February 05, 2006
Both Donni and Danielle posted this week about being in a knitting funk, and I think it's catching.
I finished all the pieces for the Cotton Ease jacket on Thursday, and was ready to block and seam it so that I could do the collar. We had really hot days Wednesday and Thursday, and I need hot days to block, because I block on the floor, and we have a tiny little house. Friday dawned cloudy, and so did Saturday. Today was a little better, but family days are not the best for blocking, either.
So I was faced with "What next?"
I had some more cotton ease that was intended for Wendy's "Girlfriend's School Spirit Sweater" for Em. So I pulled out the pattern and the yarn, and realised that Em is actually just a tiny bit bigger than the chest measurement for the size 10. At first I thought "It won't matter" and I cast on. Took a few goes to get the gauge right, but I got it going.
Then a few things occured to me. Em is 13 next month and she's growing if you know what I mean. If she is just a bit bigger than the 10 now, by winter she might be even more bigger than the 10.
And I hate the cotton ease knitted at 19sts/10cm. Hate It. It was quite nice to work with at 17sts/10cm, but too stiff and crunchy at the tighter gauge.
So after working on it Thursday night and most of Friday, I ripped it out.
Then I decided to start the mystery project. It's a small thing, will be done in no time! Knit and knit and knit, Friday night. Used a needle one size smaller than recommended, becuase I always need to go down a size. I half finished the first piece, measured the length as required, and realised my gauge was off. Did I swatch? No. I always need to go down a size!
Not this time. This time, my gauge is perect on the recommended size needles. Rip it out, start again.
So that's going quite well, but it's a mystery project, and I don't want the recipient (or I should say the recipients mother!) to see it before I give it to her. So I need something that I can also knit on, so I'll have blog fodder.
Am I the only one who considers the blog when I decide what to knit?
Danielle sent me this gorgeous Cherry Tree Hill Possum Lace a little while ago.
I have scarf ideas. So I went out yesterday and bought some beads, and I think I'll play with this for a while.
Don't you love those colours? The scarf ideas are very vague right now, but I'm sure I'll come up with something!
It has also occured to me that I am way behind on some of my sewing, so I need to get stuck into that this week. I'm just not in a sewing frame of mind right now.
Hasn't this been a long post full of nothing?!?
Oh, and late as usual, my word cloud!
It's tempting to order the tshirt, isn't it?
Posted by Donna at February 5, 2006 05:15 PMComments
Funny that little funk that everyone seems to have been in....all things pass though - all seems a little better today!
Posted by: Donni at February 5, 2006 07:15 PMIt IS tempting to order the t-shirt! Wouldn't that be fun? :)
Love the possum lace! Is it really made out of possum? That seems a bit funny to me, but then again there's wonderful yarn made out of Yak. And that doesn't seem plausible either.
Knitting funks happen. Sometimes they go away quickly, other times they stick around. Dammit! Hope yours is extinct by now!
xo
It's probably just the weather. You'll be out of the funk in no time. I think designing the scarf will do the trick.
Posted by: wool winder at February 6, 2006 05:30 AMWhen I am in a knitting funk I get what we call at our S'n'B 'startitis' I will cast on about 3 or 4 different things and see which one inspires me the most but usually because of the mood, none do. Rip them all out go back to what I was working on originally and hey what do you know, snapped out of it ;) Which you probably have too by now, especially with that gorgeous scarf to do.
Posted by: Sharon at February 6, 2006 06:54 AMKnitting funk.......... does that mean projects in disgrace that you glare at constatnly while furiously working on something else? NO? LOL ok I guess not. That's just knitting blah.
No I'd definately change plans on Em's top for now. They seem to grow suddenly in spits and spurts about now, like almost overnight.
The possum looks gorgeous..... I'm sure you'll be inspired pretty quickly.
I have figured its giving me some time to jsut think and work on other stuff.
Beads and yummy yarn...I can't wait to hear what your plans are.
I know you ranted and ranted about making a tutu..but I decided this year I am going to learn.
Posted by: Danielle at February 6, 2006 10:35 AMI don't want the shirt out of mine. It had beer belly on it. I don't even drink beer!!
Love those beads.
Posted by: Chris at February 6, 2006 02:06 PMI Love the Tshirt word clouds too - am sorely tempted to order one...
Posted by: Nat at February 6, 2006 07:38 PM
Possum lace? Sounds intriguing! I love the colour and the beads. I love beads. :-)
You're right about Simply Knitting - it's not all that bad. I was just mega-grumpy last night when I posted my rant. :-/ I did the usual knitterly thing of continuing to knit in the hope that it would 'all work out in the end'.
Oh well, onwards and upwards!
Posted by: Sue at February 5, 2006 07:14 PM