I'm certain I fell behind with blogging as soon as summer started. And there is likely little hope that I'll catch up. But that's okay because that's what summer is about--being terribly busy doing not much of anything, right? I will try, however, to do a little recap soon as I have some special things to document--visits from friends and family, lots of new recipes, the boys' many adventures, and, of course, my new love affair with knitting.
To my sewing peeps: fear not, sewing is still number one for me. But knitting is now a solid second. It moved up in the rankings ever since I entered the realm of auto-knitting. This means I can knit as I sit in front of the tv, at lessons, wherever, really. And I like that I'm not anti-social as I do it. I can carry on a conversation, I can watch the boys at their practices...it's such a lovely, portable craft. It is, quite frankly, a dream for this multi-tasker who cannot stand to just sit.
I mentioned that I cast on my first lace project--the branching out scarf. Well, I'm very happy to report that I actually finished it! And...this is the shocking part...I really, really like it. And...this would be the milestone part...I think I'll actually wear it. I was on the fence a few times whether to bother ripping out a few mistakes. But in the end, I'm glad I did because not only did I fix my mistakes, the process taught me so much. Such as the world will not end if you need to rip out lace, as long as you go steady and slow enough to catch the stitches. It also taught me to never, ever, rip out lace with three young boys in the room.
Here it is fresh off the needles, unblocked.
If you don't knit, I've probably already lost you. But in case you're still here, here is a shot of part of the wet blocking. I was very intrigued about the claims of blocking--"it can magically smooth out your piece" I constantly read. The process is very simple: you wet your item then stretch or otherwise shape it as desired.
I soaked my scarf, squeezed out the water by rolling it in a towel, then laid it out on our guest bed, straightening and pinning it every few inches to flatten it.
After it dried completely, I was indeed impressed how blocking flattened all of my stitches, making everything look much more uniform. I am officially a blocking enthusiast.
Here it is on. With a t-shirt. Because the temperatures this summer have been horrible...hot as blazes, nonstop. Can't wait for the right weather to actually wear it.
Next up is my first go at using double point needles to knit fingerless gloves. And I just got my yarn for Shalom. Oh, and some super secret knitting is in the works. Let's see if I can keep the momentum going...
Sandra