The Grey is Setting In

We need this rain, we need this rain, we need this rain. Mantra.

I've been feeling shattered all week. A tooth broke off at the gum line. I'm anxiously waiting for my passport to be renewed. Work is well, work. 

I've been turning for solace to the Pine Tree Palatine Scarf.

It's a big project for me. I'm on row 49. The rows seem long and until tonight I thought I was knitting back and forth on the long edge of the scarf. I have now figured out that I have been knitting on the narrow edge, that is the width, and it's actually very wide. I have 225 stitches on the needle.

There is no way I'll have enough yarn. I'm using a lace weight called Impressions by "A Touch of Twist." They're located between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, New York (I just had to work that in). Hopefully, they will be at Hemlock again this year and I can buy more in a close enough match. Actually, I just noticed on their web page that they will dye yarn to specifications. Well, I won't go that far, but it's nice to know. I recall that their prices were reasonable too.

So. The Pine Tree Palatine. By Galina Khmeleva of Skaska Designs, of course. Here's why I like Galina's way of knitting:

• It's all about the knit stitch, never purl.
  
• Her decreases are always k2tog or k3tog - none of this fancy sl1k1psso or ssk kind of thing. None of that.
  
• Her increases are always done with a yo.
• On many of her patterns you just knit the return row.
  
• The edging is knitted on so there's no having to go back and pick up hundreds of stitches.
• You always know where you are with Galina.
  
• Mistake? Ignore!

I really hope that Galina will come back to our part of the State soon and we can knit with her again.

I've gained confidence in sweater knitting this year. It's fun to have all these attractive, relatively unique things to wear without having to shop for them in the usual way.

Yesterday it was cool enough that I wore Big Baby all day. Such a comfortable sweater! Didn't want to take it off. I'll have to make it again. For sure. Today was muggy so I wore the cotton North Sea Jacket. My portable project these days is a Nora Gaughan design called "Wedgette." Some of us are knitting it along with her on Ravelry. I'll post about it next time.