Monday, October 20, 2008

The shawl is finished . . . almost

I completed the 236 rows of Dorothy Siemen's Flirty Ruffle shawl but am now struggling. I'm applying a border that was originally an Elizabeth Zimmerman edging: it stated to cast on invisibly so as to create an elastic edge on the lace . . . but the edge is stretched out of shape. For once in my life, I am probably knitting too loosely. Heigh ho! It's off to Wild Purls I go!

My friend and co-knitter Jan asked me what was in my queue: she loaned me a sweater pattern, and it's going to be close to see who gets it started first. Then I have another friend, etc., who wants to do My Constant Companion with me. Decisions, decisions (so many projects, so little time: I work full-time in addition to tutoring in addition to college classes in addition to an reading internship. Knitting does tend to keep me sane--or at least, less insane.)

By the way, the emergency room (see September post) was $471--for a bandaid and a tetanus shot. Irritation is a mild word for what I felt when I saw the bill. No nurse will ever demand that I immediately drive 26 miles to town at 10:00 for a knitting needle puncture again: I will get my tetanus shot elsewhere and on my time.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

I'm on the seventh chart of that Flirty Ruffled Shawl of Dorothy Siemens--and my nephew, Jared, is getting married in two more days. I've going slow on this project because the Icelandic wool affects my sinuses (last spring I went to the doctor before I realized it was the yarn) but it's time to put the pedal to the metal. I'm pretty sure that there will be no ruffle (not enough yarn and not enough time) but maybe a picot edge?