Back of Lace VestI have a couple of Ilga Leja's patterns. They lend themselves so well to Fleece Artist's yarn. I got bogged down after working the back of this one. I worked most of the first side of the front and made a mistake that I don't know how to correct. Sometimes when I make a mistake on lace, I just make it worse trying to fix it and have to frog the whole thing. It is okay because there is a tiny mistake on about the 3rd row that I was trying to ignore, so this gives me the excuse I need to just start the whole front over again. Also, I am very tense that there won't be enough yarn to finish the design. I bought it as a kit from Colorsong, and I am dead on in gauge, so I should have more faith, but if there is enough, it will be with about 2" to spare. These are the kinds of things that cause me to abandon new projects. Since the reason I knit other people's designs is to avoid the stress of writing patterns for my own, when the project becomes stressful, I just can't go on.
I finished the Charlotte's Web from the Apple Laine yarn and am dying to post a photo, but it is for my niece and I want to surprise her. Also a few bead knitted bracelets are finished. I love knitting with beads (big surprise, huh?)
Now I am working on a baby blue cable knit sweater for my husband's birthday, December 19th. I'm using some luscious cotton/silk from Misti and size 10.5 needles, so it's going fast and so far, I've only had to rip out the first half of a sleeve when I realized I crossed my cable the 2nd time two rows too soon. I am making both sleeves at the same time, so it was a lot to rip. I almost always mess up the equivalent of about 2 days work on every project. Does that happen to you, too? I always have anxieties and doubts as I get further along, too. Now I am worried that the yarn will pill. It is so soft and loose. Not that he will wear it enough to matter. My husband is a clothes horse and rarely wears anything I make him more than once or twice a year.
I have something new and exciting on the horizon. I have been interested in wig making for about a year. Specifically, wig making with African (kinky) hair. After much research, I found a woman, Victoria Wood, who is considered to be the best in the film industry at this speciality. We talked a lot on the phone and finally met in person yesterday. I was really gratified when she said the work I have been doing (self taught) was excellent. She asked me if I would like to apprentice with her and then she will hire me as a sub-contractor. I go tomorrow to her studio to begin! My goal is to be able to make wigs for African American children especially who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy.
Here is the first attempt I made at ventilation. This is what attaching the hair to the cap is called. You use the teeniest, tiniest hook imaginable. I need special magnifying glasses to be able to see the hook and the holes in the net cap. One hair is applied at a time. I love the idea of blending the colors of hair. This little patch, about 1.5" square, took me probably 20 hours. At this rate, an entire wig would take about a year! Victoria assures me I will get faster, and also , I made it too dense.
