Denial and the Art of Knitting

Yarn + Pattern = Not-So-Much

| yarn & yarns

Stubbornness will get you every time. I know this. I know this. And yet I was determined. I saw the Bavarian Socks pattern and thought, “Oooh, that would be stunning in that Fresh colorway I picked up at Yarnover!”

Once I had the vision, that was it. It didn’t matter that the yarn was a tangled mess when I put it on the swift. Or that I ended up having to undo the cake I’d started and wind the entire thing by hand — a less-than-pleasant experience since the yarn, as lovely and saturated green as it was, didn’t have a lot of spring. Or that the whole winding experience pushed me from A-OK on time to running late while packing to leave. Remember, I was stubborn determined.

snoopin 2Fast forward 24 hours to Day 1 at the cabin. In my haste to begin that morning, I misread row one of the chart and didn’t realize my error until after I’d repeated it the 10 times for the ribbing. Trip 1 to the frog pond and a second cup of coffee. All was fine until the first set of long cables made me feel like I was wrestling an alligator. I dropped a stitch. I jiggered the cable together again. The first pattern repeat is always the hardest, right?

first attempt

 

That night after a blissful day of lakeside lounging and grilling, I picked up the socks again…and found myself struggling just as badly. WTF? I’m a loose knitter on even the most stressful days. And I was relaxed.

I put the needles down in disgust and went to bed with a headache. As I lay there, I heard it emerge from the throbbing: This. Yarn. Does not want to be. This. Pattern.

Hmmm. Yarn with little give and complex cabling on size 1-1/2 needles? Yeah, not so much. My hands and sanity would not survive.

At least I had the common sense to pack more projects than I could complete. And I’m happy to report that this pile-o-knits all behaved themselves quite nicely.

pile-o-knits

FO: Easter Bonnet (MN-Style)

| yarn & yarns

izzy-leavesI was thrilled to have my four seasons back this year, waxing poetic about crisp fall days and snowy holidays. But now that it’s nearly April, I’m more than ready for winter to be over.

This morning began with a gentle spring rain. You could see the anticipation and relief on the faces of people out walking their dogs and in the aisles at Target. But not so fast, apparently. They’re calling for a return to 38&deg F (3&deg C) for Easter Sunday. So while this wasn’t intended as a holiday gift, it seems the FO timing is just perfect. At least the color makes it feel like spring.

pressed-leaves-top
Pattern: Pressed Leavesby Alana Dakos
Yarn: TFA Yellow Label (Iris)
pressed-leaves-bottom

FO: Dowager Escargot

| yarn & yarns

Me: I do enjoy the look of a good hat — just not on my head.

The Other Violet: Don’t be defeatist, dear. It’s terribly middle class.

Me: Well, it is knit… What’s the harm in trying it on?

The Other Violet: Oh, my dear, in my time I wore the crinoline, the bustle, and the leg-of-mutton sleeve. I’m not in a strong position to criticize.

Me: Um, yeah. Next time I’ll skip the ill-conceived mods.

downton-living

Pattern: Escargot by Veronica Parsons
Yarn: Knit Picks Chroma Worsted (Bittersweet Heather) and
TFA Green Label (Turquoise Water)

Saturated Summer

| yarn & yarns

Hard not to notice a theme looking down at the projects on my needles:  a rainbow of color, the brighter, the better. Extra points for watery blues. Not really that surprising given how hot and dry it’s been here this summer. Everything seems edged in dusty brown. And given the amount of wool I’ve been handling — including Aran and Bulky weight — clearly I’m ready for the next two seasons.

What Was I Thinking?

| yarn & yarns

So, um, yeah…. The Ravelympics. Knitting as a sport. Citius, Altius, Fortius.

One week after the opening ceremonies, nearly halfway through the Winter Games, and it’s looking less and less likely that this knitter will finish the race. A spectacular crash into the sidelines is a surer bet.

It seemed like a good idea at the time — using the event as a chance to finish a stalled WIP, rather than going for the gold and casting on a new project to be finished in 17 days. So I entered my Moderne Log Cabin blanket, which looked like this when I stalled out in mid-November.

Here’s where it was at the end of last weekend.

 

That’s pretty much another 200 yards of yarn, and it gained me about 3% (if I’m being generous) of the total blanket. Sigh. At least the miles of garter stitch involved are a good match for watching the winter sports, which I do love. And, as I learned last Saturday, working on a large, wool blanket is the perfect choice when sitting in a freezing ice rink watching the kid’s skating lesson.

Next Ravelympics? I’ll be signing up for the single-skein skate.