Wednesday 6 February 2008

Another day of no knitting

Do your hands ever get antsy? Mine do whenever I can't get to do the things my fingers love to do. I pretty much crawled to bed when I got home last night and selt through till 2 when I woke with a headache. I think this is my version of the flu that is going round, only like usual, I don't get sick enough to not be expected at work. I have long suspected that I am the office Typhoid Mary spreading germs but never getting sick myself. (If you ever want to read a story of an injustice, read what happened to Mary Mallon, even though she wasn't the only one who spread the disease through misunderstanding it, and how at her death in 1938, she was still confined because of it).

I woke in the middle of the night, I knitted, and worked on Annie Modesitt's mini tutorial from her blog, and yup, it works. But there is more. I figured out another little decrease thing I ended up doing oddly because of the the way I learned to knit. Her instruction to wrap your yarn in the other direction in class mystified me, and even as I worked through the tutorial, I remained unclear about 'wrap' because I don't wrap. I see the light now.

Even though I don't wrap my yarn as most people do, the yarn is coming from a definite direction. My yarn is always between the two needles before it is picked up for each stitch. I just needed to place the yarn above the working needle before picking it up to make the stitch. I did a nice long sample of tidy left leaning decreases and then I ripped back without taking a picture. But it works! (At this point I crawled back to bed. I might get up early but 2 is insane even for me.)


Monday while picking up Son1's drugs at the drug store, I found some very interesting knitting things. One thing was to be expected. I picked up a copyu of 'The Friday Night Knitting Club' . I had to. I read the last page of the book, and found myself crying, so I knew I had to have it. It seems it's going to be a movie. I'll probably cry when I go to see that (whenever that may be). So get your needles ready, people.

This drugstore also has remaindered books on occasion. I always dig through those. You can sometimes get real gems that way. My all time favourite novel, 'A Vision of Light' came to me this way. Its a wonderful story and if you are looking for a really entracing historical novel, this is it.

Amongst the very picked over remaindered pile, I found this. Luxury Knits by Amanda Griffiths. For 6.99, this is a bargain. A huge bargain. Its a very nice book. Everything in it is made from those yarns you dream of using, that for somehting very special you would consider using. These are yarns to sigh over, to fondle, to pet. Cashmere, silk, fine cottons, soft microfibres from yarn places like Rowan, Jaeger are used to make a variety of lovely things. There are projects for you home, accessories, baby things, and lovely sweaters for all seasons.

These are elegant shapes. Its all the best of today's fashion trends and shapes with the classical air of yesteryear. Knitting and wearing the things in this book will make you feel pampered, cared for, dainty. There are some interesting things with beads, and some very delicate lace touches.

This 2005 release is not a trendy book, it breaks no new ground, but what it does it does very, very well. It rates a double crochet with me.

PS: My spell checker isn't working, so if you see more than usual glaring spelling errors this is why. I'm working on it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

While I don't understand all the stitch talk, the other side of your lace is beautiful. GD ps I left a comment on yesterday's post too.

Gina said...

Glad son is home and seemingly better. And I agree with the other poster, your lace is beautiful, even if it the back of the work.