Taking Knitting and Crocheting Lessons

Yesterday morning I finished the socks. I forgot to take a photo of them until after they were wrapped. Later on that afternoon, I decided to begin the Lost In Time shawl pattern on Ravelry. It's a free one.  I had  admired it for a while, and wanted to try using some Noro Silk Garden yarn from my stash for it. I bought it at Creative Ewe in Canyon Country.  I thought the earth tones would look pretty in the pattern. I've never crocheted a shawl before, I've only knit them.

As I started the first couple of rows, I got confused. I was working in the round, and I knew that must be wrong. I booked an afternoon private lesson at our local yarn shop, Creative Ewe. I'm lucky that I only live a mile away from them. It really comes in handy if I need to buy a set of needles, or if I need a professional's help in understanding a pattern.  I brought a linen/cotton tank top that I had knit with me. A few nights before my dog Carlie died, we were playing a game of frisbee out in the backyard.  She had gotten overly excited, and she jumped up, trying to grab the frisbee. She ripped a few holes in my tank with her nails. I had tried to figure out how to fix it at home, but my eyes were glazing over as I stared at it. Yuko showed me how to catch the dropped stitches, and she placed them on stitch markers. She then was able to recreate the knitted stitches with the yarn by threading it through with a sewing needle, and stitching through the fabric. It looks excellent. I love the feeling of having something fixed. I had just washed a couple of those tops, and had laid them flat to dry. They are such a great basic to wear here in the summer. The cotton/linen yarn is airy and light. It breathes nicely, and it doesn't pill. I've had these tanks for several years, and they still are in really good shape. I wear them all the time. I knit four of them, in different colors. The yarn is Araucania Lontue; it's hand dyed. I bought it at Creative Ewe in Canyon Country. It's been discontinued, but it's lovely yarn.

Yuko helped me get going on the Lost In Time Shawl. It was really tricky for me. I had to get used to the coordination and method of crocheting a shawl. I was skipping the first stitch, which isn't how this pattern is written. You work in the first stitch. I was also struggling at the end of the row, when doing the last stitch. That's where the increases happen, and it felt crowded and confusing to me. If I count and check my work on each side, it makes sense. Now that it's growing, I can see the progression. I didn't expect it to be such a challenge. The pattern looks simple, but I've had to plod through it, slowly. I'm constantly comparing the sides  and checking the stitches and spaces. It will be good for my technique. It's probably not something I'll be able to do in a group, though. It takes a lot of focus.

I made some nice meals over the weekend. I took a bag of meat bones out of the freezer, and used them for a stock. I added pearled barley, vegetables, and herbs. I love the way the barley soaks up the liquids in soups. It's such a magical grain! I've always loved it. I bought a large bag of it at Sprouts. Soup is so nourishing and comforting. Cold weather foods are so nurturing. I also bought a steak on sale. It was marked down by $6.99, so I splurged. It was absolutely delicious! I had it with a baked potato. It brought back memories of my mom's cooking. Half of it is still in the fridge to have for dinner tonight. This time I'll make a salad, too.

For dessert, I baked some oatmeal cookies from scratch. They taste delicious. It's getting to be that time of year. It's so much fun to be cooking and baking again. It makes me  feel grounded and happy to be at home. This morning I dropped off some clutter to the local thrift shop. There is more to do, but it's a start. The garden is doing so much better in this weather. It's like the plants have heaved a sigh of relief. I'm looking forward to the citrus ripening.  How was your weekend?