Lifelines....and other important lessons of life...........

I signed up for the goddess knits free anniversary mystery shawl, Clue 3 came out yesterday. It is a pi shawl.....round. Why am I attempting another shawl?....when I am still not finished...the KAL I started on ravelry for the candle flame shawl? Insanity.

I am knitting the anniversary mystery shawl,vicarously ....at this point.

I found the yarn for it, it is a laceweight merino wool I bought in 2000 from ebay. I believe it was hanspun in a beautiful natural gray color. I hope to start the gauge swatch sometime this week. Mystery shawls seem so popular, that I could not resist....the opportunity for a free pattern.

I am judiciously saving the clues....and reading the other knitters woes and successes....scanning the photos of completed progress. There are four patterns offered every saturday, you pick one. I am a non participant at this point....beyond gathering my wool and seeing what the various other knitters pattern combinations are
yielding.

The subject of lifelines has come up as the number of stitches on the needles is becoming over the 500 mark.........and if you are knitting a laceweight shawl...you might want to check out this great explanation for how to insert a lifeline, HERE.

I know when I start my shawl, I am going to use a lifeline....it makes sense. Knitters put lifelines throughout a long knitting project, it is insurance in case you make a mistake and need to frog intricate lace patterns. You can frog back to the lifeline and know exactly where you are in the pattern.

I think that a lifeline between every clue makes sense....which, got me to thinking about life in general. We all make mistakes.....living with intention is similar to knitting with intention. It is good to know, if you hit one of those places in life where you begin falling backwards...... that you know what the worst case scenario is. Can we insert lifelines into our lives, so we don't always find ourselves free falling....or is that just something we do with the shawls that we make?

I personally think this is another lesson....to be learned from knitting. Where do we insert our lifelines....and when do we remove them.....? can our lifelines work against us?

and is this why I attempt to frog UFO boyfriend and he always comes back into my life.....was he in my lifeline structure....too? Or was I his lifeline and he does not even realize it? What happens when a person you need to frog....is so intertwined within your daily life and pursuits? HOW FAR BACK DO YOU NEED TO FROG.......to finally be free of this Mistake?


.......and I have made major progress on the UFO cables and lace cardigan from 2004.


I finished the right and left front sides and I cast on the sleeves this week.

I plan on working on the sleeves all next week.........and with any luck this UFO will be finished within the next two weeks...and I can cast on the mystery shawl.

Next weekend is July 4th, I am hoping for some peaceful serenity and definite knitting time..........and YOU....what do you have planned for this holiday weekend?

Wishing you a wonderful week filled with your favorite fiber pursuits........

Smiles to YOU......
DC

The Knitting Architect, by Sion Elalouf

A complimentary version of this famous design book is available for FREE on the KnittingFever.com website, HERE.

If you ever wanted to design a sweater on your own, or better understand knitted garment construction you will find this to be a valuable resource. Click on the link above and let your imagination soar!!!

wishing you a day of fiber imaginings....and design ideas.
smiles to you,
DC

Finished OBJECT....finally!

The Silver Belle Jacket by Debbie Bliss is finito!

Yippee.....I was so worried that this would end up in the UFO heap...but success, I stuck with it and got it done.

I made several modifications to the pattern, that included a longer peplum - 4 extra repeats of the pattern, the yoke in front was made 3/4 of an inch longer and the sleeves were decreased at a slower rate, because I felt they were too wide.

The collar took forever, or at least it felt like it did. I think it helped that a fellow raveler was asking me questions along the way and we sort of finished our Silver Belle's together. I used 4 antiques black glass buttons from my stash, which I really like the look of with the yarn selected. Originally the pattern designated two.

I am really happy with the finished Belle. I can't wait to wear her come fall. The sewing up took almost two full days. It required a lot of careful stitching to match the patterns up from side to side. I realized in the process it is fun to make some projects with cables...I had not done any for awhile.

I think the most helpful thing was finding the excel spreadsheet, that kept the panel patterns organized. I made my own for the sleeves and it made the knitting much easier and checked off each row as it was completed. The project had lots of twists and turns, but, I held it together and it is finished!!!!

Beluga, the puppy helped with the Belle, by being so kind, as to steal the yarn I was using to sew up the Belle. I was intently focused on sewing keeping everything lined up, I did not see her make off with the skein of yarn.

I looked up to get more yarn...and could not find it.... Then it hit me.......BELLLLLLLLLUGA, where are you? Here is how I found her.

I think she is in her adolescence at 5 1/2 months old. She is fairly well house trained at this time...but, she is still having a hard time with the word, "NO". She has been incredibly rebellious all this week. But, she is so very cute, it is hard to get too exasperated with her antics for too long...and besides, she gives very sweet puppy kisses.

My next project is this UFO, I found, started in the Spring of 2004, a Cables and Lace Cardigan

from Vogue Knitting Magazine and I have started to rework it. It took a bit to figure out why I stopped, but after a few frogs....I got down to creating a knitting chart from the written directions...

Yes, me the person who hates to use charts. I think it is the Belle's fault.

I have been working with charts for the better part of this month...and found that it simplified the pattern. It will also help in reversing the pattern for the right front side. It took me several hours, but it has helped it go faster. My goal is at least 24 rows per day. If anyone is interested in the chart, for the small size fronts, please leave a comment with your email address and I will forward you a copy.

The back was already completed. The right side had to be frogged, it got a stain on it, and it would not come out with washing, so I frogged back to the stain and removed it. It is drying out.

I started with the left front fresh, in an attempt to figure out why I stopped this project in the middle of the right front and never finished it. I think the stitch count was wrong for the fronts size small should be 59 stitches instead of the 58 listed.

I am exhausted, it was a very long day...and I still need to finish 6 more rows on my left side, before bedtime.

Wishing you all a wonderful Tuesday....filled with a few moments for fiberings.....

Smiles to you,

DC

Nearly Had a Total and Complete Techno MELTDOWN.....

but....Mr. P called and all this techie stuff was soon forgotten...hope he is looking as good as his voice.....he could be THE ONE! In any case, it is just fun to think he might be.

So last nite at about 5pm I tried to install a chitka premium ad to my blog...I had been putting it off all week, and should have kept putting it off, because it sent my blog in to technical failure, I had two blog titles, no center header, all my font colors disappeared....and luckily or NOT, the verbage remained....

I spent most of the evening trying to figure out what happened. I am dreadful at HTML, who invented that language. Isn't it enough that I have mastered french, a fundamental understanding of spanish and am often very articulate in english?

In any case, after some more attempts this morning....I opted for a new template, new font colors and font. Forgive the color sense, I was limited in my choices by Google. At this point, I am overwhelmed with the technical aspects and decided this is the way it will stay for the moment. If you can't read it as well as the old one, please leave me comments....and I will figure out something...or find someone that CAN figure it out.

The store has been permanently frogged. I made up my mind, I do not want what is going on up at the marketplace in my life. Life is too short, to put yourself in a situation that you know going in, has significant problems. I am a bit depressed by the loss of this opportunity, but am hoping that I find another business project to pique my interests. Otherwise, it is back to work in the financial field...YUCK!

I found a handpaint yarn company for sale, but the asking price is way over reality. I am hoping that the owner will listen to reason...it is a possibility. I find myself contemplating my dreams these past few days. What is it I would like the second half of my life to be? What would you like yours to be? If you don't know you will never get there.

UFO boyfriend is still making feeble attempts for contact. I am bouncing his emails. It does not seem to be helping. In his defense, I had a terrible dream about him, having a car accident in the white alfetta, blood was everywhere. After thinking long and hard, I decided to tell him about it via email. He of course, issued a sardonic response. After the weekend, I got an email, YOU WERE RIGHT! He took his white alfetta in and all 4 wheels were extremely, loose. Of course, there was no, THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE! Just more obnoxious emails, he is shooting for negative attention. Why do people do that? You get more bees with honey....

Still trying to decide if I will go to the Italian Car Show on Sunday in Headhouse Square. I have been to it for the last three years. UFO is sure to be there with one of his cars, hence my concern. It is best to avoid, old hangouts that you went to with your ex-significant other....it just serves to make you nostalgic for the past which, is NOT WHERE your future lies. Various experts advise

The Silver Belle Jacket is humming along, near to completion. I am adding more rows to the peplum as I expected would be my desire. Originally I had contemplated 2- 4 row repeats, but have settled on 4 repeats. Both sleeves are finished and pinned together. I like how my sleeves turned out, they are the perfect length. I extended the yoke from 7" to 7 3/4" to accomodate my bustline and it worked well.

So all that remains is the cable columns that the yoke attaches to and knitting the collar and sewing it up. I will feel so much better when it is done and am sure it does not land in the UFO heap. With any luck, the knitting will be finished by the end of this weekend :-)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend....

Smiles to you,
DC