Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Self-indulgent KAL

The yarniacs podcasters Charlene and Gayle are hosting a "self-indulgent KAl" for the beginning of this new year.
The idea is to knit something for yourself.
The first two patterns i queued in ravelry and have wanted to knit ever since (5years!) were the butterfly dress from rowan and the hanami stole.  I have had the patterns for almost as long and purchased yarn for both of these at the UK knitcamp a couple of years back.  Though i did change my mind on the yarn i was going to use for hanami.  i had some golden colored yarn in stash and since i already have a burgundy shawl i knit and a pink shawl i bought i thought that might be better than using the hot pink yarn i had originally planned.
Anyhow, what a great kick in the butt this KAL is for me to finally knit one of these.
After much hemming and hawing i decided on the butterfly dress.  But trying to rush out the door to go to work on dec 31 (i worked night shift in ER and was hoping i might have a lull to knit a few rows during the night) i realized i couldnt locate the book - i think i might have lent it out :/
So i raced around gathering yarn and needles and printing out the pattern to knit hanami instead.  I fortunately had already caked up the yarn a while back as i had been trying to knit an incredibly complex lace stole that i was very worried i might not have enough yardage for.  i should have plenty of yardage for this one though.
i CO at about 3 AM on jan 1 at which time my poor tired eyes and hands only managed to get the CO row done .  Of course my picking up the needles caused us to get a steady drizzling in of patients.  i jinxed myself :/
i realised that i didnt have any beads for the “beaded CO”…nice. i should have read the pattern but since i had been planning on butterfly dress (for which i did have beads - had purchased them with the yarn) i hadn't evn looked at the pattern.  i also managed to leave without any stitch markers but that's ok as the first 6 rows are garter st and i didnt need them yet.
anyhow, i got CO row done and that's it.
When the day team got there one of them moved my basket not realising they dropped my cake of yarn which stayed wher it fell many feet behind my colleague :/  and …well…my CO row wasnt in the best of shape after that but i managed to catch it all.
Once i got home and had a nap i got to the 3rd lace row and noticed at the very end i was one st off. looked over work and of course the one st off was … the 4th st into the row… hahaha. I decided i could not tink back to the very beginning of the row at that time so i put it away until i wasnt so worn out and was then able to get it all back on track.  Now, mid-afternoon jan 2, i'm 24 rows in to the stole.  It's going pretty well.  The lace pattern itself is easy and straight forward.  The first half of the shawl is a lace basket weave.  the second half is a lace "cherry blossom" motif comprised of random yarn-over holes that increase until the edge is covered in holes, like cherry blossoms falling off the tree and blowing in the wind.
I am so excited to finally be knitting this :D
Thanks to the yarniacs for giving me the nudge i needed :D

2 comments:

Margaret said...

Hi Rebecca,
Just wanted to post to say Happy New Year's...I am a Statesider...I've been reading your blog for, oh, perhaps a year or so and I enjoy your dry sense of humor and your honesty and sincerity. I do a lot more sewing than knitting (what am I saying?: I don't knit at all -yet - and I crochet only a wee bit); but your blog is actually my number-one encouragement to take up knitting at some point. God bless you in 2013!

Tiddy and Charlie. said...

How's the knitting going now? If ever you are in need of help at work so that you can get on with your knitting, just ask me for help. I got a First Aid badge in the Teddy Scouts, so I can handle anything that will happen :o) Tiddy x
PS As long as there's no blood involved. Teddies don't bleed, so I am not used to it and would probably faint >_<