The weather has been getting increasingly wintry as the weeks pass. During last week, nearly every day was damp and windy. It was unpleasant enough that driving was preferable to walking. When I did venture out to post a letter, I didn’t linger. On the positive side, more time indoors means more knitting time.
The week has been filled with little things. The kitchen clock, a wedding gift from work colleagues, stopped working after 40 years of faithful service. I prized it apart and replaced the movement, but this was unsatisfactory. The replacement arms were half the size and their gold colour was indiscernible on the clock’s beige face, and the hour hand wouldn’t grip the spindle properly. The clock is greatly missed, and I’ve chosen a replacement online. There’s also a new vacuum cleaner in the same basket. The old one starts, makes a gasping ‘thwpp’ sound, and loses suction. It too is old, at least 20 years, and like the clock, has given sterling service and is due for retirement.
Later in the week, the kitchen floor and hob & surround were steam-cleaned. Very little cleaning has been done over the past year, so this was a significant event. Both needed it. The kitchen floor was slippery after a frying session and the hob was in a terrible state. Now the floor is safe and the hob gleams pleasingly. For good measure the frying pan was also steam-cleaned because it was still gungy despite an intensive dishwasher cycle.
Over the past few cold weeks, I’ve been puzzled why the radiators weren’t warming up. Finally, I thought to look at the on/off times programmed in heating control box. That was the problem. At some point, when I thought I’d changed the times for the hot water, I’d changed the central heating times instead. A quick face-palm and button-pressing session later, the radiators come on when they should and the house is slowly warming.
With the gansey, I can hardly believe the progress that’s been made. The back is complete, and I’m ready to shape the front neckline. The calculations for the are done and have been checked twice. As with most things knitting, numbers and maths are involved. Divide the number of stitches on the front by three. Take the result and divide it by four. Add that number to the first and second thirds of the neckline stitches and subtract double that number from the centre third stitches. With me so far? In this case, I had 179 stitches. That can be divided roughly equally into three segments of 60 – 59 – 60 stitches. Add 14 (from 59/4) to 60 and subtract 28 from 59, to get 74 – 31 – 74. Using removable stitch markers or scraps of yarn, place markers after 60sts, 74 sts, 105 sts, and 119 sts. To shape the neckline, starting on the right side, work to 3 stitches before the 2nd marker, knit two together, knit 1. Turn, k1, p1, work to the end of the row. Decrease 1 st every other row until there are 60 stitches left (this should be the 1st marker), then work straight to the required length. Work the other shoulder in a similar way, but start at the neckline edge with a k1, k2tog.
Thanks so much for the complete formula on working out how the neckline goes. Such a useful thing, I shall copy and paste to a safe, never to be lost, folder for future reference. The gansey is looking splendid, beautiful pattern.
Seeing progress, even someone else’s, is encouraging!
I just received custody of a box of family heirloom knitwear, mainly baby clothes from three and four generations back. The fine texture is impressive, the more so because they knew the stockings etc would not fit after six to twelve months. But the number of single mittens was impressive!
Beautiful pattern! It looks to be coming along so well. Excited to see next week.