I got caught this week in that situation where you know you’re about to run out of yarn for the project, but in the back of your mind you are convinced that if you knit just a little bit faster, you’ll somehow make it to the end with a few inches to spare. Nope! It never happens.
Usually I don’t get caught in this trap. I have two sets of patterns that I’m using for this…..two different sizes and shaping directions mashed up from about 7 total sets of instructions. This one is the largest of the two I’ve decided on, and I bought the maximum amount of yarn suggested. I then down-sized the bonnet by 1.5″ in diameter. SURELY there would be enough yarn! Sigh. And yes, the yarn store is out of that color and dyelot.
Meanwhile….
I really haven’t done all that much knitting for the last week, as Bruce and I have been working on the garden. That mostly has consisted of cleaning up the deck planters and beginning to refill them for the season. I have purchased many fewer plants this year, but I still seem to be able to fill up all of the planters and pots quite easily. I seem to over-estimate what I need every year. My goal this season was to make it easy, with a smaller range of plants, focusing mainly on the hardy petunias, a couple of coleus for color, and of course, a few herbs. It’s still too cool for the more tender herbs like basil, so those will wait until after Memorial day.
I received the most exceptional gift last week…these Sanquhar mitts knit by Lisa from my Wednesday knitting group. They were knit on a US 0 (2.0mm), and are so soft and amazing. The pattern she used had a slit rather than a thumb, but she added a thumb anyway. These are so very special, and I will really treasure them. Lisa is an incredible knitter (and spinner), who out of the blue will say that she’d like to knit this or that just because she hasn’t done it before. This is the kind of thing that results, and of late, she’s been in the mood to give things away. The both of us already have too many hats, sweaters, mittens, socks, etc., but we wouldn’t think of stopping making things. Unthinkable!
In addition to Sanquhar’s distinctive knitted gloves, the small village boasts having the oldest working postoffice in the world — established in 1712. The town also boasts the world’s oldest curling society (established in 1774).
From Wikipedia: “The wool trade had been an important one in the coastal trading towns of Dumfriesshire and Kircudbrite since medieval times and by the 18th century Sanquhar had developed as an inland market centre. The Sanquhar Wool Fair, held in July, regulated the prices for the whole south of Scotland.”
Sanquhar is on my bucket list. With so many historic buildings and a wonderful museum, it seems quite worth the trip. The local arts center there organizes tours complete with tea and scones, and knitting demonstrations. Sounds wonderful!
I’ve not made much progress on the Olive Pink shawl. Bruce and I worked from opposite ends of the ball (it was an unholy mess) for a couple of hours to straighten it out. These two perps aren’t taking credit, but when I had looked at the pile earlier in the day, this pink was a full skein that hadn’t been touched or put on the ball winder. In fact, this has been the big issue with the yarn all along.
The Alpaca Rose yarn from the Border Mill has an amazing range of colors, featuring gemstone shades like ruby and malachite. I think you can see from the photo above that the yarn catches the light and has a wonderful sheen. It’s also very soft and drapes beautifully.
That being said, as lovely as it is, I’m not sure I want to knit with it again. I find it difficult to handle, tangling easily, and quickly sliding off the needle at the drop of a hat. If you have to do any un-stitching, the alpaca fuzzes and makes little knots that catch and tangle adjacent strands of yarn. That actually is what made untangling the ball such a chore.
I’m also not perfectly sure that the rose fiber is as sustainable or eco-friendly as it is meant to be. Pulling fiber from cellulose-based plants (such as bamboo) is a chemical-intensive process. On the positive side, it is biodegradable (unlike many of the other chemically produced fibers like nylon, polyester and acrylic). On the whole, I’d like to love this yarn, but its cranky behavior is outweighing its positive factors for me.
And, with more dirt than yarn fibers under my fingernails this week, I don’t have much to report. So keep calm, avoid the news, and craft on. Knitting still is good for your mental health.