Yarn Along

{Yarning Along with Ginny}

I finally got a chance to sit down in peace and quiet for an hour or so and get a decent start on my Doctor Who Kernel this week. Those opportunities come around so much less frequently these days so I really have to take advantage when they turn up. I made it through almost all of the "Upper Edge" and I have about 4 more rows before I put it onto scrap yarn and set it aside while I start the "Lower Edge" and knit the whole scarf. 

I knit this pattern sans beads back in 2010 as a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law, and after her passing in 2011 my father-in-law passed it back to me. At that point it was the most difficult thing I had ever knit and I was quite frustrated with it and almost gave up at several points. I took a long break from lace afterwards because the experience had been so difficult (even though I conquered the scarf and made it to the end without killing anyone or ripping it to shreds). That being said, it was also the most beautiful piece I had ever knit at that point and I truly felt afterwards that I could accomplish just about anything after finishing that scarf.

This time around I am learning to add the beads and I have found the pattern to go quickly and quite easily. I'm much better at reading charts now, the lace repeats make complete sense (even when I can only work on a row or two at a time), and I can read back through my previous knitting to find my place easily. 

I'm reading Spinning in the Old Way by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts and trying to sort out the difference between woolen and worsted spinning. I'm not sure I an actually try woolen spinning on the spindle yet, but I'm hoping to at least wrap my head around the idea.