No Stitches For Me

The only stitching that occurred over the long holiday weekend was not for me. 

First, up was adding to the washcloth contribution.  Why give three when one more just requires watching a movie.  That blue & white knit one is new.  And it fits in with my determination to make more masculine looking washcloths for this endeavor.

Yeah, yeah, I know.  The white circle with scallops is very feminine.  But so fast to make, it had to be part of the total contribution.

And I finished another hat for donating.  Again, this was left over acrylics (machine washable) and made using a variation of my basic 80 stitches on a US #8.  This one has a rolled stockinette edge before the ribbing.  After the ribbing it is just stockinette, stripes toward the top and a slouchy top.  The flower embellishment breaks up all the blue and the green adds a nice pop.

 No stitches FOR me.  Just some stitching by me for others.  Ain't life grand?!

Doing Our Part

The drought situation in California is in my thoughts a lot lately.  Moving from a rather large lot (with associated single family home & pool & lots of landscaping) into a condo helps greatly.  The need for exterior watering of plants is spread amongst all the neighbors.  And the whole community of Playa Vista has just a few pools for all of the residents.  When I look at my monthly water consumption, it is way, way down from the "old days" of suburbia and lawns and pools.

Yes, I often miss the privacy of a private home set away from neighbors.  We've been talking about how even if we still owned a piece of the pie, we would need to invest in a new landscape plan during these times.

While we do not have any exterior land here at the Westside abode, we do have a little bit at the other condo out in Palm Desert.  And there, we had the opportunity to do our part to cut down on the water sucking grass and non-native plants.  The HOA is offering to split costs with condo owners who convert their exterior walkway area into desert appropriate landscape that cuts way down on water requirements.  This helps offset the need to keep the golf course up to par.  [And that's all I have to say about that great debate.]

Well - half price landscape is too good to pass up!  Because we are not experts in selecting plants and designing a long narrow space, we left the design up to "the crew doing it." 

All we wanted was to fit in with the drought bandwagon and encourage our neighbors to join the beauty of a more natural look.

I love the result!  He loves the result!  We are happy.

So happy, that we've started sprucing up the courtyard area.  The most recent addition is a little decorative fence that sorta hides the water valves.  And we picked up two new succulents to add to this entry area.

OK - can't take it.  Back to the golf course debate that I promised not to discuss.

I love the golf course views and the evening sunsets.  Grass and all.

Where We Goin' Wrap

It is finished.  I'm so happy that words fail me.

Pattern & Yarn links are in this post.

Symmetrical Blocking

Let's admit it right up front.  Blocking of lace is just a fact of yarn.  Both knit and crochet lace must be blocked to make all the holes look, well, holey and so that the stitches line up and flow with good looking smoothness.

Many lace patterns are designed with a center spine from which the pattern increases.  Often this results in symmetrical sides.  That repetition makes blocking quite easy.  Well, easy in that only half the space is needed to block the thing out.

When blocking a center spine shawl it is a grand idea to have the sides come out that same size.  That is why I fold on the spine, pin/wire that line first and then match up the two layers so that everything is the same.

How do you know when your stitches are all lined up and ready to be pinned or put on blocking wires? 

When it look friggin' good.  That's when.

Lots of patting myself on the back over this one.

Mama's Hook Is At It Again

For those who really really know me, my love of Madelinetosh Spectrum colorway is no big secret. 

Well, there were a few skeins of Tosh Light in the Spectrum handing around (insert chuckle here)  and it felt like the right time to start another a project with the stuff.

The pattern is Winter Wonder-lace Wrap by Jill Hanratty which is designed for a sport/dk yarn and a 9mm crochet hook.  It just so happens, that Mama's old and well used wooden hook is a 9mm. 

It was time to use her hook once again.  What can it possible matter that this is the Tosh Merino Light?  Experience tells me that a wrap will fit whether it is a little smaller - or larger.  Experience also tells me that a fingering weight worked exactly like a heavier yarn produces lacy looking lace.

And so, I merrily keep the hook twirling and twisting along with a favorite colorway and Mama's hook.