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Knitting Friday

 

Wednesday was the first time the hospice nurse said DM had taken a definite decline. Not going to tell her; though obviously I'm not keeping my mouth totally shut as I'm saying this on my blog. But what's the use of telling her? It's a yin and yang dilemma as to whether it would bring her comfort. Yes, because she understands and welcomes this ending for her life but No, because I see a glimmer of hope for that miracle she even knows isn't coming.

#1 Frogged, not the lace scarf

 

I discovered yesterday that a wool blazer with a lace wool vest and a fingering weight wool lace scarf is not warm enough for sitting in a car in 50 degree weather while waiting for Kumon boy. He really wasn't long in there but I was sure cold. So I decided to frog that lace scarf (which I had originally made as a swatch scarf in my search for one good lace pattern for a special gift scarf) and make it shorter and wider and reversible. Talk about thrift! Talk about nuts!

 

And talking about frogging. I got absolutely no where with the small afghan in #1 because I realized that as an afghan it was too flimsy. So I went back to an old stand-by, Shimmer Mesh, by Lion Brand:

 

#2 Shimmer Mesh

http://vannaschoice.lionbrand.com/patterns/L10288.html 

 

and am making another one of these, #2:

 

I don't use DK yarn nor do I double my yarn but in fingering or even lace held single, it makes for a light, delicate shawl or scarf. (Note: You must work into chain stitches throughout this project so unless you are able to work well-defined chains in novelty yarn, I would stick with traditional yarns.)

#3 Wheel chair blanket

I finished DM's wheel chair blanket and it's very, very warm. These are great on-going projects and great busters of yarn stashes. Here's the pattern for the original mitered square (and the first one in this project) again:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/decrease-crochet-miter-square

 

I just went back to Knitting Friday on 11/1/13 where I give directions for making a mitered square blanket and I think they should be cleaned up and presented in a more traditional pattern format....one of these days........

#4 Foundation Chain Row

I just happened upon these two swatches (#4) and they show why I like to make my foundation chain and sometimes first row with a larger hook. In #4 at the bottom of the picture, you have the foundation chain rows for two swatches. The one on the left is "even" from top to bottom because I started with a larger hook then switched to the one called for in the pattern. The one on the right puckers in at the bottom (tough to see, but it does.) because I used the same sized hook throughout

 

Cripes! This hasn't been Knitting Friday. It's been Crochet Friday. Sorry, knitters. I just seem not to have the time for serious knitting right now (two KALs are hanging fire) and this may be the first year in 4 when I didn't start the Advent Calendar Scarf on time. Oh, well.

 

Let me just keep chugging along in crochet then and end with something I just learned; the faux double crochet. It's what you use when the directions say: Chain 3, to be considered the first double crochet throughout.

 

Instead of making a limp chain 3, you work a faux double crochet, shown here, which is much sturdier:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhbRoNX2nQw 

She gives a good explanation though I had to make some notes to really "get it." Here they are:

1. At the beginning of the row, pull up a loop to mimic the size of a double crochet (DC). Your hook is inside this loop and your working yarn is behind and to the left.

2. Put your index finger on the top of the loop to stabilize the size.

3. Take the hook under this loop to the back (working yarn still out of the way and to the left)

4. Now, it looks like you have two loops on the hook.

5. YO by taking your yarn from L to R under your hook and then over your hook and back to the left.

6. Bring this YO through the loop so you have 2 loops on the hook again.

7. YO and bring your yarn through these final 2 loops as you would do in a regular DC.

8. After you make your next regular DC, compare it to the faux DC and you will see they both have horizontal bars on the top.

 

OK, it's getting late. Got to run. See you next week. Hopefully with pictures of my reversible, knit, lace scarf and my new Chiaogoo needle set. Happy Knitting - and Crocheting.