UFO

I've been working on an afghan that I picked up at a farm auction several years ago. It is a version of Feather and Fan pattern in green striped wool. I've been looking for the authoritative version of "Feather and Fan" - this afghan is set up for 10 decreases/yarn overs in the repeat. One pattern I found had 8, another was a variation with only 6. What's the right number?

At any rate, work is progressing nicely, if slowly. I have memorized the pattern, and it is just the thing to work on sitting on the couch and watching TV - keeping my feet warm! I am using size 6 circular needles with stoppers on the ends, knitting back and forth to accomodate the many, many stitches. I have been afraid to count how many repeats - I don't want to know. I think I can knit about three rows at a stretch before my fingers start cramping and I get a knot in my shoulder. At that rate, if I work on it every day, I should be done around May.

Do you get credit in heaven for finishing someone else's UFO?

from Ode to Common Things

Pablo Neruda's poetry seems especially fitting today, it is 6 degrees below zero this morning. Here is an excerpt:

So this is the moral of my ode:
beauty is beauty
twice over
and good things are doubly
good
when you're talking about a pair of wool
socks
in the dead of winter.

taken from Odes to Common Things

See the entire poem at http://www.forks.wednet.edu/FHSMAIN/LangArts/sanchez/Ode%20to%20My%20Socks.htm

Trekking socks...continued

I could NOT find my sock stretchers. I will have to look for more... eBay? estate sales? I know where they were before I moved. But, I've opened all those boxes and I don't remember seeing them. And that was four years ago.

These socks don't exactly match. That is because after making the first one I tried it on and found out it was TOO SMALL, so I made the 2nd slightly larger. Next time I use Trekking I will make the tension slightly looser - maybe an 8/8 instead of 6/6? That may help with the dropped stitches also.

Cotton Dishcloth

First dishcloth! I used Bernat Cot'nSoft - an old, old ball that has been hanging around here for years. I see there is a pink price sticker on the label - it was marked "Clearance - $1.00" so I didn't spend a lot of money on this project!

I modified the pattern I found for the dishcloth below, halving the numbers so I could knit it on the bulky (Brother 260) I cast on 37 stitches (I eyeballed it, I counted after I was done), set the machine for tension 8 and tuck, and off I went! I used a crochet cast on and bind off.

Initially I had problems with the carriage jamming and yarn breaking. If you look closely at the photo you will see my repairs. After spraying the carriage with Machine lube, the yarn with Lori-Lynn yarn spray, and adjusting the mast tension these problems mostly disasppeared. I don't think I would use this yarn again for a dishcloth. Probably it will be much nicer on the standard gauge with a finer yarn.

Obsessive knitter

If you've not seen this short clip (THE LAST KNIT) on YouTube yet, you have to watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6ZjMWLqJvM

It captures us obsessive knitters so perfectly!

The girls at Mary Janes have started yet another exchange. This time it's knitted or crocheted dishcloths. I've been on a search for machine knit dishcloth patterns posted on the internet. I've found a few, including Dorothy Rosman's at http://www.customknitsmfg.net/home/freepatterns.html and Rachelle Moffett's at http://www.smokingneedles.com/fast_&_easy_tuck_stitch_dishcloth.htm.
I'll be trying these out soon, the deadline for the exchange is March 15.