Vacation!

I have some time off between jobs, so I’m doing what anyone would do: cleaning my apartment, watching movies, and knitting. It’s very enjoyable so far.

New Project: Flower Basket Shawl
I’ve wanted to knit this shawl since I first saw it in Interweave Knits in 2004. But I’m just not good at lace – I need to concentrate on it, count, knit slowly, and often read the charts out loud to myself as I go along. Not my typical style.

That’s Lunasea, Lucy, and Lemongrass, wound into balls and ready for action.

But I had these three skeins of Socks That Rock Heavyweight, intended to be some version of the Chevron Scarf, and for some reason, the Lemongrass just said “shawl!” to me. Probably partially inspired by the beautiful Rose Quartz shawl the Yarn Harlot just finished.

Anyway, I started the Flower Basket Shawl, and I did the first chart. Then I ripped. Again and again and again. The farthest I got was right past the first repeat of the pattern. Dan began talking to me, I messed up, couldn’t fix it, and ripped back. Oops.

I tried again last night, while watching an episode of The Tudors I had already seen (so no need to pay attention to the television, but offers a nice amount of background noise), and gave Dan the very direct instructions to not speak to me unless I was not knitting. If he needed to say something, he could inform me, and I would talk to him at the end of the row.

You can’t see it, but there’s a lifeline threaded just under the row currently on the needles.

Sounds weird, but it worked. Dan hadn’t seen the show, so he was mostly paying attention to that, with the occasional question (“Can you name the six wives of Henry VIII?”*), and I’d just wait till my row was finished and answer him. At the end of the night, I was two repeats in!

Look! A flower basket!

I’m so proud of myself. I even threaded life-lines in after every repeat, so if I have to rip back, it won’t be back to the beginning.

Dan’s Aran Update

I’ve finished the first front, seamed it with the three needle bind off (I love knitting seaming instead of, uhm, seaming it), and began the second. Have I mentioned how much I love knitting this sweater?

Back to my day’s routine.  The Cider House Rules and the Flower Basket Shawl are calling.

PS: You’ve seen Ravelry by now, right? It’s really cool.

*Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr.  Just ’cause I had to go look it up when I couldn’t remember Catherine Parr’s second name.