I spent the whole morning yesterday detangling a skein of linen yarn. Me, I mangled it, with all my experience I still managed to make a nasty tangled mess of a skein, ask my son, he'll attest to it. I didn't take a picture, I was too ashamed. What should have taken me a half hour took me three and half hours. Here's the thing, I'm lacking the proper equipment, largely a swift and ball winder. Usually I sit cross legged or as we used to call it Indian style and wrap the skein around my knees and hand wind the ball of yarn, but yesterday morning I was all excited about the new skein and starting a new project that I wanted to wind the ball right then, except I hadn't even dressed yet. I was only wearing my robe so I didn't think it would be proper to sit crosslegged with the yarn around me knees, cuz I didn't have any panties on, you see. So instead of getting dressed (which would have been the smart thing to do.), I thought I'd just try winding the skein out flat and winding it. It didn't work, shortly I had a tangled mass, a nasty tangled mess, so I ended up hanging the skein on a doornob and and slowly and tediously detangle the mess a yard at a time. So much for being perfect, which I knew was a myth anyway but I hate to be reminded that I'm flawed, I'm not perfect but a girl can dream.
The linen yarn is for knitting wash cloths. ( which, mom if your reading this, may or may not be a mother's day gift.) I set up an exchange for the TCSnB (Twin Cities Stitch and Bitch), a few of us are going to partner up with each other. We'll each knit two or three washcloths, keep one for ourselves and then swap the others with each other. We are all using the same kind of yarn but the color and pattern is up to the indivisual knitter. I didn't set this up on my blog because I wanted to keep this exchange local. I'm hoping that the exchanges can be made in person. This is the first exchange through the group and I'm hoping it goes over well and that we can do others. [Incidentally I'm taking ideas on what other things you would like to do for an exchange.]
Other things that happened this past week. I finished the Lace scarf I knit for Ani's best friend's Mom who is a breast cancer survivor. The scarf is suppose to be knit in pink but I couldn't find pink in lace weight but I found a cream color with a slightly pink cast to it, which I thought would do. After I finished it, I decided that creamy pink would not do. So, people, I kool aid dyed it. The scarf would have been done a whole lot sooner if I weren't dreading the dyeing of it. I tried kool aid dying before and it didn't work out, of course, I didn't know then that it doesn't work on cotton. So with alot of trepidation I dyed the scarf using pink lemonade and it worked great. I don't have a picture yet but I will post it soon. Kris is a lucky woman. Her scarf survived and she a survivor.
I have been working on the poncho, I'm nearly done I was hoping I could finish the border without starting a new skein but it doesn't look like that is going to happen, so close though, only five more inches. The poncho will be finished tonight and blocked and fingers crossed posted tomorrow. Sharon is a going to be shocked.
The ladies at the SWSnB that I went to on Wed. liked the poncho very much, I myself am not convinced perhaps I've been working with it too long, a long time friend of mine who lives in California ( and you know who you are) sent me an email saying she loves the poncho as well, which I appreciate but, I don't know there is something about it that isn't quite right about it. There is nothing I can do about it, it is what it is. I figure even if Sharon doesn't want to wear it as poncho she can use it as a throw or maybe a car seat cover. If you didn't make it to the SnB you missed some fun. Lisa brought Ursala her mother-in-law and knitting mentor, Lisa is starting a felted bag project, Ursala is knitting socks for the grandkids. Meleah came looking fabulous, wearing her purple sweater that she knit herself. Meleah was knitting on the sleeves for a Noro sweater she is knitting. Maryanna came wearing a very pretty cotton sweater that she was working on at the last SnB. You know, I forgot to ask her what she was knitting. She is teaching herself to knit continentally and I showed her how I knit, which is a combination method, didn't I mention I am a knitting heretic.
Ani has started her own blog this week. If your interested in the rantings of my favorite sixteen year old girl here's her blog. And as she feared I would, I'm posting a picture of her definitely not studying for her presentation on the space race.