Cast On, Knit Some, Cast Off

Purple nail polish helps round out the art of wearing
a proper cast.

All puns intended,  I have the "cast on" covered.  It's done.  A close friend and fellow knitted wondered after hearing of my slight but impeding wrist incident whether or not I could knit.


 Following the medical folks' suggestion, I decided to rest the general area and not attempt to knit immediately after getting the cast.  But a week or so ago, I grabbed some needles and a "beloved-Karen-now-departed" knitting project.  Found out it certainly could be done.

Lovely pattern on the body.
Sleeve cuff being ribbed.

Karen's years of eager knitting produced an abundance of gorgeous sweaters.  After her passing, some of her friends sorted through her stash of yarn, her knitting projects yet to be completed and the sweaters and parceled them out as generously as possible.  A lovely Icelandic sweater went to a dear friend in Seattle.  Inquiry revealed that she couldn't really wear it since the sleeves were too long.  Making "short work" of the sleeves was my knitting project--the test of whether or not my hand could knit from its place inside the cast.

So cast on, I gave it a whirl.  There is no photo to prove the results, but the Seattle friend reports that she is now enjoying the sweater from the "inside out," that the sleeves work, and that snug cuffs make it a perfect length.

The joy and results of not being "normal"

With the laboratory demonstration complete, it is time.   This Thursday "cast off" will be first of the Things I get to do today.

Finishing

Unfinished and unfinishable sweater 

My friend Karen had only one fault.  She had a terrible time finishing things.  By "things" I mean knitting projects.  Now that she's passed, several of us have sorted through bags of unfinished sweaters, discussed the possible outcomes for each, and stepped up to bring a conclusion and destination to their process.

Rip it out became ribbit out

I took the giant, patchwork, sweater body.  Since there was no extra yarn and no pattern, we figured the knitting was done. Pillows sprang to mind. We'd met an old friend of Karen's from her graduate school days, Bob, at her memorial gathering.  He would, no doubt, cherish work from her hands.  And her two nephews would have the other two pillows.

Pillow for Bob: front side

Sorting, unraveling, blocking and stitching eventually resulted in a 22 x 15" pillow from the back of the sweater.  While my hands were occupied with these Things I get to do today, my mind went about solving a word puzzle I had mentally tucked away on Monday while we friends sorted and talked of memories and of yarn and of knitting.  Asta had said she would "frog" a piece she had knit.

"Frog?" I questioned.

Finished at last: opposite side

"Yes, take it out," she replied.  My mind stopped and did not see the connection.  But today as I released the band from the body of the sweater, I got it. "Rip it"out became "ribbit" out.   And every person from age three on up knows that "ribbit" is what frogs say.  It's finished!