Einbandery

I have no idea what happened to Saturday.  It just sort of melted away.  I know that I did knit on all three of my sweaters and I know that at the end of the day, I did try to get the lace pattern established on my Einband shawl.  

Well, you know how that worked out?  Not well.  I tried it and then took it all out again and thought how silly I was to try to cap off a long day with the hardest knitting of all.  It isn't really the knitting that is hard, but the counting.  Oh heavens the counting.

I picked it and only it up on Sunday morning.  I had a cup of coffee and began.  And ripped it out.

I had another cup of coffee and tried it again.  That did not go so well either.  I read the book.  I read the other version of the Dýrfinnustaðahyrna which is on page 28, not page 45, and is finished with a lovely fringe. Lots of info but nope.  It only confirmed that I was thinking right.

I went back and counted my starting rows to make sure I had the right number of stitches.  I did.  I made sure that my center detail was in the right place.  It was.  I counted again and was right on the money again.  So I very carefully started again.  

The biggest part of the problem was the yarn itself.  Einband is a sticky yarn.  It clings to itself most impressively.  It can be a bit thick and thin and sometimes, what you think is two strands, is one, and what looks to be one is two.  

I deliberately did each and every stitch, very carefully pulling the yarn through one and only one stitch, and making sure that each decrease was actually made of two stitches, watching that each and every yarn over set had a single stitch in between.  Slowly I worked along.  First side done!  Second side?  I had to do that few more times to get it right, but by 4 p.m. I was good and my pretty lace was established.  I knit two more rows of lace patterning for good measure and to soothe my soul.

It was feeling a bit battered after all that counting trouble, and I needed proof that I have got this down.  You know what my favourite thing about this shawl is?  The gentle colour changes of the Icelandic wool.  Verklempt.

Today's chores were not nearly so nice, though they were equally rewarding.

I had been waiting for another hot day since Wednesday to finish this batch of wool washing.

Four more dry bags of nice clean Border Leicester.  It will get bagged tomorrow.  May as well wait to be sure it is really good and dry before putting it away.  I haven't weighed this batch, but according to the other large batch, which weighed in at about 750 grams, I think this is a good solid 500, making my fibre outcome after washing about 1.25 kilograms or 2.7 pounds.  

But for today, this is it.  I barely have enough will left to sit on my chair tonight to write.  It was a good day, but long.  And hot.  And I look forward to a nice cool rest.