Monday 27 April 2009

Ocean Colour (and) Scenes

Waaay back when I went down east I spent a lot of the time I wasn't sleeping trying to score local yarn. I especially sought the Fleece Artist/Hand Maiden stuff, and managed to get my hands on some lovely silks and wools. I found a beautiful kit of silk and silk blends in colours that remind me of beaches on the ocean and I thought it would be perfect-and it's so soft. This is totally petting yarn.

Anyway it took me a while to quit petting only and get around to starting it, and when I did I decided to knit it continental so that I could use a stitch I had seen on the interweb called a Norwegian purl. Basically you don't have to throw the yarn back and forth repeatedly when doing K1 P1. I hate doing ribs and the like for that reason, so I gotta say I love whoever thought of the Norwegian purl stitch.

I couldn't get out of knitting in the round though (which I also hate), and it took some time to get the hang of the continental style. It's meant to be better for lefties, but knitting is the one thing I have always done right handed-mostly because in order to do crochet or tatting or a litany of other things left handed, one controls the tool with the left hand and thread with the right. So my natural inclination is to control the thread with my right and basically manipulate the needles with the left.

So yeah continental took getting used to, and it's harder to keep tight. I do have to say it's about 900 times more efficient. I still can't do a normal continental purl stitch though, just the Norwegian. It's totally beyond me-so back to English for most things I think. It's actually nice to switch out between the two styles, as your hands don't get as tired.

I had part of one sleeve left to do on this since like June. I knew I'd have to rip out the neck as it was too big and was procrastinating because I hate ripping and picking up. But the last time I was down at Broadview, I decided it was time to get it done. I finished the arm, ripped out the neck and decreased it by 18 stitches altogether. It worked.

Here it is after blocking (silk stretched exponentially).


So I have my oceany sweater now. It's very basic, but I like that as the yarn is showcased by it's simplicity. I didn't even realize until I looked at this picture that the pattern is like honeycomb. Hey cool.

And I won't get arrested while wearing it I see-gotta watch anything that covers my collarbones as they are sharp enough to be considered concealed weapons when I wear turtlenecks.

Right around the same time I got it done, the Hellions arrived. So here for random enjoyment, is a picture I took of hellion #2 doing his patented villain face:


He was unfortunately just pulling out of the face when I took the pic. Normally his tongue is sticking through his teeth and his eyes are crossed. Gotta say I am impressed because the kid has this look down even to the one squinty eye-very consistant. That takes dedication.

But damn that kid is a ham. No idea where he gets it from.

On a totally unrelated note, especially for Ser; this is why we need a beautiful actress to play me in Theologica: the Motion Picture.

I know you don't want to look at that.