Saturday, August 25, 2007

The Nemesis is Finished!!

I can scarcely believe it and am still recovering from the shock.

I promised myself I would not blog until the brown jumper was done. That promise was kept and my knitting nemesis is no more!! I had a deadline of this weekend, as I'm seeing my brother, David, on Friday 31st when we head out west for my other brother's 30th birthday party.

The last stitch was completed yesterday afternoon, jumper was washed and dried flat and I'm really happy with the result. My neckband is much better than the first one I did - not such a struggle to get it over a head! Bells and I had a deal going where we had to report to each other every day with how much we'd done - me on the brown jumper and Bells on her steeked jacket. It worked really well because the thought of reporting that I'd done nothing resulted in far too much guilt!

Don't have a 3D model yet, but here is my nemesis lying on a towel - it's been raining here so I couldn't dry it outside.

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My next gift deadline was for the red branching out scarf as my friend's birthday is 9 September. I got to 1m and thought, hmmm, that's probably long enough once I block it. But it didn't gain as much as I thought it would. Oh well, I'm sure my friend will love it anyway. This is my first go at blocking something. It turned out just over 1.2m long, so I'm not sure I did it right - wasn't sure how much to stretch it. I guess I can do it again if necessary so hints welcome!

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So not much other knitting has been done! But I do feel extremely virtuous.

I did frog the knittery passionfruit socks (again!) and started making lacy mock cables with it. I'm really happy with it - I will end up with a pair of beautifully soft, pretty socks all for ..... ME!!

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Such a simple, quick pattern. I think these will become a staple of my sock-knitting library (that so far consists of only 2 patterns!)

Work has been a bit tough this last week - had some difficult, emotionally draining matters to deal with. It's hard to remain completely detached sometimes, but one has to in this job, just for self-preservation. So knitting the brown jumper has actually been quite soothing. But it will be a long time before another adult jumper goes on my needles, I think!

But ... my oldest friend called me today and told me that she has a little one on the way, so more baby knitting. Such quick results when making tiny things - I love it!

8 comments:

  1. Well done you! It all looks so very good. No more nemesis! They are such a huge undertaking, those big projects but your brother will be thrilled with, I'm sure. I have been meaning to ask, how much wear will a Queensland boy get out of a big, brown jumper???

    Scarf looks marvellous. I think you can stretch these things as much as you can without losing the shape. Once it looks stretched beyond what the pattern can take, you've gone too far but others may think differently. I'm not overly experienced.

    I LOVE those socks. I think I am going to make some again very, very soon.

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  2. Well done you on the jumper - such a big undertaking, you've done a great job!

    I reckon you could do the scarf a little more, but as Bells said, you don't want to go too far. I've never done this (because I haven't blocked any straight edged lace!), but a good tip I've read when blocking lace is to thread a piece of string/cotton up the straight side, and pin it at either end - that way you don't get "pin scallops" (unless you want them of course!). Great job on the knitting - love the pattern and the colour.

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  3. Well done, fantstic job! It looks great! Im sure your brother will love it, and congratulations on meeting your deadline.

    The scarf looks lovely, a gorgeous bold colour. I've only blocked once myself, so dont have much advice to offer Im afraid.

    I love that passionfruit colourway, it comes up a treat in that pattern.

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  4. Tanya, I am in awe of your finished projects and the socks. When you take to something, you go the whole hog huh? The scarf is amazing, your nemesis jumper is just lovely and your brother will love it I'm sure, and the socks. Wow. Just beautiful, all of it.

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  5. Fantastic job there - phew bloody phew, hey?

    I've done that lace scarf, and don't know if you can really do more than just blocking it as you've done already. I suppose you could add a nice flattish button so I can be buttoned in place? Or add a shawl pin to the gift package?

    Hope work eases up in the coming weeks... I don't know how people like doctors, nurses, psychologists, police, ambulance officers, and the like - and barristers - handle the stresses of working in crisis and distressing situations so often.

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  6. That should have been "so IT can be buttoned in place". LOL :p

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  7. The brown nemisis looks FANTASTIC! Well done, you!

    I love the colour of the dayflower - I only steam block my crocheted things, but it looks pretty good what you have done there.

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  8. Hey Tanya,
    Well done, brilliant job on your nemesis jumper! Luv the scarf too and the socks!! :)

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