The Long Slog Along the Forest Path

After the pure pleasure of the Swallowtail I got back to the Forest Path Stole. As I worked on the project it reminded me more and more of the stages I'd go through back in the day when I was training to run my first marathon. (I have since sadly stopped running and would probably keel over at an attempt to run for a bus -- but that's a whole other topic)....

Anyway - when you are training for a marathon the cornerstone of your weekly schedule is the long slow run, which is designed to get your mind and body ready to for the long hours on your feet a marathon will require. (And as I was never a particularly speedy runner -- I was going to be on my feet for a while.)


You start the long slow run feeling pretty motivated and the running feels easy (well, as easy as running feels) as you are starting at at your slowest running pace. And that's how I started on the FPS. Keen ready to tackle the entrelac lace. Confidently working my way through the 3 lace panels.

You plod along, tunes in the iPod making steady progress - and then you start to think, "I've been doing this a while - I must be over halfway now." And you check your crazily complicated running watch/distance monitor which tells you you've almost reached the 1/4 way point. Hmmmm.

This is when you start negotiating with yourself. "Go on, make it to the end and you can join the others in the pub for lunch." Unfortunately as you are on both sides of the negotiating table you reply, "of course you could just head straight to the pub now."

But you plod on. Or, in this case, I knit on. Because this is where I know that if I cast on another project I'll never ever ever come back to the Forest Path Stole.

The Forest Path Stole becomes a bit repetitious. And because of its size it seems to go on an on. And I have found myself once or twice pondering making a shorter version. But I know that I won't do that because I think the 'wow' of the stole comes not from the lace (which is pretty basic) but from the entrelac pattern and its scale of the thing. Completed as written it is a whopping 30 inches by 80 inches.


And on I knit. And, as with running, the closer I get to the end the more my enthusiasm returns. My pleasure at reaching the end keeps me going making the last few miles as fresh (almost) as the first.


It was with great joy this morning that I realised I'm about to begin the final of the 23 Forest Path tiers of lace panels. WooHoo! The finish line.




.....or almost.....


And like one of those cruel cruel runs where you think you are almost at the finish line only to discover that you calculated wrong.....I soon realised I've got a squillion miles of seed stitch edging to follow.


Sigh.

How Come Nobody Told Me?

While I was knitting up this pattern I had a moment where I thought – “this is such a lovely pattern – how come nobody ever told me about this pattern?” It is so pleasing to knit, easy enough to do while watching Sense & Sensibility on DVD (the recent BBC version, which seemed to borrow quite a bit from the excellent film with Emma and Kate a few years ago) (so, while it wasn’t bad, it did make me think I should have just watched the film) – anyway, it is easy enough to knit while watching a bit of TV but produces a charming bit of lace.

Really, you’d think someone would have mentioned it to me.

And then a little voice in the back of my head said – “Well, LittleBerry certainly tried to tell you. You’ve watched her make 3 gorgeous versions of it.” “Sure”, I relented, “LittleBerry tried, but others were keeping it quiet.” And then slowly I remembered the many gorgeous version I’d seen over the past year – MissAliceFaye’s, Fleegle’s, LaceFreak’s, ArsUna’s , the Yarn Harlot's...…

Ok – so pretty much everyone tried to tell me. But I think this just proves that you ‘find’ a pattern when you are ready to. Sometimes everyone can be raving about a pattern which is lovely but you don’t really get it, and other times you hear a whisper about a pattern and immediately cast on.

Swallowtail Shawl – Fall 2006 Interweave Knits
Handmaiden SeaSilk on 3.5mm needles
Size - Not very big. It is much more a scarf than a shawl – which is perfect for me. Others have made it larger by adding additional repeats to the body of the shawl (LittleBerry has done some impressive maths!).

I will absolutely be making another one (or two).

Thanks for the messages of support following last week’s attempted break in. I am feeling much better now. The neighbours and I have made a few security enhancements and with any luck the charming criminals won’t be back any time soon.

It's Been a Long Week.....

....the highlight of which was someone attempting to break into my house last night. I was home at the time, and they did a runner when they realised I was there so no harm to me or my house. But it was unnerving. Add to that a general aura of 'blah' and you will understand why this Wednesday evening finds me munching through a bag of wine gums wondering what's it all about anyway? And how is it that someone thinks they are entitled to damage your house to take your belongings?


I don't have an answers to those questions so instead I'll update you on my quest to reduce the Greenwich sock yarn mountain.

So far in 2008 I have managed to churn out these kiddie socks and a beanie. They are from MiddleEarth Yarns - Davy Jones colourway. Lovely yarn to knit with.

I've also completed 2 pairs of Opal 4 ply socks (Feeling I think). The intended recipients don't like 'matching stripes' so these should be acceptable. I went plain with the blue ones, and a roving rib on the rainbow socks (2 x 2 rib, moving 1 stitch every 6 rows).

However, all finished objects must be balanced with new projects and to keep the earth spinning on its axis the knitting gods today delivered a back issue (Fall 2006) of Interweave Knits magazine to me. I am so in love with my Ene's Scarf (I use it most days) that I decided I wanted to make another similar size/shape scarf and the popular Swallowtail Shawl from this issues was an obvious choice. The current plan is to make it up using some Handmaiden SeaSilk from my stash.


The Forest Path Stole was progressing well but has been stalled by the burned out light bulb in my favourite lamp by my favourite knitting chair. This bulb isn't readily available - so I won't get a replacement until the weekend. I can't seem to bring myself to knit the stole in any other chair. (I'm a freak.)

Well, I've made some serious headway through the packet of wine gums and am now feeling vaguely ill. I think a rubbish DVD is next on my 'wallowing in self pity' list.