Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Nov 212011
 

Ahhh Rock Island…I remember her. I struck up a relationship with her in April of this year. Shortly thereafter, I fell ill with a debilitating case of Knitting Catatonia.

I could not decide about the Wollmeise. MIKBF intended Rock Island to be done in Lorna’s Laces, so after caking the Wollmeise and getting the edging started, I began to wonder if I was really ready to commit to letting go of the Wollmeise. Shortly thereafter,  I ordered some Lorna’s Laces Helen’s Lace Solid in Grand Street Ink. I cast that on. This was followed by going back to the Wollmeise lace to fondle it after completing every 10 or so rows of the Helen’s Laces. But the Grand Street Ink was so rich in color. This lead me to stop knitting both of them until I decided. That was seven months ago. Catatonia.

I think if I were to pick up one of them, it would be the Wollmeise. The Wollmeise lace is a wee bit more substantial than the Helen’s Laces, and it’s hard for me to get excited about knitting thin string in the winter. If you’re up to casting on another, I’m in!

Mohair. Really? Halos on certain projects look dreamy, and I would love to be able to wear it, but despite whatever it’s blended with, I find it too scratchy, even if it’s not right against my skin. Have you found a pattern yet?

I love love love your Rustling Leaves Beret. It only took 201 yards? Who doesn’t have some leftover Wollmeise? What a perfect Christmas gift. Alana Dakos does some lovely leave patterns. I think everyone and their mother, including me, has knit her Cedar Leaf Shawlette. I used Handmaiden Lady Godiva for that, and it was a really fun knit.

I have been thinking of resurrecting my frogged Fiddlehead mittens to knit up for a gift. I have the Tanis Fiber Arts kit in Aqua, cast them on 2 years ago and didn’t like the order I was doing the colors in. Colorwork is always quick, or seems to go quickly for me, I think it’s the interest in seeing what the next few rows look like that keep me going.

I have a crazy idea. What do you think about finishing all of our UFOs before casting anything new on as of January 1st. Are you up for a challenge?

I dare ya.

~Purled

Finishitupitis? UFO Bin? Here’s My Story.

Nov 192011
 

Congrats on the Hanami. I’ll be doing the sister-getting-married-wedding-shawl thing soon enough, with the wedding date looming in early 2012.

My UFO bin has many things in it, from as old as late 1990s. Case in point — I have Alice Starmore’s Mary Tudor cardigan that is one sleeve and finishing away from being completed. I think the Tudor Roses book came out in 1996-1998 timeframe, and I bought the book when it came out. Now…I don’t know where the book is, I have a fading copy of the pattern in with the sweater, and I may make it my 2012 goal to finish it. I have not touched this sweater in quite some time! I really ought to finish it, especially since Alice Starmore is the guest speaker at one of the dinners at Vogue Knitting Live. I should be a real groupie and wear one of her designs, right?

Speaking of UFO bins, I put in a couple of old projects up on my Ravelry project page so I will be shamed into inspired to finish them up. This was inspired by Paula from Knitting Pipeline — she is running a Rip Van Winkle contest. I don’t think I can finish any of these before the month is out, but she did get me to drag some projects out of their hiding places in the closet!

I have many other projects that needs finishing up, and I have been on a bit of finishing craze as well. Because…..it’s holiday knitting time!

I always have grand plans about knitting Christmas gifts. Every year. And there are tons of blogs and podcasts that warn you against doing this, that serious deadlines take the joy out of knitting, etc. No such thing. I work so well under pressure though! Don’t you?

So, as Thanksgiving looms,  I’ve finished the two hats — Rustling Leaves and We Call Them Pirates, I casted on and finished Romi Hill’s Caliz out of 6 ply green cashmere in record time, and I’m always prowling around for some quick, worsted weight accessory to “rest” with between my more complicated lace projects.

As we enter December, this is the time when Malabrigo worsted comes in handy, in my opinion. It’s a yummy nummy yarn. Soft and squishy, and nice and rich colors. I know it’s not the best wearing yarn — but does that really matter when the recipient opens your gift, and lays his/her hands on the soft knitted thing? See these mittens? They may pill in a couple of wearings but I’m only there when these go on the recipients hands for the very first time :)

I love your shipwreck shawl. I like it that you’ve pre-strong the beads onto the yarn. I’ve always added beads as I go with a crochet hook. Do you just put a needle on your yarn and string it all up before you start knitting? How do you figure out how many to string up?

Speaking of love, I finally saw Loft in person. I’m knitting something in that yarn. I love it. In fact, I am ruing the fact that I’m making my Leaves of Grass out of Wollmeise. (Oh, yes, I said it)!!!!!!

 

~Twisted

Hanami. It’s Over.

Nov 182011
 

I ended it.

Hanami and I are finished. I delivered her to my sister and I do believe she was smitten. As you can see, the shawl was meant to be much larger than the abbreviated version she wore on her wedding day. I still say it worked. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

She was kind enough to model it, though all I had with me was the iphone camera. I would have taken some beauty shots after blocking but I was up late breaking up with Hanami before I blocked her and needed to make an early boat. No time.

I do believe I’m forgiven though, despite the fact that there is an Ellington Sock to be knit to complete that promise. Stay tuned though, as I may have an spell of finishitupitis. That’s my offering to the knitting lingo you were asking for. The Yarn Harlot came up with it and I’m begging for a plague.

Speaking of shawls, beaded and languishing, I was inspired to pull out my Shipwreck!

I cast on May 2010 after Spring Fling, using Skinny Bugga in Swift Long Winged Skimmer. I’ve added beads and am now on the netting, which is the final chart. It’s some mind numbing K2together, YO’s, which would be fine were it not for the fact I have to stop and unwind a long length of yarn to slide the beads down every ten minutes. I decided not to use a crochet hook because the knitted on beads lie nicely in the YOs. I’m tempted to make myself do a row or two a night, but we’ll see.

What I love about having finishitupitis is I feel virtuous and productive. I get a pair of socks done in the time it takes to knit one, or a shawl done in the time it takes to knit half of it. Or at least this is what I tell myself when I feel like putting it down while trying to fight off the throws of castingonitis.

What’s in your UFO bin?

~Purled

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