my neck when it isn't.  I thought of various smoke rings and other wimple type wear, but the simplicity of this pattern suits what I wanted.  You can make one out of any yarns and that is what I needed.  

The dark yarn is RCY Adam and Eve in Ebony and the delicate mohair silk is Shibui Silk  Cloud in Caffeine.  I started with the two held together and somewhere along the way, felt strongly that I wasn't getting the best from the combination of the yarns, so I separated them and decided to make a two layer project, finishing with the layers joining at the other end.

The top overlay of the Shibui was going to be a nice little lace pattern, nothing too fancy, with good stretch characteristics like Ice Queen from Knitty.  I didn't have that sorted yet.  It is a lovely idea.  Lace overlays are so delicate and pretty.  

At the same time, I wonder why I didn't like the two together.  They are really wonderful combined.  Touching the fabric they make is like petting a newborn kitten.  



It is such a delicate haze that softens the strong colour of the Adam and Eve, like an early morning fog over fields. The more I look at this and touch it, the more I love that first bit.  If the world worked perfectly the way I wish it to, I would knit a whole sweater with these two yarns combined.  They are just that good together. I can't afford to do that sadly, but I can do a neck and head warmer.  

I wonder now, why I was not satisfied with what I started.  Looking at the tube as I knit, part of me wonders if I should go back, go simple and just knit the tube plain, out of the combination of delicious yarns.  I might.

If I was four, I am sure I would be just as excited either way.  As a grandmother, making sure Marcus is wearing pants to the store is a given and a chore.  As a knitter, thankfully I have endless choices. 


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