Knitzophrenia

I am having a really difficult time getting my project ideas organized. I'm feeling very fractured and frenzied. I can't settle into a groove of any kind and I'm not making much progress on any one thing. Here's what I've been doing for the past week since I finished Klaralund

-I have Devan on the needles, and am a third of the way onto the second front piece. I'm having trouble finding any motivation to pick this up. But every time I make myself pick it up, I knit happily away, enjoying it and wondering why I dread picking it up so much. It hasn't been touched all week because of this problem, even though at this pace the PumpkinMan won't fit in it by the time I'm done.

-I have cast on for my acryllic Clapotis also, and am on the 3rd repeat of the straight section. This is a fun pattern, and one I can do distractedly which makes for good daytime knitting with the munchkin running around. But again, I'm having trouble picking it up.

Whats been distracting me is plotting and planning for my next "for me" sweater project. I have a bunch of Elann Peruvian Alpaca that I've been swatching madly for Pinup Queen from the first Stitch and Bitch book, but at the same time I'm surfing around looking for other good patterns. I have also been frogging the massive men's XXL lambswool Good Will sweater in hopes of harvesting enough yarn for Mariah or perhaps Rogue, while simultaneously "window shopping" for the yarn for the same - WTF is that about? I know I can't buy that much yarn and that this sweater is what I'll use for whichever one I choose, but I can't stop myself.

Every time I work on any one of the above, I immediately start thinking about one of the other three and thinking I should do one of those. It is driving me batty. Two projects on the needles is plenty for me with work and Pumpkin-raising going on, so I should just take a deep breath and finish Devan and Clapotis with some form of focus. I'm beginning to think that I always need big piece for me on the needles to keep me motivated, with a second piece providing the work for any needed breaks. So, should I add a third project of one of the sweaters just to keep me organized? I'm beginning to think yes. I see floundering abandoned projects in my future - something I hate doing, just because its so typical of me!

Klaralundone!

Yay! Finished seaming yesterday. This is modeled with no blocking done at all, and it needs to be done. I need about one inch more ease across the bust for it to be perfectly comfortable.

I was a bit troubled when I came across the super bright green color stripe (I didn't notice it in the online swatches before I ordered). Everytime I knit in that color I was cringing and I got worried I wouldn't like the end product. However, with the sweater put together now I truly am fond of the entire colorway. Can't wait to wear it to work this week.


Klaralund!!

Pattern: "Klaralund", Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton
Size: M2 (42")
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, color #213, 10 skeins
Needles: Clover Bamboo #9

Good End to the Week!

What a great end to my week! Three good things about this week:

1. Klaralund's last sleeve is done. Seaming this weekend.

2. First ebay yarn purchase! 600+ yds handpainted gold,brown,burgundy,green DK weight yarn. Yummy. No idea what it will become yet but I love it. Any ideas for me?

Ebay yarn

3. Last and certainly not least my 1st Knittyboard SP package came this afternoon!!

SPGoodness

3 balls of baby alpaca in wonderful colors, 2 yummy smelling candles, and some accessories that I sorely needed - stitch holders, cable needles and point protectors - truly perfect. I've been thinking about making some fingerless mitts for myself, perhaps the alpaca was meant for them? Thank you Secret Pal, you made my day.

Yarn Ends

Hee hee - this made me smile.

Stampede!

A woman at work just adopted a baby girl, so I went out and picked up a couple balls of "cashmere luxury aran" in mauve from AC Moore thinking I'd whip up a little hat and call it good. However, in my travels looking for a good newborn hat pattern, I stumbled upon this pattern for a garter stitch elephant. I work at a university whose mascot is an elephant, so this seemed much cooler to me than a boring little hat. The only problem was I couldn't stop at just one! I went and got some more yarn and made two more for two other friends babies who I'm overdue on gifting.


the herd

The "Cashmere Luxury Aran" (45% merino, 49% microfibre, 6% cashmere) is *so* soft and smooth and makes a really nice touchable baby-friendly fabric. I just love it. The colors from left to right are "denim" "mauve" and "olive" but I think the olive is named wrong, its less olive to me and more spring green. The denim elephant is acutally in a chunky weight (3.5st/in vs 4.5) and I think it came out the best - the fabric is more dense and he just seems more sturdy and well-propotioned overall. All three were knit on Denise #6 needles.

These are a very quick (1 day of sporadic-toddler-watching-knitting) and require only a little yarn: just over one 100yd ball of aran weight and 1.5 70yd ball of chunky weight. The only part of the pattern I altered was the tail, the pattern knits it flat and I made my tails with a 4 stitch I-cord, reducing it down to 3 then 2 stitches to taper it.

Hoping my latest Elann order arrives today so I can start on Devan.

Stash Enhancements and Secret Pals

I joined the Knittyboard SecretPal3 group and just got my assignment today. I'm really going to have fun shopping for her. This will be my first SP, and I'm really looking forward to it. Coincidentally, the solid sock yarn I need for the Devan sweater went on sale at Elann today, so along with that I got some goodies for my SP and some for me.

On the production front, I've started the last sleeve for Klaralund, and have been switching between that and some baby gifts - they are atypical baby gifts, and I hope to be done with the last one today or tomorrow and I'll post pics - they're pretty cool.

Options for Devan

I've got half of what I need for Devan. Due to the awesome prices at Elann, I gave myself the option of making 2 versions, or just having lots of extra sock yarn. I'll be ordering the solids when they go on sale at Elann on 1/11. I'm looking forward to starting my first small-guage project, and my first garment for The Pumpkinman. I'm such a tight knitter that I am hoping I can get guage with the Denise's on 5s. The pattern calls for main body done on 3mm needles, which looks like it would fall between a 2-3US size. Unless I consciously try to knit loose I often have to go up 2 needles to get guage, so we'll see. I'll try a swatch tonigh while I wait, and if I must, will go buy more needles ;-)

Which combo do you think I should try first?

Option #1 eastcoast blue

polar ice

Option #2 schoolhouse

charcoal

New Hat for Pumpkin

A new hat for The Pumpkinman - from this pattern. I really like this pattern a lot - it makes a nice looking "cabled" hat, and it is SUPER stretchy so should fit his massive cranium for at least the rest of the winter! Cranberry Wool Ease on Denise #8s.

This was my 1st project with my new Denises and I love them - I've been knitting Klaralund on bamboos, so the plastic Denise's feel very springy and soft(in a good way) and easy on the hands.

new hat