On the Needles....an Ella Shawl
I have some beuatiful cobweb weight kid mohair, hand-dyed from the Natural Dye Studio. I was completely at a loss as to what to make with it and I posted on Yahoo Groups and Knitting Forums asking for inspiration. I received some good suggestions for shawl patterns but no-one got in touch and said - 'look what I made with it' so I was left to my own devices and this is what I came up with.
It's the Ella Shawl from Knitty.com - the pattern says Aran Silk I think but I'm never too hung up on what a pattern says, I usually go my own way with things. I've knitted it furiously, frogged it twice and tinked many rows due to miscounts and dropped stitches but I've got this far and now I'm not sure what to do with it. I've never been a big fan of 'stripy' yarn - too many memories of those kids jumpers popular in the 70s which were knitted in multi-coloured acrylic. Stripy yarn is good for socks (but only in plain or rib pattern - I hate what it does with a lacy pattern, makes my eyes boggle) but I've not seen anything else I like unless the hues are very close to each other. When knitted up this cobweb yarn is getting too stripy and the contrast between the plum and the grey is too much for me.
So what to do? Persist?(even though this kind of knitting gives me RSI pains all the way up my right arm) or frog and try another pattern instead? Here's a picture of it - let me know what you think (and if you have suggestions for a pattern that would drown out the stripiness!)
1 comment:
I think it's beautiful! But if you're getting RSI pains you really should stop.
I get RSI when I knit sometimes and the only real way to make it get better is to give your hands a break.
Though if you are committed to soldiering on I've got a few good suggestions for how to cope.
First, these: http://www.handeze.demon.co.uk/recommendation.html
I highly recommend them. I had a few knitting projects I had to finish very quickly despite pretty bad RSI so I got a pair of these. They also help with typing. When my hands start to hurt I put them on. They're very good.
I also use those air activated ThermaHeat wraps around my wrist as sort of therapy when they're hurting after I've been knitting a lot.
And at the end of the day I prepare an ice bath and a hot water bath (hot as i can stand it) and I do this with buckets (but if you have one of those sinks with two sides that's another good way) and I alternate very hot and very cold water. It really helps.
And one more thing: Red Tiger Balm which you can get from most chemists has really soothing tingly sensations. It smells bad though.
Anyway...I hope that helps.
-Your secret pal
(P.S.- I'm not stalking you. I'm just being friendly.)
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