Saturday afternoon, my dad and I had lunch in the restaurant at the Ashworth Hotel on Hampton Beach. I can’t tell you anything about the hotel, as I’ve never stayed there, but the restaurant is wonderful. The food is superb (try the Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo - heavenly!) and the windows look right out on the sea, not 20 yards away.
Saturday, the sea was the exact color of the poncho-in-progress.
On the way home, we wound up stopping to pick up a couple of things and I wandered over to the craft section, remembering the thought about using other colors in the poncho, to see what was available. I had imagined a deep pink or maybe magenta and possibly a purple or violet - contrasting colors, but reasonably harmonious :) Well, there wasn’t anything in the way of either pinks or violets - in fact, the yarn section was a bit bare overall.
But there were a couple of colors that caught my eye and I stood and stared at them for a while. One was the color of the sea on a gray, overcast day (Windsor) and the other the color of the Caribbean sea on a sunny day (Waterfall). And I thought of the way the ocean had looked while we were eating…
Left: Modern
Middle: Windsor
Right: Waterfall
The poncho now has a name - The Sea Blues :)
When I got home, I attached the Windsor and worked in 2 x 2 ribbing for about 2.5” and then began the increases. I’ve been working the cowl around on 96 stitches, so I placed markers every 24 stitches and used two markers side-by-side to indicate the beginning of the round. Increase in the stitch before and the stitch after the marker every other round.
It quickly became apparent to me that I was going to have a problem when I put my work down, remembering whether i was on an increase row or a knit-straight-through row. After thinking about it for a while, I came up with a plan (echoes in my head of Kevin Bacon in the original “Tremors” movie: “I gotta goddamn plan!”). Before putting the work down, work to a marker (any marker). If it’s an increase row, work the increase just past the marker - two stitches on the needle. If it’s a knit-straight-through row, work to the marker and then work another four stitches. Now, when I pick up my knitting, I look to see how many stitches are worked past the last marker and that tells me which row I’m working.
Now all I have to do is remember…LOL! Some days my forgettery is a lot better than my memory so we’ll just have to wait and see how it all works out.
As you can see, I’m getting a lot of stitches on this needle and am going to have to transfer to a longer one pretty soon. I’ve got my ebonies out and ready. All I have to do is carefully (don’t want to get the wooden needles wet) soak the connecting cord in hot water to straighten it out as it’s rather curly at the moment :)
This morning, I got to thinking about that whole container/bowl/jar thing again. I don’t know where the thought came from because I was trying to read (a novel that has squat to do with knitting), but it wouldn’t go away. Down went the book. Out came the needles and scrap yarn.
Cast on 10 stitches, knit 20 rows, pick up around the edges and work the resulting 40 stitches around for a while :) Bind off and edge as desired. This is shallow because I was just playing with the method. The votive is there to give you an idea of the size - or lack of it :) Please don’t burn anything in a knitted container!
Thanks to the good offices of a steam humidifier and the soothing inclinations of chamomile tea, Myria has finally been able to get some constructive rest and is doing better. As she never gets sick, this episode has been most trying for her. Things seem to be looking up - at last!
I didn’t work on the sweater at all this weekend (hanging head) but I’m planning on getting on with it this week. I should be able to finish the front in an afternoon and get the back started before long. I will, as usual, keep you posted :)
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Oh your sea blues look gorgeous! How does this yarn knit up? I’ve always wanted to try it but haven’t found a reason yet or a pattern that I would like. Very nice, its very soft, isn’t it?
Hi Maus :) I like this yarn. I know others have had problems with it, but I never have. Yes, it is very soft. I generally work it with size 10 needles and it works up nicely into a beautifully textured fabric. I don’t really think it would work for something with a complex pattern stitch, but for garter or stockinette, it’s very nice.
I live the “votive holder.” It might be cute to make it a little bigger, and make a slot in the side so it can be a coffee mug warmer. Or even a shot glass cozy (at the size you had it). Oh, what am I saying?! That’s just corny!
Hiya Dani - Those are pretty nifty ideas, actually. Well, I don’t have any shot glasses :) But putting the candle in a glass holder and *then* into the yarn holder might be a way to go. I like the mug cozy idea too - my tea cools off *way* too quickly!
