Now, I'm trilingual (well sort of)

So, if you read my prior post you will have learned that I finally "clicked" with charts (at least cable charts). I kept working at it yesterday and got a good 3-4 inches done on the front (good for me). Midway through that process I totally "got" the language of charts. I realized that the symbols for the cabling actually can be "read" . . . . . e.g. dark shading = purl stitches, white shading = knit stitches and the direction of the "X" on the symbol lets you know whether or not you hold the stitches to the front or the back. It was like, no pun intended here, an epiphany and I no longer had to keep referring to the key from then on out.

Very, very cool. Now, I think that I will take a look at some lace charts and decide if they are just a different dialect of the same language or a completely different language all together.

However, that will have to wait until Arwen is done.

I hope to finish by spring. I really want to be able to wear it this year. Keep your fingers crossed for me, kay?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I hope that everyone's New Year's Eve celebrations were all they hoped they would be. As for us, we chose a quiet evening at home, just the 3 of us. That seemed to be the theme for us this year for the holidays, what with the move and all. However, it was a FABULOUS holiday season. We have never had the holidays to ourselves as a family and I think that it was a nice change of pace. Being able to just sit back, relax and enjoy without all the hustle and bustle of traveling, getting "dressed up" (although I do loves me some dressing up) and visiting here and there. It was great to lounge in our pjs all Xmas day (Yep, ALL DAY until about 2:00 in the afternoon), hang out and shop on my birthday (shop for DS - xmas money HAD to be spent) and just relax, play games make home-made pizzas (Yummy) and watch TV for New Year's Eve. Aaah. Today we have a day of watching parades and cleaning out the garage (YUCK) planned. Oh well, I guess we need to come back to reality.

Lest you all think that I no longer knit, here is some proof:

THAT would be a completed back and the beginning of the front of Arwen



Here are close-ups of the color variations from the back (isn't that just beautiful?) and of the cabling (sp?). LOVE IT!

Let me tell you all something about that cabling. . . . I've never worked off a chart before. Every thing I have ever knit I have had written out pattern repeats. So, I would just read the stitches and do them. Here, no writton out pattern repeats, just a chart. I ripped that piece out 3 times before I finally understood how to read and complete the chart. Yeah for me! Something new learned. Woo hoo!

I guess that this is a small accomplishment I know, but, now I don't have to be afraid of all those beautiful lace patterns that are solely based off a chart. Yeah!

Oh boy, that opens up a whole new world now. . . . . YIKES!