Neck edges
Friday July 27th 2007, 12:56 pm
Filed under: "Wrapped in Comfort",Knit

Lisa Souza’s JellybeanzIn the book, I mention that for my top-down circular shawls, I double the strand for the cast-on. Now, the thing is, I figured out about halfway through the book production process that I needed to do that, having already knitted dozens of shawls. (I made duplicates: one for the friend, one for the publisher, one for the friend, one for the publisher. Picture pulling the petals off a clover: she loves me, she loves me n…oh wait, never mind, doesn’t apply–Martingale is absolutely wonderful.) I did not specify to their photographer which were the New Improveds, so there were closeups of the single stranded necks as well as the doubled ones.  So I wanted to reassure those who haven’t been sure how well that neck would hold up that if you *do* do that doubled strand, and then weave the doubled-strand ends through the back of every purl stitch on Row 1, it gives you a braided effect that works out particularly well.

Meantime, yesterday I received a large skein of Lisa Souza’s baby alpaca laceweight from lisaknit.com in Jellybeanz, to match the handspun socks Jasmin gave me from Lisa’s roving. The pink will have to wait its turn, because, right now, my needles are loving the Jellybeanz more. I’ve never had handknit socks to match a shawl before. Too cool! reinforced neck edge on top-down circular shawl


3 Comments so far
Leave a comment

Dear Alison,

I just received Wrapped in Comfort today and what a gift!I’ve been knitting all my life (well, close to it) and have been making prayer shawls for 2 1/2 years (started those while recovering from disc surgery–yep, you CAN knit half-lying down and wearing a neck brace). I have read through the book and love your stories and your healing journey. I, too, have arthritis and other problems (I hate when it gets my hands), and knitting for me has always been a centering, healing experience. I am getting my master’s degree in Medical Humanities, and my topic (the dean approved!) is Knitting and Healing in the Medical Humanities.

I could tell from the first page (through tears of joy and empathy) that your book embodies the message of my thesis: that knitting does heal body, mind, and spirit. THANK YOU!

Comment by Bonnie 07.27.07 @ 1:36 pm

Thank you, Bonnie. Knitting absolutely does heal: when we use it as a way of telling others, I was thinking of you. You are important enough to me for me to give of the one thing that can never be replaced: those hours I spent on this earth working on this. It provides tangible proof, and a reminder forever after, that that time was spent wishing that person happiness.

And that is powerful.

Comment by AlisonH 07.27.07 @ 2:33 pm

Socks and shawl. Sweetly alliterative. Nice.

Comment by Carol 07.28.07 @ 8:47 am



Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

(required)

(required)