Attend to mushrooms and all other things will answer up. --A. R. Ammons
The stripe experiment is finally complete. I'm relieved to say that I actually like the result:
It was really hit and miss for a while. Every so often I would look down at it and think, "Man... this thing is ugly." And then I would walk away and come back and I would like it again. I think it's that variegated yarn that keeps throwing me. There's a touch of the 70's crochet afghan look to it. I think the dark green and white keep it under control... just...
There are several things I wish worked better for this thing, but as I wrote in previous posts, this thing kept evolving at every step. The sleeves are a bit awkwardly stitched on, but I'll probably re-stitch it when I've had a break from it for a while. When I first cast on for it, I was sure I was going to be cutting it super close with the yarn, and so I was being really careful with how I used each colour. As it turns out, I have about half a skein of the green left, one and a half skeins of the variegated, and a full 100 gram ball of the white left. This is partly because of the way the fabric grew when I blocked it and partly because I'm quite sure this thing comes from another dimension where stuff just doesn't keep one static form... some kind of flexible universe with liquid mirrors and butterflies that morph into unicorns... you know... that place...
I don't know if you can tell from these photos, but I was standing outside in the rain to take them. By the time I tried to take photos of the back, it was really starting to pelt down so I decided to run in and get a hanger and just put it up on the tree to get a shot of it:
I ended up making the fronts mirror each other, which was not in the original plan, but as I said earlier, who needs plans when your project keeps tugging you in all directions?
I think one of the reasons I found the colours a bit weird for me was because I realized that they are reminiscent of this mushroom I saw growing in a log while out for a walk one day. I remember stopping and looking at it and thinking, "That thing looks like my sweater." Should I be making clothes inspired by wet, soggy mushrooms? I guess it worked out this time:
If I were really a proper blogger, I'd say something like, "This project was inspired by the colours of the Vancouver Island forests in the winter."
But no... it was inspired by a mushroom. So yeah. There you have it.
I have one more week of work before I take a couple of weeks off for the holidays. I feel half and half about it. On the one hand, I feel ever so ready to take a break and rest for a while. The other half of me really, really wishes I could go home to my family to be with them. It's the first Christmas without my dad, and I'd be lying if I said I was feeling ok about it. Grief is a funny thing: I find myself sailing along throughout the day and then something pops up in front of me that triggers a bunch of memories and I burst into tears. And right now, all I want is for something to feel normal for a while.
That's where this guy comes in. There is nothing more normal than a pup that likes to sleep on your knitting. Thanks, dude:
I'm off to bake some treats to bring to work this week. Have a good, safe week.
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