Monday 8 April 2013

Hideous

Knitting
I did do another round of stocking stitch before I started the picot bind-off on the Pinkwheel baby shawl, and then I started to warm to this project again.


The combination of garter stitch rows, YOs and picot bind-off. all worked out as well as I could have hoped and I was quite happy with it.


And then I washed and dried it, and I hated it again. I think it looks like a bit of old tat and I'm going to give it to my friend's cat-charity shop. Perhaps someone will give them a couple of pounds for it.


I've made Pinwheel Blankets in All Seasons Cotton before  and been more than happy with them, and I'll use this border again, so it's sort of hard to say why this combination is so horrible. I think it might be down to the shade of pink, which reminds me of the 1950s, and not in a good way. It's the colour of old plastic and artificial silk and bathroom fittings and toothbrushes and plastic cameos and yes, the gums on false teeth. So I'll buy the baby a present out of a shop and we'll all be happier.

I started  a stay-on sock and then couldn't understand what to do next. I'll have another go some day when my brain's sharper.


I forgot to mention that I finished the Denim Kidsilk Trio cowl and I've been wearing it ever since. I just cast off at the end, put a twist in it, and then seamed up the join.


I know, I'm terrible. So far, no-one has stopped me in the street and accused me of not kitchenering it.



I had thought of going to the Edinburgh Yarn Festival but abandoned the idea because I wasn't sure there was any seating and I didn't want to take the risk. How wise I was, for once. A friend who went reported that it was full of lovely stuff, but mobbed, jam-packed and full of queues. I hope I can go next time. She also said it was full of Stripe Studies and Color Affections. After a moment's disappointment that I wasn't totally original, I decided that it's nice to be part of a wave.

The Shape of Knitting
Lynne Barr's wonderful new book The Shape of Knitting arrived while I was packing to go and stay with the cat again.



The subtitle is A Master Class in Increases, Decreases and Other Forms of Shaping, and it has sections with her brilliant instructions and photographs.



And patterns.


A section on Three-Dimensional Knitting.


A whole section on casting on and casting off.


And more patterns.


I was very tempted to pack some yarn so that I can cast on while I'm away, but I've decided instead to take the turquoise Rubble and read, mark, learn and inwardly digest Shape before I do anything rash.

Flickering Screen
There's a good series on television just now called Broadchurch. It stars David Tennant and Olivia Colman and it's another crime drama. I do wish that we ever had any other sort of drama on television  especially when we have such good actors. Both of them are doing seriously good work on the London stage these days, and do we ever get to see it? No. Broadchurch is a cut above though and I find myself thinking about it between epsiodes (I cannot type 'episode' right first time) and wondering what the people are doing. It's in eight episodes, and we still have three to go. I'm going cat-sitting again and will be relying mostly on Netflix and dvds, but fortunately I'll be able to see Broadchurch.


P.S. A passing friend has just said how nice the horrible pink shawl is. She isn't usually given to unnecessary politeness. I shall see what I think when I come home.

9 comments:

Sea said...

It could be because you inadvertently knitted it with something else, but I think what is not quite right about it is that these days you rarely see baby girls in a sea of baby pink. I have a year old great-niece and I don't think I've seen a picture of her in just pink clothes.

Anonymous said...

I'd call that "ballet pink", if that helps. The color of the opaque tights that white female dancers wear (when their costumes don't call for something more distinctive). Women of color wear tan or brown opaque tights.
-- stashdragon

Anonymous said...

Forgot to say that those ballet pink and ballet tan tights are supposed to look nude or natural but never do (not up close, certainly). Ballet pink always looks more like beige or dirty, faded pink to me. Floral pinks, pale rose or bright cyclamen, are much prettier. I'm not helping you change your mind about the baby blanket, am I?
-- stashdragon

Wanderingcatstudio said...

I had a project like that once - it just kept reminding me of an old stained doiley. I ended up dying it when it was done. But I'm sure some kitty would love the blankie.

Fiona said...

I'd suggest looking at the Pink Thing outside, in daylight. And I hope that the turquoise Rubble continues to progress well, that pattern has stayed in my mind...

Anonymous said...

Perhaps an overdye?? the blanket is lovely and classic. The color likely can be changed. I would try this before you donated it to a cat charity! if it doesn't turn out in a way that pleases you, then maybe gift it to some lucky kitties :)

Gina said...

If you don't like it, by all means give it to the kitties. Cats are drawn like magnets to yarny creations, especially ones in colors that contrast nicely with their fur. White cats on dark blankets, black on pink - I can see it now!

Mary Lou said...

The idea of false teeth gum pink made me shudder involuntarily. The 50's reference got me thinking about all the baby knits on Call the Midwife. (We are just gettting season two here.) All those babies have elaborately knitted or crocheted layettes, so wonderful to get a glimpse of.

Knitting Linguist said...

I am late to chime in, and know the decision has been made, but I admit to liking the blanket, for what it's worth. I also really love the cowl, lack of kitchener notwithstanding! I may work my way up to knitting a cowl, just as they go out of style (alas). And thank you for the book review - that looks like something I need to hunt up.