Am I the only one who believes that my Covid brain is not working at the same capacity as my pre-Covid one? Or is it just that I have entered a new decade, and although my cataracts can be repaired, my concentration could just be shot.
It may also be that the "worry sphere" of the brain has overtaken the part that used to be able to really focus on things like, say, a knitting pattern.
On my needles right now is a gorgeous pattern called "Ghost in the Orchard" (link is to the Ravelry page). I am knitting it in a fabulous green colour of Forge yarn by Hudson and West that I got at Needles in the Hay, my LYS.
Yes, it has cables, and yes, I was ready to pay attention once I got that far. But I am on my "third" attempt at just the ribbing at the bottom. Yikes.
The first time, I had a little over an inch knit and realized I had a twist. (A little visit to the "Googler" searching "How Not to Twist" convinced me that knitting a few rows and then joining in the round was the way to go.) Second time, I finished the ribbing - without a twist - and then realized that there is a "set up row" required in order to put the ribbing in the correct place under the cables. Big DUH!
And that's the concentration deficit rearing its ugly head once again. That lovely pink sweater in the last post, with the drop-dead-simple lace pattern on the yoke, was the first "rear". Well, at least in knitting. My appreciation for stitch markers has grown exponentially.
Now that I am "on track" for this pattern, I am prepared for whatever smacks it gives me. This is one knit where "It's not the destination, it's the journey" will be ringing in my head. And it will not be a TV knitting project, like socks. It will be a "pay attention stupid" knit! And I am fine to have one of each - that way you get two things at the end.
Between the Love Note sweater in the last post, and this new one, I finished another sweater. It has been in my favourites list forever, and I took apart another sweater to become my Lillet (again a Ravelry link).
If you have never up-cycled a sweater, it is quite an undertaking. First you have to ravel/unravel (an ongoing debate with my mother many years ago) the original sweater. It is important to ensure you have the right amount of yarn and the correct gauge for the "to be" sweater. In this case, it is a worsted yarn, and I had plenty of yarn when I compared the requirements of the two patterns.
Once you have wound the yarn from the "donor" sweater, you need to skein it, so that you can soak it to remove all the kinks. I think because of the lace at the top of this sweater, kinks would have presented even a greater challenge to my concentration. Didn't want to go there.
Once the skeins are soaked, un-kinked and dried, you have to rewind the yarn into cakes or balls.
So how many hours are we into this project already, you ask. Don't. It is not for the feint of heart.
This pattern only needs serious concentration until you get the wee bit of lovely lace at the top complete. Then it is a pretty easy knit the rest of the way. There was an option to repeat the lace, above the ribbing, at either the sleeves or bottom. I knew better than to tempt fate by doing either of those.
Today, I am wearing my Lillet, and it was worth every second, minute, hour of the process. It is comfy, flattering and the lace at the boatneck is fabulous. I think this will become a "once a week" sweater, which is awesome when I have so many in my stash.
Here's a very bad selfie - at which I am very good. (Confession: I may have screwed up the short rows at the back - again a COVID concentration issue, however, I can't see that.) I really really, like this sweater. Good thing, because there is another "donor" in the cupboard waiting for a new life.
Hopefully by my next post, my "Ghost" will appear. May there be minimal "frogging" till then.
And the next "reincar-knition" will be ready to go as well.
Stay safe.
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