Thingie!

[ailbhe]

It's growing. Today I knitted at a bus-stop, on a bus, and in the X-Ray waiting room. I've learned that it's ok to knit only ten stitches at a time and then put the knitting away. It's ok to do it in dribs and drabs. Hurrah! This way,it might actually get done.

But I've totally lost track of how many rows I've done. I used to know how to count rows. It's stocking stitch. On the loopy side, as opposed to the arrowy side, is each visible loop a row or two rows? My Nana always counted her rows in two but I'm not sure where she counted.

Since I have at least 30 rows to go, and no more decreasing or anything, before it's even half-finished, I have plenty of time to work this out.

The charity shop sold me some complementary yarn to finish and trim it. Hurrah! I shall be asking about sewing it all together soon.

Knitting, by the way, is heavy on the hands. I may experiment with circular needles, as apparently then the weight is more evenly distributed and/or in your lap rather than on your arms. But I like my bamboo needles! I like them a lot!

Comments

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Easier to count the Vs in my experience. But on the purl side, you need to make sure you're counting loops that face the same way - a row looks like unununununununun if you imagine those us and ns flattened out appropriately.
)
(
)
(
)
( explains it better but takes up more space. :) So long as you stick to counting just Us or just Ns you'll get an accurate count.


Circs definitely are much better than straight needles for wrist and arm comfort. You can buy bamboo circs too.

[pariyal.livejournal.com]

When you have a loopy side and an arrowy side, each visible loop on the loopy side is a row.

When you have two sides that look the same --a row of loops, a row sitting back-- each visible loop (together with the loop sitting back under it, which is a front loop on the other side) is two rows.

Does that help any?

[barakta]

My girlfriend took up knitting again before she went into hospital for her gallbladder removal. It was one of the things she could do when out of her face on codeine before the surgery and when fairly zonked afterwards. I think she's started another random scarf for 'something to do with her hands' activity.

Hope you find a way of making it less stressful on wrists and hands, I know so well hand/wrist fatigue - very annoying.

Natalya

[artela.livejournal.com]

I've always counted on the "flat v" side personally... no doubt that way.

[thereyougothen.livejournal.com]

i second the bamboo circs - I have some fantastic ones that i got from ebay, they have the smoothest join from the cable to the needle, i've also heard very good things about rosewood circs, they have brass connectors and are not only gorgeous, they're supposedly nice to use as well. (these people sell them: http://www.scottishfibres.co.uk)
the other thing about using circs is that I find it much less risky to stop mid row, but that could just be me!

[k425.livejournal.com]

Is it your technique that's heavy on the hands? Mine is, quite frankly, dreadful, so sometimes I have to stop knitting because my fingers are seizing up. I ought to try a different technique but can't get my head around it.

So, what is your thingie?

[ailbhe]

It's not my technique - it's fine until the amount of fabric on the needles is actually heavy, at which point, it's heavy on my hands.

Aran wool

[mecmom.livejournal.com]

Have you knitted with unbleached wool? Like for an Aran Sweater, excuse me, jumper (?) What it does to your hands is wonderful... all that lanolin goes right into your skin, the longer you knit, the smoother your hands.

I'm Iain's mom, by the way, and I've been lurking here for awhile, I hope that's not wierd to you, though it probably is. I started reading his friends list (at his suggestion) years ago... and now I just don't want to stop.

Mary Ellyn

Aran wool, and Iain

[ailbhe]

I've never knitted with Aran wool, no. I might one day, though, since I'll be spending three weeks there this summer - I might as well! I grew up there, sort of, partially. It was where we lived in the summers, and I don't think I did much growing in the winters :)

I know who you are - at least, I do when I remind myself - and I don't think it's weird that you read. I have been meaning to contact you, actually, but I felt a bit weird about it. I wanted to tell you that I didn't, in all honesty, know Iain at all well - but I liked him. I met him in England. He appealed to me instantly and we talked for hours about nothing at all. I don't really remember what we discussed, but I do remember that I felt relaxed and comfortable and as though I was with a friend. He had a great smile.

I can't stand "The Splendour Bog" though.

A.
And hey, you're a mother, do you read lnc ?

Inc

[mecmom.livejournal.com]

I just added INC to my friends list and am looking forward to reading all the poems. It sounds fun.

MEC