Knitting
It took about 15 minutes to untangle the three balls of yarn attached to the top of my Chinese Red Vest (from Folk Vests). Having a tendency to like all the pieces to be the same length, I knit the body in one piece up to the armholes, then attached additional yarn balls and kept on going. After a while, those three balls of yarn have a tendency to fall apart and get tangled. I may have creeped up row at a time, but the decreases match exactly. Measuring it out, and counting the stitches – I had actually finished the decrease sequences and was at the point of continuing straight up.
Then I stopped, and the vest has been sitting since sometime in 2004. Last month I joined the Red Sweater KAL and committed myself to finishing it up. While I was at it, I listed it as my UFO to complete for a follow-on to the March Madness Sweater Group.. I have knit another 5 cm, leaving only 3cm till I start the neck shaping in the front.
This is progress.
And then there are the following Finished Objects! – the worsted weight Horcrux socks I started yesterday are complete. Knit on 3,75 Lantern Moon double points. The yarn is colorway Monet from Collinette. There is also the Sweater Vest designed by Mac & Me which is finally blocked (and really needs a nice decorative closure.) This is, of course, the obligate mirror picture since otherwise I would have to ask one of the kids to take a photo for me.
Audio Books
After buzzing directly through ‘5 and #6 in the Stephanie Plum series, I started Finding Moon by Tony Hillerman, who is primarily known for his Navajo Mystery Stories. On the surface, this is a simple tale of a man traveling to Viet Nam in Spring of 1975 to retrieve a young daughter of his recently deceased brother. Set against the background of the collapsing regime in Saigon, it is a shrewd look at the chaos of the time. The characters are excellent, and more than realistic of those who inhabited that time, living and surviving off the needs of the governments and the Company. Sometimes I forget how long we have had the tradition of contractors for those jobs which the US Government does not wish to do directly. Perhaps it would not be as interesting to someone who was not old enough to have personally experienced the VietNam era, but I found it intensely interesting.
Other
And then there was the Bris late this afternoon. Given the absence of a local mohel, it takes a bit of organizing to get the services of one from either Strasbourgh or Zürich. It was quick, with almost no ceremony or ritual attached. Given that it is also Pesach and the Gemeinde’s Kitchen was closed with a prohibition against bringing any food, poor Sarit was not able to even offer anything afterwords. The kids and I gifted the new baby the one sweater that I just finished up last night. Since Emma’s parents were also in attendance with her, we were able to present her with her present as well.
Hopefully, as soon as I drop off the last baby sweater on Tuesday and collect a couple more pictures from parents, I will post a gallery of babies in handknit sweaters.
Tomorrow starts a four day weekend. I have knitting and spinning planned as well as something with the kids if they are willing.
-Holly
