Tuesday, July 29, 2008

146:365 Pattern repeat

Anna: Not too inspired today - spent most of it hanging around the kitchen, tending a ham I was slow cooking, among other things - and I've got a lovely burn visible in the picture to show for it. I was stirring a pan when some grease suddenly spattered and got me up to my elbow. Just little spots. It doesn't hurt, but the one spot that got it the worst sure started puffing up later on.

I've started working on a crocheted sweater for myself and have found that going to the upstairs lounge to sit and crochet while watching the Food Network is very productive for me. I like keeping it on FN because it's interesting, but not interesting enough to distract me from what I'm working on. *L* Commercials are a good time to check my count. :-D During the week, I find I've got the place to myself most of the time, too.

In the photo, I'm stretching out what will be the bottom of a tunic style sweater. There's the hem and, as high as my first knuckle, the pattern repeat. It's 12 rows wide, and I have to do it 3 times. I'm now on the 3rd repeat. When I first started working it, it would take about 2 1/2 hours to do 4 rows. By the time I got the pattern down in my head, it was under 2 hours. Assuming I don't make a mistake and have to undo anything. This evening, I got only 3 rows done in the 2 1/2 hours or so I was up there. (Well, minus the time I spent chatting with the security guard. *L*) I did my first row with the bobbles and it just didn't seem to be lining up with the last row of bobbles under it. I couldn't find a mistake no matter how I looked, so I started the next row. I was near the end when I found the mistake in the previous row and had to undo almost everything I'd done since I was up there. Joy! ;-)

The good thing is, once this part is done, the body of the sweater is just one simple stitch. Since it's a drop shoulder design, I won't even have to worry about arm hole shaping, nor do I have to count rows. Once I reach the length I need for the size I'm making, then I need to pay attention for the neck shaping. That's it.

The ends of the sleeves will have the same pattern repeat.

Oh, and the photo was taken using my younger daughter's Canon A75, as I didn't feel like bringing a big DSLR when I wasn't sure I'd even manage to get a picture in.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The burn is nasty looking. A blister. My wife is always getting blistered by hot grease or she touches the lid on something on the stove. I hate to get burned.

This has been an interesting post to read. And I wonder how the ham turned out. Patty put them on and turns the heat down low and lets them cook overnight or longer.

Abraham Lincoln
—Brookville Daily Photo.

Ruth said...

Ouch, I can't believe the burns don't hurt!

The sweater looks beautiful. I'm guessing crocheting goes faster than knitting. I used to knit a bit, was just starting, but my wrists are bad (carpal tunnel, for one) so I had to quit. Well, I can admire it anyway.

Gawdess said...

oh, that burn does look unpleasant and I am glad it doesn't hurt - mine always seem too when I get them, that is a gorgeous band on the sweater, nice work and detail

The Broken Man said...

Wow, your poor hand! And the pain from burns just goes on and on doesn't it! Whenever I burn myself (which is frequently, as I am dyspraxic!) I always want to tell my wife how much is *still* hurts for hours afterwards! :)

The Broken Man

http://theblogofabrokenman.blogspot.com/

River Glorious said...

put white toothpaste on the burn. the blister will heal faster. :)

...and the sweater is beautiful beautiful beautiful!

Anna said...

Thanks, everyone, for the comments. :-)

Ruth - I really don't know if crochet is any faster than knitting. I've never been able to get the hang of knitting (it always goes wonky on me). I can only compare to my knitting friends, and they are *much* faster than I am. *L*

re: the burn - I've never heard of white toothpaste for a burn that I can recall. I do wish I still have my aloe vera plants, though. *L*

The burn itself really doesn't hurt. The blister that formed while I was crocheting was actually more uncomfortable. The only time I notice it is when I wash my hands in warm water. Then it hurts a bit - which should make the dishes I need to do interesting. I might have to get one of the girls to do the washing for a change. They usually dry for me. :-D

Oh, and the ham turned out really fantastic. I've yet to do it as long as overnight, but I try for at least 3 hours. :-D

A.

AphotoAday said...

I know I've already mentioned this, but my mother was really into all of that kind of stuff -- always looked pretty complicated to me... When she got wind that someone was having a baby, she would whip up a pair of booties in no time flat...

When my dad retired he somehow got interested in making latchet-hooked rugs -- and the guy would sit there for hours hooking up a storm... He would give them away, but still he had the whole house full of them -- on the floors, the walls, and everywhere...