Last week was one of those weeks that would have been a bit challenging even if my husband hadn't been traveling. Nothing major happened, just a series of kid-related Stuff that underscored how important it is to be able to bounce these things around with the other parent. My husband was at one of the conferences that is flat-out the entire time, so I spoke to him around 8 am my time (he was two hours behind) and then that was it--he often didn't even get to check and reply to any emails until late at night. Somewhere in the middle there I started up with symptoms of a gluten reaction, although I can't figure out where or how I poisoned myself, and I know now that that was affecting my emotional equilibrium as well. (Me talking to myself: "Why do I feel so shaky, parent-wise? I'm usually not this shaky. Why am I having trouble breathing?")
This is all to say that not coincidentally, when I sit down to work on my daughter's cardigan this evening, happily watching a football game to which I have no emotional attachment, I'll be ready to begin the picot cast-off.
It looks sort of like a drawn-up mess right now, doesn't it? The edging is knit in an interesting way--this is all one long piece of yarn (especially since the Bendigo balls are so darn huge). You start with a provisional cast-on, and when you finish the body, you just start picking up stitches right up the opening, knit across the provisional cast-on at the neck, pick up stitches down the other side of the opening, and knit back across the bottom. Then you do the edging in one continuous piece.
It's clever, and it minimizes ends to work in (although I think I'm going to need to start the other ginormous ball of yarn during the picot cast-off), but I'm reserving final judgment until I'm done. Sometimes, when I pick up stitches for the edge of a cardigan, I do a row or two and realize I'm not quite happy with it, so I undo it and start again. I can't tell if I'm happy with this or not, since it looks like a drawstring pouch at the moment, and if I have to undo the bazillion stitches that go around this thing, I'm going to be mighty cranky.
At any rate, given my limited knitting time, I think working my way down the body in a week isn't too bad. (The sleeves will fly; stockinette in the round always does.) This is the absolute only project I have going at the moment, although I have fabric spread out on my craft table in a hopeful manner, waiting for a weekend day when we are not flat-out with kid/house/errand/yard stuff. The fabric is hopeful, but sort of in a wistful way...
6 comments:
I tried to comment earlier, but it wouldn't let me. Just one more way September is kicking my butt. Like it always does. Oh well. Hugs. Hope he's home soon!
wow you've got heaps done, even with a week that was full of challenges! Truly can't wait to see this done!
I was worried about the way it would be after picking up the stitches too - I'm historically very bad at it. But it turned out quite ok. Hope yours does too!
I hope by now you're feeling better. I did a sweater (for a grown up) that picked up stitches all the way around for the finishing and it seemed to take forever. I was afraid, like you, that I would have to pull out about a billion stitches but fortunately, it all worked out in the end.
I like the color G chose. A young woman after my own heart.
Such a great colour! (I think I said that last time, but it is still true!) I hope it works out, I am sure it will. And then the fabric won't need to be wistful any more!
Such a warm colour you've chosen for the cradie, just lovely.
Life is just like knitting, cast on, lose a few stiches, and then pick them up here and there, cast off.
Hope you're feeling better - parenting is the hardest job of all!
Cheers,
Cindy
I hope everything is better now! And I love it when patterns tell you to pick up the edging all the way round, it looks much smoother and neater when it's finished. Can't wait to see the finished object
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