Plodding Along

Gypsy Girl shawl in progress

That heading sounds as if this were tedious or boring, which it is not. But it is painstaking, especially as the arrangement of the motifs in the center section keeps changing. And I am trying to "read" the knitting carefully as I go, because at the width I've reached I don't even want to think about ripping back. So it takes a lot of concentration. Which means I have to be in the right mood, and have a clear block of time with no possibility of interruption before I pick it up. Question to self: can I have it done by June 1?

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The latest issue of "Creative Knitting magazine arrived the other day. It's probably unsophisticated to admit this, but I kind of like the publication. It seems to be aimed at beginning to intermediate knitters with the intention of bringing them along in their skills/techniques, and I think it does a pretty good job of this.

There are always lots of projects that I wouldn't dream of knitting (though I have to say this often holds true for "Knitter's" and IK as well). But this month's cover sweater ain't bad.

And I fairly often come across a stitch pattern or detail that gives me ideas.

The photos don't qualify as "eye candy", but they usually give you a very clear idea of the garment construction.

There are always good schematics. Though I do wish they would chart their lace patterns more often.

There is generally an article introducing the basics of a technique (this month it's Kitchner Stitch)

One feature that I wish the "big guns" would copy: The last page of each issue is made up of thumbnail photos of all the projects in the issue, keyed with page numbers. Boy, does this make looking for something in back issues easy.

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I still haven't decided what to do with my ball of nice grey alpaca from the Argyle Fiber Mill. Maybe a hat? Maybe with a lace pattern on the crown? I stopped by the Mill yesterday, and they have expanded the color range on the alpaca to include a very pretty cream, camel, brown range. Tempting.

Bits and Bobs

There was no school last Friday, so Mr. S. and I went to Madison: Trader Joe's, bookstores, a music store for a new harmonica for himself, gelato at a new place just off State Street. Bright lights, big city. One stop was at the Hospice thrift store on the West side, where I found this:

It's for making hairpin lace, something I've never done. Another experiment in the offing.

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At one of the bookstores I bought this:

And consequently I spent all of Sunday afternoon and Monday reading. I liked the first half best: the neolithic period, Crete, Bronze age Europe, Sumeria. There are some perfectly wonderful images. These periods fascinate me.

I was particularly taken with this one, in part because I immediately recognized her, though I had never seen this particular artifact before.

I knew her from these:

They are 19th-20th Century embroideries from Eastern Europe that appeared in an article in "Threads" magazine in 1987. It amazes me how the image has persisted through time and enormous changes of culture.

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I spent most of yesterday with Gypsy Girl. Here's how the center pattern is developing:

At least as much time went into charting as actual knitting (partly because the charting involved some erasing and re-doing). I'm reaching the point (in charting) where I need to start thinking about how I'm going to finish off the top.

Whatever Happened to Gypsy Girl?

"...'The very first time I saw that admirable woman, Johnson,' said Mr Crummles, drawing a little nearer, and speaking in the tone of confidential friendship, 'she stood upon her head on the butt-end of a spear, surrounded with blazing fireworks.'
'You astonish me!' said Nicholas.
'She astonished me!' returned Mr Crummles, with a very serious countenance. 'Such grace, coupled with such dignity! I adored her from that moment.' "
- Charles Dickens "Nicholas Nickleby"

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Gypsy Girl had been set aside for a time, while I attended to other matters. Now I've picked her up again and she is growing slowly (more and more slowly as the rows get longer).




Such grace coupled with such dignity.

The Gypsy Rover came over the hill
And down to the valley so shady.
He whistled and he sang
'Til the green woods rang,
And he won the heart of a lady.

That song runs through my head every time I pick up the the fuchsia lace, and so, of course, the name of the shawl will be Gypsy Girl. It's going very smoothly and pleasantly, albeit slowly, so far. I have some ideas in my head about where it is headed, and I'm charting as I go - staying about 10 rows ahead on the chart.




Of course, those rows keep getting wider. Would an intelligent knitter put in a lifeline about now?

New (to me) Trick. When I need a provisional cast on I usually crochet a chain with waste yarn, then pick up stitches through the bumps at the back of the chain. I've always found the picking up part a bit of a pain. So I was pleased to find directions, at the back of Victorian Lace Today, for working the chain directly onto the needle. I think I have seen this described somewhere as a Japanese cast on. At any rate, I had never done it before.



It starts with a slip knot on a crochet hook.



The working yarn goes in back of the needle.



Crochet hook goes over the needle and catches working yarn.



Pull yarn through the loop that is on the crochet hook.



Bring the working yarn under the needle tip to the back and repeat.
Keep going until you have one less stitch than desired total on the needle. Slip the loop on the crochet hook onto the needle.

Drop the waste yarn, pick up the working yarn and start knitting. When you want those provisional stitches, unzip the waste yarn like a regular crochet chain.

Of course, this can also work as a non-provisional cast on (say you want a cast on to perfectly match a bound off edge). Just start from the beginning with your working yarn.

A Fine Yarn

Very, very fine.




How could I resist a product description that said
"It uses new technological skill. The yarn will not take any dust."? This is 100% wool. I have no idea what the new technological skill might be. It is very soft and smoothly, evenly twisted. It reminds me a bit of Lacy Lamb, but finer. I got 35-36 Wraps per Inch. Swatching with a single strand gave me pretty results. AND IT ABOUT DROVE ME CRAZY. I don't think I'm ready for gossamer yet.

So I started over using two strands, and it is much more pleasant knitting. I can see what I am doing. I can get a grip on the yarn. The stitches don't drift up in a way that fools me into knitting into the stitch below. Thinking ahead to wearing the finished object, I also like the bit heavier drape.





So, do I want something that will fit through a wedding ring? Or do I want something that I can enjoy knitting and finish in the foreseeable future? This time around, I'm opting for the latter.

Edited to add: Elizabeth has just declared this National Blog De-Lurking Week. So if you're reading this, give me a shout out.