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Much more than you bargained for...

I have bloggers block. I have all these things to say, but the post I wrote to post today disappeared and I can't seem to focus on all the zillion things I want to write about. So let me break it down. That should help.

Yarn. As I mentioned earlier I did buy more yarn. But this is gift yarn so it doesn't count right? I only managed to take pics of two of the three skeins of this Araucania I picked up Saturday afternoon at Wild and Woolly. I have never knit with this yarn before but it came in colors I thought perfect for it's recipients. It's also a gift-friendly 75% superwash wool/25% polymid blend.


I'm already about 25% into the first sock but I don't have pics so I'll wait on this. So next up?

Lime and Blue Malabrigo. I cast on this yarn Saturday morning and whipped up a replacement sweater for Ripley by night's end. Isn't he handsome? You'd think we were holding his kibble hostage with that latter mugshot, eh?



As expected, the Malabrigo was a dream to knit. Now I just have to figure out what I want to do with the two flesh toned skeins I have. But that too will be for another day. Next up comes straight out of the annals of inconsistency.

I complained so bitterly here on New Year's eve about sewing up another needle case what could I do but go out and make another, right?



All my complaining convinced me to embark on what was to become an obnoxiously detailed project. I picked up the materials on the way home from work Monday afternoon and by yesterday afternoon I was so sick of it, it took all my effort to take those two lame pictures.

What is my problem? Well, strike one for for knowing thyself. What I despise about sewing isn't what I spoke of before, the designing and preparation. No, my problem with sewing is I have a whimsical engineer residing in my brain who asserts herself during times of creativity. My normal, everyday self is cautious and reserved in my expectations of things. My inner engineer? She's nuts. Let loose she craves wild flourishes and feats of skill which I don't possess. So at 2:00 am, in the wee hours of New Year's Day when most of the world is settling into their beds in a sweet drunken haze, me, well, I was sober and at the kitchen table trying to wrest myself away from this project.

The crux of the issue was the enclosure. Do you remember how I close the other case I made? A rubber band. Yes. It works well and required no skill. How does this new case stay closed? Multi-layered grosgrain ribbon and snaps. Miss inner engineer thought that a plain edged and single colored ribbon enclosure was bor-or-or-ing. She was convinced a contrasting colored, chevron edged ribbon closure would be a far superior choice.


She was right, of course, but at considerable cost. How can one part of one's mind make one do things the other part of one's mind wants nothing to do with? I don't know. I just know I couldn't help myself and by 3:30 yesterday afternoon I was done and I was miserable. I know I'll love this case some day, but for now, not so much.

So for a little happy to shake out the seweing angst, let us close this post with something from the relaxing and pleasant world of knitting. Here is the first Seal Rock Sock finished Saturday morning.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I can SO understand your frustrations with the needle case. I once made a toiletries bag because I hated everything that was out there. And though I planned a simple little bag with a zipper, as I progressed through the project it got more complicated, and by the end of it all, I hated the darn thing. Unfortunately, I never made another one, and I've been using the hated bag for years now. Each time I use it, I think "I hate this bag so much I should make a new one!"--but then I have nasty flashbacks of making the first one...

Ripley's sweater and the sock you finished are both beautiful. May you have lots more knitting successes in 2008!
peaknits said…
Lots of green and blue inspiration going on - love every project. Your dog's facial expression says it all - what a sweetie, a little begrudging with the new sweater but *wink* Can't wait to see what is in store for '08! Take care!
pickayarn said…
Hi! I wanted to tell you my experiance with Araucania, it stretches real bad even washed gently in cold water! I have a pair of socks I made with them the first time I wore them they felted to my feet with regular wear:( And when I washed them they stretched out about 3 sizes too big, but they are pretty slippers now!!! Not sure if you had used this yarn before, so thought I would share! They have awesome colors, if I ever use their yarn again though, it will be for something other than socks:)