Necessity is the mother... or something like that...

I'm so bummed!!! I still haven't gotten my pattern book for Klaralund, and I'm just dying to start her. I've even got the stitches cast onto my needle, ready to go... but I don't know what to do. I was told that is shipped a week ago now, and it just isn't that far from Massachusetts to Virginia.

SO, I only had the eyelet cardi to work on. Although I know it's a sweater I'm going to really be happy to have, I'm finding it to be a very boring thing to work on, after doing so much lace recently. Yesterday I put forth a valiant effort on it, and now I've got 8" done on the body.

But I had to find something else to work on, just to break the monotony that is the stockinette stitch. It being about 9:00 at night I had to go to the stash... socks?... something in kureyon?... a little Manos del Uruguay?... Nope, it's still summer, and I wanted to work with cotton. So I cast on, and now have done two feather and fan repeats on hush-hush.

I know, I know, it's not much to look at just yet. I'm using a shorter circular than recommended, so the stitches are really bunched up. And let's face it, it just takes a looonnnggg time to make it around 320 stitches. But this is just the thing to keep me interested when I can't take the other anymore. You know, I don't even really know why I'm knitting this, except that I think it's such a lovely, feminine design. Unfortunately it's not like I even have anyone to show it off to when it's done... but I digress!

Elisabeth asked in my comments how I did the lace cast on for the pooling colors scarf. That's a cast-on I found in the Rowan #34 magazine. You start with a slip knot on the left needle and then knit a stitch into it, transferring the new loop onto the left needle to make the second cast on stitch. Then you just continue this step, knitting into the first stitch on the left needle each time, and pulling the new loop up onto the left needle. It is similar to the cable cast on, but in that technique you are pulling the new loops from between the first and second stitches on the needle. I used the lace cast on for the first time with Birch, and really like the loopy, lacy edge it creates.

I'm heading to the North Carolina coast for the long weekend we have ahead. My family has had a house there for years. I'm really looking forward to being there, although it looks like we'll likely have a lot of rain from the hurricane. Oh well, a rainy day at the beach is better than any day at home, right? I'd love to take Klaralund along (hint, hint, Mr. UPS-man)!

Comments

[Elisabeth]

Hi again :)
That was a quick answer! I just go up - it's 8 o'clock in the morning here in DK, and I'm off to university soon... Thank you so much for your help! I'll save that description and use it for my next scarf!

Have a nice day! :)
Elisabeth

[Linda]

I'm making klaralund and I have the book. If you tell me what size you want to make I'd be happy to tell you how many stitches to cast on and start you out on the pattern. The pattern is amazing simple, a few rows of garter stitch, then switch to stockinette, then back to garter. Its a rectangle - no increases or decreases.

[Theresa]

I'm thinking about converting the eyelet cardi pattern into something that can be done on a machine instead of by hand. I know it's something I'll actually wear, but I have a feeling that I won't have the patience to actually hand knit it all the way to the finish line...

[barbara]

Thanks for the offer Linda, but I guess I'll just wait until my book comes. I've been reading that Klaralund is a quick knit, and I have a feeling I'm gonna want to finish it once I start.

Theresa, I think that's a great idea to convert the cardi to a machine pattern. Now where was I? Oh yeah, only 6 more rows until I get to increase again! Yippee!