Proof Positive

Here is proof positive, if proof were needed, that I am stark, staring mad. I've been looking at this pattern for a while. I'm a great fan of Sharon Miller's patterns; I've got her book "Heirloom Knitting" (which is THE definitive Shetland Lace Knitting Book); I'm a member of the Heirloom Knitting Group on Yahoo (I've even had two of my "Sharon Shawls" featured on the front page there); I've made several of Sharon's designs - the pink puzzle wrap being my favourite.

I hadn't told anyone about lusting after this pattern, for fear of the "Are you completely off your trolley?" reaction. Yesterday, my knit f(r)iend (you know exactly who you are) sent me an email with a link to this very pattern asking if it shouldn't be in #1 daughter's future somewhere. I know you think you are the Great Enabler; I personally think you are the devil incarnate. I could not resist the sound of the gauntlet being slapped down in front of me. I have bowed to the inevitable. I have ordered the pattern.



I hope you are proud of yourself.

In other knitting news: there has been a heart-stopping moment on Rosy Fingered Dawn. There are two types of double decrease in this pattern - every other round at the corners you do slip 1, K2tog, PSSO; in other parts there is the centred double decrease (slip 2tog as if to knit, K1, pass the two slipped stitches over). It's slightly awkward to get the two slipped stitches on the needle ready to pass them over, so I usually give a little tug down of the fabric just below the stitches and dig the needle in. I was in the midst of this yesterday when there was a "ping" and the yarn snapped! Not the working yarn, the yarn in the middle of the two slipped stitches. Imagine the horror! There are no pictures, I was too busy trying to catch the two ends, stop other stitches unravelling and wondering what on earth I was going to do.

This is what I did. I tied the ends together loosely (and temporarily!). I tinked back about 6 or 8 stitches. I moved the stitches around the relevant spot onto a pair of short dpns which I keep ever at hand, along with a crochet hook and a few safety pins. It so happens that there was a knot in the skein while I was winding this particular colour and I therefore have two balls of it. I took a little bit of the other ball and I joined the yarn in and reknitted the disaster area. I then slipped the stitches back onto the working needle and, using the working yarn, I continued gaily on my way.

The second clue in the Mystery Shawl Along has been posted. I have got my work cut out, since I'm knitting two (one in the Margaret Stove, skinny; one in the Phildar, fatter).

Oh, and the writer for Simply Knitting, who's writing the article about knitting bloggers? She finally got back to me (I thought I'd blown it when I said the patterns were "ghastly"), she wanted a picture. Watch this space.