skein: A busy week

but not with knitting!

It was my birthday on Wednesday, and we cracked open the champagne on Tuesday at midnight, then went onto vodkas. NOT the best thing to do in the first week back at work after a long break. I totted up the number of hours that I've slept these past five nights, and it's 23 hours! Not enough! I spent my birthday feeling shattered with only four hours of sleep and a hangover. Last night we went to see White Noise, which I enjoyed, but it's spooky and there's a couple of scary split second scenes where the whole cinema jumped (and I lost the stitches off my sock). Then a meal, more wine, more champagne... I am sooooo hungover today that we're skipping the weekly shop and doing it tomorrow. I will sit in all day, watch a couple more episodes of 24, do some neglected knitting and catnap.

Projects destined for the bin (sorry, frogpond, these aren't being chucked)

color on color scarf. It's *ok* but having seen Nic's at Liberty on Thursday, this is a poor second. She's dyed her own yarn, the colours are wonderful, pale bright colours, if that makes sense. And it's a thicker yarn, looks much better knitted up than mine! I will not frog it yet, but the outlook is not good!

The DB Maya top down raglan.
The stocking stitch is looking a bit puckered. I'm not sure if this is down to me (too small a circular, stitches cramped, fast knitting whilst watching 24) or the yarn. Apparantly, the few people who have knitted Maya is stocking stitch haven't had this problem. I could try to block the knitting already done, but I'm far too hungover to attempt that, and far too impatient to wait.

So I've cast on a sleeve from the DB book seven, Rebecca. It's a simple 4 x 2 garter stitch. I'm also a bit suspicious as to how Maya will look without seams in the top down raglan. The yarn is beautiful, but loosely spun, and might need a few seams to stabilise the shape.
Started this morning and I've only done a little bit so far:

I'm quite taken with this pattern, it suits the Maya well. Lovely colours, I had quite a job deciding which pack to choose, but I'm glad that I went with this shade.

My Diamond Patch socks aren't progressing too well. I've got another 5 diamonds to do before I get to the heel. And a real problem photographing this sock. For some strange reason it's always out of focus (not D.T.s!)

As is usual, the colour doesn't want to be reproduced. This yarn's got a lot more burgundy in it than is shown.

My cashmere scarf is coming on too. A repeat every so often, and it's a lovely lace pattern.

I've had a dk self patterning sock for commuter knitting on the go also, and finished off the first one last night. I'd forgotten just how quickly these grow, and had to put my knitting away when I'd done the first half of the short row heel, no way was I going to attempt to pick up the wraps in the dark! This is for me, just as well, as I managed to short row and end up with two extra stitches on the heel, and huge holes each side. I've just picked and twisted the yarns then decreased to try to eliminate the holes.
Folded up, from the scanner:

I'm off to have some Jagermeister in a vain effort to clear my head! If I ever see any more champagne before December I'll be giving it a wide berth. Hopefully, I'll do some more knitting today, might have a sleeve finished tomorrow!

Comments

Yes, Nic's colour-on-colour was so impressive, wasn't it. Jean doesn't know what she has lost! I like that Maya, though - did you get to see the scarf that Amelia was doing? In Maya, looked as if it was woven horizontally but was actually knitted vertically. I've got the pattern if you want a copy.....

Those dk socks - can you wear them with normal shoes? Are they not too thick? I have shoes I can't wear 4-ply socks with.....

Posted by: Jill | January 08, 2005 at 05:44 PM

Forgot to say we bought a new phone yesterday (for the house) and it has a hands-free facility, I can put the phone down and carry on knitting and conduct a conversation! Terrific! I could never manage to cradle a phone between my neck and shoulder.

Posted by: Jill | January 08, 2005 at 05:47 PM