the Akamai Knitter

the Teal Icarus
Originally uploaded by AkamaiKnitter.

I started this last week Thursday, on the 15th of June. I’m using size 3.25 mm needles or US size 3 and a teal Tencel yarn I got from WEBS. The Tencel has a really lovely drape but I don’t really care for it otherwise. It’s too slippery and I often feel like I just learned how to knit when I work with it. Errors in knitting are harder to fix and the fabric on the whole is less forgiving if you want to drop an extra yarn over or create one. I’m going to be so happy to be fininshed wiht this.

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I didn’t go to the Aloha Knitters meeting tonight. That’s the 3rd meeting I’ve missed in a row. I miss the whole gang. (cue cheers theme song)

Instead I finished the knitting on the Moon Dance. Now all I have to do is weave in the ends and block it. I think it’ll be a monster to block because it’s longer then my cutting board. I keep meaning to go to the hardware store to look at the insulation foam, but I never seem to find the time.

Meanwhile, as I lay in bed knitting with Onyx keeping me company, I restarted the Pomatomus socks and then I restarted the Pomatomus socks and then I restarted the Pomatomus sokcs. Ay yi yi. All it was, was that I forgot how to count to twelve. Really! To twelve! “Oh my brain, Iago. He was my friend” Forgive the bad misquote I get so punchy when I don’t sleep.

Oh that’s right, I haven’t said have I? I have a chronic slieep disorder (Fibromyalgia). I’m lucky if I get 7 hours of sleep twice in one week. I’m trying to change all that though through diet, exercise, and medication. La di daaa It’s a long process though. So while I wait, I usually lie in bed and knit during the rougher flare ups, or watching tv.

That’s why I set up that poll on which shawl to start next. All the shawls I want to start require more concentration then my poor brain is capapble of at this time. So I decided to go with the popular vote and start the Icarus in a gorgeous teal tencel.

Pictures forthcoming. Stay tuned. Peace be with you.

(does anyone else get the blabbers with Lunesta?)

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The votes are starting to come in at mystery book club knitalong. So.. join the fun! What’s stopping you? There are never enough knitalongs!

In other news, I’m working on Clue 2 of the Mystery Shawl Along 4. Also, I heard from my Great-Aunt Eleanor. She sent a picture of us at dinner when she came to visit from Tacoma, Washington. She also wrote a note and mentioned how impresed she was with the Peacock Feathers Shawl I made. I’m so flattered since she used to knit a lot so this isn’t just an impressed non-knitter compliment. :-)

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I thought I’d try out this polling software and since I can’t seem to make a decision on which mindless lace pattern to do first.

The candidates include the Ostrich Plumes Triangular Shawl, the Landscape Shawl, and the Icarus Shawl.

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Monday was King Kamehameha Day, so I had a long weekend, but I still wasn’t able to finish the Moon Dance. I finished the main body of the shawl on Saturday and one side of the edging just yesterday. I guess I forgot how fiddly knitting edgings on can be. I still love knitted on edgings though. They seem so magical. Once you’ve got them on the edge has dissapeared. The stitches just swallow it up and you’ve got this wonderfully elastic fabric. This is by far my favourite finish for a shawl.

So even though I didn’t finish the shawl this weekend, I’m not discouraged. What is discouraging is that I had to rip out my Pomatomus socks. I took them with me when I went out for brunch on Sunday and in between people stopping in their tracks to stare and comment to their companions, but not to me, apparently I’m invisible, and people asking me what in the world are you doing?! I made a major mistake about an inch and a half below my needles. I decided that the least of the heartache was to just rip it out and start off. I haven’t quite gotten over the pain to start over though.

Speaking of heartache, I have decided that a square Frost Flowers and Leaves just isn’t going to be right for me. The shawl is just too big. It finishes as 6′ x 6′ and that’s about a foot taller then I am. Me too short! So I’m going to cast on for the triangular shawl sometime soon.

I also decided to scrap the Eternal Fichu for a more user friendly pattern that I can take with me when I’m out about about. Some candidates include the Ostrich Plumes Triangular Shawl, the Landscape Shawl, and the Icarus Shawl. I’m waiting on some yarn from Furry Yarns so I’ll decide when they get here.

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