So, I’m back at Mum’s for a few days and she is home from her two week ‘adventure’. Cleo the cat was pleased to see me yesterday and even graced me with her presence on my lap twice this morning! She and Mum were very glad to see each other again today as well and Cleo is keeping a close eye on her to make sure she’s staying put!
I haven’t started my embroidery yet. I was two colours short (I did get a message that they were delivered today), but I have prepared my fabric and even put a bright red running stitch through the horizontal and vertical axes. It’s definitely going to be something I need to use my Serious Readers light for – even with my brand new glasses! I’m using exactly the same fabric as for Dad’s so they’ll look right together, and I’d forgotten just how small the weave is.
I’m playing with ideas for lace swatches again – one of my favourite types of ‘Call for Submissions’ is for a lace design. This time I’m taking a slightly different approach. I’ve gone through my favourite stitch dictionary and written down the names and page numbers of the ones that really appeal as well as the number of sts and rows per repeat. Instead of trying each stitch pattern out separately, when I cast on for my swatches I’ll pair up ones that I think will look good together and ones that have row repeats that are multiples of each other – eg one with a 24-row repeat and one with an 8-row repeat and swatch them together. One reason for this approach is to check whether the row gauge on selected stitch patterns matches (after blocking), as if I want panels of different stitch patterns they’ll need to. Another is to not only make the pattern and chart writing simpler, but make things easier for knitters too!
I mentioned having some exciting news last week. The big reveal begins on Friday, but I can tell you that I have an adult garment coming out in Knit Now on October 7th! I’m so proud of it and the way it has been styled in the photos is gorgeous. If you have the current issue of Knit Now, it’s one of the photos on the “coming next month” page near the back 🥳. (I can share photos on Social Media from October 1st – and will add a pic to this blog post then as well).
Because of knitting the above-mentioned garment (back in March/April/May) and then working on our MKAL with Yarn O’clock (Into the Vortex), my advent calendar sweater (yarn from Bear in Sheep’s Clothing, pattern Serenity by Joji Locatelli from Interpretations Volume 2 became sadly neglected. I have now returned to it and realised that I far prefer knitting sleeves two at a time, but on separate needles and that I also needles some more really short needle tips for small circumferences. With these things in hand progress is being made. The sleeves only need another 8cm or so and then it’s just the neckband, weaving in ends and blocking! I have brought it with me along with my stuff for lace swatching in the hope that I will be able to crack on and at least get the sleeves finished. You can tell it’s been ignored for a while can’t you? All those creases!
Have you been caught up in the fuel panic? I needed to get some to come here (it’s 120 miles from home) and did manage to get some on my first attempt, although the only option was the new E5 petrol, which I hadn’t had before. I’d always wondered what the E5/E10 sticker meant inside my fuel cap cover. I’m just so thankful that my car is a self-charging hybrid and doesn’t use a huge amount of petrol. I’ll still have just under half a tank by the time I get home. The staff on the forecourt at Tesco Mold were doing such a good job, cheerfully checking that everyone knew what was available and showing people into different lanes to keep the queues moving and the mini roundabout clear.
That’s all from me for today. Take care, stay safe and do more of what you love, K x