Sunday, February 09, 2020

While Miz Kittling Knits: Rosemary & Thyme



Recently, I had a knitting project that didn't go exactly to plan. Instead of keeping quiet about it, I thought I'd let you all take a look. Sometimes our mistakes can be "interesting", too.

I had three skeins of Lion Brand Homespun Thick & Quick in a gorgeous shade of purply blue called Periwinkle that demanded to be made into something. Since my shoulders occasionally feel a draft when I'm knitting and watching television in the evenings, I thought I'd make myself a shawl.

I chose a prayer shawl pattern that was an easy knit three, purl three rib, but in reading the fine print, I saw that my three skeins weren't going to be enough... and the company had discontinued Periwinkle. Rats!!! Undeterred, I reached for two skeins of the same yarn in a shade called Purple Haze and decided I'd have a "color block" shawl.

However, I didn't pay attention to two crucial things: the size of the yarn to be used (my choice was much thicker) and the gauge (how many stitches to the inch). Silly me!

I was enjoying the warmth and softness of the yarn so much that I just kept knitting even though I knew something was wrong. What I wound up with is almost half an afghan, but it is the softest, warmest almost-half-an-afghan you're ever going to run across. Since it's been getting a lot of use, I can't say that my project was a complete failure. I have something that keeps me warm, and I certainly learned my lesson about reading instructions very carefully. I've now started another shawl using the same pattern...only I'm paying attention to yarn size and gauge. The second one will be one that I'll take with me when Denis and I go out on winter evenings.

What have I been watching while stitching my Hagrid-sized shawl? a delightful British mystery called Rosemary & Thyme on Britbox.

Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme are a gardening super duo that goes from one beautiful location to the next creating wonderful gardens and solving crimes.

Not only do we get to see beautiful houses and gardens in England, but the two women also solve a crime or two in the south of France and along the Italian coast. Gorgeous, gorgeous scenery!

Besides the scenery, I enjoy the acting, the stories, and the humor. (Something light and fun if I've watched too much Wallander.) The opening credits are worth the price of admission with their lush photography and music. Speaking of credits, it often pays to stick around for the closing ones. That's how I discovered that Peter Lovesey, creator of the wonderful Peter Diamond mystery series is a story consultant for Rosemary & Thyme. I wish it had lasted longer than three seasons!


10 comments:

  1. Oh, I liked Rosemary and Thyme very much, too, Cathy! Among many other things, it was nice to see strong female protagonists who are no longer nubile 25-year-olds. And I did like the relationship between the two leads. As to your knitting? I absolutely love those shades you chose, and what a great idea to use the project that way.

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    1. I sometimes think Baby Boomers are having a bit of an effect on movies and television. A t-shirt that made me smile recently: "Your first mistake was thinking I was a little old lady."

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  2. :) Another fan of Rosemary and Thyme! And the half afghan looks warm and cozy, prefect for reading or more knitting. :)

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    1. It is! I'm going to use that same lovely yarn to make myself an afghan in a gorgeous shade of lavender.

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  3. Love the shawl. It's beautiful. But why not finish it in a third color, like the lavender you mention above or another color that would blend in? Then it would be a tri-color shawl.

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    1. That is an idea, but I'm happy with it the way it is.

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  4. It is very nice and as long as you can use it, great.

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