Sunday, September 23, 2007

It really didn't take forever:

I finished something. Nothing as monumental as the veil, or as welcomed, but it's still a hurdle I had to get over. It's not blocked yet, but here's a peek:

At the same time, the Gentleman's Railway Socks are nearing completion: I'm past the heel, working my way toward the toe. All of that commuter knitting really adds up, I guess!

Now, what will come next? I have an idea of something that surprises me -- something I didn't think I would ever make, but I found the yarn on sale and it might just cut everything else on my list. And once the socks are done, I'll have to find a new pair of those, too. Should I finish up some of the incomplete pairs I have around the house first? We'll see how much of this finishing-up I can do before I jump into something new....

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Friday, September 14, 2007

Wish List

I'm not feeling any of my current projects, really. I'm trekking away at them because they need to be finished, but my heart isn't with them. Don't get me wrong -- I love the Railway Socks and I think the lace will come together well. I'm even remembering why I bought the wool for My So-Called Scarf on an impulse. I just don't feel like knitting any of them. I don't think it's overkill from the veil, I just think nothing has been calling out to me. And I'm busy with school and a class I'm taking and life in general.

So I've been looking through my books for new patterns that are interesting. Here's my queue:
1. The Josephine Top from IK Summer '07 looks great, as does the
2. Notre Dame Pullover from the same issue.
3. The Brooklyn Cap from IK Summer '06 has been in the back of my mind since I saw it, and would make a great first felting project -- but can I use stash yarn for it?
4. Icarus from the same issue might be a nice venture for lace, as well.
5. Evelyn Clark's Flower Basket Shawl would be a good place to use up some of my laceweight stash -- and I do have a fair amount of it!

Or do I find some of my sock yarn and make another Baby Surprise Jacket? I could also hunt down one of my patterns for a baby hat and scarf combo, which would go by quickly. I just don't know what will get me out of this rut I'm feeling! I'm craving a quick-knit that I'll be able to wear instantly, but that will keep me on my toes a bit. Maybe I should take the Arucania Nature-Wool and make myself the cardigan I was imagining -- I can use a seed stitch pattern to mix up the variegation. Or should I ditch it all and start something new?

Saturday, September 8, 2007

I can't keep away....

I am an inherent multi-tasker when it comes to knitting. One of the hardest parts of knitting the veil was sticking to only one project. As I was chipping away row by row, I kept eyeing my sock knitting books, my other lace knitting books and other patterns wishfully.

I did manage to complete one sock before I realized that I almost wouldn't have a veil at all and had to stop. I just cast-on for the second sock, and am forcing myself to finish it before I move on to another pattern.

This is a Gentlemen's Railway Sock from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks. I made it using Lorna's Laces in Baltic Sea, a colorway I have been craving for about a year now. The yarn is very masculine in color, and the variegation is subtle, so I thought it would be appropriate to write a fairly masculine sock. I actually like the heel- and toe-striping a lot, even though I was skeptical at first. It adds a lot to the sock.

I love the stitch pattern and the way it helps to blend the colors in the yarn. Purl stitches add so much to variegated yarns!

Look at the way the colorwork adds zing to the heel, as well. The yarn was striping fairly regularly, also, which really adds to the pattern. From a distance, it's difficult to see the variegation -- it just looks like it has a deep, rich color. Hopefully I'll have a new pair of socks to wear when the weather turns in a few weeks!

I also couldn't stay away from lace -- when I was on my honeymoon I cast on with this:

Misti Alpaca in pink, of all things! Usually I don't like pink at all, but for some reason this yarn called out to me and I made an impulse-buy. I was limited because I didn't have a pattern, so I had to make it up on the fly. More about this one later, I promise!