Shelter in Place: Day 160

Shelter in Place: Day 160

Just in case a pandemic wasn’t enough to keep people home, the air quality in the Bay Area hasn’t been great thanks to all the fires.   If this isn’t how the apocalypse begins, someone should probably clue Mother Nature in.  

I’ve never been much of an anglophile but I’m keeping calm and carrying on with the best of ’em.  One good thing about sheltering in place, it makes it a bit easier to ignore the chaos outside.  A healthy dose of knitting hasn’t hurt either.  

I’m making progress a couple shawls, and started a new cowl. I’ve nearly finished my Catskill Merino Shawl. 

I’m absolutely loving this yarn.  I think I’ve made a questionable color choice though.  I was cruising along on my stripes and thought perhaps I’d introduce a second contrast color, the celadon.  The color itself is fine but the placement seems a bit random.  I’ve got plans to bring it back in the edging so hopefully it’ll seem more intentional once I’m done.   

Ripping back to take it out seems rather drastic. I won’t rule it out but it’s unlikely.  It’s the type of thing I’m prone to leaving.  Once it’s being worn the stripes and all the patterning get lost anyhow.  I dunno.  We’ll see.  I’m very close to finishing it.  Which, of course, means I dropped it in favor of something new.  

Last week’s ‘sweater’ is this week’s brioche bandana cowl.  This yarn is a bit of a mystery.  I thought I’d have enough for a sweater or maybe a vest.  Instead of playing an epic game of yarn chicken, I decided to wind it onto my swift, count the rotations and do a bit of math.  I came up with 5 skeins, each about 130 yards. 

Boy am I glad I spent the time doing that.  I’d have lost at sweater chicken, big time.  Instead, I’ll get a couple smaller accessory projects from this yarn  Dealing with five different, albeit related colors wasn’t sparking joy either.  And so, a quickie brioche bandana cowl was born.  I can mix and match the colors without a grand plan and a spot of brioche makes me feel like I’m doing something complicated.  (I’m not but I’ll pretend.)

I actually think I’m going to do something entirely unprecedented for my next sweater.  I’m really loving the Catskill Merino from the shawl up top.  I think I’m going to pick a sweater and THEN order yarn for it, all one color even.  Imagine that, picking the pattern and then the yarn.  Crazy, right?  It’s almost like having a plan.  We’ll see…you know how good I am sticking to plans.  Still…it’s a thought I’m having.  

One plan I am sticking to…an 80’s movie themed cross stitch collection!  It started with Bill & Ted (you know Bill & Ted 3 comes out on Friday.  The Keanussiance is real).  After that came Heathers. 

And Sunday night viewing is Footloose.  I’m not sure there’s cross stitch fodder in Footloose though.  I’ve got Dirty Dancing on the brain.  Nobody puts Baby in a corner, not even Kevin Bacon. 

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