Mechanical
This was supposed to be a week dedicated to knitting, pattern drafting and polishing, reading, writing, gardening, watching the Tour de France — plus a little light housekeeping and general relaxation. A haircut. A trip to the DMV to procure an Oregon license, since my old one expires on Sunday. (This means studying the local rules, since I have to sit for the knowledge test again. If the practice test is an accurate indicator, I’m up a creek. Is knowing how much the fine is for a DUI really going to make me more competent behind the wheel?)
In the end, hardly anything has gotten done, apart from the avid Tour watching (Vino, how could you be so stupid? Rasmussen, how am I supposed to believe you aren’t doping when you keep riding away from your rivals like there are afterburners concealed in your lycra shorts?) and the wrestling with Brigitte. Appropriately on the biggest mountain stage, I cracked. I hit the portion of the pattern where the fronts cross, and it all went to pieces. The pattern makes no sense in French or English — it can hardly have been written by the same person who knit the sample. I had to go freestyle, but not without a lot of cursing and fiddly tinking and adjusting errors six rows down and breaking yarn only to rejoin it in the same place on the next row. Were I to wear this sweater inside out, I’d have tassles enough for a Vegas showgirl.
Four stages to go, and I have yet to finish the front or begin the sleeves. And then there’s the seaming, and the weaving in of all those beastly unnecessary ends. It’s like a broken derailleur on an HC climb, and the pack is riding away up the slope while I wait for the team car. So now it’s all or nothing. I’m giving myself until midnight on Sunday to limp in as the lantern rouge, the rider with the slowest overall time. There’s not so much shame in being the lantern rouge as you might think, the way I figure it – lots of guys have to abandon entirely. What do you think, can I gut it out and finish Brigitte by the end of the 29th?
Just to make this more fun, let’s have a little game. Leave a comment and tell me what date and time you think I’ll clip off the last end – it can be after the 29th (and it might be!). The person with the closest guess will get a nice surprise out of my ever-burgeoning stash. You have until the end of the live coverage on Saturday to make your guesses – by then we’ll have had the long time trial and we’ll know who the yellow jersey is going to be in Paris. Okay, go! I’m off to count some more decreases and figure out how to work my special extended collar piece. Thanks for tuning in.
Posted: July 25th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
I’m not sure what your opinion of Landis is, but I do believe in Stage 17, after his cracking on Stage 16 last year…in which case I’ll guess July 29, 11:58pm. You can do it! 🙂
Posted: July 25th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
You can do it! Watching the Tour has been such good knitting time for me but I usually continue past the live coverage for a few hours; I’ll bet you’re done before the end of Sunday – 2pm?
Posted: July 25th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
I’m going with the 31st at….Hmmmm 4:30
But maybe you should just go with the Vegas showgirl look. It might really catch on.
Posted: July 25th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Considering this weekend activities I’ll say midnight on Tuesday;)
Posted: July 25th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Hmmmm… I say 8pm on Monday 🙂
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 12:33 am
I think the time trials are going to give you a new suitcase of courage to dig deep down into… put me down for 1am Monday.
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 3:30 am
I think you can do it…..I’ll say the 29th at 5:34pm
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 4:09 am
i t hink you’ll finish on the 29th, at 11:50 p.m. local time. i have faith in you (as long as you don’t use one of hte yarns i gave you as a prize, lol!)
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 4:18 am
Oh no, sorry to hear that Brigitte is giving you a hard time 🙁
Somehow, I feel responsible…
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 7:12 am
The 28th. 3:14pm.
And…oh dear. I have that DMV test ahead of me too, don’t I?
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 8:51 am
I don’t know…there’s so many variables. I’m going to say 2pm on Tuesday August 1. Just for kicks. 🙂
My sympathies on Bridget. It seems the crowd is jumping out in front of you at every turn, or the devil-suit guy is chasing you, or something. No matter when you get it finished, it will be lovely. I might just be le lanterne rouge though. I’m positively pokey on my second sock.
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Bah. I’m not voting against you and that means not forcing you to stay up all night if you don’t want to (or not having any alcoholic beverages that could impede finicky knitting on your birthday).
For some reason I was believing in the Chicken. I think it was only because Seth was voting for him and Vino, I KNEW was doping, but ew. blood doping? disgusting.
Cadel Evans is my favorite but only because I have formed a weird attachment to his name.
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
i have faith i you, sarah, i think you can do it by the 29th. this post made me smile, i love the phrase ‘fiddly tinking’ and maybe will steal it in the future. and the tassels comment was great. hang in there, you will make it. smiles.
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
oops, forgot to choose a time…let’s go with 10.00 pm pacific, shall we?
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Hmm, I guess the 29th at 12:35 p.m.
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Wednesday, August 1st; 8:37pm.
Posted: July 26th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
I think you underestimate yourself, Vegas lady. I will go with 7/28 at 10pm Oregon time. Miss you!!
Posted: July 27th, 2007 at 4:52 am
Sorry, but I’ve had bad experience with translations before… I’m going to bet on August 5th, 10pm.
Posted: July 27th, 2007 at 10:54 am
You seem to be much more disciplined with the knitting than I am… still, I’m going to say August 30 at 9pm. 🙂
Posted: July 27th, 2007 at 11:41 am
I think you can do it! Of course, I’m just hoping to turn the heel of my sock before then. And that might not happen, seeing as I’ve never turned a heel before! So, the 29th 2:58pm. Go! 😉
Posted: July 28th, 2007 at 9:51 am
It depends so much on your own motivation! but I will guess August 4, at 11:27 pm.
All the best, it will be lovely when it is done!
Posted: July 28th, 2007 at 10:49 am
Hmmm. My daughter’s birthday is Feb 9. I’m NOT betting that it will take that long, but I’ll go with July 29th at 8:29pm.
(of course my anniversary is Aug 29 so I could be more pessimistic …)
In any case, I’ll bet it will be worth the struggle!
Posted: July 29th, 2007 at 9:13 am
I’m a little late to the game, but I do have faith that you’ll get it done. Though probably closer to midnight tonight. I’ll still be your friend if you’re still sewing for a few minutes after, even. 😉
Posted: October 1st, 2007 at 2:11 am
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