Nobody ever said socks had to match, right? Truth be told, I’m about 85 percent done with the second Gold Digger. Knocked out the first Egyptian in record time. Something about colorwork is addicting. Maybe it’s the fact that most every row is different, so it’s less about ‘cast on 62 stitches, proceed in knit-one-purl-one rib for six and a half inches’, and more watching a pattern develop? Helps for certain that the colorwork patterns on the Egyptian are short repeats and the mind tricks itself into thinking it’s a quicker knit because each pattern is a separate section. The only thing I’ve found that I don’t care for is that there is no adjustment for the visual stitch jog at the start of each row, but that’s easily taken care of with some planning. As I am not much of a planner, I didn’t bother to try slipping the first stitch of every row or anything similar. I also trust Nancy Bush with my life, want to follow her pattern as exactly as I can, and would believe her if she told me the sky was green.
Also working on a new commission! I was asked to make a beach cover-up for a co-worker’s vacation. It’s going to be a frilly, off-the shoulder lacy thing, which should be an interesting change of pace from the gray wool wedding sweaters. I’m using Conway from Valley Yarns, which is 60 percent Pima cotton and 40 percent acrylic, which should be perfect for a hot-weather item. I’m deciding on how to handle the off-the-shoulder bit. Debating on whether to use elastic and encase it at the top, or to use a drawstring. Any thoughts? I want the wearer to be able to raise her arms without the dress sliding up too much but I also don’t want it to be so tight that it constricts. I’m not an off-the-shoulder girl, nor am I a beach girl, but I’ve got a solid idea in mind and plenty of time.