Monday, March 10, 2008

Camels



I've never really liked camels. Very smelly, ugly, spitting beasts. Quite vicious and incredibly stubborn. So when Dee told me about her hand spun camel yarn, I was more than a little sceptical. How can something so hideously ugly produce anything lovely? But ever the yarn freak that I am, I decided to go along with it and try a skein. (That was months ago Warren just in case you think I've succumbed to temptation.) And as is so often the case, one skein soon led to another and another and before I could so much as mutter the word 'Bactrian' a whole pile of wonderful camel yarn arrived on my door step. It has been adorning the top of The Stash Basket for some time now, awaiting a pattern.

(Please Note - the toast in the top corner is eldest son trying to be domesticated by cooking for himself - he has yet to learn the art of clearing up after himself judging by the state of the kitchen!)

And then I found it. The Aleita Shell from Interweave Knits. This is wonderful mindless knitting. Or at least that's what I thought as I happily knitted in rounds. Then I got to the shaping top bit and oh boy has it changed. Decrease at the neck edge every 3 rows 27 times, and at the same time increase at the waist edge twice every 10 rows and then when it gets to 14.5" start doing the armholes and knitting front and back separately, increasing and decreasing all over the blinking place. Too many numbers, too much to concentrate on! So you see now why I can't face mountain peaks Dee? I wouldn't last 3 rows!

7 comments:

. said...

LUSH yarn. Shame about the camel ;)

I hate those patterns where the complicated bit sneaks up on you. They should carry a government health warning - definitely stress-inducing! Hope all the decs and incs work out in the end.

xMx

Anonymous said...

Lovely yarn. XXXXX pattern! Write it out line by line. Mog bit being Mother of Groom! Mx

Anonymous said...

Aren't you a bit phantasizing about those "ugly beasts"? Wikipedia is a wonderful source for daydreaming ;)

Lise R. (with a smile)

Locket Pocket said...

That pattern sounds scary! I'm just attempting the heel of my first sock in years - not sure if I'm going to be able to do it - so wish me luck!

picperfic said...

I got some camelspin and it is so soft and delicious. Those patterns where you have to have one set of numbers in you head and another on a bit of paper drive me nuts, are you saying that yuo have abandoned this pattern?

Unknown said...

Hi-Picperfic told me about your blog. We live in the same town.

Probably Jane said...

I'm sure the struggle will be worth it in the end - the project looks glorious.

Sometimes drawing the pattern out on squared paper and following it with a ruler helps me - otherwise there's far too much patting head while rubbing stomach going on for my liking!