I've figured out that when I'm making crafty things or cooking I'm content. I feel like I've achieved something and as a result I work harder and faster at work. I also enjoy the making of things and totally loose interest with the finished product. Which puzzles the hell out of my workmate. Does anyone else do this? Just wander off and not really care what happens to what they've made as long as someone else enjoys it? Seems not.
I've been thinking back. My dad is a fantastic gardener and as far back as I remember has had a garden full of many different types of fruit and veg. More than could be used and often we (the parents) were able to freeze them for use in the winter. Mum was renowned for knitting or crochet, making blankets, cooking, baking and conserve making. As far back as I can remember mum had a baking day, made jam, marmalade, tarts and puddings. People used to bring her stuff to make and she sold vast quantities of stuff.
Yet besides gathering some stuff for the kitchen or topping and tailing stuff they never really got any of us involved.
If we asked question sure they'd answer. Mum used to give us scrap pastry, jam and a plate (the blue china one was my favourite) to allow us to make a "tart". Which invariably came out like a tile exploding into shrapnel when cut. It could easily be used as a discus if you glues 2 together.
I and my brothers don't know how to do any of what they did. And that is a huge loss now that I find that I am doing some of these things myself.
I'm trying to learn crochet, learning lace,making jam yet she's fantastic at both and has been doing it for years. Until recently that is. Now besides the gardening and odd tart (pie for any Americans who wander by) they've stopped it all. We've come away with nothing and now I live in a different country I have no chance to learn first hand.
My bush tomatoes are over 7 feet tall and have tried to smother me, my Rosemary doesn't like life, my potatoes are the size of toffee pennies (chats) I have no idea how to prune things or thin them out, how often should I feed? I have a new respect, so now I can appreciate the loss. Bit sad about that.
Anyway The shawl. I got to the end of the starting chart and did not know how to proceed. So I went onto Ravelry... found a fan group (MaweLucky Love) of the designer (Jane Araujo or MaweLucky) and left this message.
Helphelphelp. I?m stuckk?. Arragggh.
This is my first shawl and first time reading a chart and I?ve got as far as finishing the first chart (after only doing the half the first time ooops) and I?m not sure what to do now to get from the starting chart to the repeats.
I?ve been staring at the patterns on the second chart and I?m just not making sense of it (you know those times when your brain just wants to go vegetate somewhere (or as I suspect is currently doing so and has no intention stopping) and is yelling ?F you? at everything that isn?t spinning/something you really shouldn?t be doing because you have a gift to complete?). Anyway since staring at it and willing direct instructions to manifest on the page has failed to work I?m on here. Can anyone tell me how to get from the starting chart to the repeats. How do I start? Which bit is next. I?m sure this is terribly obvious but my brain?s going huh? Blaggh.
I think I?m supposed to do line 3 somewhere after the starting 2 stitches. But nothing more is coming through. Think I?ll go cry under the desk with some toast and cheese now.
Thanks
Never did get as far as the desk with that toast.
Then after some really helpful replies (thank you all so much) I posted this...
Hi.
I think I?ve got it! Wooooohooohooo
I truly think its the fact that I haven?t used a chart. Actively avoiding them has that effect.
Thank you all so much for the tip. I went trundling around google and found that post by Gurnard but would this computer accept it? Ah ha hahahahaha. Never. Typical . Finally I managed to locate a chart by someone who I have since found out has been doing stuff against the designer's wishes and has made mistakes. Fortuneately not in the bit I was on tho. Which is much larger and clearer than the tinsy weensy fit for a tinkerbell sized fairy chart I had. I just followed 23 and just knit back and forth across the segment she highlighted until I reached the end. Did 2 rows.
Then I realised symmetry is a fantastic thing and wandering away from it is not, in fact its a terrible thing. Frogged it back and now I?m off I?ve finally got my eye in so I now recognise the pattern ?ah ha, I did this and need to do this ?instead ?yea, that's a stitch, pfft, helps hellpssss Arragggh?.
I?ve also put a central stitch marker in which helps a lot.
Awesome.
Thank you everyone. I should get a picture of it up on here tomorrow .
I feel like I am moving along really fast with this and feel like I can get it done this year. Since its laceweight and this is Scotland it'd be preferable if it was finished and sent in the warmer end of the year.
The Harris socks are coming along fast and I've got a picture of them on Marvin the Moose (brought back from an exhibition for me) there should be a pair of pictures here (pre Harris pattern attempt and it as it was on Friday).
On Thursday CGBF and I made Marmelade. 2 pink Grapefruit, 2 limes and a lemon, all juiced then the rest chopped finely. I was very suprised that there wasn't huge quantities of pith when chopped. In fact, there was no pith really. It took ages and blunted our 2 scary sharp knives (you know those old ones that seem to get sharper with age and regenerate sharpness, them. One-a true old one has recovered ). What I have discovered is that despite having 1kg of citrus fruit in there, it still needs lemon juice added . Cooking it for over 2 hours must do something to it but I'm not sure what but its possibly related to the sugar being added at the same time. What I've also learnt, is that marmalade almost totally takes out the redy and pink colour that the plum, strawberry and raspberry jam left on the wooden jam spoon! Which is great. Marmelade takes hours to make dependant on the method. The one we did requires you to do the chopping the previous night, then leave the peel and juice to sit in 2.5 L of water over night. Boil (takes ages to get that far) and then allow to bubble of 2 hours. Add sugar and lemon juice and then... stare expectantly. It actually takes on an amazing clarity here, boil again. Quick cry about wanting to go to bed because it takes ages and then to allow to sit for 10 minutes. Bottle then stagger off to bed after snarling at the seemingly disgustingly fresh CGBF. Will be making more with the other method later. I am mad.
I gave some to a workmate on Friday to try out. Along with some home brew. I also gave my manager one after wandering into his office and declaring "Beer fairy". Now this may not be a sensible thing (givng him beer, he knows my sense of humour is quite random poor man). I will blog, let you know how it went.
I think our crazy neighbour (er upstairs) is recutting the grass . She moans that "Stevie" doesn't cut it often enough (CGBF has been renamed for some obscure reason). But it actually needs to hit the 2 inches mark to be worthwhile and actually be dry. Otherwise it takes ages and just squishes flat, then with great joy sproings back up again. It is so patchy atm. CGBF was getting really annoyed at it and I had to go out and sing to him (I just manage to make random songs up). This one was to the tune of the Elizabethan BlackAdder
"Hot boyfriend/ my floosy (your choice), Hot boyfriend he is cutting the grass,
Hot boyfriend, Hot boyfriend, your tea is cooling fast"
Thats me blathered out. I shall put a picture of the shawl on soon.
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