Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Last Week of Spring Break

This is my NCAA sweater cum trip-
knitting project. It measures right on gauge and so even though I tried it on a couple of times, I kept thinking that it's right because the gauge is right. Finally I had to acknowledge that it has all the shape of a knitted sweatshirt. I chose the wrong size.
I had been wondering what I would knit next. I'll knit the sweater in a smaller size! All that knitting took about 15 minutes to return it to yarn. It wasn't as painful as I expected and I know I'll be much happier by doing it right.
Alexia talked me into going to my library book group on Tuesday, so while I worked on a warp that morning, she was anxious to lend me a hand. I put her to work winding handspun skeins into balls. She loves to help - also helped me set up for the meeting, moving tables and chairs. We set up a table for her in front of a window and she kept herself entertained for the entire meeting. She is not her mother's daughter! Her son Kiernan would be that child. She texted me one night after a confrontational week and asked me how was it that I didn't beat her every day. It made me laugh, the irony. Parenting is not for sissies.
These are the colors I've chosen for my next warp. I'm looking for a sea glass effect, maybe tide pool or pond reflections? I'm so new at mixing color but the only way to get better is to do it.


I got the bouts wound in between other things. Because I sley the reed from my hand, it's a little nerve wracking to have Alexia call out to say she's done with her bath and wants to get out - today was hair wash day. It all worked out and the reed is sleyed.
Alexia was content to play and so I promised her we'd make cookies at 2:30. She got really antsy the closer it got to that time, and since I was threading, I suggested she read her book while she waited. She loves Junie B. Jones so plunked down on my weaving bench to finish her book - I suspect she wasn't taking any chances.
My new Schacht end-feed shuttle and accom-
panying pirns came today. It feels so strange in my hand, the weight and shape. I realize that will change with a charged pirn. Now I have to learn now to properly wind a pirn and that requires adapting my bobbin winder. I stumbled across how to get a good selvedge, probably the day after I placed my order. Had that been the day before, I probably wouldn't have done it. I'm like a deer in the headlights - what?!! They say the aging brain benefits from new challenges and weaving certainly provides a lot of opportunities. Why doesn't that make me happy tonight??

By the way, our book group read The Honk and Holler Opening Soon, and we loved it.

3 comments:

LA said...

Alexia has been such a great helper this week...and she sounds like a joy to have around! Have you thought about letting her weave "fabric" to make a poncho? She might get a kick out of that!

Benita said...

Sweet colors! I think your new towel warp is going to be pretty.

And I'm sure she wasn't taking chances - I mean making cookies is important, don't you know? :)

Cindie said...

Sorry about your sweater. I've only knit one sweater, I measured myself, matched up the size, gauge right on track and the sweater turned out too big. I've been gun shy about another one.

Love the warp colors!