KNITSTER

I hadn’t realized that nobody had written here since, well, last year, just around Thanksgiving time. I suppose it was a busy holiday season and new year for us Knitsters! This is not to say that we weren’t busy with knitting activities. Okay, so I can only speak for myself. But actually I was knitting a lot! I had 3 gifts that I had to finish in time for Christmas, so I was a busy little knitter. So, here they are:

Three Christmas Scarves

The recipients of them seemed happy. Well, at least two of them said thank you, since I didn’t see them open them. But one in particular said a big thank you, so that felt good. The black one was done in basketweave, the light grey one is in seed stitch, and the dark grey one is a simple 2X2 rib stitch. Interestingly enough, all were using about the same amount of stitches across. Funny how that works.

I also took the time to reassess some of what I was working on with other projects. I was feeling so frustrated that I actually frogged two projects, because I felt I had gotten to a point where I couldn’t figure out where to pick up again, and it would be just easier to frog and start over, despite having done so much already. One was the Mystic Waters lace shawl. It was just too F$#*ed up (and you don’t hear me say that word too much, so that shows you how frustrated I was and how messed up it was. You saw that in the previous posts.

The other thing that I frogged was my attempt at a different sock. It was the Columbine Socks from Cat Bordhi’s book about knitting socks on two circs. I’ve always made the basic standard sock from that one, but decided to attempt something else in there. Well, here’s my attempt before I frogged it:

Start and End of Columbine Socks

It was starting to look good, but I lost my place along the way, and goofed something up, and it was bad enough that I couldn’t find my way back. I figured that it was just better to start over at some point when I could concentrate on it better. Maybe in the spring.

I took a break for a couple weeks, but you can’t keep a knitter from her knitting for long! So I’ve started a pair of “Speed Racer” socks for Drew. He wanted me to use this red, white and black self-striping yarn I got from Michael’s, so I started it this week. His first part of knitted socks, alas, are two small now, and he asked for a new pair. He’s a good kid, in that he appreciates his mother knitting him things, which is good. I’d hate it if I knit something for him, and he never liked it or wore it. His red sweater that I made a while ago is his favorite that he’d wear to school every day until the weather got too cool, and he’ll wear it again once it’s spring.

In the meantime, I’ve been wearing my first sweater that I ever made, which I made almost 4 years ago. It was a basic hoodie pattern that I didn’t do right, didn’t make button holes, made the sleeves too long, etc. But, it’s a functional sweater and I brought it to work to keep me warm, since my desk is right under the blower and I’m usually pretty cold. Well, next thing you know, my boss wants to steal my sweater, and she loves the yarn, etc. I gave her a copy of the pattern (I know copyright infringement, oh well), which she in turn gives to a friend who is in the process of finding the discontinued yarn (because my boss insists on having that exact yarn) and she’s making it for her. How funny is that? And I can make sweaters better than this ratty old one that I have at work, but it does keep me warm like a blanket, so I guess that counts for something.

So, my knitting resolution for 2009? Keep knitting, of course! I also want to make more things for myself, and make the time to get to knitting. I do like the process and knowing that the finished products I’ve made are nice as well as enjoyed (either by myself or others). I also plan to continue to challenge myself. Perhaps 2008 was not the year of learning how to knit lace, but maybe once I get through these “Speed Racer” socks, I will get back to restarting some of those old projects, like the Mystic Waters and the Columbine socks. I would like to get back to the MSWF this year, and if not that, then Rhinebeck. Another project I want to do is make myself a nice tank top with the orange yarn I bought for my birthday. Since we got a Wii and a Wii Fit this holiday season, I’m thinking of making a Wii Fit Balance Board cosy — a knit and felt project. That would –and should–be easy and fun to do. So I think I’ll still be knitting for sure unless something major happens. But I’m going to do it for others when I feel moved, and I will do it mostly for me and for my pleasure. Heck, maybe I will conquer colorwork beyond basic stripes this year too. Who knows? The year is still young and full of promise.

Posted on January 19th, 2009 by Dani
Filed under: Finished Objects, Patterns, Photos, Projects, Works in Progress