Lesson In The Frustration?
What’s wrong with this picture? Why it’s the fact that the knitting is not on the needles as it should be. See I made some sort of mistake in my last lacy row and now my count is off and I have no clue how to fix it and I must start over…again.
So I’m going back to zero and unwinding. I put the knitting down for a full week as I thought of going forward with the mistake but I knew in my heart I couldn’t do it. There would be a flaw in the pattern. The only way forward was to go back and start over.
So painful as it is this is where I am now. Unwound and snipped off and back to the starting point.
Of course there is an obvious lesson in this pain that has to do with life and writing that’s hitting me on the head that I’m sure will make a great speech later when I’m feeling more accomplished, but right now I’m just feeling like a person that can’t walk, chew gum and knit.
Best,
Kwana
Unlaced
What’s Jack up to? Hmm… I know Jack’s been up to something when I come in the front door and he doesn’t come forward to greet me. I’ll call him and there will be no reply. Now it can be one of 2 things. 1)an intruder could have come in when I was out and, well, I don’t even want to go there or 2) Jack’s in trouble and he knows it. Usually I can find him either under my bed or in the basement in his crate or his favorite spot is in the hall closet which is never closed because Jack knows how to open the pocket door with his paws. So when this happens I leave him be and go investigating. My latest find was on the kitchen floor. A ripped apart and empty bagel bag. Don’t ask me how he got to it. I thought it was in the fridge. Oh Jack you are good.
So I’m getting elbow deep or maybe it’s knuckle deep at this point in my lace project. I can’t tell you my frustration with this thing. Well, really I can but first isn’t this book cover just gorgeous. I’ll have to put it on my TBR list.
Now back to my first time at lace knitting. Grrrr…. First off the counting or miscounting if you are me, every row a different count. And then it was the fact that my needles were way too close in color to my yarn. Eyes crossing.
So after unlacing so many times I took a trip to the craft store and brought some deeper rosewood needles and started again, and again and again.
Finally I opted for a smaller scarf repeat instead of a shawl and I started again so this is where I am now.
This is going to be a long project. At least I’m plotting while I’m knitting or unlacing if you will.
How’s the hump day treating you?
Best,
Kwana
Knit Wednesday
Look at the pretty new yarn I just got. I’ve been in the mood to try something totally new in the knitting arena for a long while so I’m taking the plunge and finally giving lace knitting a go. GULP. Be very afraid. I’m sure I’ll be tangled up in knots the next time you see me. Well, more tangled. Double GULP.
Best,
Kwana
Yes, Virginia you can knit
Yes, you too… Hey if it’s good enough for Audrey…
Today is my day to host lunch for our little knitting group so in honor of that here is a little inspirational video to get you to pick up some needles and get started too. I learned from videos myself you know. If I can so can you.
Best,Kwana
Yarning
What’s Jack up to? Jack has been enjoying the nice weather we’ve been having so far this week and keeping me very good company while I sit outside to get some editing done, this is until the annoying bees on the porch drive us away. Ugh. Anyone have a remedy to keep the bees away? Jack and I would really like to enjoy the porch more before the dog days of summer come.
Today it’s more editing and then a Wednesday much needed yarn break and chat session with The Knitsters. Thanks to the PIC for directing me to this calming pic.
What do you do for a mid-week mini-break?
Best,
Kwana
Circular Knitting
Today is my knitting group meeting day and for the past few weeks I’ve been doing some circular knitting with this super thin and wispy mohair yarn on really long needles. It’s like knitting with fluffy angel hair pasta. You can barley hold it in your hands and the more you knit the less it feels like you’re moving forward.
Around and around I go in a circle with no real idea of how things will turn out. I did start out with an idea. A pattern in my head of making an infinity scarf, something to make me feel chic, together, you know complete me. So what did I do? I grabbed my yarn, needles and dove in. And now here I knit round and round and round. Each round taking what feels like infinity. How it will turn out or what it will actually be I don’t know. This feels a lot like parenting sometimes. But hey, the yarn sure is pretty.Best,
KwanaA Long and Bumpy Road
Today is Knit Wednesday when I get to meet with my knitting group and kick back, laugh, joke, eat and knit a bit so I thought I’d share pics of the turtleneck that I FINALLY finished a little over a week ago. It only took me about a year to get this thing done and you can’t really call it a turtleneck since I ran out of yarn before I could properly finish the neck.
Oh well… done is done and I am D.O.N.E.
It looks quite handmade and a bit wonky as anything I seem to finish does, but no matter I’m flowing with it.
Oh and please ignore my lumps and bumps too. Blame it on the yarn. Okay? Hmm..Thanks.My next project is an attempt at an infinity scarf I won’t be trying another sweater for a long while. I just hope this doesn’t take an infinity to finish.Best,KwanaP.S. old glasses in the pic. Waaa I miss them.
Knitting Through
Howdy! How are you today?Me. I’m chilling. Thanks for askin’. At least as I’m writing this I am. See I’ve picked up my knitting again which has been even more stalled than my NaNo writing. I’ve been working on the same sweater for what feels like forever (knit 1 purl 1, uh, rest) , but finally, I have started the last sleeve. Now there’s an odd sentence. I said it like there was 3 or 4 sleeves. Yeah, I know there are only 2, but the first took way too long and the cap took too much thinking. Felt like long division. Ugh.
Alas, I see light at the end of the tunnel. I have started the last sleeve then it’s the collar and a sew up. Yay. I’m moving now! This T-neck should be ready for the summer. Woot!
Have a good one.
Best,
KwanaNo Idle Hands
What’s Jack up to? Jack never lets things get dull around here. The poor thing has gotten a bit of a rash. I know probably TMI, but there it is. It’s all over his belly and even his back and made me itchy so I took him to the vet and come to find out it’s doggy acne. WHAT!? Some strange thing they can pick up from who knows where. So it’s pills for Jack that he doesn’t want but I have to get down him for about 21 days. So, um… there.As for me today, I’ll be trying to get some writing done. So very necessary. A few loads of laundry. Also very necessary. Then there is knitting group today. Not a necessity, but for mental heath, yeah, I think so.So no Idle Hands for me today.How about you?
pic from my knitting group last weekOh and thanks to all who voted for Valorie aka Visual Vamp in the Apartment Therapy contest. She has made it through 2 rounds and is still in. You can vote for her again here to keep her going strong. Thanks!
Best,
Kwana
Good Night Out
The other night was my book/drinks/mom’s night out night. The group is pretty much our knitting group, but on the road and at night.
And it was a gorgeous night as we gathered for drinks and food at, Half Moon, a restaurant on the Hudson with a great view of the river where you can see clear down to Manhattan on a good night.
So sorry for the blurry pic. The waiter had shaky hands.A lot of you will recognize PVE in the center there.As we discussed the book The Virgins Lover (which got a good review) then went on to family and other topics of night I got to thinking about how our group was about so much more than books or knitting, but about friendship and camaraderie in a way that was different from our immediate family. We talked and laughed well into the night and as table after table left, we just ordered refills on our coffee and kept the chatting going. Thanks for a fun night out Knisters!
For those of you playing the at home game our next book is Julie & Julia so it will be book and movie talk next month. Yay!
Do you have a little group that you meet up with for crafts or book talk?
Best,
Kwana
