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| 'Pilar' by thimble |
Hard to believe but this has been a beginners guide to knitting blunders from start to finish...and I refuse to entertain the notion that has anything to do with DVD box set distractions.
So this was the pattern that caught my eye in 'Debbie Bliss: Alpaca Silk':
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| 'Pilar' by Debbie Bliss |
Well the first stumbling block was that no-one sells Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk any more.
No problem - I've read the books - so armed with a ball of Cashmerino Aran and aunty Maureen's bag of needles I made a tension square and chose my pins.
Garter stitch is easy peasy. In no time at all having flown down the left front and sleeve I was alarmed to discover I seemed to be knitting a 1980's style half-top or doll jumper. My pins were too small or I must have gotten tenser since the tension square. By now I was feeling pretty tense and having un-ravelled 2 months of jumper that was very nearly the last straw.
However not one to fall at the first hurdle, this time I made 4 tension squares and picked 6.5mm needles (the pattern called for 4.5mm). Feeling confident and with renewed fervor, clickety clack, off I shot.
4 months later and with the help of Hedley the moment of truth could not be avoided:
I have a feeling that I lost count on the first sleeve in series 1 of Whitechapel and during the denouement I added another 30 rows:
At this point it was all going wrong. Unlike the picture in the book I was looking at holey borders and scruffy seams, plus the cloak/shawl/cape bit wasn't staying put.
So remembering the Mandala quilt - what is the best way of covering up bad workmanship?
EMBELLISHMENTS of course!
Out with the crochet hook for the edge, double row for good measure
a couple of little beads for the tie
and a beautiful handmade button to keep the shawl in place
it will have to do
I'm calling an official end to the year of the cape.
