Creative Knight

Don’t worry.  This post is rated G. 

After emailng the instructions for building a PVC niddy noddy to the Knight twice, showing him Anita’s designer version and pouting, Thursday’s rain somehow moved him to action.  Now, keep in mind that while he works with PVC daily, our business uses larger diameters than what the instructions suggested.  Rather than send someone to town for supplies for a non-work-related project, he put on his thinking cap and pulled out some 1/2″ pex pipe.  It’s a bit flexible, and he’s concerned about that, but what I like is that the bugger’s portable!  It’s literally a snap to assemble, and I will nab a jumbo rubberband to hold it all together Tuesday…

There’s no end to his ingenuity.  Yesterday, we went shopping for roses for the Garden (still no definitive name), and I grabbed stitch markers, but not enough, and not big enough for the needles I was using.  He first offered keys (yes, he probably did have enough on that ring to do for the project), but no thanks.  I was trying to soldier on without them, when we stopped for lunch.  Turns out a Taco Bell straw is precisely just big enough for #7 needles.  Thank goodness he always carries a SHARP pocket knife with him. 

I love that it coordinates with the yarn, that Tofutsies is tough enough not to mind the slightly rough edges on some “markers”, and I know the recipient will love that the Knight had a hand in the project, so even though I’ve been home for several rows, they’re staying in place for the duration.

That wad of lace is what I was very literally obsessed with casting on at 6am or so yesterday.  I’ve gone from not being able to knit to NEEDING to knit, and not being able to get my fingers/needles to fly fast enough to satisfy my inner knitter.  I awoke with the knowledge that I must frog a project, set aside another newly started one I want to crank out in a hurry, and start THIS, right NOW.  It is for my aunt with colon cancer, so it needs to be ready to go ASAP, so she has it for her hospital stay next week.  I’m about half-way, and I know that because I am modifying the pattern to work with the one skein of Tofutsies I have.  (Shush.  Of course I have dozens of skeins of Tofutsies and even at least one colorway with two skeins, but this is a limited edition colorway, and it’s perfect.  Also, auntie wants a shoulder shawl, so again, one skein is perfect.)  You see, it had to be Tofutsies.  She loves the beach as much as I do, so the chitin in there will make her smile.  Plus, I can’t expect her caretakers to fuss with handwashing and blocking.  They do iron for her, and auntie first taught me to knit a LONG time ago, so she’ll see to it that it gets pressed into a pretty shape after washing.

And of course, Grace’s Comforting Heart (see link above) is the perfect pattern.  This yarn won’t show the pattern to its fullest, but auntie and I will know those hearts are there.  She’ll also know that for every heart on the shawl, wrapped around her as she heals, there’s someone praying for her. 

Now that I’ve had to shove my fists in my eyes, let’s talk about the other WIP I started Friday evening.  If I you Rav-stalk me (and I know some of you do; turnabout is fair play after all), you know I’ve been clicking on just about every top-down sweater ever knitted, and a few not-that-style sweaters too.  So don’t act all surprised that in a fit of frenzy on Friday, I purchased the Plath Cropped Cardigan.  Then, I came home and stole some pretty, bright blue yarn from what was going to be the Knight’s firefighter afghan.  (I justified that by the copious reviews on how Cotton Fleece bleeds.  That won’t do on an afghan with no fewer than eight colors!)  I actually swatched, cast on, and know I want to finish this in a hurry so I can enjoy wearing it immediately.  However, there was a little heart-tug moment here too, when I was putting the project in my Ravelry list and realized the color is called My Blue Heaven.  Miss you, Muggums.

And the frogged…  Shawl pattern #2 for the lovely blue alpaca laceweight that will become a wrap for someone very special bit the dust.  The Blue Jay pattern wasn’t working for me.  So, once I finish the Comforting Hearts, I’ll decide whether I have time to push that one through for the deadline I have in mind, or wait and crank it out for Christmas.  Third time’s the charm so they say, so I’m very hopeful that Julia  will indeed be the pattern that works for this yarn and me.