I was happily knitting along on my Lochness hitchhiker. I had the pattern memorized. I had plenty of yarn. “What could go wrong?” This is like that point in a horror film when someone says, “I’ll be write back.” and you know they’re not coming back.
On the last row of point 38, I switched to the second ball of yarn and knit 4-6 rows and then I went back to weave in the ends. A fine idea. I was pleased with how they disappeared.


Then I picked up the needles to continue knitting point 39. Sons of anarchy! Ten stitches had slipped off the needles! That’s scarey. I picked them up. Whew! crisis averted. I’m a rockstar. wait. where is my row counter? I had a row counter. It tells me what row I’m on. Where the devil is the row counter?!? I begin to dig in the blankets because I’m sitting in bed watching tv and knitting. I find the row counter and it is at that point that I realize that finding it will not tell me what row I’m on. Sweet Fancy Moses, that sucks.

Had I just finished row 4 or row 6? I tried to read the knitting. ummmm.yea. I don’t know. This is my first garter stitch knit since I learned to knit years ago. I could google it, but where the points are throws me off knowing which row I should even be counting from. I start the bind offs for the point and analyze. That looks too soon. I unknit and add the extra two rows and start the point again. After finishing that row, I fold it over and measure the valley between points 38 and 39 against the valley between points 37 and 38. They seem to match. and I’m back in the game!
 

I was able to finish Tuesday evening and I really like how the points of the shadows turned out in the pictures….just like a Lochness monster! Now, it just needs a bath, some serious blocking and Nessie will be off to her forever home.

Ps. To see what other folks are working on, go check out Tami’s Amis.

I knit my fingers to the bone on Sunday. Now, I like to be careful with marathon knitting. I try not to do it often to avoid repetitive motion injuries and all that jazz. But one time a year, I give into the competition of the Iknitarod and go for it. I take breaks and stretch my hands and things, but it’s a lot of knitting for about 10 days. I’m not sure exactly how many stitches I knit on Sunday, but it was a lot. Then, I hit the hay. That’s when things got interesting.
(dream) At night, I am walking home through a seedy part of town and a gentleman was giving everyone batons (and by baton, I mean tactical baton, not high school twirling baton). Everyone was taking them and continuing on their way as we all knew there was some kind of crazy dangerous killer in the area. Why we knew this and were still calmly walking along, I cannot fathom, but it’s a dream. Go with it. Fast forwad a couple of blocks. Generous Baton Guy had looped back and was approaching us again. This time, however, he was throwing full-sized saw blades at us like they were Chinese throwing stars. I blocked one with my baton and I don’t know if it ricocheted or another one appeared, but a saw cut about halfway through my hand as I caught it. Now, I’m not going to pretend to be some kind of weapons expert, but if a saw blade is being thrown at you, for the love of all that is holy, do not try to catch the thing. Avoid it at all costs. Hide behind a car. Duck down very small so it will go over your head. Do whatever you can to get out of the path. DO NOT try to catch it. Again, it’s a saw.
It seems that I was in shock because my hand did not hurt that bad and I was pleased to have caught the thing. My very next thought in this dream was, “damn, I’m not going to be able to knit tomorrow.” My hand is nearly in two pieces and I’m thinking about how soon I can get back to knitting. Ladies and gentlemen, you might have a problem if…..

the rest of the story: I think I had a hand cramp and my brain was working it into my dream. My hands both feel fine now…..and I think we can all agree that the hitchhiker shawl has kind of a saw feel to it.

Ps. I’m working on point 42 and the Iditarod winner should be pulling into Nome sometime tomorrow. Mush!