an odd bit of knitting
2010
I had a lovely wee holiday with my Mum a week or so ago. Early on the Friday morning, we both flew to Canberra – her from Brisbane, me from Melbourne – where we hired a little car and blew our way across the Monaro and down the Great Diving Range to Merimbula – the seaside village where my Aunty Cate – Mum’s sister – lives. I’m not using the word “blew” frivolously. It was appalling weather. Completely unseasonal for Australia with the mountains we drove across receiving a thick blanket of snow – yep, snow in October – thankfully, not in our presence, though the mist was so thick I could only see 100 metres ahead at a time. As for the plane ride into Canberra! Holy Dooly! It was a shocker – even the cabin crew were confined to their seats for the entire journey. And Julian and Abby – in Melbourne – spent the Saturday tucked up at home weathering 6 degrees celsius outside and hail! Very strange indeed.
Nevertheless, we had a lovely time. I took Aunty Cate a beautiful new Italian cookbook for having us and in return, she cooked us lovely hearty, warming meals. We walked on the beach, watched whales, did a whole lot of knitting, and a little touring around enjoying the beautifully lush Bega Valley. On the Monday, Mum and I hopped back in our little hire car and returned to Canberra – with wonderfully sunny weather which turned Friday’s landscape of bleak grimness to verdant cheerfulness. Amazing what a difference a little sun can make.
Whilst in Merimbula, we discovered a delightful little shop – Pins ‘n’ Needles. It sold a lovely range of patchwork fabric, a beautiful selection of wool and all the haberdashery and classic dressmaking fabric you could want. What a treat. On display was a fascinating scarf – it was very narrow with edges that looked like seaweed. They had knitted it in a worsted weight yarn – but in the basket below, was a lovely skein of Noro sock yarn in beautiful greens and yellows and greys – with a bit of magenta. It looked like the perfect yarn for knitting seaweed. So I bought a ball – how could I not – and as soon as I arrived home on Monday evening, found some fine needles – 3.5mm – and sorted out the pattern.
I cast on 6 stitches. The next row, I cast on an extra 10 at the beginning of the row, cast 8 off and knitted to the end. Third row – cast on 10 at the beginning, cast off 8 and knit to the end. I continued doing this until I had 18 stitches in the middle. From here, I’ve simply cast on anything between 8 and 14 stitches at the beginning of each row, cast them off, and knitted the 18.
It is working a treat. But look how short it is! Argh! This fine fine yarn is so … fine! I have never knit anything like this before and whilst I adore the very process of knitting, this is the result of quite a few hours work. Oh my – this will certainly be a long term project. Especially if I want a nice long scarf – which I do :-)
But isn’t it marvellous – what a clever design the ladies of Merimbula came up with. It SO reminds me of seaweed and as I knit it, I think of my beautiful Pacific Ocean with its radiant and ever changing blues and turqoises, the fertile dairy farms of the Bega Valley, the soft golden sand between my toes, the oysters tucked up in their Merimbula lake beds, and of course, my lovely weekend away with my Mum. Isn’t it grand, how what we craft, in turn creates rich associations and memories for us. And one day I’ll have a scarf. One day.
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that looks so interesting! Fancy, knitting that resembles seaweed. I love seaweed and sometimes it gets washed up on the beach in great clumps. I wish I could somehow take it homes to compost and then I’d plant things on top. However, to date, I don’t have the physical strength to actually do it!
My knitting is going really well. I am now up to row 60 of the 5 yarn fair isle vest. It looks really classic and Mick loves it. I miss our fun chats in the conversatory and have been enjoying planning my next cooking expedition out of the cookbook! Merimbula is still beautiful, albeit a little chilly tonight, love cate
I love your scarf! (Remember…knitting is all about the process.) :o)
Sounds like you had a wonderful tme with your Mom and Aunty. I love special trips like that…they are always so inspiring and refreshing.
Take Care…Knit on!!
How wonderful that you got to have a visit! Sounds like a doozy of an arrival however. But it also sounds like not to be missed time with family! That is a BEAUTIFUL skein of Noro — don’t think I’ve seen that colorway (or I would have snapped it up also). You’ve also reminded me that I have a similar scarf on the go……er, somewhere……. It is definitely a long term thing but the waving fingers are fun to do. I think mine is made less exciting by my yarn choice. zzzzzzZZZZzzzzz snore and yawn
Your scarf is so lovely. It takes time to finish it, but it is always so that you can wait also a long time something very good!!! I am just now sewing some projects and have many other projects to make ( tomtes from Kajsa´s book Scandinavian Stitches etc..). Enjoy spring time and increasing sunshine!
Lily, it looks very pretty and if you can keep showing us as you go along . Thanks also for giving us the pattern, might just have to try this. Glad you had a great weekend. Wish I had an Aunty Cate.
Blessings Gail
What a wonderful trip you had. :o)
Don’t you just love the changing colour of Noro yarn as it slips through your fingers. That reminds me that I have a pair of Noro socks in progress stored somewhere around this house.
What a scarf!!!! I love it, I want to try one…I must, I must… Lovely Lily, thanks for a moment of beauty on this grey day.