Round 226 Bites the Dust

 The tip of the feather motif is now 5 stitches wide (it started at 19 stitches wide) and last seen it had 7 stitches.  The next round, there will be 3, then it will be a single stitch and the solid stocking knit feather will be gone! What remains after that, is finishing the lacy top the feather. 6 round (minimum) or will it be 12? (It could be as many as 36—but there is no way that is happening!) and 2 plain rounds before binding off.

I am behind schedule—but I still think I will be finished before the end of the month.

I took Saturday of last week off, and then Sunday, and Monday and Tuesday too! (though I did get a few rounds of the sock done.)

Wednesday—was spend teaching—a favorite student. She learned to cable—and to do the brioche stitch—and was wowed by both of them. I was wowed by her grasp.

In both cases, we worked swatches—and the first cable was hard for her.. by the time she had done 4—she was a pro. I them mentioned that holding the cable needle in front of the work (vs the back) would change the direction of the cable—and she had to try it out. From left leaning to right leaning.. At first she didn't understand what I meant by left and right leaning.. but she tried it (and complained that the first cable done with the cable needle held in front was as hard to do as the first one with the cable needle held in back!) 

The change was –as she said—snake like—I corrected –and said the general term was serpentine. And her eyes lit up ---she has poor vision (I am amazed at how well she knits given her limitations!) and was pleased that what she perceived was so accurate.

Mind you this work was all done on big needle (size 10.5) and big bright (orange) yarn. Her project is going to be done with some fine mohair, (really beautiful stuff) on size 9 needles--the yarn will be held doubled--the effect will be open, almost lacy.  It will be beautiful.  

But a easy to knit yarn to learn the technique is the way to go! We discussed how to work the  edge the mostly stocking knit scarf—she didn't want ribbing (I didn't think it was a good choice either) Nor did she want garter or seed--(to boring and plain) so we work the some sample edging into the swatch. First I cord, then simple double knitting—and found a winner.

I love that she is such a thinking knitter—she discovered Pat Ashford and Steve Plummer— (of WoollyThoughts) via their book Knitting Without a Pattern on her own. And loved their ideas—I told her I loved them too—and MY reasons were totally different than hers—but as she looked through the book again, she grasped some of the mathematical ideas I was talking about... and said she hadn't seen these ideas and would have to re-read some passages—and see if the ideas were directly referenced, or if she would have to work some of them out on her own. I haven't read that particular book—but I guess its a little bit of both!

Next-- I have a wonderful mystery yarn in my stash—200 g of a lt blue-- and 1 25 gram skein of the same yarn in plum plus 3 other skeins of similar stuff  

It's sock weight—Or perhaps even lace weight.   I wonder if it would make good socks? Or should I plan on a light weight lacy scarf (What an other scarf? Didn't I just swear off scarves last week?) This was an unexpected present from my sister G(who lives in Japan) and scours thrift stores for interesting yarn—that she send to me!

I give yarn away all the time, too. I think all knitters do—I wonder sometime, are there skeins that make there way a round the world before they get knit?

I have already posted on Face book a request to have the fiber list translated—but if any of you dear readers know—please post!

I am hard at work at on another project—my car has died (it gave a good fight—it's 19 years old and has over 187,000 miles But that's low—the fuse that controls the odometer was blown for a while, and for 2 years the mileage remained unchanged.. (so its likely really 200,000 miles or more!)

Fortunately, one of my other sisters--M-- (a local one!) just bought a new car—so I am trading up to her old one--a 2001 Mitsubishi Gallant—Well, I am trading up as soon as find my title, clean out all the stuff I want out of old car and get her to the junk yard. (Oh yeah, a trip to the DMV has to be figure in there too.) Best news is—out of sisterly love it's almost a gift (way below blue book listing price!)