Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Finished, Frogged, Started, Frogged, Resurrected, Started, & a Flashback

So, what did you do on your day off?  That up there, that's what I did.  I finished the Green Kerchief although I may unpick the tail, rip back about the last 1 1/2 inches and redo them because I had a bit of a brain fart on one edge and it's kind of wobbly.  I didn't think it'd bother me but it does.  It's not a big deal so I still count that as finished.

I frogged the Yogi Sock like I said I would.  It wasn't floating my boat and I just didn't think I'd wear it even if I do manage to go to yoga more often.


I started another boot sock.  I know, I know, boot weather is done for the season (it damn well better be anyway) but I have it in my mind to make one with the remains of the yarns I've used for the earlier socks and want to do it NOW.  Besides I'm wearing boot socks in my tennies right now because my feet still get cold but I don't want to use foot warmers anymore because it's Spring, or it's supposed to be.


About 18 months ago I cast aside the Summer Fever Shawl for reasons I no longer remember.  (something shiny must have passed by)  I thought I'd pick it up yesterday and just take up where I left off.  I couldn't.  Oh, I had notes and a row counter but they weren't helpful.  I tried.  I knitted one row the way I thought it should be, then counted, then squinted at the pattern, back at the knitting, back at the pattern, and I was lost.  So out came the needle and I rolled the yarn back into a ball.  I might begin again.  Maybe.  Or maybe I'll tag the yarn for another less complicated pattern.


When I went down into the (endless) stash for the Summer Fever Shawl I saw the bag with the parts of the Red Marl Sweater in it that also got cast aside nearly 3 years ago.  Okay, maybe closer to 2 1/2, but a long time ago nevertheless.  When picking up the shawl was a bust I thought that even though it's pseudo-Spring I could maybe apply myself to that sweater and have it ready for the next time Winter rears its head, so I brought it upstairs and checked its status and I think I can.  (I think I can, I think I can... remember the Little Engine That Could?)  I'm about 2/3 of the way up the front and had left off where the armhole decreases start, so I did those last night watching TV and will give it some attention to see how far I can get before it's too hot to knit a bulky wool sweater.  I also have the sleeves cast on and the cuffs knitted; that's good mindless knitting for TV watching too.


And because I can't leave well enough alone I dug out the yarns and needles to knit another After the Rain shawlette.  It's such a great pattern and I've been wearing the Psychedelic one at least once a week so I need another one, one with less flashy colors to go with more stuff.  (good rationalizing, don't you think?)



I want to knit ALL the yarn.  Right now.  It's Spring, flowers poking up, birdies singing, startitis raging.  Ahhh.


Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about the coolest thing I did yesterday.  It's the flashback in the post title up there.  Durwood has a pair of ancient denim shirts that he got eons ago when he worked for Gillette selling Right Guard etc.  He loves those shirts and has worn them to shreds.  Well, at least one of the collars is in shreds so he asked if I couldn't take off the worn part and put on a piece of ribbing or something so he can still wear it.  (understand that he does not wear this out of the house)  I didn't think that ribbing was the answer even though all he was looking for was preservation not fashion so I let the problem stew up in my gray matter for a week and had a brilliant flashback.  I remembered my Great-grandma Barbara and Grandma Freida "turning" collars on men's when they got worn.  Turning means to pick out the stitches attaching the collar band to the body of the shirt (leaving the collar untouched), turning it around so that what was the
neck side becomes the underneath side and vice versa, a few pins, a little sewing, and voila! the shirt is saved.  I'd never done it but I have picked out enough stitches to go to the Moon and back, and this is not a dress shirt, not even a wear outside shirt, so what did I have to lose.  By golly, it worked.  You can see by the pale blue and the "ring around the collar" stains that even bleach won't budge how old and beloved this shirt is.  I'm glad I could save it for a few more wearings for my long-suffering and patient beloved.

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