Category: Queue

I mentioned, a couple of posts back, that I was greatly enamored of the cover sweater for the current Interweave Knits.  When I saw it I immediately envisioned it in some red Aurora 8 that I have in my stash.  Unfortunately there is not enough of the Aurora 8 for that particular sweater so I put the project aside in my head as I fretted and contemplated yarns and whether or not I wanted to order something and if so, what that yarn might be.

 As I was sorting through the yarn stash however, I happened upon some Alpaca Silk from Blue Sky Alpacas.  It is the perfect shade of cherry red and I realized as I looked at it and fondled it, as much as I love the design of the Interweave sweater, what I really want is a red sweater. 

 Luckily for me this red yarn almost fell right into my hand.  As soon as I saw it I remembered purchasing it last February with the intention of knitting the Silk Cocoon Cardigan from the Spring 2009 Interweave knits. This was another sweater that I was eager to knit when I saw it, but the store did not have enough of the color I wanted in stock, and by the time the yardage arrived my attentions had wandered elsewhere.

Now it seems like the perfect sweater, although it is vying for attention with this fabulous blue and black cashmere from Stacy Charles called Luba.  I see this yarn in a very simple shape, where the yarn is the star of the show and am considering knitting Ingenue from Wendy Bernard's book, Custom Knits.    This might come first as we are definitely getting into the cold weather season here in the NorthEast and a cozy cashmere sweater is always a welcome addition to the wardrobe. 

For those of you who are eagerly awaiting the Anny Blatt Sweater, Valadon, not to worry.    I never really intended to start it before January, and I was hoping to have reached another interim goal in my weight loss journey, but I will start the sweater whether I am progressing as fast as I hope or more slowly.

I have the yarns together for Valadon and I am ready to go come January, whenever I am ready to start it.  I will finish the Elaine cardigan first as I just don't want to be working two color work sweaters at once right now.  And I might well be knitting two sweaters at once, as I don't believe Valadon, especially once I get up to the color work on the yoke will be a good sweater for portable knitting.

Worked simultaneously or in sequence though I am pretty happy with having these as my next major projects.  I'm not saying there won't be a pair of socks, or mitts or gloves in there, possibility even a hat.  There are a few openings in my wardrobe for small portable projects.

And of course I must finish my current project first.  I'm sticking to my no more additions to the UFO pile rule, as well as my determination to work that pile down.

I have considered the possibility of just working on UFO's but realize that I would drive myself crazy with that.  I need a new project, but what?

There are three things that I have been telling myself will be the "next" project, but I cannot make up my mind.

There is the cover sweater from the summer Norah Gaughan pattern book (#4).  I plan on knitting it in this nice light denim-blue shade of Pure PIma and I haven't yet decided if I will make the longer or the shorter version.  I suppose that will depend somewhat on the characteristics of the swatch and the fit and shape of the sweater as I go along.

Continuing the blue theme, I have a batch of seduce in this lovely multicolor blue/lilac shade which I think would be perfect for Sheelagh from the summer Seduce & Bonsai book #283.  

I've really been interested in layering pieces and this seems so perfectly my style, but I still have qualms about it, wondering if I am being seduced by my dreams of the sweater or the actual pattern.  It is not very popular on Ravelry and the few people who have made it have not been happy, not that negative opinions are likely to sway me, more likely just push me forward.  If it doesn't work out there are other things I would love to knit in this yarn, so that is not a particular problem.  

The third sweater would be the one that I can see most easily transitioning into fall, which also means that I can put off knitting it for a while if I wish.   I am referring to Trillium, which I hope to make in a dark winey-plum called Liquorice.    The yarn is very fine, which makes the top versatile, but the color definitely says fall to me.  And really I can't see myself wearing this in anything but a deep color.  

It is finally hot here today, and I am not inclined to knit with dark colors, even lightweight dark colors, so I may be leaning toward the first two. I had hoped to start swatching tonight, but the beads came for Mine and they are perfect, so I shall work on that instead.