Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Long Time Coming

Quite a long time ago, perhaps in summer, 2010 I had an idea for a shaped shawl with a contrasting border and simple neckline. Not quite a triangle, not quite a circle or a rectangle, it was loosely based on a ruana ( a sort of open-fronted poncho made from a rectangle of fabric), but not nearly as long.
Knit Picks generously provided me with some yarn, and I started working out the details.
Then life happened, new ideas came, I got sick, and well, and sick etc. and I never seemed to find the level of focus this challenging-to-write pattern needed.
In the meantime, the colorway of yarn I was using was discontinued, which moved it even further to the back burner. The beginning of this year I was determined to finish the pattern, and if Knit Picks liked it, to re-knit it in a currently-sold colorway.
Then the summer of no brain arrived. I used to be able to count on at least a few hours in the morning 3 or 4 times a week that I could think well, do math, design in mental 3-d etc, but this summer the fibro fog took over my life 9 days out of 10.
Then last week on the advice of Oscar I started taking a morning dose of Ginko Biloba. And a few days later my mornings came back. Monday I backslid a bit, and was foggy after the long and physically difficult day of travel and visiting my family and yesterday was just so-so, but today I woke up and began crunching numbers and thinking of changing angled edges and did a solid 3 hours of work on the shaped ruana pattern! I hope to have the sample done next week! (along with a hat/scarf design for which a blog reader is patiently, having offered to test knit it for me). Whew. I can't tell you what a relief it has been to be able to think again.
(image is of the stitch pattern (unblocked as yet) that I am using for the shaped ruana)


4 comments:

AlisonH said...

Good luck and yay for good number crunching rather than numb-er, crunching days!

Anonymous said...

Great news! Can't wait to see it! :)

Anonymous said...

Great news! Can't wait to see it! :)

Arlene said...

I'm anxious to see your creation. Aren't hubsters wonderful with their wise ideas to help us out?
Here's to more clear headed days!