First, the lustkofen. One of two (or three, dare I suggest it). To jog your memories, they're meant to look something like this (it's some Dale of Norway pattern or other):
I have about this much of one done:
As you can see, I'm finishing up a round of X's and diamonds (actually thirteen rounds to make up the pattern), and then it's either some little triangles for style and THEN lice (the white flecks on black), or straight on to the lice. Haven't decided yet.
Traditionally, they have an insert of black felt at the chest and collar that is then embroidered with flowers or swirly patterns. Still haven't decided if I'm going overboard and putting in the felt and embroidery, but I need to make up my mind in about eight inches.
Obviously, this is being done on the fly. We'll see if I live to regret it later, but I give it a big "probably" in terms of odds.
For those of you thinking "that knitting needle looks awfully small", it is. It's a size three. Probably the same one I knit last Christmas' Shawl of Doom on. At least this year I won't have 1728 stitches crammed on the needle at once. That counts for something, doesn't it?
---
Sekhmet just leapt out of nowhere onto one of the Goob's finger puppets (the moose, I do believe) and murdered it horribly. She's now carting the carcass around in her mouth.
Fucker.
---
I've been spinning. I find it soothing, and it keeps my hands busy so I don't kill people. Mostly I've been working on a black (because my eyes NEED more black) silk/alpaca blend:
(Like the manicure? I'd claim I'm gearing up for Halloween, but really, I just like orange.) This is destined for a lace scarf/stole/starf sort of thing. With beads. It's for the husbeast's aunt, who specializes in helping laid-off people get jobs, and who called in markers and got the husbeast a job before the husbeast was even officially retired. (Okay. The husbeast really got the job, because he's qualified, more experienced than his future boss, passed all the tests, and can be a charming SOB when he wants to be. But his aunt collaborated on the resume and got him the interview.) Clearly, this is a woman who deserves a handspun, handknit scarf. Plus she wears and takes care of the last one I knit her. So there we go. Plan in action.
This was the practice round for the silk/alpaca:
For this, it's not the 'what' that's interesting, it's the 'how'. (Non-spinners, look away now.) It's Romney, which I'd never spun before (nice, if odd). It's a two-ply that I did from both ends of a center-pull ball. I managed it successfully, which is impressive. Last time I tried this, I had to cut myself loose. (Spinning and tatting... get me scissors or call the rescue squad.) I intend to spin the silk/alpaca the same way, so it's nice to get in some practice so I know I won't destroy it.
This stuff is likely going to be made into a mini Calorimetry for the Goob. If not Calorimetry, than for sure, something similar. She looks good in this color, and needs something to cover her ears this winter.
So, that's it. Knitting, spinning. The husbeast and I are both pretty stressed right now (and therefore wound pretty tight). I think my plan for the next week is to lock myself in somewhere and knit.
If someone could get the bloody network printer to work, I could also post (and hopefully sell) some hand-dyed wool and yarn. Wouldn't that be nice?
6 comments:
WOW the husbeast got a job, great news.
Does that mean you'll get your own place soon? Or at least before someone dies? I really don't visit people in prison.
Pam
Wow--that's a lot of productive stressing right there! And the alpaca is SOOOO purty!
Wow, congrats to the husbeast for finding a job, and yay for connections:)
Have you tried andean plying? It might not be any good for your hand, but there's a tool I'm sure the husbeast could duplicate and it does make 2ply from different ends of the same ball easy.
I do a variation of Andean plying that I found online called "handy plying". The wrapping is way easier to remember, but it would still probably send your hand into a tizzy. One of the things I like about it is, if I get called away for some emergency, I can pull my hand out of the loop and hang it on the front maiden of my wheel, then come back later, reinsert my hand and pick up where I left off. Of course, I don't have cats to contend with (the boy knows not to touch my wheel when there is yarn on it, for fear of losing the offending hand or other body part).
congrats to husbeast! and may i borrow auntie once my daughter passes her nursing license exam (next month, i HOPE!!!)? (or does auntie's mojo work only in ohio?) at any rate, she surely deserves a scarf or shawl.
i'm lusting after a lustkofen, but don't think arthur(itis) would be happy if i attempted one. i can do big projects on big needles, and small projects on small ones, but a big project on small needles? i'm dubious.
as for goober, now that you're back where it gets really cold, you may even want to consider a girly version of a chullo -- earflaps would be very welcome come january.
(i'm planning to knit one for dear hippie son, who just shaved his head. black, of course, though he's neither skinhead nor goth. i figure i'll just knit a standard watchcap, though without the usual double cuff, and then pick up stitches, knit on earflaps and then drive myself insane with icord -- the most tedious knitting skill i've ever encountered, though dead useful.)
A job? A real, honest-to-god job? And you didn't tell us before now. Yay, Husbeast!!!! Will you be close to, but not cohabitating with, the in-laws soon? They and the Goob deserve to live closer together for mutual spoilings.
Gorgeous yarns. Nice orange polish. I'm into all red, all the time for my nails. Drives my manicurist nuts.
verification word: euries--small denomination Euros
Post a Comment