A few weeks ago, I had a wonderful daytrip planned for Saturday, April 8. I was planning on hopping in the car and driving to Doylestown, PA to see you in person and get you to sign my copy of your new book, Knitting Rules! But yesterday in Baltimore was dreary and rainy, and I just couldn't bring myself to lose nearly three hours of knitting time (I couldn't get DH and the Boys enthused about a drive in nasty weather. Curse the gods. If it had been sunny, he would have driven in a heartbeat).
Around 5 p.m., I found myself very sad about my decision. So I loaded up the band and we headed to Barnes and Noble and I picked up an unsigned (sigh) copy.
Less than 12 hours later (and a portion of that was devoted to sleep), I was done. In fact, I just finished.
I've read your other two books cover to cover, and keep them in my knitting basket in case I need a pick-me-up, and this book was every bit as entertaining as the others. This book, however, has an instructional quality that the others don't -- with Harlot patterns that make even a pi shawl sound easy. It has commentary on every knitting staple out there -- scarves, socks, shawls, sweaters [I left out hats because the alliteration would have lost something] ... and its done so plainly and with such humor that its a fabulous read. It's like Harot Touched By Zimmerman. And I absolutely love it.
Can you please come to Baltimore some day so us Marylanders can meet the woman who makes OCD a regular part of life? There are so many of us who thank you from the bottom of our stashes for making our obsessions with yarn and needles and tape measures OK.
And on another note...
Earlier this week, I was stricken with a major case of Spring Fever. The weather was warm, it was great to be outside, and I had serious hopes that I could put the winter coats away for good. I even cast on to make FadClassic. But then the weather shifted and I'm working on this nifty little vest that makes me lament even more that it's cold outside. But I'm moving along on it.
A few notes about the piece. Firstly, I got the pattern from KnitandTonic Wendy, who perhaps should get a platinum yarn medal for "Flash Your Stash" photo from April 1. What makes that shot even cooler is that her husband did the set up and that the picture doesn't include ALL of her yarn. You can read about that in her blog.
Anyway, I cast on on Wednesday and ended frogging the sleeves and starting over on Thursday (I didn't do a provisional cast-on for the sleeves like I should have because I DIDN'T READ THE INSTRUCTIONS), but I'm making good progress. It's a nifty little vest in Tahki cotton (she did green, I opted for coral because green makes me look sickly), and I think it's going to be cute either by itself or over a little t-shirt or even a blouse. Cute, cute cute.
BUT ... even though it's knitted in the round, there is purling involved. I would have known this going in if I had read the pattern from beginning to end, but instead, I made an assumption that will slow up my knitting. But that's OK. Especially since the weather has gone and gotten nasty again ... there's no real rush (at least until the weather warms again. Then I'll be driving myself mad trying to finish it in time).In it's current state, it looks rather bra-like. My youngest son asked me if I was making "one of those funny-looking knitted swimsuits" yesterday. I assured him I was not. The honestly of children (and their knowledge about such things as knitted bikinis) sometimes boggles the mind.
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