Wednesday, September 25, 2013

HOL-I-DAY!


oh sweet sweet holidays, how much am I loving you?!  Two whole weeks; no alarms, no deadlines or audits, no students.  

I haven't had a chunk of leave since I started in my new role at the start of the year and boy, was it starting to show.  I've been looking forward to this since July, I swear.

This first week I'm pretty much my own person, as Lily's at her Dad's and my fella's working, so I've been planning how to fit in all the projects I have put on the backburner, like resetting the layout of the kitchen and loungeroom furniture and appliances, giving my old kitchen dresser a fresh lease on life with a lick of paint, setting up new displays and clearing some clutter out and down to the garage.  I've got gardening to do, and some paintings and prints to hang.  I've made pompom garland that needs to be hung.  You know, ALL the things!

My girl gets back Friday and then we are heading off to a beach house down at Phillip Island for the second week so the pressure is on to get the bulk of my projects done before we leave. Phillip Island has a special place in my heart, having spent many summers there as a child at my aunt's beach house, and I can't wait to get on Island time...

I've also got a (lofty) goal to complete my two cardigans that are on the needles by the end of my leave, and a week away might be just the ticket to get that done!  Girl Friday needs some sleeves and a button band/collar, and Morganite is up to the yoke, but that yoke is all lace, and is taking some serious concentration to get it set up properly.  



The pattern is gorgeous, but my one tiny criticism is the instructions around the set up of the lace when you incorporate the body and the sleeves into the yoke are decidedly vague.  I haven't found many posts on Ravelry about similar problems people might have encountered, so I'm working slowly and checking things twice.  I've already ripped out once, after knitting 6 rows and realising despite following the written instructions, I hadn't managed to pair up the lace correctly.

I often over-think instructions, so I'm aware the issue is most likely with me however I do get frustrated when patterns leave things up to interpretation.  Do they count the yo's in the "last three stitches of Chart X" for example?  Or telling me to just work in stocking stitch if I can't manage to pair up all decreases and increases.  It's too much thinking for me! 


I've been alternating rows on my skeins, and I think I've managed to incorporate the different skeins quite well so far.  I used the darker on on the cuffs of the sleeves, then once past the ribbing I started alternating with one of the three matched skeins.  I'm just about to start introducing the much lighter skein around the yoke so hopefully this goes equally well.

I think I'm going to do a bit of project monogamy on this one and fingers crossed it will be finished before the weekend, so I can just take Girl Friday with me to the Island.  

Wish me luck!

8 comments:

Rose Red said...

Oh yay for holidays! Both weeks sound fabulous! And two new cardis at the end of it - that's my kind of holiday!! Enjoy enjoy enjoy xx

2paw said...

Holidays are something I miss, so I wish you a very happy holiday. One week of fun at home doing lots of good jobs really and then a proper away holiday!! I over think patterns, you have just described the kind of dilemma I have too. Your cardi looks lovely!!!

Huff said...

Yay holidays! Have a wonderful time on the island. I love the cardigan, it's going to be gorgeous.

Miss Prudence said...

I LOVE Phillip Island! WOw, your knitting projects are gorgeous, i wish my skills were at that level!
Enjoy your hols and projects :)

DrK said...

oh the cardi looks fab!! i know what you mean about instructions though. i dont like the way they sometimes assume you just know how to do things like tricky transitions. spell it out, its not that hard. and oh my god a holiday. you dont need me to say im jealous, because you've earned it. but i really am. i can think of very places i'd rather be right now than a phillip island beach house. have a fantastic time!

Faeryfay said...

Good luck and enjoy your holidays! The cardi looks gorgie -annoying about the lace instructions though. Wishing you happy knitting and sunshine!

Emma said...

I hope you are having a most productive and relaxing holiday! I swear, the period between the Queen's Birthday and Melbourne Cup holidays is the most difficult part of the year, it's such a slog without a break.

Your Morganite is looking fantastic!

Unknown said...

Hi, I stumbld across your blog after tearing my hair out with the exact same problem on the Morganite yoke lace set up! The instructions are disappointingly vague and frustrating.

Can you advise how you got through it? Your finished Morganite looks so beautiful and the colour is gorgeous!

Emma
missemmabenson@hotmail.com