It's been a very long time since I shared any knitting with you here, May in fact. One of the projects I mentioned in that post has just been finished and is busy blocking as a write this, I will share pictures and pattern notes another time......
One of the reasons all has been quiet is that I have come to realise that most of my knitting does not look very exciting when shared week after week. I have knit up a few hats, one as a present, one for me and one for a lady I have never met, following a request from her thoughtful friend, they are so quick to knit that a progress photo is not usually worth it. I am not a fan of lace, a little bit is for me but not lots. I knitted a shawl this year, a prayer shawl which had lots of lace in the pattern, chosen for the recipient in mind as befits a project of this type. I have to admit I made lots of mistakes, no lace is not for me. But it makes for interesting pictures doesn't it, along with colour work and maybe cables? Most of my knitting is row after row of stocking stitch or just plain knitting, the finished garment is pleasing to me but it does look rather unexciting as a project. So I knit in the background sharing other life projects instead. Then I considered what to share with you today, rows of knitting maybe or a just started Milo that is but a few rows in..................no I chose my third project. With just a hint of irony it contains a bit of lace and some interesting colours.............my slowly growing Column of Leaves a present to be gifted next month, you know what! In order to get this off the needles I have set myself the task of knitting at least one round of the pattern a day, eight rows which I read that some knitters have been able to memorise that feat is beyond me, My brain is too full of other bits and pieces of life, do you memorise your patterns when you can?
A Luminary, n, a person having much intellectual, moral or spiritual influence; a natural light giving body esp. sun or moon my Oxford English informs me. There are many characters of influence in this wonderful book, like many books it has gained mixed reviews, reading is a very personal thing don't you think? I was given this book as a birthday present, I picked up reading it after trying a book recommended by a friend who I know many have loved but was not for me. I was slightly concerned that I would feel the same about this book but 600 odd pages in I am hooked. It is very slow to start this book I so nearly, as many others have done, gave up a few chapters in. My intrigue got the better of me, I wanted to know where this book was going a mystery was slowly and cleverly being built, it is still twisting and turning and I am not sure where it is going to end up!
What influences you knitting and reading, I wonder? Whilst you ponder that I am joining in with Ginny for the weekly link up of knitting and reading, another thing I haven't done in months. I would also like some advice if you don't mind. The Milo that I mentioned I have just started, the yarn is highly perfumed I suspect by the lady who owns the shop. It is making my hands itch, which is rather annoying. If I was to wash it to remove the perfume should I undo the ball, before I wash or after? It is an entirely acrylic yarn so I wonder whether I can get away with not undoing the ball and just immerse it as it is?
oh how I love the colours in that yarn. I have no advice about the washing sorry.........
ReplyDeleteNo worries, hopefully someone will!
DeleteI've never heard of yarn being perfumed before, how strange. Sorry I can't help re the washing of it, I've never washed unknit yarn before. As for memorising patterns, I'm the same as you, I can never commit them to my brain so I always sit with a pattern close at hand.
ReplyDeleteI think it must have been the perfume from the lady who runs the shop. A friend of mine bought some yarn at the same time and hers smelt of it too!
DeleteI love the colour of your knitting it looks very pretty indeed. Sound like you have done a lot of knitting even if you have not posted about it.
ReplyDeleteI love books and often ignore reviews by so called critics and instead take the advice of friends and blogs I follow, like you say reading is a very personal thing.
Sorry about your yarn being over perfumed I'm not sure how you could rectify that as it's not an issue I have ever had, I guess I would un ball it and soak it before re balling. Good luck.
Yes I think that is what I will have to do, but I am hoping I don't have to!
Deletemy gut instinct is to skein it and wash/soak it before you knit with it.....sort of pretend you just dyed it and are giving it a final rinse bath? I think it will dry more easily, too, than if it were left in a ball. ideally, if you could find a pretty sunny day and do this outside, i think that would also help the smell dissipate. :(
ReplyDeleteThat was kind of my gut instinct too, but was hoping not to have too! A sunny day at this time of year could be a long wait!
DeleteLove that yarn colour. Most of my knitting progress is boring too, which is my excuse for always having lots of projects on the go! That way I can swap them around each week for photos. That book looks like you will be reading until Christmas. I am definitely looking for it in my library - love historical fiction. And I read a review that compared Catton's narrative voice to that of George Eliot or Charles Dickens, two of my favourite authors. Look forward to hearing what you think of the book.
ReplyDeleteI have finished reading it now, you can read a review of it here ;)
DeleteThe yarn looks beautiful, that makes the itchy part of it extra annoying I suppose. I always get itch, rash, red eyes when I touch wool, therefor I can't work with it. Don't have any useful advice for you, sorry:(
ReplyDeleteI agree with Steph about washing your yarn, this way there will be more of the yarn exposed to the water. How unfortunate for you! Needless to say, I love seeing any knitting on the needles - its likely more exciting for us to see than you think ;) This yarn is very pretty and sure it will make a great gift. I look forward to seeing more of your Nimbus, too. As for memorizing stitch patterns, perhaps it is something that improves with practice, though I suspect it is also at the mercy of how each individual's brain works. I memorize stitch patterns quickly - especially with charts (being a strong tactile and spatial learner), while others I have met need to write out or "translate" the chart into words. Interesting, no? I wonder how you would learn/memorize your patterns best? xo
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it is perhaps that I don't ever really knit more than a few rows at once and I am often talking too not really conducive to memorising patterns. I remember being in awe of friends when I was younger who could memorise music something else I really struggled with and yet I do have a good memory for other things. But perhaps you are right I havent found the best way to remember it!
DeleteThe yarn does look beautiful, hope you get it "fixed". The book sounds interesting, I'll add it to my "must read" list :)
ReplyDeleteI am very bad at remembering patterns as well, I always need to have it with me. I've found that it's best when I write it down, helps me remember it better... but when it's a long/complicated pattern you have to print it. Having it on my phone/ipad doesn't work for me, I need to be able to write notes on it... I guess it's related to my love for paper, pens and anything stationery hehe.
I'm a practical knitter... so I get influenced by the part of my body that feels cold when going outside haha.
Hope you have a lovely day!
Wow, the colours in that ball are gorgeous (I have a serious thing for lilac and purple tones). The Luminaries have been added here as well. I rarely let reviews influence me in choosing books. We are all different, reading is indeed personal. What a critic feels about a book is often oceans apart from what I might think of the same book. I see a book, I check it out, if the description reads interesting I read it. Wish you a lovely rest-of-the-weekend!
ReplyDeleteI do agree that regular knitting updates are not the most exciting visually, and I think that can be true for lace, cables and colourwork too if not much progress has been made since the last time. It's why I so rarely include pics of wips.
ReplyDeleteThat is gorgeous yarn!
The yarn is from Colinette ;)
Delete