Discontent

I noticed last night that I have not knitted in almost a week. From about the 14th until a couple days ago, things were frenetic at work. I was too tired in the evenings to knit -- at least, that's what I told myself. Last night, however, I had time to sit quietly on the sofa with my knitting bag and reflect. I did not want to pick up my knitting.

Oh, it's not lack of desire to knit -- I want to knit -- and it's not lack of enjoyment -- I love to knit. No, this is no knitting ennui.

As I sipped my ginger beer, I realized that I do not like any of my current projects.

• Cherie Amour feels like a chore I've left unfinished. It's not entirely flattering, but it is functional. I knitted flutter cap sleeves for it, but as I went to sew them on I re-evaluated my simple bind-off and I'm not sure I like it anymore. And as I held up the sleeves in the mirror, I'm not sure the cap sleeves do anything for it.
• I took the cardigan for Mom out of hibernation about a month ago. I have been working on it in fits and starts. It's mostly that I dislike working with the yarn. It was fine when I started it over a year ago, but since then I have developed a general dislike for working with novelty yarns. I keep thinking that the colors and herringbone pattern are lovely -- if only it weren't fuzzy. It would be great worked up in an aran-weight wool.
• A few months ago, I put down a navy basketweave sweater (Sirdar 1521) that I had started for my nephew. The yarn is great, the pattern looks wonderful, but it is S-L-O-W going. I couldn't justify the time I'd spend knitting a sweater that the child -- who, at 18 mos, has a larger wardrobe than I did as a teenager -- may never even wear. The blankets I made for him have been well-loved. When he gets older I'll knit him hats and mittens and things.
• I cleaned out my in-process knitting bins (those 8x12x6" canvas organizing bins you get at Target) and found: the completed Short Row Ring Wrap, the still-in-process Two Socks on One Circ "Sugar Maple" socks, a nearly-completed Baby Surprise Jacket (which needs only seaming and buttons), the beginnings of a hat I told Bryan I'd knit him about a year ago, sundry balls of leftover yarn in various fibers and sizes, and a sachet of dried lavender.
  

So, the logical gears started turning... since I knew what I do not enjoy knitting, I needed to figure out what I do enjoy, and focus on that. I thought about the projects that I liked best -- the ones in which I either loved the yarn, the process, and/or the finished product.

My favorite finished objects are the Firmaments Shawl (ravelry link), the Icelandic Yoke Sweater (ravelry link) and the Crinoid Shawl.

The Firmaments shawl is the most beautiful thing I've made, and I actually enjoyed the process.





The Icelandic Yoke sweater was a breeze to knit; careful planning ensured that the colors and shaping turned out just right, and it's nice and warm in the winter. It is what made me love Elizabeth Zimmerman. I'd really like to knit another one like it and steek it so I have a cardigan.




The Crinoid Shawl was possibly the most boring thing I've ever knit. It was a brainless knit the whole time. But the finished object is stunning; I enjoy wearing it and I get a lot of compliments on it.

Based on these criteria, my next project(s) will be: a wrap/shawl, probably involving some kind of lacework. It may also involve a cardigan or jacket that I can throw on around the house to keep warm in winter.

Also, I decided that it's not worth suffering through knitting with a yarn I don't like (I will make an exception for Mom's fuzzy jacket, because that was promised before I had better judgment; the sooner I get that thing finished, the better). I pulled out a skein of Silk Road (50/50 wool/silk) and wound it into a cake. I had so much fun last night sitting there with the beautiful skein around my knees, cranking the ball winder, watching the second part of John Adams.

I don't have pictures of it yet (that's on the agenda for tonight: download pictures from camera!). But to make up for it, here's a good old-fashioned apple pie that I baked for DBF's family last week:

the little blobs are supposed to be acorns, to go with the oak leaves.

Hooray for fall!

General Yammering. Not Much Knitting.

Moved house this past weekend; lots of knitting and blogging were accomplished thought about. Moving actually not finished; the movers are coming back this coming weekend to bring the furniture that was in storage to the new digs. There is a Christmas tree outside; my family is going to decorate it on Christmas Eve. I'm making Beef Wellington for dinner, with garlic mashed potatoes and glazed carrots. The Beef Wellington is my brother's special request--one that I usually ignore, since it's so labor-intensive, but now I have this wonderful 48" Wolf range to cook on, so I figured I had better make use of it. If you are a serious cook, you will love a Wolf range. It really is that much better.

• I spent the past few nights doing this: Behold, the dutch oven full of chicken corn chowder with andouille sausage. Are you imagining it? Good. Now it's at a simmer. I turn the knob to high and in less than 2 seconds, it's at a full boil. I turn the knob down to low, and it stops simmering. Boil. Simmer. Stop. Boil. Simmer. Stop. Repeat until the novelty wears off, or someone yells that at this rate, we're never going to eat dinner.
  
• I roasted a pork loin, and used the integrated probe. It's genius, albeit a little fiddly to plug in when you're trying to lift the probe flap thing with an oven mitt.
  
• It has a setting for proofing dough. It will keep the oven at 80°F. No more worrying about finding the right temperature spot in the house to put your bowl of dough.
  
• After flipping through the instruction manual, I'm pretty sure that there isn't much this thing can't do.
  

Anyway, I was thinking about finishing up the sweater I was knitting for my mom (as a non-specific present) for a Christmas present. It's the "Belled-Sleeved Cardigan" I have on my Ravelry projects page. The trouble now is I have to figure out where I left off. I think it was on the armhole decreases on one of the front sections. What this really means is: An adventure awaits! That, and I will learn to mark on the pattern where I stop working the next time I'm planning on putting a project down.

I'm also trying to finish the second of the pair of "Spawn of Thrummed Mittens" for mom for an Xmas gift. I'm almost to the part where I hold stitches for the thumb. Should be no problem to finish these up.

Just finished up some online Christmas shopping for dad. I bought an assortment of things from Gardener's supply, including some composting accessories, a plastic mulch mat for increasing tomato yield, and a "Summer of Salads" lettuce seed mix.

My spinning buddy Anne (hi Anne!) came up with the brilliant idea to have a yarn/roving crawl in the week between Christmas and New Year's. It's like a bar crawl, but infinitely better, because being drunk on fiber involves far more giddiness and far less hangover than the alcoholic variety--for about the same economic impact, with lasting satisfaction. We're still working out the details, but I will be sure to post pictures of the adventure.

The Knit Goddingdom Five O'Clock News

Updates:

• Boléro Anastase
• frantically working to finish homework
• ordered 3 yards of 2" curled ostrich feather for edging from CA
  
• praying that feathers arrive by Friday
  
• G Street for lining and notions Thursday
  
• hoping to finish during my class at Stitches East

• Bryan's Beanie
• finally found the perfect pattern
• cast-on after Stitches East
  

• Crinoid Shawl
• excruciatingly close to finished
• will not work on it until after Boléro Anastase is complete.
• only four more rows, then bind-off

• Jacket for Mom (aka Belled-Sleeve Cardigan)
• on hold until Crinoid and Boléro Anastase are complete.
  
• still really like it
  

• Secret of the Stole
• planning to cast on after Stitches East.
• bought beading wire and flexible needles; will try with pearls

Current reading (er, listening... I listen to audiobooks whenever I'm in the car--it's hard to have road rage when your imagination is engaged--and a lot of the time I'm knitting):

• Pratchett, Terry. Going Postal.
• Just finished it. It's brilliant and hilarious. It was my first Discworld novel, and was a good introduction to the goings-on of Ankh-Morpork.

• Pratchett, Terry. Reaper Man.
• A little slower than Going Postal. Would not the best introduction to the Discworld novels. Even though the pace lags slightly, I can't stop listening to it.
  

• Herbert, Brian. Dune.
• haven't started it yet. I've seen the TV miniseries and have heard that the book is much, much better.

Never fear, the snark and insanity haven't left... they've simply been too busy to sit down and chat. Never fear, they shall return. With teeth. Sharp, pointy teeth of... ah... yes! sharp, pointy teeth of truth, light and justice. I imagine they probably also glow in the dark.

Jacket for Miranda Priestly--I mean Mom

PART I
For those who have seen The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep's character Miranda Priestly is scarily similar to my mother--in both looks and attitude. My mom is beautiful, formidable and classically chic.

While in South Carolina, I visited Rosemary of The Elegant Stitch, near Pawleys Island. Rosemary is semi-retired and operates the shop out of her home in a private, gated golf community... all visitors must be pre-screened by security before being allowed to enter, so you have to call first. I called by accident because Google maps' directions, which did not account for the 10' barbed wire-topped gates blocking off Maintenance road, landed me in a golf cart repair shed.

After following some circuitous directions, I passed through the gates and arrived at Rosemary's home. I was feeling a little disoriented, because I expected that perhaps the shop would be in a little strip mall/storefront, similar to those in large planned communities. She smiled and welcomed me in and showed me upstairs to the Yarn Room. The outside of the door, sure enough, had a large wooden sign which read, "The Elegant Stitch." Turns out that Rosemary used to have two retail stores--one in Pawleys Island (in a group of upscale shops--along with a wonderful jewelry boutique and the Lilly Pulitzer shop) and one near Myrtle Beach. I wasn't sure what to expect, but about three seconds after entering the Yarn Room I knew I had come to the right place. Luxury yarns from floor to ceiling, impeccably organized, arranged by color. There was Anny Blatt, Missoni and Adrienne Vittadini everywhere. Silks, alpaca, metallics, chenilles, cottons--the finest of everything. After spending a few hours browsing and chatting with Rosemary, I settled on a jacket kit for Mom and a chenille wrap kit for myself. This, however, is not the end of the story for these two projects.

S. Charles Belled-Sleeved Cardigan in MICIO

PART II
This morning I received an email newsletter from my favorite LYS. Among the offerings was a notice that they would be at Stitches East. I had heard mention, through other knitting blogs, of Stitches West and Stitches Midwest--however it hadn't occurred to me that there might be a Stitches East. I decided to check it out. Most of the classes were already sold out. Then I saw, "Lining a la Chanel":

"Learn how to assemble, sew in a lining, and finish a jacket in the manner in which Chanel couture garments are made. . . . get hands-on experience in lining and finishing your jacket like a pro!"

This might be overkill. I might have to make another jacket for it, but we shall see. I know it might be a bit silly, making this for my mom, when she can buy her own (real) Chanel jacket. But I showed her the pattern and she really liked it, once I explained that the beauty of a hand-knitted sweater is that it is customized to fit the wearer's body--it's fully custom. Even St. John doesn't do that.


PART III
Rosemary gave me a copy of Vogue Knitting's Fall 2007 edition. While flipping through, I saw an advertisement for real fur yarns. Now, I adore fur. Weather cold enough for wearing fur is my absolute favorite thing about winter. How is this relevant? Back to the chenille wrap. It's made from a Berrocco yarn called Chinchilla and edged in a fluffy eyelash yarn that mimics fur. When I bought it, I thought how beautiful it would be were it edged with real fox. So I'm considering ordering the fox yarn from FurYarn... guess I had better knit it first. This story to be continued.

Not the End
This is only one part of my knitting adventures in South Carolina.
Up Next: Feathers and Marabou, Wild Stuff, and Island Knits.


photo credits: (1) imdb. original photo here.