#knitting rambles

[cailenbraern]

I'm not gonna get this done before my deadline of 7th September, but today I've been sitting in front of the window and enjoying how the colours pop in natural light.

For comparison, below are photos taken with flash.

[koekjesdeeg]

I finally got the first chart repeat done on the Guernsey shawl I'm making for @kalgalen! Now that I can see how it'll all look I'm incredibly happy with it. My measurements are a bit wonky to be perfectly honest - The width is slightly short and the length is longer than it should be - but my tension is always weird no matter what I knit or how. A good blocking will at least fix the width issue and a good long wrap is always nice.

I do think that if I make this again I'd choose a different yarn. The one I got to fit my budget is very loosely spun and it makes some of the finer details (like the honeycomb at the top) a bit indistinct. The acrylic/wool blend is also a bit rough. Not overly so but definitely enough to warrant a good vinegar wash and steam block to soften the acrylic dominance and give it a better drape.

[piebingo]

Now that I’ve steeked a sweater I feel like there’s nothing that can scare me anymore. I’ve done it all

[gusbuses]

Not me finally casting on a musselburgh hat for myself after making them for family first

[knottingstring]

I finally ordered yarn to make a Wingspan shawl for myself! I’m so excited to finally get to make one to keep!

[madmiraclearts]

This shawl has been taking me way longer than it should because I have been procrastinating it again and again. But here is the progress on the border, I love how it looks with the gradient yarn. I'd estimate I'm halfway through the border

[piebingo]

Tried on my fingering weight sweater to check on the length and dropped half of the stitches from my needles🤡

[livingadagio]

Doing square #6 "The Mitred One" was a struggle ngl. It wasn't because of learning to k2tog decrease—which is the skill that square teaches. It was because it starts out with 48 stitches with just one decrease in the middle of each row, all garter stitch from start to finish.

There was a point halfway through where I started losing steam, and thought to myself "oh no, is the knitting hyperfixation wearing off? Is this the end of me enjoying knitting??" No, it was just an incredibly boring square (to me). Turns out row after row after row of nothing but knit stitches is pretty boring lol

Now that I'm on square #7 "The Holey One" doing stockinette with occasional decrease + yarn over to make eyelets, I am flying through it enjoying it quite a bit. It's definitely partially because it's not super repetitive and reading the chart is keeping me from getting bored, but it's also partially because I just find Norwegian purling really fun.

Like fr, I love purl rows this way. Stab and twist and scoop and twist, stab and twist and scoop and twist, rinse and repeat. Takes longer than a standard continental purl for sure, but it's very enjoyable. Also lets my wrist on my good hand (right) take the repetitive movement strain instead of my fingers on my bad hand (left) doing most of the movement, which is less awkward and less ouchie for me.