Can you say deQuervain's Tendinitis?

My Amazing Lace team has been red shirted for at least two weeks. I do have tendinitis. The discomfort would get better and then I would twist my wrist or pick up something heavy and it would be back. I had an injection Friday and it is much more comfortable.

What Kind of Yarn are you? (meme)

I needed to clear my brain, you know, hit the refresh button so I pulled up the list of blogs I read through bloglines and found a survery on Needle Exchange by Eve: "What kind of yarn are you?" I never take the time to do these but decided today it would be a good way to clear my mind.

Well, I got a chuckle. I am Dishcloth Cotton!

You are a hard worker, most at home when you're at home. You are thrift and seemingly born to clearn. You are considered to be a Plain Jane, but you are too practical to notice!

Clean and Thrifty!!! This might be the one time I want to share this blog with my family. They would get a good hoot out of it.

Click here if you want to try.

I'm Running Block...

Have you heard Toby Keith's newest CD? There is a song called: "I'm running block." Throughly offensive and funny. The teenaged boys that hang around our house talk about falling on a hand granade for the sake of the group. In adult terms, they are inferring that there is always a girl in the group that is less attractive either by physical or personality standards. It is the responsibility of one member of the male group to spend time with her so that the girlfriends won't feel like they are ditching her.

Well, I feel like that might be what I am doing with Lacy. I have finished the back and attempted blocking. This is my first attempt. I have always just steamed the pieces and it has flattened and taken the life out of some of the yarns. I have been reading blog instructions on blocking and decided it was finally time.

1. I ordered lace blocking wires from Knit Picks. Is it appropriate to use them for blocking sweaters? Anyway, I did.
   
2. I used my cutting board that I use for sewing,
3. spread a sheet of contractor's plastic on top to make it waterproof,
4. soaked the sweater back in hot water and dishwasher detergent
5. rolled it up in thirsty towels
6. spread the back on the cutting board
7. used the wires to square the sides and bottom
8. T-pins were used on the shoulders and to keep the bottom and sides squared.

It is now drying, still drying. What I have learned:

1. Do not lay knitting out to dry when you are expecting a tropical depression and 100% humidity for DAYS!!!
2. Cotton does not stretch like wool. The blocking helped even out my tension somewhat but you can still see rows that don't look great. I started on the back on purpose so that I could work out the colorwork tension before I got to the fronts. It is a little better. At this rate, I will have some beautiful sleeves.

Tutorials I read on lace blocking:

1. Knitting Doctor blog She describes buying wire from a welding supply source. I am sure it was probably cheaper but sometimes convenience wins out.
   
2. Knit Picks tutorial
3. KBTH Online Symposium
   

Knitting in Public

I spent the day Knitting in Public. I could not join an organized event. I am still at the university for orientation with our son. While he took the placement exams, I sat under the Live Oaks and knitted on Lucy. I have decided to see about trading my ancient cell phone in for a picture phone when we get home. I wish I had a photo to show you where I knitted. This photo is from the University website. I was sitting behind the statute in a shaded garden. The university began 200 years ago and there are Live Oaks that are hundreds of years old. Their limbs reach out at horizontal angles and are yards long. They are tenacious at the same time, graceful - an engineering marvel. The birds were singing and the squirrels scampered and the gentle breezes blew. Coeds stopped occasionally to chat and question. One professor sat with me and we had a long professional conversation about our jobs and careers.

DS insistsd on driving so that he would become familiar with the route and also with the city. This has given me the hoped for knitting time. I have the back finished on Lacy and have begun the fronts. I am up to at least row 30. I like to knit both at the same time as it makes it so much easier for me to make sure they are the same.

We began the weekend in a hotel. We had very nice accommodations, an inside pool and fitness room. Today we accepted the invitation from the college and we are staying on the 13th floor of a college dorm - right across from the bank of 3 elevators. The room is in a suite and we are sharing a bathroom. I am not sure what I was thinking. Was I thinking!!!! DS has met some friends who came in to the city. The University is about half way from their house and ours. They really don't have the opportunity to see each other often so this works out. He has gone out for the evening, leaving me to the excitement of the dorm. Thank goodness the wireless is still working this summer. I have some office work to do.

That's All Folks

Graduation was wonderful. The alterations worked, the gown fit DH and DS had all the necessary dress clothes. It was a proud moment when they hugged on stage. DH is a bit older than I (18 years). It used to really bother DS when people would refer to him as his Grandfather. DS has come to terms with this and seems so much more comfortable in his own skin. It has always been my goal to raise independent and confident children. It has come back to bite me sometimes but they are both wonderful!

The men were well dressed, however I did not have a shawl. I ordered another skein of yarn. It is not the same colorway. I have not had a chance to go back and see if I misordered or was sent the wrong colorway. It is gorgeous but not what I need. Even if it had been correct, I never would have been able to finish in time. Long range planning has not been my strong suit for the last few years.

DS was a graduate for one day. We are now in Columbia, SC at the University of South Carolina for the weekend. Today was orientation for the Teaching Fellows scholarship program, tomorrow will be Placement tests and Monday - Orientation. He is now a freshman.

I did not bring a camera with me to take pictures of the adventures of the sock but rest assured, three days away from work and housework, some knitting will take place!!!

AL Team is Running on EMPTY!!!!

My team for the Amazing Lace is running out of steam. One of the team members, the most gorgeous, the Hand Maiden Silk, is not holding up its end. I know I set the goal of finishing the Print O Waves shawl to wear to DS' graduation but I did not plan on this.....

The pattern called for 800 yds. of lace weight yarn. The Hand Maiden Sea Silk was 437.4 yards. I ordered two skeins. There was a slight difference between the two skeins so I alternated the yarn as I knitted hoping to blend the differences. I have finished the edging along the bottom and half of one side and will definitely not have enough yarn too finish the edging. BALONEY!!!!!!

Soooooooo, I have suspended knitting and ordered another skein. I hope this next skein is not too different. I will alternate these two yarns hoping that they will blend. I do not want to frog the edging that I have completed. Why does it seem to take forever to knit the short rows of the edging?

Back to the drawing board for graduation.

TGIF

What more can I say?

Update

It is time for a progress update, as dismal as it may be. This is really the reason I blog. I enjoy knitting but writing about it adds some motivation. If I knit just 15 min longer, I will have more to show on the blog!

I have a sudden understanding and appreciation of Second Sock Syndrome!. The first sock was so easy. The yarn has just enough cotton to make it comfortable this summer and fall. The colors are restful, cool colors. Maybe they can create an oasis in this heat. I like the pattern, it has a turn down cuff with a mock cable every other rib, and Eye of Partridge heel and a round toe.

I have started the second sock 5 times and I am ready to send it to the frog pond, AGAIN!!! Yes, I know I am shouting - at least I kept the language clean.

I like my socks identical. The beginning point in the yarn for the second sock was difficult to identify as the stripes are different widths. I thought I knew which stripe I ended with but I guess the decreases in the toe made the stripe seem wider. I accommodated for that but still was in error. I had to restart twice to find the right start. Got that worked out and then realized I had made some horrible errors in the mock cable - they were not in the correct rib, I had them dancing back and forth!!! What was I thinking about!! Now I realized that I performed the twist on the wrong rows. I am goingg to start over ONE MORE TIME AND THAT IS IT!!!!! This is my take along project. Not any more, I may need to work this cuff at home in moments of intense concentration!!!

The grafting on the Print O Waves shawl went well. I left both ends loose so that I can weave them in after blocking. I just wasn't sure of the tension and was worried that I had it too tight. I have been working on this in the evenings and have begun the outside border. I had a startling thought this morning that is still stuck in my head. DS graduates next week. I have ordered a new linen sleeveless dress. Would it not be wonderful if this were finished and I could use it for the ceremony? Scary thought but I am going to give it a try. This border seems to take forever, I have one end completed.

The competition for my time will be DH"s graduation regalia. He has a PH.D. from Chapel Hill, will be part of DS's ceremony and really wanted a gown to wear. In the past, the school either provided a cheap black rental or he wore a suit. At Christmas, I checked on ordering one. The official gown from Chapel Hill has the "Carolina" blue and the school seals. The complete regalia was $1000. Just could not go there!!!! Soooooooo, I ordered from another company. Carolina blue does not exist anywhere else but in Carolina so the blue is close but not quite. Obviously it will not have the seals, that was ok with DH. It came yesterday and he HATES the fit. I can not send it back, there is no time to get something else and I guess I will be rennovating. To major to label it alterating. Wish me luck! I quilt and make clothing but I hate to sew on buttons and do hems and all that stuff.

Final updatete is Lacy. I have been working on her during lunch. Depending on the amount of colorwork in the row, I have been able to get 3-5 rows done. I had hoped to finish the back last night but family 'NEEDS' kept interrupting the knitting time. I think I can finish it today. I sure hope the blocking evens everything out. I had put this sweater at the bottom of my list for 4 years because I was afraid of trying to keep the tension of intarsia even. It is OK but not great. I am hoping blocking will create miracles.