The Scoreboard KAL goes like this –
Blue = Seahawks
Green = Opponents
Gray = Space between Games
Each point = One round
Do you think, just maybe, the Legion of Boom can’t bang in the fourth quarter??? Hey, Pete Carroll! Check this out!!
State of the Knitting Address
With six projects on the needles this week (and problems, questions and/or angst about all of them!), I feel the need to “take stock.” Hence, the state of the knitting:
My one almost finished project:
With the right mitt complete and the left one blocking (with just the side seam remaining), I’m calling these Huckleberry Knits Seahawks Mitts DONE!
Longest uncompleted project:
This is actually 6 projects that are technically off the needles, but all need a duplicate stitch detail. These are the Surprise projects on my Ravelry page. Lots of angst with the duplicate stitch design!
Biggest Project:
Susan dress for granddaughter Finn. It’s designed with four panels plus sleeves. You can read about all the problems on my last two posts! I’m on the second back panel!
Most puzzling project:
Love the pattern. Love the yarn. Beyond the Pines Shawl is a winner. But I’ll be checking in with my yarn group to be sure I’m accurate with this complicated pattern.
My all time favorite sock:
The Gladys pattern is awesome and the Baah yarn is perfect for this project! Had a problem with the start of the heel, but the designer responded quickly to my email and I’m back on track — after I finish tinking 6 rows!!
And last, but not least:
The Scoreboard KAL with KnitPurl Hunter and Skacel – great combination. The angst here is the Seahawks’ offensive line!! Hoping I’ll be knitting a lot of BLUE today. Go, Hawks!
The Solution to Susan
Yesterday I was determined to figure out where I when wrong with Susan! So I asked two of my knitting friends for help. Always good to get multiple views!
First, I put a life line in the row below the first armhole bindoffs. All three of us counted twice before agreeing that I had the exact number of stitches called for in the pattern.
I check for the correct number of armhole decreases, and placed another lifeline. More counting by all three of us. Surprise! Two stitches shy of the number required by the pattern. I knew that 2 was the magic number because I had four stitches on the needles when I stopped knitting and I needed six! But where did I lose 2 stitches?? Back to the pattern. Reading it aloud to my friends, I found this line: next row (RS)
I had completely skipped over the M1k direction and went immediately to continue “until armhole measures” 7.5 inches. That error was confirmed when I checked my notes:
Frog!
Now to reknit the last three inches – again! But first, M1k, twice!
The Trouble with Susan
Susan, the pattern, is troublesome!
This should have been my first clue.
But my Granddaughter loves this dress! I started with the back left panel and all went well through the CO, ribbing, shaping, armhole decreases and shoulder and neck bind offs, until —
Four stitches on the needle, but three rows to go including directions to BO 6 stitches! Of course I immediately assumed that I had made a mistake or two even though I took copious notes and thought I was meticulous in the execution of the directions.
I checked the Internet for errata – nada! I even made sure I had the most recent version of the pattern – check! Then I started doing the math.
At the last point that the necessary number of stitches is mentioned (36), I was right on target. I think.
Then came the decreases. Here’s the line by line math:
With 36 sts on needles at correct armhole length:
“At the armhole edge, bind off 3(4-4-5-5) sts twice, bind off 3(4-4-4-4) sts once, then bind off 3(3,4,4,4) sts twice. AT THE SAME TIME, at neck edge bind off 10 sts once, bind off 6 sts once, bind off 2 sts once, then work even at neck edge until shoulder bind offs are complete. Fasten off.” (4-4-4-3-3=18 knit row stitches bound off; 10-6-2=18 purl row stitches bound off). Total number of stitches to bind off equals 36 – same number I’m supposed to have when the decreases start, so should work out. But it didn’t.
Oh, oh, I feel a frog coming on!! Yikes!! And I thought it was the pattern — it’s me!
My knitting is troublesome!”
All Blue
Awesome game, Seahawks! After two weeks of complaining about too much green, it was blue all the way to the end of the fourth quarter.
Way Too Much Green!
Hoping for more blue next week!
Monday Scoreboard (KAL)
In the Scoreboard KAL with Knit Purl Hunter and sponsored by Skacel, a knitter knits one round per point using the scores of a favorite team’s score to make a cowl. I’m knitting a Seahawks Cowl, so I knit with blue when the Seahawks score and with green when their opponent scores. I used 4 rows of gray to start the season and 2 rows of gray between games. Here’s the score pattern for yesterday’s loss to St. Louis 34 – 31 (that’s 65 rounds of knitting!):
I’m hoping next weeks’ game with Green Bay is a defensive dual with the Seahawks winning 7 – 3. Watch for next Monday’s post!
POWR Interrupted
POWR* rode again yesterday. We had planned to do about 18 miles, from Pat’s house to Mern’s under-construction house and out through the flat country-side around the berry fields and dairy farms. But 7 miles into the ride, a chain jumped its sprocket, interrupted the ride and derailed our plans!
At least there was a wide spot to pull over,
…and a pleasant view while waiting to be rescued! Next time POWR* rides again, I’m putting my knitting project bag into my basket…just in case I have some wait time!!
*Pretty, Old Women Riders (don’t forget the comma…it makes all the difference) đŸ˜‰
Back in the Saddle — in More Ways Than One!
I haven’t written a blog post since August 10th! For some reason August was a blur. So today is catch up day! I’ve completed several knitting projects and started some more and in between a few were started AND finished! So here goes …….
Finished!
Started AND Finished……
(Doesn’t look like Black and Gold, but honestly, it is!)
(Yes, that’s really red, not orange!)
On the needles….
(red yarn is the provisional cast on!)
Finally, my new fun…..
Since I only have one balance nerve in my brain (due to the removal of a tumor in 1987), I cannot ride a conventional bicycle. But so glad I found this at Jack’s Bicycle Center in Bellingham. Now I can ride with POWR, better known as Pretty, Old Women Riders (don’t forget the comma; makes all the difference!)
Malcolm’s Scarf
Our daughter Michele recently gave us an early (very early!) wedding anniversary gift —
We’re so excited that we will be able to cross off “Attend a Pro Football Game” from our bucket list. On top of that it’s the Seahawks vs Steelers game! How awesome is that?? Michele’s friend Malcolm, a season ticket holder, gave them to her to give to us — AND we’ve never met him! What a guy!
As a thank you gift, I decided to knit a scarf for him in Seahawks colors. I checked out several patterns and actually created my own pattern by combining two of my favorites —
Fibonacci Scarf (always wanted to knit one of these!) by Deborah Cooke and Pressed Rib Cap & Muffler by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. I decided to knit it flat in order to make a quicker knit. Seemed like a good idea at the time and the ribbed knit made front and back indistinguishable. See my notes on this not so “good idea” on my Ravelry Project Page.
I picked up some Simplicity Yarn by Hikoo — worsted weight and good Seahawks colors!
(Some day I’ll figure out how to get 3 photos in a row on my blog! Help?)
A size 10 needle seemed to do the trick, and I cast on for the scarf. All went well with the initial ribbing in blue. Then came the first Fibonacci stripe — one row of the green.
Yuk! Looked awful! So I did what I usually do in this situation — sent a text with photo to Claudia and Pat. They both agreed and offered several suggestions. In the meantime, I added another row in the green just to see what would happen.
Well, this didn’t help much. So I frogged a few rows and tried multiple solutions for the problem. I debated starting over completely with a different pattern, but then I started over with the green stripe and Lo and Behold!
I discovered that if you let the rib be a rib and don’t over stretch it — the stripe looks fine! Who knew?? I also discovered that one row alone didn’t work!
So on I went using my modified Fibonacci pattern. My only withhold was all the ends I seemed to be accumulating!
I absolutely, completely, unequivocally, for sure, hate, can’t stand, don’t like, and detest weaving in ends and ordinarily I’ll do almost anything to avoid the dreaded task. But not much I could do here. So I worked on hoping against hope that the weaving fairy would miraculously show up in the middle of the night and take care of all those pesky ends!
Well, clearly that didn’t happen. So I just had to take the time and weave them in.
A good soaking and blocking makes this yarn so soft and cushy. Dried almost overnight!
And now, Malcolm, here’s your scarf. Thanks from the bottom of my heart through my knitting fingers!
Twisted Stitcher 