Except, she's been busy and I've been busy and we're just now finalizing the design. She likes a pattern from the book, Knitted Lace of Estonia. It's called Queen Silvia. We have a lunch date tomorrow to look at yarn. So here's my concerns:
1. I can't just download the pattern. My back up plan is my friend Cece who has every knitting book ever. I checked her online library and it doesn't look like she has the book. I'm keeping my fingers crossed the yarn store tomorrow will have a copy. Otherwise I can order it from Amazon but it will take time to arrive.
2. The yarn store we are going to tomorrow is good. But not like Webs. We might find something, but we might not. Many of the local yarn stores I used to go have gone under. But we have a back up plan, she's interested in the Jagger Spun Zephyr Wool-Silk yarn that Webs carries. Webs is closed on Sunday, and only open until 5:30 pm on Saturday and I have a vet appointment Saturday morning. It will be tight and dangerous. Tight on time and dangerous as I've been steering clear of the store for a good year, to keep the budget under control.
3. The wedding is September 19th. I've already told her that it will be tight and I may not make it (managing expectations). We agreed I'd give her two weeks notice if it won't be done. That gives me until September 5th. So best case scenario is I get to start on it tomorrow because the yarn store will have the book and yarn that works. That's 33 days. Worse case scenario is I don't get to start until next week once the book from amazon has arrived and I made a pilgrimage to webs (or to be safe have them ship the yarn - sight unseen). That will only give me about 26 days.
4. Saturday night, after we agreed on the pattern (yay), I started thinking. Started thinking, "What am I getting myself into?!" I'm terrible with knitting deadlines. I've long given up gifting knitted christmas/birthday presents. It often resulted in a last minute scramble to find a substitute gift as I wasn't finished yet and my saving grace is there will always be another christmas/birthday. The last time I had a hard deadline was for my god-son. I knit him the fish blanket. I was knitting fishes in the day, I was knitting fishes at night, I was knitting while driving (passenger), I was knitting on my commute, I was knitting on holiday, I was even knitting while hiking. I dreamed fishes. And I didn't quite make the first deadline I had - his shower. Nor the revised second deadline - his birth. I made it in time for his dedication (christening). At least that's how I have it in my head (I think it might have been a bit after, but close enough to count).
I did read on ravelry a post for this shawl pattern and they were able to knit it in a month. So there is hope. It's not impossible. Someone, somewhere, can get this done. I can only hope I'm in the club.
5. Saturday night, while falling asleep, I suddenly realized something else. I've never ever knit a shawl! I've had friends who knit shawls. I've knit lace scarves. I've followed blogs where people knit shawls. But I've never actually knit one. Not even some small something that I could count as a test run proving I don't mind knitting shawls. (I'm not a big fan of knitting socks, good to know before committing to gifting a pair).
So this all leaves me a little anxious and rearing to get this project underway. Fingers crossed it all goes well and I don't give Dawn her wedding shawl after the wedding.
1 comment:
well, think about it this way... if the pattern calls for about 1400 yards, and you have a month, you will have to be able to knit about 50 yards a day. that sounds manageable. also, i sent you a valuable email. :)
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