I've Got the World on a String...

“Life is a train of moods like a string of beads; and as we pass through them they prove to be many colored lenses, which paint the world their own hue, and each shows us only what lies in its own focus.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Something has taken up residence in my backyard and it's making Dukealicious nuts. Yesterday, I had to put my knitting down a hundred times to let him out to investigate. He carried out this behavior well into the night. In and out. In and out. Very early this morning, I could hear him whining to go out again. I tuned him out and about 30 minutes later, he woke me up again. I dragged my butt out of bed where we started the revolving door shenanigans all over again. Once he was in though, I went back to bed and slept almost until noon. It was great.

After some election ugliness as I left my local democratic party office yesterday, I started my election day hat. This yarn is so dreamy and incredibly soft. I'm not sure how I like stringing the beads on first. I think it's a pain in the behind. The flexible needle used to string the beads on the yarn is incredibly tiny, ever so slightly larger than human hair. I had trouble threading the yarn through the collapsing eye of the needle. It took close to an hour with my vision and clumsiness. Knitting this hat as instructed, you push each bead up the yarn as needed. Any time I'd have gained by pre-stringing the bead was lost by fiddling with it all like that. I'd rather add them with a crochet hook one at a time, I think it's a bit easier. Either way, the process of knitting with beads is relatively easy and they tend to add a little sparkle and weight to an item. If it's a shawl or scarf, the beads will add drape. In the picture above, all the beads are strung on the yarn. It was sort of a snug fit and though I think a slightly larger bead would have been better for the yarn, I think the smaller bead fits into the pattern just fine.

I've a few more rounds before I start the decreases and switch to double pointed needles, but it's moving along. I will be wearing this hat for sure on the 4th. I made only one change to the pattern: when knitting the row that follows a beaded row, I knit the beaded stitch through the back loop to twist the stitch and anchor the bead toward the public side of the fabric.

Here is a photo op of our first fitting for the Textured Tunic. It fits like a dream and the yarn is incredibly soft. The Divine Ms. S. would like you to know that she was not prepared to be photographed and it is Sunday. She hasn't properly primped. She is pleased with the sweater though and would now like the date upon which she can count on adding this item to her wardrobe. Since we still have sleeves and a hem to go, I think I can safely say it'll be a bit. I'm thrilled with the fit but more thrilled with my intuition to add a little waist shaping. I think it would have hung like a sack on her if I hadn't. One more inch and I'll start the split hem. I'm also on the hunt for the perfect buttons which may take longer than I'd hoped. So far, I've struck out in more than one place. I may have to order them from the Montreal button lady I buy from on Etsy. Here's hoping she has some.

Here's a little Frank with this week's theme song: