I don’t know about you, but there’s only so much time I can spend looking at a computer screen in a day. After checking to see what the latest Very Bad Thing is that has happened and getting the outrage/glee reactions from the usual suspects, I’ve usually had it and have to struggle to do any work, to check emails, to do accounting, or to blog. (Or to breathe, to retain the will to live, to resist emigrating…) So now I’m trying to do all the business-y things first, then fulfill my duty as a citizen and be well-informed. If there’s time and attention to spare for it. When I’d rather just sit on my couch and knit. Really, it’s exhausting, right?
But I still do a lot of sitting on the couch and knitting. This hot weather keeps me indoors more than deep winter does, so I’m getting some things finished (and more things started.) Every summer I indulge myself with something I want to knit that probably no one else will want to make, so it’s not for the store, not for a class, not for anything except me. I made this very beautifully-designed sweater called Nila from a wonderful old stash yarn.
This was so fun to make because, while there was something happening all the time, it wasn’t so tricky that you couldn’t look up. All this texture took a ton of yarn, but I had a lot and wanted to use it up, so I made long sleeves – which are too long after blocking, so are, in fact, very fashionable. Unfortunately, I am not fashionable! Being height-challenged means that I’ve had to deal with too-long sleeves all my life and don’t want them in my hand-knits, so the question is, will I actually rip out a few inches, decrease faster and re-do the cuff? Or will I lovingly put the sweater into a protective plastic bag and admire it as work of art, never to be worn? Too soon to tell. I know you know how it is when you think a project is done (yay!!), then find out it needs more work (boo.) It takes some time to adjust your thinking.
So while that is stewing, I’ve crocheted a baby blanket with a new yarn that’s coming in the fall,
am in the middle of a pair of socks with a bamboo-blend yarn that’s here now,
and am STILL making a scarf in Smooshy Cashmere that’s taking forever but then scarves do, and I only work on it at the store so not a lot of progress is being made. I just started a basic raglan cardigan in a new tweed yarn
that’s also coming this fall, and after making everything on size 2, 3 or 4 needles, using a 7 means I’m >>zipping>> along, or at least it feels that way. I love this time of year – so many new yarns to try and so many new projects to contemplate!
I also finished this pretty piece called Madame Entrechat. This was quite fun and turned out to be the perfect project for a new lightweight yarn called Marilyn that has tiny sequins built in. I combined it with lace weight mohair to get a lovely angelic fabric with a bit of sparkle.
Deb Hawk is modeling it for me and (of course!) looks adorable in it but it’s a nice look for a lot of people and is fun to make with lots of subtle details. If you don’t want sparkle, you can use any worsted weight yarn or combo of yarns to make the gauge. Come in and see it! I think this will be a short class starting in early September; there is a bit of tricky shaping to be done.
Speaking of classes, we’re trying to settle down and think about a fall schedule. I have summer brain so it’s not easy to discipline myself to get serious about anything, but it will come together!!
