Much was accomplished during the two days we were there. Unfortunately Manny had to work the whole entire weekend (he spent his days at the kitchen table tied to his computer and on conference calls). He did manage to go out to dinner with us both nights though.
Anyway, MB and I successfully cut out all the fabric for the future duvet cover I will be sewing. This fiasco, I mean adventure, will have to get a blog post all of its own. All I will say for right now is that we had to go to the store to buy additional fabric to make up for shortages (not my fault...I blame it on the writer of the pattern).
Day 2 of our visit, MB and I took a couple old top sheets that I had and converted them into a duvet cover for my existing queens size bed. MB was awesome in that she did all the cutting and sewing while I assisted with ironing, folding, measuring and learning. As of right now I just finished off the inside seams and placed it on my bed to be used starting tonight. If fit perfectly.
The day before I headed down to Myrtle Beach, I started a new knitting project. Believe it or not it was a lace shawl. A kit my parents had given to me for Christmas the year before last. In just less than a month I am halfway through it. I will talk more about it next time. Will even have a photo for you.
What I am going to share knitting wise right now is my latest project. I started Selbu Modern on April 25th. I attempted to knit this hat last year but frogged it because I felt Fair Isle challenged. I struggled with holding both yarns at the same time and hated the result I was getting. After my sister started hers not too long ago, and after seeing Misa's most awesome fingerless mitts pattern, I told myself it was high time I got over this fear of colorwork. I mean I had done a Fair Isle project before when I first started knitting. I had no idea what the heck I was doing at all, and it was a success. So what is my big freaking problem? Apparently as I get older I seem to fear more things. Colorwork was one of those things.
So here is my hat...
I am proud of myself for getting this far with it. I am actually on row 37 of the pattern. After multiple tries of holding one yarn in each hand, and then both yarns in one hand, I have failed at holding both yarns at the same time. I have to hold one at a time. I'm really not minding it and it is progressing pretty fast for me. My only two concerns are that you can't see the pattern (I feel I needed a brighter color to go against the black) and that maybe it won't lay flat when done because even though I am holding the yarns loosely between color changes there seems to be some puckering. I almost frogged this baby a few rows ago because I was feeling like it was going to be a *Fail*, but I have decided to keep going because it is what it is.
Blocking will help out with a lot of the puckering. I never quite got the hang of two handed knitting myself so I hold both in one hand.
ReplyDeleteView this as the practice hat & it'll be awesome just because you ventured forth into a new foray. It looks fine so far. Lesson learned in color value that you won't ever repeat on a future project. :)
ReplyDeleteBlocking definitely goes a long way with colorwork. Good on you for trying something new and fearless knitting! This is definitely a learning hat. I hold my yarn in separate hands but some amazing knitters (Meg Swansen) hold both yarns in one hand. Thanks for the shout out. :))
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