Woe

Quelle disaster.

 

It just snapped.  I wasn't putting pressure on it.  It just snapped.  I stared at it for a few seconds longer than most people would have.  It was so unbelievable that the tool let me down.  It was inconceivable.  

I think I bought these in the 90s when I started making sweaters for myself.  So they are at least 30 years old.  Maybe more.  And old plastic does get brittle.  But I had only this one hook in this size.

Keith stopped at the giant big box in Vegreville to see what they had for replacement.  I am not a fan of hooks with a too thick shift.  My favourites are hooks that are slender and then get thicker.  I also don't like wood hooks.  No slip and I don't like things feeling as if the hook is grabby.  

  

I went with the green 6.5 mm hook and a blue 7 mm hook.   The one that broke was a 6.5 but I had wished for one just a bit larger when I started chair pads.  Next pad will be done with a 7.  The new hooks will be okay.  They feel oddly light in comparison but they are otherwise the shape I prefer.  

I knit most of the day on the Kauni sweater so today I need to get in some good time on the chair pad.  Let's see if I can run out of yarn and need a third colour.  

Knitting!

After a week and more of utter despair health wise, I am feeling a thousand times better today.  It was a much better weekend too so I am going to keep my fingers crossed that this keeps going.

I kept working on my chair pad crochet project.  

And you can see I am actively using my new progress keepers.  It really is keeping me focused forward rather than focusing on what is done and feeling it isn't enough.  Do I wish it was farther along or even finished?  Sure, but the marker is a reality check.  I did make progress and that is enough. 

As I was ready to change colours after the purple, I debated adding a third set of colours.  I would rather use up some balls completely than have a bunch more leftovers.  I really want this bin of yarn used up so I stayed with my wide browns and purples stripes.  I hope that two of each colour will be wide enough to make the size I want before I felt it.  I have a funny feeling though,  that it will be a bit shorter than I want and I will very likely need to add a third colour anyway.  

I didn't want to only work on a very workhorse type project.  I wanted something to raise my spirits.  I was searching for the Hiraeth sweater but found my Kauni sweater first.  

 

  It's stripes which are always fun and it easy on the hands knitting.  I have a couple rows of the Kauni left before I go back to the Tove garter band.  It's nice easy knitting in yarns I absolutely adore. 

The more I knit on this sweater, the happier I am with it.  I love how the colours are working out, though I admit, I took out some of the greyest blue.  There was just too much grey for the middle of the body and I am eager to get to the rich purple and green sections.  

Both of these are my work of the day, though I am also going to work on more pants.  Sewing is good.  Knitting is great and life is a lot better than last week.

Boy the photos on this page are dull.  I need to do something about that.

It seems to be the summer of inflammation for me.  Everything hurts.  Just not enjoying things at the moment.