Sunday, November 26, 2006

Reaching for routines...

It is very difficult to get back to routines once you drop out of them and that is what has been happening here lately. I can’t really say that I have been too busy, rather that I have been so disorganized that it is a bit scary even. Running late in every aspect and thinking daily that I’ll do this or that TOMORROW... But all is really well, thank you for your concern.

The weather stays dreadful. It has rained for days and the snow is gone. There is so little daylight that it is almost impossible to separate the day from the night, but once there is snow again it will be a lot better. The weather on the day Susanna came was so bad that the plane had to be rerouted and did not get the permission to land here so she got here few hours late, but when she arrived she just pointed out that we have to talk really fast for the few hours to make up for the lost time. The few days fled and all too soon she disappeared into the northern sky...

The premiere night for the ballet Snow Queen (based on H.C.Andersen’s fairy tale) approaches quickly, it is already next Tuesday and the whole household is on the edge.

But you came for the knitting, right?
There has been very little knitting during the past week. Only the Casino Shawl and she is down to about 200 stitches per row. The knitting content will remain like this for another week or so because I have to sew a dress. We celebrate our Independence on December 6th and the town of Rovaniemi is having a reception for teenagers in the 9th grade and I’m making a dress for one of the girls and Casino shawl is to be worn with the dress. I’m a very slow sewer and I’m making the pattern as well, so I get so very little done daily.

Once in a while it is good to have a limited knitting time because it feeds the desire to knit so well. Some time ago I was reading of a perfect sweater in MasonDixon site and the phrase a perfect sweater has echoed in my mind ever since.
What would my perfect sweater look like?
What colour would be perfect for me?
What about the length? Or the sleeve setting, raglan or set-in sleeves?
And the yarn (they used Cascade 220)?

swatch with Cascade220

Perfect for what? If you have been with me from the very beginning you might remember me writing of something like “wear thy knitting”. I felt sincerely that I should knit only wearable items... I even set some kind of rules... one goal was to knit something practical to wear. I think I need to revisit my first theme.

There were some questions about the Austermann Knee Highs... I did not use any pattern but knit following my daughter’s measurements from top down with 2 mm needles that is my favourite needle size for socks. The colour number has escaped with the band. I used more than one ball but a lot less than two balls. I was told that they are a bit slippery when worn, not too much but more so than socks with ordinary yarn and I suppose that this is due to the Aloe Vera and Jojoba oil that this yarn has.

It is getting close to nine in the evening. I still have to make one trip to town to get one exhausted dancer. At least the roads are not slippery. And the rain has stopped. For now.

PS. Thank you for all the good tips for taking care of rough skin!

13 comments:

  1. Anonymous21:02

    I am sure the dress you are designing will be beautiful. Please show us pictures when it is finished, with the shawl.

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  2. Anonymous21:05

    Hello Lene, it's good to see you are posting again. I come here very frequently in search of serious, well written texts which I imagine echo the writer! and of course for your beautiful knitting. Such devotion for the project and it's best possible outcome is truly rare. I visit the blogs of knitters very often and yours is my absolute favourite,
    best regards,

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  3. Best wishes to your dancer! All the hard work will be worthwhile :-)

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  4. thank you for capturing so well the feeling, in the midst of being so busy, of getting nothing done—i sense that it will all pull together in a beautiful crescendo sometime during the night before the dance!

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  5. I, too, am eager to see the dress you're designing. Something to anticipate during these gloomy wet days. Will you please post at least one picture of your dancer?

    Less than a month now until the sun begins its northernly climb.

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  6. Anonymous01:35

    Lene, I am so happy you're back!! I look forward to reading what you've written, and miss you when you're otherwise occupied. I can't wait to see the dress, and I confess to a selfish hope that the creatures will reappear during this magical season. . .

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  7. Glad to hear you had such a good time with your friend. Will patiently wait for photos of dress and shawl and know they'll be well worth the wait, beautiful as always.

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  8. Anonymous09:31

    Hei Lene (sorry this comment is in Finnish)

    Rovaniemellä olisi bloggaavien neulojien tapaaminen keskiviikkona 29.11., näillä näkymin Kauppahuoneella klo 12 jälkeen. Olisi kiva nähdä sinutkin siellä jos mahdollista!

    Lisää infoa illemmalla.

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  9. Anonymous17:04

    Dear Lene: It is a good reminder that life often gets in the way of knitting...this is a constant struggle and we talk about this at work lots; people think if you work in a yarn shop all you do is knit. Ha! I found your blog last spring, with the picture of your green, handspun shawl. We tell everyone about you, and have your blog referenced on ours. We wish we could meet you...I love hearing about another world so different than ours. Thank you so very much for your thoughtful postings!

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  10. Anonymous19:31

    Glad to have you back and know all is well. I was concerned that the storm had done some damage. How exciting life is at your house right now! I'm sure both the dress and shawl will be exquisite and your daughter will be lovely when she dances. Wish I could come see the ballet but Ohio is so far away from you.

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  11. I thought of you as we are having a hard time sticking with a routine at our house lately. I have a gravely ill grandmother-in-law, brother's birthday, Dr. appointments all over the place, meals for people who need a little help, and school competing for my energies.

    My house wonders if I'm decorating with dust now, and all I want to do is master my current knitting challenges :-)

    I look forward to reading about the ballet's success.

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  12. So glad all is well Lene darling; and as Fiberjoy says, remember that Midwinter is very nearly here. Wonder if it's too late to catch a plane to Rovanemi for the Snow Queen performance? Would so love to see your daughter dance. Having experienced the harsh world of ballet myself in the past, I sympathise with her aching muscles and tortured feet, but know it's still all worth it.
    And I know that feeling of life chasing by while there isn't a moment to do anything. We need to set aside a day forcibly, I think.
    Love
    Jo
    Celtic Memory Yarns

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  13. You're a multi talented woman! Would love to see photos of the finished dress and shawl! Bet your perfect sweater is going to be something very special.

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