Sunday, October 17, 2010

Here Today...

How many hours (days, months, years) do you get into a project and decide it is just not right? I had been knitting on this scarf (an excellent pattern, very beautiful) for quite some time, but only a little actual knitting at a time. Why, you ask? Because it had several rows of patterning that had to be counted very carefully. One of my main "rules" for knitting is that it has to be simple enough to knit anywhere. I was actually trying the pattern in the scarf size to determine if I wanted to knit the shawl. (The yarn is Ella Rae lace merino in color 102.)
I had about 12 inches done. Here's a close-up.

And this is what it looked like on Thursday afternoon. I knew I would never finish it, so while Callie wasn't looking, I frogged it. And cast on for a new scarf. I actually cast on twice. Once with too many stitches, thinking it would look fabulous wider. Then, after knitting several rows I realized my mistake and cast on again.


This is the result of only a bit of knitting. It is the feather and fan pattern, with three knit stitches on each side, 8 rows on the top and bottom to keep it from curling. Only four pattern rows total. (For the feather and fan pattern, please visit: www.allfreecrafts.com/knitting/feather.shtml. You can knit lots of things in this pattern with different needle sizes and weights of yarn!


A close-up of the pattern and yarn.

In an ironic twist of fate, I was catching up on some blog reading today and guess what I found? The Yarn Harlot (http://www.theyarnharlot.ca/blog/) is using the same stitch pattern and the same number of stitches to also knit--wait for it--a scarf!!! How cool is that!

I have been quilting as well and will share those pics over the next few days. I actually started and finished something in less than 24 hours! (Okay, haven't I warned you about keeping chocolate by your computer in case you are overcome with vapors at what I'm up to? Consider this your second warning.)

It's been beautiful here the last couple days--but windy and cool. Better than snow! And the furnace is fixed--Yahooooooooo!!!!

Hugs to all,
Sharon

3 comments:

  1. Beautiful knitting! Glad to see you're still knitting in between quilting projects. Lovely yarn. Thanks for the great photos!

    bmac

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  2. I was recently shop hopping with friends in central NYS. We stopped at a shop in Marcellus, and I ended up admiring a lovely quilt top in the sale room. I was very sure it was fused, so I turned the corner up to look at the back.

    Much to my amazement, this perfectly done top was all hand work...done as a class sample by someone named "Sharon Stroud." It's a small world! Unfortunately it's too far away for me to go to on a regular basis.

    It was good to see your work, even if I didn't see you in person.

    Janet

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  3. Sharon,Beautiful pattern and yarn.I just called my friend Debbie who is a fabulous knitter and told her to look on your blog to see this. We are all excited about tommorrow's class in Scranton...see you then!!
    Kathie

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