Participating in Ginny's Yarn Along...
Lots of contrasts in this week's Reading & Yarn Along!
I am reading Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Wives & Daughters' on my Kindle because as a classic it is free through Amazon. Earlier this week, I watched the BBC's mini-series version of the book on Netflix and enjoyed it so much I thought I'd read the book as well. I've been having a bit of an obsession lately with programs of this sort. I think what I enjoy most about stories of this nature that even the most 'shocking' part of the story isn't even a 'blink the eye' sort of occurrence in so many of today's stories. The stories are not focused around CSI type dramas nor bizarre medical condition after bizarre medical condition and there's never any onslaught of graphic detail when a death or illness does occur. They are simple stories and even the most risque of them would be considered 'wholesome' by today's standards.
I am knitting 'The Butt Sweater' which is a rather ungraceful and unladylike name especially when you are reading Wives & Daughters. I keep hearing Cynthia reprimanding me for use of the term 'butt!' However, if you look at the photos that accompany the design you can see that it is actually a simple, but feminine skirt. See my Butt Sweater progress here: hopefully!
The yarn is from my stash; it's Knit Picks Shine Sport which is a cotton blend that I hope will make the 'butt sweater' comfortable for wearing in late Spring. This color is rather a bold bright blue--I think of it as 'cookie monster blue'--that I bought a long time ago for another project that I didn't have the skill set (yet!) for and have long lost the instructions. I'm trying to clear out some of my stash and this will allow me to use up all the skeins of this particular yarn.
Last week I shared my 'Branching Out' Scarf that I had started for a slightly more challenging beginner lace project. I am nearly halfway finished with it but I would be nearly three quarters of the way finished if I hadn't had to rip back several inches. I brought the project with me when we visited family on the other side of Pennsylvania and twice I brought it out to knit on it. Both times were frustrating and I couldn't concentrate on the work and everyone around me. Since I didn't come all that way to spend time with my yarn, I set the scarf aside and didn't pick it up until I returned home and noticed that I had knit a good many inches backwards. All the right side work was on the wrong side! I ripped back to the mistake and re-knit it yesterday. I learned the lesson of needing a simpler travel project (the Butt Sweater would make a great one--the majority of it is stockinette stitch 'round and 'round!) especially if I intend to knit while sharing conversation with extended family.
