Asian Cables
6:21 p.m. - 2006-04-06
It was a slow day at work yesterday, off and on. During the lulls, I pulled out a Japanese knitting magazine and looked at a sweater I really admire. It is a hooded cardigan in an all-over cable design, as handsome on the man wearing it in slate blue as it is on the woman who has one in off-white. I knew that someday I was going to have to decifer the Japanese and write out the pattern so decided to get a start on it. I managed to get most of it done. I have some instruction sheets I printed off the net that tell how to read Japanese patterns, and I have a book for machine knitters called, oddly enough, 'Japanese for Machine Knitters'. I am amazed how fast you can get used to the characters and spot them in the pattern. I was interested in the hood design because it is picked up around the neckline and short-rowed to fill in the lower front neckline. I am really in a cable mood at the moment.
The carrot cardigan is galloping along. I am just about to start the underarm decreases on the back. When I made the hooded cabled cardigan for Abby, (from the same Street Smarts booklet) I tried knitting both sleeves at once, using the same needles and 2 balls of yarn. As long as I remembered to turn the needles correctly so the yarn did not tangle, it worked great and seemed to take less time. When I was done, both sleeves were done!
We are still sogged down by the weather. Thank goodness we got the new dehumidifier or we would all be sprouting mold, I am sure. The state is starting in on the flooded creeks and mud/hill slides that prolonged wet weather always brings. If we can just get a little break this weekend, I can get my seeds started.
Auntie M is starting to show interest in knitting. She has done stained glass, decorative painting, sewing, and cake decorating, but she recently told me that for awhile she has been doing nothing creative. She had three teenagers and an obstetrical nursing career, so it is no surprise that her time was limited. I hope she gets into knitting, and I am trying to talk her into buying a nice knitting machine. She is going to get the old one from January that I got from one of my knitting acquaintances. It is a weird old brand, but I think it still has the instruction book.
He and I went to Jason's last night and celebrated Jason's birthday a little. Jason has a cold but is on the mend. He plans to have Joel pick up some pizza's in Berkeley on his way home Friday for his party on Saturday. They are the kind you can refrigerate and bake later. Joel says Evan prefers a "white" pizza, which I had never heard of. Apparently it contains chicken, cheese, and alfredo sauce. Sounds weird, but the Evans love it. Jellie tells me that she and her friends are going to be in the talent show at school later this month. I could not go to the last concert because of the horrid division dinner, so I am sure I will have to go to this one. She and said friends are doing a skit from Alice In Wonderland in which Jellie will play the Dormouse.
Today the sun was out. it is supposed to be a brief respite, but I decided to sit in the car at noon and read a library book. Have to get some rays when you can. Now I am off to do what I like best - sit in a warm bed and knit, while watching TV and reading a book.
