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Mike
Seriously Hooked
649 Posts |
 Posted - 12/03/2005 : 10:06:25 AM
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Well I did my stealth blocking at work. All my sneaky plans to do it at home and I found the cardboard and just did it at work anyhow.
The first one I blocked is for my mother. This one was knitted with a very simple garter stitch out of yarn I spun on my Country Craftsman. This should really piss my sister Betsy off. She just hates it when her gift to mom takes a back seat to the one her older brother makes. It’s all good natured but I get bragging rights for the next year. I can already see her cringe when sometime in April I ask mom “what was it Betsy gave you for Christmas?” :o) Mike the evil one.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/516089033/516089033zRUAwb
At this point I would like to add the picture of my Mother opening her Christmas gift two years ago when I gave her a sweater I knitted for her.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/82890704/106674407TbqzXx
I really should have taken the picture of Betsy. This year I’ll have my wife ready with a second camera. :o)
This is the one that just about made me a crazy person. I had visions of sitting under I-95 in my cardboard shelter mumbling something about row 29. After all of the trouble of making my mind work with lace it finally finished up rather nicely.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/82890704/516089387YFDkhf
There are a two mistakes where I missed the “yo” but I wasn’t made perfect and neither is the stuff that comes from me. Now the story of the shawl takes a strange turn. About 3 weeks ago I started another “Leaf Lace Shawl”, it’s an addiction plus, I wanted to see if it would be any easier after my first attempt. I have found it to be much easier, I’ve had two mistakes one a missed “yo” and one “sk2p” that didn’t get slipped over, both I found when I did my center seam count and neither demanded any frogging, both where fixed just by slipping stitches to the point of error. Well my MIL was over for Thanksgiving and was amazed at the shawl I made for my mother, every time she walked by it she would pet it and oooh and aah. Hhmmm. My wife said she noticed too, but here we are three weeks away from Christmas and I had to tell her there was no time to knit one up that fast. I could very well blow the surprise of her shawl if she even had the slightest notion that I have been secretly knitting “Leaf Lace Shawls” at work.
Now there is the slightest of dilemmas and I would appreciate your input, though I think I know how this will go.
I have the opportunity of choosing the better of the two, which will be the new one, to give to my wife but that first one was knitted for her; it was the one that had the most effect on me as a new knitter, the one that without a doubt took the most love to complete, even with it’s slight mistakes I think the new more perfect one can’t touch it for warmth and soul. I imagine it will be the one I giver still.
How would you choose? First with imperfections or new and better.
Mike |
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knittherapy
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
375 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2005 : 10:30:34 AM
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I would give her the first one....you made that for her, thinking of her.
It's beautiful, by the way! The ladies in your life are very lucky.
Lori [img]http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/knit.gif[/img]
My blog
"I'd rather have three minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special"
Steel Magnolias |
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RoseByAny
Permanent Resident
USA
12598 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2005 : 10:53:06 AM
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Yup, the one you made for her originally.
"Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable."
http://RoseByAny.BlogSpot.Com |
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rather be knitting
Seriously Hooked
USA
954 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2005 : 11:18:53 AM
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Hi Mike -- your shawls are very lovely and the women in your life are exceedingly lucky! I love the photo of your mom opening her Christmas sweater. Poooor Betsy -- she doesn't stand a chance, does she ;-)))
I've followed your challenges and accomplishments here on KR as you worked through the first Leaf Lace Shawl. What i understood was that it wasn't only the shawl that was evolving -- the knitting of it challenged and changed you too. I really believe that when we knit, there is the potential to "capture" all the emotion, frustration, growth, joy, etc that flows through us when we make something that is inspired by our heart. That is why knitting ministries exist -- what is passed on is not just a warm object, but all the caring and love that went into its creation, capturd in the spaces between the stittches. You made the first Lace Leaf for your wife -- and it is hers. I'm sure the love you put into it will warm her heart while the wool is warming her shoulders.
Good luck finishing the new one for your MIL by Christmsas. I hope it goes smoothly.
Happy knitting! claire |
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truly violet
Permanent Resident
6397 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2005 : 11:36:26 AM
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mike I love your pictures.....
I have a couple of friends who have bikes...( one friend has a collection of vintage harley's) who I would love to have look at your pictures....
I wish they had computers or lived closer to me
I think the shawl made with love goes to the wife.....
and hmmmmm
next year butter up the MIL with one
vi
none of this will matter in 100 years.......
except I will finally be at my goal weight...vi
http://notashyviolet.blogspot.com/ ~now with chickens!
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kknitter
Gabber Extraordinaire
407 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2005 : 12:05:04 PM
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| Mike, thanks for sharing those pics. Those shawls are beautiful! |
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Mike
Seriously Hooked
649 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2005 : 12:38:16 PM
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Actually the one for my MIL sould be finished up in less than two weeks. I believe I am on the 6th repeat and I will stop at the 12th. I can get about one repeat or 10 rows done each day at work. I go in 45 min. early I get one 15 min. break and 45 min. for lunch.
Mike |
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truly violet
Permanent Resident
6397 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2005 : 12:55:56 PM
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Mike you done good.....
way to get on the good side of the MIL
vi
none of this will matter in 100 years.......
except I will finally be at my goal weight...vi
http://notashyviolet.blogspot.com/ ~now with chickens!
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kimkrafty
Permanent Resident
USA
2145 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2005 : 1:06:54 PM
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Great photos. I think anyone giving a hand-knit gift would love to see the joyous epression your mom has!
I agree with the others about giving your wife the first shawl...but I'm the sentimental type.
Kimberly, knitting in VA
http://kimberlyskorner.blogspot.com |
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WendyB
Permanent Resident
3262 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2005 : 4:42:49 PM
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Mike, I love your shawls. Beautiful! Your mom looks like she's thanking her lucky stars she's got a son like you who knits. I don't know which one to give your wife and which to your mother, but I'm sure neither one will be disappointed, no matter who gets what.
WendyB
Knit to your heart's delight. |
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Cecioboe
Seriously Hooked
USA
824 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2005 : 08:37:25 AM
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Hi Mike-
They are so beautiful! You have very lucky women in your life. Just follow you heart as to which one goes to whom. After all, you really made them both with love. And now your MIL will be thrilled as well - lucky ladies!
Ceci
My knitting blog: http://knittinreed.blogspot.com |
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ScubaQueen
Seriously Hooked
USA
883 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2005 : 10:24:56 AM
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Mike,
My vote is also for the first one! It's the one that means the most to you and will no doubt mean the most to your wife....especially if you jot down it's story in a card to go with it...
Wendy
Somewhere in Texas there's a village missing its idiot!
My blog and other such nonsense... 2 Wet Fins
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Imknittin
Chatty Knitter
USA
171 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2005 : 08:08:16 AM
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I agree with scubaqueen...I especially like gifts and the stories behind them. I think that makes them all the more special.
Angie |
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KysKnitnMom
Permanent Resident
1050 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2005 : 10:21:56 AM
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Me too.. go with the first one. They are both gorgeous!
Megann, in sunny San Diego |
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Mike
Seriously Hooked
649 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 08:30:39 AM
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I just printed out the original thread I started about the leaf lace shawl. This thread goes from before I started it through the trials and tribulations of the project, starting on 4/12/05 and ending on 6/06/05 at the last row before I started the edging.
I'm putting this in an envelope and including it with the shawl.
Mike |
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