Most normal people spend their weekends with their people. Me, not so much. I prefer being alone and somehow I managed to find a hubby (or maybe he was lucky to find me!!!) who likes being alone near me. We are an odd pair. But as the romance movie goes, "together we make sense." (Anyone remember that 1993 gem?)
On Saturday I was in definite need of alone time, as well as in full avoidance mode of both La Digitessa AND Yellow Toot. I barely knew what to do with myself. I picked up my two new books, Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitting and Clara Parke's Knitter's Book of Yarn and got comfy on my loveseat. I whipped through New Pathways, as it's a pattern based book and I'm not ready to take on a new sock project. I took my time with the Knitter's Book of Yarn, reading about 85% of the yarn section and then a quick perusal of all the patterns.
I hate to say it but I was a teensy weensy bit disappointed. It's definitely a fabulous resource on the different kinds of yarn - I finally learned what a guard hair is - but on the other hand there was so much more I wanted to know about wool that this book doesn't cover. I think the problem lies with my expectations and not the book. This is a survey of yarn, I was expecting a more encyclopedic discourse on wool yarn. So, not perfect, but still a great resource for now and for the future.
Next up? I still wasn't ready to face my knitting so I did the next best thing, I went through my stash. Even with my yarn nicely organized on Ravelry, it definitely pays to get it all out in the open once in a while. It's a sensuous experience, as well as a practical experience, since I found two pieces of unfinished business, that is the frogging and re-caking of two projects. This woe begotten dog sweater has been in need of frogging for six months!
I started frogging this by hand at one point this summer but the angora bloom on this yarn provided just enough tension to make the tendonitis pain in my forearm flair. It wound up being tucked away and safely ignored. As of Saturday, this was frogged and caked.
Another languishing task I found was a mess of yarn from these, my first, abandoned Firestarters.
I had frogged the sock, but the yarn needed re-caking. So, this too was done.
With my stash tidied up, and my mind clear, what's a girl to do but start a new pair of socks? So I started up HBO's Rome series on VOD and began a pair of stockinette socks using the Christmas Balls colorway of STR (one of my Christmas present skeins from my sister).
I was determined to use the size 0/2.0 mm addis I purchased for my La Digitessas, determined to prove my mettle as a sock knitter. What did I learn? With the right yarn, anything is possible. The Lana Grossa's Meilenweit 50 Seta/Cashmere just isn't the right yarn for this needle size. The STR, which is a considerably tighter spun yarn, knits up perfectly in this smaller gauge. If I still enjoy the La Digitessa pattern, I just may use the powder blue skein of STR Titania for my next pair.
On Saturday I was in definite need of alone time, as well as in full avoidance mode of both La Digitessa AND Yellow Toot. I barely knew what to do with myself. I picked up my two new books, Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitting and Clara Parke's Knitter's Book of Yarn and got comfy on my loveseat. I whipped through New Pathways, as it's a pattern based book and I'm not ready to take on a new sock project. I took my time with the Knitter's Book of Yarn, reading about 85% of the yarn section and then a quick perusal of all the patterns.
I hate to say it but I was a teensy weensy bit disappointed. It's definitely a fabulous resource on the different kinds of yarn - I finally learned what a guard hair is - but on the other hand there was so much more I wanted to know about wool that this book doesn't cover. I think the problem lies with my expectations and not the book. This is a survey of yarn, I was expecting a more encyclopedic discourse on wool yarn. So, not perfect, but still a great resource for now and for the future.
Next up? I still wasn't ready to face my knitting so I did the next best thing, I went through my stash. Even with my yarn nicely organized on Ravelry, it definitely pays to get it all out in the open once in a while. It's a sensuous experience, as well as a practical experience, since I found two pieces of unfinished business, that is the frogging and re-caking of two projects. This woe begotten dog sweater has been in need of frogging for six months!
I started frogging this by hand at one point this summer but the angora bloom on this yarn provided just enough tension to make the tendonitis pain in my forearm flair. It wound up being tucked away and safely ignored. As of Saturday, this was frogged and caked.
Another languishing task I found was a mess of yarn from these, my first, abandoned Firestarters.
I had frogged the sock, but the yarn needed re-caking. So, this too was done.
With my stash tidied up, and my mind clear, what's a girl to do but start a new pair of socks? So I started up HBO's Rome series on VOD and began a pair of stockinette socks using the Christmas Balls colorway of STR (one of my Christmas present skeins from my sister).
I was determined to use the size 0/2.0 mm addis I purchased for my La Digitessas, determined to prove my mettle as a sock knitter. What did I learn? With the right yarn, anything is possible. The Lana Grossa's Meilenweit 50 Seta/Cashmere just isn't the right yarn for this needle size. The STR, which is a considerably tighter spun yarn, knits up perfectly in this smaller gauge. If I still enjoy the La Digitessa pattern, I just may use the powder blue skein of STR Titania for my next pair.
Comments
Congrats on the airing of the stash! I'm a little too scared that mine might eat me!