Sunday, June 25, 2006

Beach Knitting

I did a lot of knitting on this trip. When you are in a beach rental with 10 indecisive people and late-sleeping teenagers, there's lots of idle time. Okay, it was way too windy to knit at the beach, but I staged this photo so I can use it in an Amazing Lace challenge, should the occasion arise.

There were lots of tide pools, and with tropical storm Alberto passing through the previous week, we saw more sea creatures than ever. Conchs, starfish, blue crabs, water hermit crabs, etc.

Speaking of lace, much progress was made. For some crazy reason, I had in my mind that I would knit a ball of each color, then change. So I knit up all of the green yarn. Then, I realized I should have been switching colors and gradually shading, because it's going to look bad with 5 abrupt color changes. I am on about row 100 or so and will need to frog back quite a bit. I'm not really upset because there were some mistakes and I was having so much fun with it, I'll enjoy the re-knit.

When I got to about row 40 on the chart, I suddenly *got it* and realized that you add a new repeat to each end of each side (for a total of 4) after every two repeats that you knit vertically (8 rows). You will have added eight extra stitches to each of the four places next to the border and central yarnovers, so another repeat fits in. Simple. I still have to keep a picture of the chart around to remember how to do the reversals on the second half of the row.

When I realized I would need to frog the shawl, I picked up the socks again. I did most of this in the car and by the pool. I should say that I only knit the second sock on the trip. The first was finished the night I left.

This is a basic 4/2 rib pattern that I always use for my carry around socks, because I've memorized it and it always fits. I used Dancing in Hula.

I started another pair from a wool/tencel blend I bought at Ellen's Half Pint Farm, who was a vendor at knitting camp. Very yummy stuff, in pale blues/greens, the colors I am obssessed with these days.

Sewingwise, I did not wear the new clothes I made at all. We never went out for a *nice* dinner, so it just didn't come up. One of those things. . . I wore the new swimsuit every other day and spilled red gatorade down the front, which won't come out - argh. . .

I'm picking up the sewing machines from their week at the spa on Monday. I had planned to spend the coming week *at sewing camp* but my wee one is balking on the Karate Camp idea. I paid big bucks for this several months ago and now he doesn't want to go. Kids!

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