For Bar Mitzvahs and Weddings

A lot of knitting happened this weekend.  A lot.  

I am thrilled to say by the end of the day on Friday, I was at the point where it was time to leave the sleeves behind and start work on the body of the sweater.  I had decided to do a bit of  feature just because I loved the way my two gray cones looked sitting next to each other.  Choosing a motif was difficult.  

I didn't want something with too many rows.  I didn't want anything too complex.  I just wanted a single simple motif just at the underarms.  I also did not want it repeated at the back of the sweater, so I had to decide how I was going to treat the colourwork.  Do I do it as an intarisa thing doing the loop method and knit back across or do I just end the  yarn and weave in ends.  I opted for weaving.  

 

I found a neat little Escher-esque tree design in the Alterknit Stitch Dictionary .  Originally, the plan was for three repeats, with the center rpeat being trees of the lightest gray.  Then I thought about doing a panel just a few rows deeper with a texture stitch or a three stitch cable instead of the middle motif.  I stayed with that thought for quite a while but then, once the first motif was complete, I realized that a single line of trees was perfect.  If I did more, it would lose something.  That single row also prevents the motif from ending too close to the apex of my bust.  It never works when a panel like this ends there.  So here we are, perfectly placed and well on the way.  I took this picture Sunday morning and am getting really close to the waist.  

Like I said, lots of good knitting.

I also did a lot of knitting during the race.  (F! at Imola)

I should have had this blanket started earlier in the season.  It really is just the perfect thing.  It is also a great way to end the day.  When my hands are doing the smaller gauge knitting, I can do at least an hour on the large needles.  Now that I have learned that I don't need to death grip them, it is a nice relaxing way to finish.  I want to knit another three rows of the cream and then move on to the ragg effect middle.  I can't wait to see how the denim looks!

In less knitterly but equally earth shattering news, I got my hair cut.  I was sort of joking whining as I was brushing my hair, that I could really use a haircut and would he cut it for me.  He told me earlier this summer that he felt it was outside the roommate agreement and that it was even outside the duties of a son for a mom and not to ask again.  I whined that I just couldn't deal with the mess and the knots anymore and he said boy, did he know what I meant...and then he said I will cut yours if you cut mine.  I thought he was kidding, but he went and got his stuff.  

And this happened.   

Might be a straggler there, that lone dark longer strand, but it also might just be the way the strand is combed, but beyond that, it feels wonderful and from what I can tell is at least as good as some of the cuts I have had in my life.  

He did good and I am considering renting him out for bar mitzvahs and weddings.