In Due Time

Well, this is embarrassing. It took me over a year to complete this project, my Arctic Diamonds Stole. The stole I wanted to knit from the first time I saw it in Interweave Knits. The stole it took me months to find the perfect yarn for.

Why so long? For one thing, it's a lace project & because it's so long & involved, I was obsessed concerned with not messing up. I'm not good at fixing lace mistakes. I used a lifeline, but only inserted it after each pattern repeat, so if I screwed up toward the end of my repeat, I would've had to unravel 60-something rows. 60-something rows on 131 stitches? Lace??

Therefore, it was slow going. Not so slow that I needed a year to complete it, but this wasn't TV knitting, mindless knitting, even knitting I could do while letting my mind wander. This was knitting that demanded my full attention & that's why I only worked on it when I knew I could give it.

Pattern: Arctic Diamonds Stole, Interweave Knits Winter 2006
Yarn: Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere (yes, cashmere!) 2-ply, color Blackberry Fudge
Needles: US size 3, KnitPicks Options nickel-plated

The KP needles are perfectly pointed for lacework; I bought these right before the Addi lace needles became available & all the rage. I'd like to get some Addi lace needles one day, but for the price, the KP needles really get the job done. The smooth surface kept the yarn gliding along, so I had to be careful that my stitches weren't constantly falling off.

What else can I say that the pictures aren't telling you? I love this stole, absolutely love it. After wet-blocking, the cashmere bloomed & has a soft, just-visible fuzzy haze to it. It wraps around my shoulders one good time & feels like a dream.

So...that leaves 2 WIPs. They're long-term projects, too, so I'm trying to decide if I'm going to cast on something smaller.

In the meantime, I'm going to step away from the blog for the time being. I've had some professional setbacks that have been disappointing & frustrating. I need to regroup & spend some time with some good books. I don't know how much knitting I'll get done on my break; maybe none. Maybe I'll get my dream job & have some good news to tell when I get back. I certainly hope so. I'll see you sometime after the 4th of July. Til then, happy knitting, crafting & living!

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The Ten Commandments of Summer

Thanks, everyone, for the kind comments on my last post. I took my cardi on our out-of-town trip this past weekend and wore it to dinner one night. Besides the wedding, we made it to the Georgia Aquarium, but I didn't have time to make it to Knitch, which was the only downer about our trip.

This isn't a jellyfish; I can't remember what it's called

But now I'm back home and Back to Reality. Now that school is out (sigh) & the kids are home all summer (sigh), I see that I have to establish some ground rules lest they tie me up & stow me in the closet while Weedinator is at work. So I've devised the Ten Commandments for the Summer to create a sense of order around these parts. They are as follows:

1. I am your Mother, who brought you out of the Land of My Womb with much pain & gnashing of teeth. Thou shalt have no other Mother but me, even if I die & your father remarries Halle Berry (as if; that's just his dream, kids).

2. Thou shalt not build tents & shanty towns out of my good sheets & place them all over my living room & bow down to enter therein.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of Mom in vain. Therefore, you better have a darn good reason before calling my name. Example of a bad reason: I'm hungry, though I had breakfast half an hour ago. Example of a good reason: Animal Magnet hit me in the head with a mallet and I'm bleeding & feeling faint. Do you see the difference, kids??

4. Remember the Teeth Brushing Time Limit & keep it holy (I know, 2 whole minutes out of your day--I am a complete sadist.).

5. Thou shalt not kill my peace & quiet by waking up fighting.

6. Thou shalt not lie about who ate the last muffin, didn't replace the toilet paper or started the fight.

7. Thou shalt not covet thy brother's/sister's room, their Barbie doll, their Ken doll, the family dog, their video games, that cheap claire's jewelry that is surely turning your neck & ears green even as I type this, or anything else that belongs to thy brother/sister.

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy 3 year-old brother for anything because he is yet too young to adequately defend himself.

9. Thou shalt take a bath using a washcloth & soap every day (yes, every day!), lest the filth & funk overwhelm all those around you.

10. Honor thy father & thy mother all the days of their lives because we brought you in this world & we can surely take you out.

It's going to be an interesting summer.

Beluga Whale, Georgia Aquarium

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