The Rain in Spain...

... was quite a surprise for me. I've been here in May before, and I don't recall such heavy rainfall. Madrid still has some decorations from the royal wedding, and in spite of the rain it's been quite pleasant to stroll around. I tried very hard to get some linen yarn, hoping it would be cheaper here, but it seems to be a rarity, no one sells linen yarn. I found a 100% linen weaving yarn that I will try to knit and maybe dye later on. It will be my seven dollar experiment. I also found some nice katia papiro which is 50% cotton, 50% linen. Not what I was looking for, but it's cheap and pretty and with this new acquisitions my summer will be busy enough.


My green tank is looking good, though I must admit I'm on my own now, completely ignoring the original pattern except for the lace. No progress on the lap robe, but it's here with me in case I get in the mood.

SSSK always slanted?

Because I knit funny, I know that whenever I see ssk I should k2tog and viceversa, but sssk appears slanted and so does k3tog. I tried to make this lace as symmetrical as possible, making half of them slant to the right and the others to the left, but I still did not like the results, so I ripped it out and started again. Whenever I see sssk I knit into the middle stich and the other two stitches are hidden behind. That requires me to cross stitches as if I were knitting cables, but that way there is no slant. It looks better.




I'm trying to knit as much as I can before I pack it all up in my suitcase. I don't dare bring my knitting with me in the plane, so all those hours I'll be reading or sleeping. It's such a waste, when I could be knitting...

Finally, pictures

My better half actually stepped away from the computer for a while so I was able to upload some pictures yesterday. My side bar now has links to the lap robe in progress, the finished tank (which I baptized "lazy tank") and my crochet favors.




And here are the yarns my grandfather let me take from my grandmother's stash:






Plus some oddballs for frankenthings such as dishcloths and hats.


Finally, my findings from an unexpected yarn shop near a beach resort in Puerto Vallarta:







This last green yarn is what I'm using for my new green tank. Which almost, but not quite, fails to ressemble the original pattern that inspired me.

Time for some green

I unraveled some of that lap robe in order to add some color yarn in the middle, since I don't have enough brown yarn to finish it. It's a cute tweed yarn with orange, green and yellow.



And I finished my double sided potholder so I could use my 3.5 mm for a little green swatch. I know, I know, this site needs some pictures, but hubby is finishing his dissertation and stuck to the computer at all times. I'm posting from work.



According to my swatch, I need twice as many stitches as the pattern calls for. This means I'll end up messing around with the pattern (as usual) until I make it fit. Right now, I'd need 116 stitches, but the pattern calls for multiples of 8 plus three. So I'll use 115 stitches and cross my fingers.



I'm leaving this Saturday to spend two weeks in Spain. I don't usually travel this much, but it's the summer of family events. I'll bring my green tank with me and, unless I finish it before I leave, which seems ulikely, my lap robe.

Too much brown

My eyes are already tired of my brown lap robe (picture coming soon), and they are willing to rest on my green cotton from Puerto Vallarta... I'm such a nut. I do want to finish my lap robe ASAP, but a little green swatch wouldn't hurt.



I'm thinking about this tank. Except that I cannot wear it to work. I'd have to give it a more discrete neckline and make it longer... Plus, my green yarn is intended for 4 mm needles... Oh well, this is not the first time that I adapt a pattern to a different yarn. I hope it works.

New version

I started a new lap robe, using a different yarn. Still from the weaving batch that I got for free, but much softer. I wonder what the fiber content is, it does not break like wool does. It knits up fast, I hope to finish soon.



Gosh, I should post some pictures.

You get what you (don't) pay for

The lap robe is a big disappointment so far: I used some of the weaving yarn I was given, but it’s too coarse and stiff. It feels more like a lap rug.Two inches into it and I’m wondering if I should turn this into an animal shelter item and start again with a different yarn. The problem is, all appropriate needles seem to be in the middle of an unfinished project. That’s one of the obstacles when knitting on the cheap side: you run out of needles. I’m also eager to do something with the cotton I brought from Mexico, it would be nice to wear it this summer. I guess I’ll have to hurry up with that potholder and free that pair of needles.

Back from Mexico!

I had a lovely time. I did not get to go yarn shopping in Mexico City, as I was expecting. So I dug into my late grandmother's stash once more. Surprisingly, I came across a yarn shop in Puerto Vallarta, and I found myself some nice cotton yarns. Who'd expect a yarn shop in a beach resort area?




Now that I'm back, I'll start working on a lap robe. Luckily, that's a no brainer. I came back with a mild cold, barely made it to work, and I'm in no mood for complicated patterns today.