stash, knit, repeat

Run, don’t walk, to your local grocery store and purchase the ingredients for this.

Even without the glaze, it is the most moist, scrumptious, spiced, wonderful thing I have eaten in months. Plus, I got to use my weirdo Yankee apple contraption–and how cool is that, really?

(Jacob thought it was pretty cool.)

Well. Just had to get that off my chest. Pigging out on coffee cake is much more fun with company, you know.

*****

I was reading a certain blog yesterday, and noted a certain resolution to knit a pair of socks per month this year. Now, I’d be far from sock-yarn-stashless even if I knit twice that amount, but it seemed like a good idea to try and knock off a pair of socks each month this year anyway. Just think! A year from now, I’ll have 12 more pairs to combat this chilly, chilly house.

Of course, that leaves me with only 6 more days to finish the Pomatomi.

Surely I can manage that, though, right? Especially if I stop eating coffeecake long enough to knit a little each day?

…you all have such fantastic ideas! I ripped out the sock (and two baby sweaters and a baby hat), stuffed the yarn in the closet, and took a total knitting break for a couple of days. Read a few books I’d been meaning to get to, cleaned the house, and generally tried not to think about my knitting.

Then the February shipment of the Seasons Yarn Club showed up at my door.

She named the colorway “Bronzed Sienna”, and it is absolutely the essence of autumn in New England, to me. My favorite time of the year in my favorite place in the world. I put it on my desk and smiled every time I walked by.

I cast on for the second Pomatomus. Even if I’ve only knit a few rows, it’s started, damnit, and that makes things seem much more cheery.

The end is in sight, even if it’ll be slow going to get there. And then I let the whole question of what excites me (knitting-wise) roll around in my head during my little break. And eventually came up with the same answer as some of you: I need sweaters. I love socks, I love lace, I love all knitting–but I need sweaters. I’d written them off for the immediate future, because knitting one for myself is currently impractical. But eventually my brain kicked in and I realized I could knit a sweater for someone else, too. Enter Torgeir, from Elsebeth Lavold’s Viking Knits I booklet.

I should have juuuuuuust enough of the dark blue I used for Gram’s Fir Cone Cardigan to make the two-year size for Jacob. And just like that, I’m back. Nice to see you again!

Not from my current projects, anyway. There’s Pomatomus. The first sock is done, and I fear I’m going to be joining the movement at just the wrong time. It’s not that I don’t like the sock, even though it looks pretty crappy off a foot.

On the foot it is gorgeous and comfortable. I love the pattern, its cleverness, its simplicity, and I love the yarn so much hubby is starting to be jealous. I think it’s just that this is my main (only?) project right now, and a 1×1 rib sock is inherently slow, for me. I dunno. Whatever the reason, I’m just not feeling the love to cast on for the second sock.

With the alligator scarf finished, and a day-long game with friends this Saturday, I decided to cast on a simple stockinette sock for some mindless knitting. After three different attempts, I finally found a stitch count that would work for my feet and prevented pooling. It’s striping, of course.

(That’s artyarns ultramerino, in 3×1 rib.)

…which means a short-row heel, and I’m not even that crazy about the striping. I tend to like it on other people’s socks, or when the yarn is absolutely self-striping, but it’s not working for me here.

So okay, I rip this out and rewind the yarn and maybe try to find a baby sweater pattern that will use it, and give the resulting sweater to my colorist for her first baby. (Got any favorite patterns?) But… where’s my next “wow” project? The big thing that keeps me going, and excited, with breaks for socks or baby sweaters? I look at my queue on ravelry, and shrug. I browse through my stash, and shrug. I just don’t know what to do next, I guess.

Any recommendations, commiseration, or tips for getting that mojo back where it belongs? What do you all do when boredom strikes?

For a project that only took me around 4 days to knit, this one sure hung around awhile.

Pattern: Baby Alligator Scarf, from Morehouse Merino

Yarn: Kit yarn–merino 3 ply, maybe?

Time Elapsed:This took 4 days to knit, but it took me almost two months to make those 4 days happen.

Modifications/Notes: No modifications to this baby. And not many notes, either–it’s a clever but simple knit. And despite the toddler ennui in that first picture, Jacob adores it.

In fact, I had some trouble getting FO shots because he was so possessive of it. He wanted it nearby, at all times. He’s even sleeping with it!

The bumps in the middle are formed by increasing stitches over a few rows, binding them off, and just pulling the yarn tightly together on the next row. Very easy, very cute, but a little tedious. Hence the two months. This is the first project in years that I’ve procrastinated on like this. And for such a simple thing! I felt like a heel, so I’m glad it’s done.

Boo!

There’s really not much to say about this one. Here are some FO shots, and have a lovely day!

It feels a little anti-climactic, but here are the details on the HoJo Pullover I knit for Jessica.

Pattern: HoJo Pullover by Fiona Ellis, from the fall 2002 issue of Interweave Knits.

Yarn: Berroco Pure Merino, 12 balls of blue, 1 each of cream, lime, rust.

Time Elapsed: Definitely under a month

Modifications/Notes: I made two modifications–switching the pure merino for the (discontinued) Classic Elite Follies called for in the pattern, and knitting the back in a solid color instead of adding another fair isle band.

I thought, since the color work is so high on the front, that it would look strange to continue the fair isle in the back without also adding it to the sleeves. Jessica proclaimed the sweater perfect, so I’m glad I did this. Note to others considering the same thing: You’ll need more blue.

It was an interesting challenge to knit such a fitted sweater for someone else, especially as a gift. I enlisted the help of her boyfriend (hubby’s brother) to get the measurements of one of her favorite existing sweaters, and knit to that. It worked out quite well, but I wouldn’t have wanted to try without “cheat” measurements to rely upon.

This project included something unusual–fair isle done flat with patterning on both sides. I didn’t find doing wrong-side fair isle work to be difficult at all, and as the wry punster mentions in her little series on color work, it definitely cuts down on the bulk. I can more viscerally understand the advantages of an adult garment done this way, now.

I’m not sure there’s much else to say–but this sweater sure was a pleasant way to end my knitting year!

(Of the hand-knitted gifts kind. No New Year’s resolutions for me, this time around. I’m just happy 2007 is over.)

It was a fantastic trip, there was much knitting, and now I’m crashing back to reality here in CA. It is my sincere hope not to spend too many more holiday seasons frantically trying to see everyone, do everything, while living out of a suitcase. We’ll see.

I wound up finishing everything I really wanted to get done. Koolhaas for Adam:

(This shot is cuter than the FO. Just imagine it without the yarn strand, there.)

Shedir for my grandmother Grace:

Log cabin slippers for Nancy:

Silk Rhapsody scarf for Beth:

Bev’s hat and mitt set:

And last but certainly not least, the HoJo sweater for Jessica. As you all predicted, she loved it.

(And the fit is just great, if I do say so myself.)

It feels like I have a lot of catching up to do, with all of you. And there’s some blog housekeeping–FO post on HoJo, updates to my 2007 FO album, sharing pictures of a tiny bit of new yarn, the scoop on my current WIPs…

…but all of that can come some other day. May you all have a wonderful 2008, full of shining laughter and scrumptious hand knits.