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back to normal
Posted on | January 12, 2009 | 18 Comments
Whatever that is! Last week took an unexpected turn and I spent three days at the hospital. Everyone is fine and life is slowly returning to normal.
One good thing about hanging around a hospital is that there is a lot of time for knitting.
I’ve finished the back of my Cassidy cardigan! The pattern instructs you to bind off the center back stitches; these stitches are then picked back up to knit the hood, continuing the center cable from the back up the hood. I saw no reason to bind them off, I’ll put them on waste yarn and then the cables will flow smoothly from back to hood. IF I knit the hood. I haven’t decided yet.
I finished this Thursday, but haven’t cast on for the fronts because honestly – I’m sick of knitting. Never thought those words would come out of my mouth, but I could use a break!
So I did some spinning over the weekend. Funny that I picked gray wool, since I’m knitting a gray sweater! This is fine Polwarth that I bought from the Rovings booth at SOAR and it’s the softest wool I’ve ever spun. I’m spinning it long draw and it’s spinning so fine that I’m planning a three ply yarn. It would make a fine sweater, but I doubt I’ll have the yardage.
My brain has been leaping ahead to my next sweater. I received a copy of Lisa Lloyd’s A Fine Fleece for Christmas and want to make almost everything in it!
The pattern that’s calling me most right now is the St. Patrick pullover. I have 17 balls of discountinued Queensland Kathmandu DK, which is 2,499 yards – in other words – I have a TON of this yarn – definitely enough for this sweater. It may never be cold enough in Alabama to wear it and I may be biting off more than I can chew (it’s rated “experienced”) but I think I’ll give it a whirl.
Hope everyone’s doing fine – I’m way behind on emails and blog reading and hope to catch up over the course of the week. Take care!
Comments
18 Responses to “back to normal”
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January 12th, 2009 @ 12:30 pm
LOVE the twist cardigan. I’m smiling b/c I have practically the exact same shot of the back of the cable sweater I’m working on at the top of my blog (mine is considerably less complex than yours). The St. Patrick’s day sweater looks gooorgeous.
January 12th, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
It’s good to hear everyone is well.
I spun a polwarth/silk at Rhinebeck…heaven, pure heaven. I’ve been looking through A Fine Fleece, too. I’m still dreaming.
January 12th, 2009 @ 2:06 pm
So glad to hear that all’s well.
That Kathmandu was my Xmas yarn (I have 15 balls). Teva Durham’s cabled riding jacket has been calling my name ever since I first saw it, and there’s a Raveler who’s used this yarn for it (how she got gauge I do not know). But talk about things that may be out of my league!
Plenty of things to choose from in A Fine Fleece as well….
January 12th, 2009 @ 2:23 pm
somehow i think you can handle it. looks beautiful!
January 12th, 2009 @ 2:55 pm
I’m glad to hear that you’re better. Being sick sucks, and being in the hospital is even worse.
The only reason I can think of to bind off before the hood would be that the seam would provide strength and structure, preventing sagging. But I could be wrong, having never knit anything with a hood.
I have to post pictures of my first Rovings skein. It’s beautiful, but what a pain to spin.
January 12th, 2009 @ 4:06 pm
So glad things are looking up and all is well!!
The sweater is looking great and I can’t wait to see it finished and modeled!! ALL your sweaters are FANTASTIC!!
I haven’t spun with polworth but sure have been seeing a lot of it around blogland lately!!
January 12th, 2009 @ 4:09 pm
Sorry to hear you were in the hospital – hope all is well now.
If you can do Cassidy, you can certainly do St. Patrick. Cassidy looks fantastic, by the way. I’m sure the reason Bonne Marie has you cast off the stitches at the neck is for structure – so that the neckline doesn’t pull out of shape. But don’t worry – if you find that it does stretch out, you can easily fix it with a line of single crochet on the inside. (Maybe that’s the best of both worlds anyway – you get a seamless line from not casting off and picking up, but still get the stabilization.)
The Yarn Harlot has a great tutorial on it here:
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2008/02/24/hooking_because_i_have_to.html
January 12th, 2009 @ 4:17 pm
Jeezopete, don’t scare me like that! Glad everyone is well.
Sweater looks bee-you-ti-ful.
January 12th, 2009 @ 4:21 pm
So glad you are OK. My Twist cardigan, which I can wear this week, is very different, from the old pattern, I guess. All your cable work is great. Go for it! I am knitting my first pullover for Alabama.
January 12th, 2009 @ 7:02 pm
Phew – so glad everything is ok. We were thinking of you all. Your Cassidy and your spinning look lovely – that is such a pretty hoodie pattern! But oh, that book is so tempting. I pick it up and page through it every time we are in the bookstore. You can do it, definitely. :)
January 12th, 2009 @ 7:37 pm
Your cardi looks fantastic! I like the shot, and everything. I feel a bit sick of knitting too, but still do it, but today I’ve spun at least 2 hours. Sometimes there’s nothing better as undyed fiber to spin. I’ve got that book too, but have not decided what to knit from it.
January 12th, 2009 @ 7:47 pm
I have no doubts that you can knit St. Patrick. It’s a beautiful sweater and in your colorway it’ll be awesome. You are a fearless knitter and spinner! I envy that in you. Glad everyone is okay. Knitting certainly helps take the edge off worry and stress and helps keep ones fingers busy too.
January 12th, 2009 @ 8:30 pm
Glad that everything is okay. You have some seriously rocking projects there. I LOVE Lisa Lloyd’s designs and that book is awesome!
January 13th, 2009 @ 12:52 am
Okay…what did I miss? Whatever it was, I’m glad you’re okay! ((hugs))
January 13th, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
Pish posh, you can totally do it! Wow, glad the hospital wasn’t too awful, and the sweater looks lovely. I’m surprised you didn’t have SB bring your wheel to the hospital. ;-)
January 13th, 2009 @ 8:17 pm
Glad all is well and back to normal. Cassidy looks most excellent!
January 13th, 2009 @ 9:37 pm
Glad things are back to normal. That’s great progress on the sweater. I like all the cables.
January 14th, 2009 @ 9:05 am
Nothing ventured, nothing gained! It is a beautiful sweater and will look great in that yarn.
Hope all stays (relatively?) normal – no more hospital visits!