Monday, January 22, 2007

A convert

Since last time I have dealt with a broken car (fixed now!), discovered a new hobby, taken care of a sick child (flu) and made a small trip. All that affected my computer time.

Thank you for your nice comments of the scarf. The small pompon's in the ends are crocheted. I kept changing the pompon pattern every time I made a new one because the shape would not come out perfect. Started with a very small circle, increased a lot on the first few rounds and then again decreased, it is only few stitches, so if you try and the shape is off, just rip and try again. They are so small so to try out does not take long.

Now when I think about the scarf it seems like I knit it eons ago. Or more like if someone else did it. I’m so off to the lace and have knit all the patterns from the Victorian Lace Today book in my mind that it seems like all I have ever done is lace, all I ever do is lace. (Trying to explain here how much I love lace.) I was reminded that I can feel this way until a next new book comes along and that I’m not held responsible for these words…

The decision what to choose was a tough one. I was off to further north this weekend (me and dh only) and I wanted something simple to take along, simple but beautiful. So I took some kidsilk haze along and a copy of a pattern for Lace Rectangle (p. 20). I did not have time to knit one stitch though. But I don’t think I will change my mind. I have to start somewhere and this seems like a good one to start with. I will probably knit with a smaller needle size. I don’t enjoy needles bigger than 4 mm (US5,5) and I don’t care for speed here

…because for speed I have this. You did not think I would take this route, I did not think I would take this route either. But I did. And I love it. My husband has three girls and teenage girls will not drive around with their father nor are they impressed with the speed he is driving. Their boyfriends won’t drive around with the father either. So this is where I step into the picture. I get to play the boy part now. I’m there to listen to all the machinery details and horse powers and be astonished of the vehicle's abilities to push through difficult snow conditions. I must be lacking something essential here … I have listened and listened –really have– but all I can say here is that this new piece of machinery is not as smelly and loud as the old one and this I can tell by using my senses. Tina does not want anything to do with these but old Miina is happy to sit in front of dh when he goes for a drive.

I did not have my camera when we went for a drive today. We saw some reindeer that let us come very close. I’m sure they thought that we were there to feed them (sometimes hay is taken out to the woods for the reindeer) because they were not one bit afraid of us. I almost could have touched one of them. Next time we go out, I’ll bring the camera.

Definitely I will have a shawl on the needles later on today but hopefully also socks. I’m drawn to the sock yarn stash again… This new hobby calls for warm wool and I will do just about anything to promote wool.

21 comments:

  1. Anonymous15:58

    Looks like fun! I haven't been snowmobiling in years. No true knitter will ever think less of you for (temporarily) abandoning lace when a new book arrives. We've all been there and understand the seduction of the new book smell, the glossy pictures, and the clever instructions.

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  2. Anonymous16:35

    Ohhh what a familiar picture for me...No, we don't own a snowmobile but there are so much of them everywhere around during the long winter since my childhood...
    Now there are many specially made "snow trails" for winter all around the Québec province(Canada) with maps, just like hiking trails !
    I prefer snowshoes(like amerindians) or ski and...lace !
    Esther

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  3. I bet snowmobiling is fun! I have never been one one of those machines outside the dealer's show room. I imagine it is similar to jet-skiing on water.

    Of course you will need a new wool wardrobe to wear for this hobby!

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  4. Woo hoo -- there goes Lene!! I don't blame you for taking the plunge. Fresh powder and a crisp day just begs for a ride. I haven't been in years, but I still remember growing up in a region where rural restaurants and taverns would have "snowmobile parking" sections during the winter months.

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  5. Slick beasts those snowmobiles. The look fast and dangerous and fun!

    Lace is a perfect counterpoint.

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  6. Anonymous17:59

    I love smowmobiling. I love the speed and fun. Enjoy.

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  7. It looks like you still do not have much snow, but enough to have some fun! The lace will wait!

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  8. Sweet new snowmobile! Have fun!

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  9. I broke my tailbone on my 14th birthday when I fell off the back of a snowmobile onto a frozen lake. Be careful and have fun!

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  10. Anonymous20:46

    That thing looks like a rocketship! I bet it's FAST. Enjoy, and be careful, of course!

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  11. Whoo! Looks like great fun!! I remember yearning for snowmobiles as a child in Michigan. Go fast for me, I would love to join you. I, too, would lay down the lace for that!

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  12. Anonymous02:57

    I can imagine your Miina, with the wind pushing her soft Lab ears back, enjoying a ride with your husband. Dogs don't seem to feel the cold. I'm picturing your husband driving while you sit behind, knitting lace!

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  13. Wow what fun driving on a snow mobile. Teenagers are funny like that aren't they. Are these your daughters? When it is convenient to them it is OK to drive around with adults.

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  14. oh lene, i crack up every time i read about your adventures with the snow machine. your new hobby is piggy-backing on what sounds like an old hobby; listening to DH

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  15. Anonymous06:29

    Please remember the camera next time. Even though we have many standard deer here, I'd love to see the reindeer. Happy Snowmobiling!

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  16. Wait, did your husband let you drive the slick new snowmobile? In your picture I think he's the one on the older one. He's a sweetie!It's splendid that you and he are getting away on these outings without the daughters.

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  17. wow,what fun,its 40' degrees here with a hot wind!

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  18. What a fun looking new hobby! And an excellent excuse to knit more socks.

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  19. I want to go snowmobiling!! A couple of years ago when we were in British Columbia, my husband and two sons and I were suppose to go, but #2 son broke his shoulder skiing and he and I couldn't go. I am still missing that.

    Have fun! (be Very Careful)

    miriam

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  20. Ohhhh speed and adrenaline. Nothing better, unless it's relaxing and knitting. Enjoy the extremes.

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  21. Anonymous13:09

    I mentioned to a friend that you had become enamored of the Victorian Lace Today book (which my friend also has). She alerted me to the fact that the errors in this book are available for downloading. Just thought I'd pass that on in case you were in the middle of a lace pattern and encountered an error in the chart, or something. I imagine if you go to the XRX website it will lead you to the appropriate page.
    Marlyce in Windsor, Ontario, Canada
    (where we also have winter, but not so much as you have.)

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