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a long, slow knit

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Sun, 2012-01-01 20:15 — Tom Hart

One evening last summer as the fog got sucked in, thick and cold, through the Golden Gate and the foghorns bellowed low and stubbornly into the oncoming mist like giant, 3-story cows in the distance, I picked up some jute gardening twine from deep in my stash and started double-knitting this rug. (Don’t ask.) And now as I switch back and forth between working on the rug and working on socks, my appreciation of yarn made from sheep’s wool increases every day.

Right now the rug is 3x2 (three motifs across and 2 high). My goal is to make it 3X5.

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double-knit twine side one.jpg488.89 KB
double-knit twine side two.jpg455.41 KB

Comments

Tue, 2012-01-03 15:08 — Joe-in Wyoming
Joe-in Wyoming's picture

Great work, Tom. Kudos for

Great work, Tom. Kudos for having the stamina to keep up with a challenging project ... and the wisdom to know that it is better to only work a few rows at a time, taking breaks to work on less physically draining items.

Mon, 2012-01-02 13:36 — Kerry
Kerry's picture

Beautiful work, but ouch on

Beautiful work, but ouch on the hands!

Mon, 2012-01-02 16:51 — Tom Hart
Tom Hart's picture

Thanks, Kerry. It doesn't

Thanks, Kerry. It doesn't really bother my hands at all but I'm starting to notice that my wrists hurt sometimes. Fortunately that never happens with regular yarn.

Mon, 2012-01-02 11:51 — smalltownknitguy
smalltownknitguy's picture

Excellent work Tom. I have a

Excellent work Tom. I have a belt pattern coming out soon that was knit with Jute twine.

Mon, 2012-01-02 17:13 — Tom Hart
Tom Hart's picture

Thanks, Russell. I'm really

Thanks, Russell. I'm really looking forward to seeing the jute belt pattern. Be sure to let us know when it comes out. Sounds like a great gift idea.

Mon, 2012-01-02 06:56 — chipsir
chipsir's picture

This is amazing I really love

This is amazing I really love it and if it takes years to complete, the finished item will be worth the pain and frustration. You just boggle my mind, the colours are perfect!!!!!

Mon, 2012-01-02 16:57 — Tom Hart
Tom Hart's picture

Thanks, Dennis, you may be

Thanks, Dennis, you may be right about the "years to complete" bit. I've been working on it for six months and I'm only 2/5 of the way through. But I'm finding satisfaction in it.

Mon, 2012-01-02 03:54 — bobinthebul
bobinthebul's picture

You must be cultivating some

You must be cultivating some good calluses on your fingers! An double-knitting it no less... It looks beautiful.

What's a 3-story cow?

Mon, 2012-01-02 17:03 — Tom Hart
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Thanks, Bob. A three-story

Thanks, Bob. A three-story cow is an imaginary creature of the bovine persuasion roughly equal in height to a three-story building with a deep, loud and sustained moo. In other imaginations it's a cow that talks but only tells the same three stories over and over.

Sun, 2012-01-01 22:43 — Tallguy
Tallguy's picture

Excellent work! I know that

Excellent work! I know that jute is not the best of fibres to work with, but it does have a purpose. I'm sure you will appreciate the finished item a lot more in jute than in cotton. Double knitting is fun, and very satisfying to do. Lovely work being done there!

Don't spend too much time at one sitting on this one, as the jute can be hard on your hands. Keep your time with it short, and in time, you will be finished. Is there a deadline? ARe you in a race? Just do what you can, whenever you can, and when done, you will be done. Do something more enjoyable at other times, just to have some pleasure along the way.

Mon, 2012-01-02 17:08 — Tom Hart
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Thanks, Tallguy. I tend to

Thanks, Tallguy. I tend to knit only 2 or 3 rows at a time on this project. With regular wool yarn projects I can knit for a long time but not with this stuff. And there is no deadline, so happily there's no pressure that way.

Sun, 2012-01-01 22:24 — ronhuber
ronhuber's picture

A lovely piece of work. I

A lovely piece of work. I admire you. Double knitting And jute. Wow.

Mon, 2012-01-02 17:11 — Tom Hart
Tom Hart's picture

Thanks, Ron. I've been an

Thanks, Ron. I've been an admirer of your work ever since I joined this group.

Sun, 2012-01-01 21:24 — linens2lace

tough to knit perhaps but it

tough to knit perhaps but it will be worth all your effort. I say, Keep at it!

Mon, 2012-01-02 17:14 — Tom Hart
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Thanks for the encouragement,

Thanks for the encouragement, Joanne!

Sun, 2012-01-01 20:36 — AKQGuy
AKQGuy's picture

It is gorgeous Sir. I have

It is gorgeous Sir. I have similar feelings towards linen and hemp that I'm sure aren't near as rough as the jute. Keeping working at it and more importantly keep showing us your progress on it.

Mon, 2012-01-02 17:17 — Tom Hart
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Thanks, Quinton. I'll post

Thanks, Quinton. I'll post another picture in six months time or so. Maybe it'll even be done by then.

Sun, 2012-01-01 20:26 — Bill
Bill's picture

I've been watching this

I've been watching this grow...it's heavy and beautiful!
...and tough to knit...

Mon, 2012-01-02 17:19 — Tom Hart
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Thanks, Bill. Sorry I missed

Thanks, Bill. Sorry I missed you all on Sunday. That'll teach me to get there on time!