All of this means that I'm not doing much in the way of fiber work. The scarf I'm working on is wool, and as light and airy as it is, knitting in an un-air-conditioned house on a 95 degree day is just wrong. I got through another repeat, and am hoping to do a few more now that the sun is down and (I hope) it's cooling off. I may come to bless Mathilda for waking me up at 6:15 every morning, just because it'll be the only time of day I can stand to walk her!
I have, however, been considering patterns for a bigger project. I think that it's time to get back onto the sweater-knitting wagon before I work myself into fits over how much trouble they are, how hard they are, and how much I suck at finishing. Has no-one ever noticed my penchants for scarves and shawls and socks? They require no putting together afterwards. They're fake-hard; you can do all sorts of fancy stitch-work, and people think they're so tough, but a) there are no pieces (sleeves just slay me; there I think I've actually achieved something by finishing the body of a sweater and then I have to knit sleeves! Oh, the tragedy...); and b) there's no putting together afterwards. Instant gratification. I admit it, I'm a wimp.
So, I ordered this book through interlibrary loan, and I'm looking through it carefully.
In particular, I'm consider Cromarty and Aberlady. The light's bad right now, but I'll post pictures from the book at some point. I'm really drawn to Aberlady, but it's knit at 9 sts/in, and I'm just not sure I'm strong-willed enough for that. On the other hand, maybe it'd be good for me? Or something. I know, I know. If I want it badly enough....
10 comments:
go on knit it, even at 9sts per inch, yes it will take a while, years even, but imagine finishing that! Imagine seeing that beauty grow as you knit and your mind begins to know the pattern repeat.
I'd send you some cool breeze if I could, it is decidedly cooler here now as we head toward winter.
That heat is pretty crazy! We thought it was hot when it hit 70 here this weekend. Heat in the 90's in April is just wrong.
As for the sweaters, I like to knit the sleeves first, because it takes away that painful moment when you finish the darned body, think you're done, and realize there's still another third of a sweater to knit. If it's a fun pattern, I'm sure you'll manage 9 st/in, even if it takes a while. I don't know that I could even think about knitting sweaters if it's that hot, though.
Why is it that things that are "good for you" are always the things you're unlikely to want to do? I always try to avoid projects where my I have to tell mysef that it will be "good for me."
Oh, what the heck -- a new puppy, a sweater, why not? How about ordering a Bohus book from ILL while you're at it? I'm looking forward to living the simultaneous plot development of these two narratives vicariously and I hope it STAYS vicariously for a while. (Yes, I know you know that D#2 wants a puppy. But did you know that in my secret heart I've been thinking about taking up lace knitting and have my eye on the Moroccan Days/ Arabian Nights pattern?)
When I first looked at Aberlady, I thought you were crazy, but looking at the full-length shot I can see what you mean. It's very beautiful and the pattern looks as if it would be quite rhythmical; in the right yarn it would be treat to pick up. Go on. I dare you.
Hah, I just happen to have that book in hand (checked out from our library system) along with Aran Knitting and Tudor Roses.... I do this periodically, studying the different sweaters, stitches and oh that colourwork!
Both your choices are lovely, Aberlady, nicely fitted, not as bulky as Cromarty but oh mercy, that cable work is something!
So... it'll be a project that's going to take a bit of time... let it.
I had a brief fling with Cromarty once. Beautiful, beautiful pattern...and I realized midway up the front that I didn't have enough yarn to finish it. Tragedy....
There's a picture of my progress here: http://woollies.wordpress.com/2006/11/15/impatience/
Hate to burst your bubble, but I think this is just the beginning for the hot stuff - I heard this is going to be a hotter summer than usual. So ... if you're not going to get air conditioning between now and May, how are you going to knit one of those fabulous sweaters this summer - in cotton? Not that I want to squelch that sweater energy at all because I can totally relate. I want to make something substantial and wearable and then forge on through ALL the finishing, which is notoriously my downfall too. Such a dilemma ;)
Oh such gorgeousness! I've never seen that book in person, but I've spent a lot of time on Starmore's website imagining ordering kits.
You go with your bad self, I can't wait to see what you pick!
I was just perusing ravelry today trying to decide what to start next, I'm leaning towards a 3/4 length spring top - now let's see if I can finish it while it's still spring!!
Start a sweater! You'll always need another warm wool sweater in chilly SoCal. And if you start one of those lovelies now (if you're like me), you'll be ready for winter 2009! (somewhere other than SoCal of course) (Or air-conditioned office)
It will be a good knit. And if it's not, no need to go on.
Hey! Didn't you finish an alpaca sweater recently? You knit more sweaters than I do, and you probably have less need.
ohmygosh, Jocelyn, 9 st/inch is tinier gauge than a Bohus! It will be fun if you take this on and we can see how we both progress on our eye-bending projects.
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