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Category: Scarves, Hats, Gloves

2022 in Review
Another double-posting with Restingmotion. This may be the final post here, or not. I remain undecided as to whether or not reopening this blog was a good, or an outgrowth of periodic ennui.

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Another glance over my shoulder perhaps, this time looking at my knitting progress in 2022.

Let's get the statistics out of the way first. In 2022 I finished 10 projects and used up 71 skeins of yarn totaling 10,909 yards. On first glance, it looks like I knitted less than the previous year in that there were two fewer finished objects, but the objects were larger and used more yarn. Technically, it is not about yarn use, although that was one of my goals, or number of finished objects, but both of methods of accounting serve a purpose.

More specifically, the project breakdown was as follows:
- two blankets
- one soft-sculpture (toy)
- four shawls
- one pair of socks
- two sweaters
Now let's look at that more thoroughly.

There were no photos taken of the two blankets or the toy. The toy and the first blanket was started in 2021 but never really photographed or blogged. This was probably because I had mixed feelings about them from the get-go, but I was too pig-headed to give up, rip out, and start something new. Instead I forced myself to finish both and promptly gave them away. The second blanket was one of those crazy ideas where I decided at the last minute to knit a baby blanket, finished it in a desperate rush, and immediately presented it to the new parents. I really liked that blanket, but I was too overwhelmed at the time to deal with record-keeping.

After that experience I decided I would never force myself to finish something again. I would admit defeat or I would rip and repurpose. Luckily, my remaining projects of the year turned out to be far more satisfying, although admittedly there were some false starts and some ripping out. Each false start then became a challenge and an opportunity. Not all of those opportunities have yet been realized as projects, but I have found a certain satisfaction in the simple act of swatching, in letting a yarn tell me what it is, even if that initial exploration does not yield immediate results.

But now that the disappointments are out of the way, what about the successes?

I knitted four shawls, the first three of which were blogged (shown above). Shawlography, (pink, purple, green wool) was started as part of Stephen West's 2021 MKAL. It was challenging, often fun, and sometimes maddening. None of the techniques were particularly difficult in and of themselves, but West did put things together in ways I would not necessarily have thought of if left to my own devices. Knitting this shawl was both fun and a constant struggle. This was partially due to the fact that my fingers, beset with lingering chemotherap-induced neuropathy, struggled to maintain tension, and partially because I was constantly fretting about my color choices. Half the time I was convinced that the resulting shawl would only be suitable for a clown show, and it was not until I knit the final border that I could admit to being happy with the result. Even so, it gets the least wear of the three, primarily because it makes the boldest statement. Still I think it was the accomplishment I was most proud of. I learned a great deal knitting it, mostly because the brioche was not kind to my hands. The brioche was ripped twice and reknit, even with the ripping and reknitting, I struggled. The sense of accomplishment I feel for this shawl is primarily due to that brioche section. Not only did I come to love brioche, I taught myself how to drop down to repair individual errors in brioche without ripping back and entire section, an accomplishment of which I am still proud even though I can honestly say that if the mistakes are many and frequent, it is still easier to simply rip back. Skill-wise, this shawl was my greatest accomplishment of 2022.

The cream striped Nantucket Summer shawl was the biggest shawl I knit in 2022, at 22 x 120 inches. It is almost a blanket and it has admittedly seen me through many cool evenings on the patio as well as early mornings watching the sun rise, coffee and hand. The yarn was originally intended for a cardigan, but as I have a long-standing aversion to heavy cotton cardigans, I feared it would be a cardigan I would never wear. The shawl is wonderful and I wrap myself up in it all the time, a perfect choice for me.

My absolute favorite knit of 2022 was the Artyarns silk wrap I named blue wave. This was an absolutely fun knit, full of short rows and changing colors. It required attention but was not particularly difficult and it was so exciting that I raced through it. This shawl was completely fun to knit and the results are absolutely gorgeous. Using 766 yards of Artyarns beaded silk and sequins light, knitting this wrap is an indulgence but well worth it. If I could justify having two versions of such a distinctive wrap, I would happily knit it again. It was that much fun.

My final finished project of 2022 was the fourth shawl, seen above. This shawl was knit in Noro Kakigori, a mostly cotton and silk yarn, using the "Stormy Sky" pattern by Ksenia Naidyon. Originally purchased for use with another yarn in a different project, it became evident upon swatching that I hated the two yarns together and felt that this yarn was completely unsuitable for its originally intended use. Upon further swatching I decided that I liked the fabric the yarn created and that it would be lovely as a relatively simple shawl. It is a not particularly large shawl, with both drape and a touch of crispness, which I think will prove very versatile in Knoxville's climate. I would happily knit with more Kakigori, because it creates a lovely fabric, although the yarn itself tends to want to twist up on itself while knitting, so it does require a bit of patience.

The one pair of socks knitted in 2022 have proven quite satisfactory. I intentionally knit them longer than my usual, perhaps a tad too long, but they still get worn. The Mominoki Finnwool, used for the body of the sock, is 100% wool without the nylon usually added for sock yarns. It was a remnant from Shawlography and put to good use here. I actually prefer socks that are pure wool without nylon, but they don't tend to wear as well, and so, as it true for so many things in life, represent a trade-off. These are holding up well, except for a bit of wear at the back of the ankle above the heel. I suppose it is a bit early to see that much wear after less than a full year's wear, and that area will be mended when the time comes. I love the socks nonetheless.

As I look in my sock drawer, I see that I need more socks, and I am loathe to purchase them. It seems that there must be sock knitting on the horizon. I have thought of exploring breed specific wool, looking for hard-wearing wools that hold up better for socks and I may well do that. In the end, however, I will probably mostly use nylon reinforced sock wool, which comes in many pretty colors. Although I may struggle with a brightly colored shawl, I have no issue with wearing carnival-colored socks. The first pair of socks I ever knit are still going strong, after 13 years, knitted with KnitPicks simple stripes, 75% wool yarn, a ringing endorsement if ever there was one. I will admit that the tutti-frutti color palette of that first pair is not one I would chose today, but those socks simply will not die. That specific yarn has been discontinued, but I would think KnitPicks' sock yarn would still be a good economical and hard-wearing option if that is a consideration. But longevity is not my primary criteria when knitting socks. I am all for knitting, and wearing, what one loves and we each make the compromises that best suit us. I am fine with balancing practicality with comfort in my sock wardrobe, but also admit that there is nothing quite as nice as cashmere socks on a cold evening, even if they are not practical for everyday wear. Perhaps my sock wardrobe needs a touch of softness, as well as an indulgence in frivolous colors.

Even though I was once almost exclusively a garment knitter, I only knot two sweaters in 2022. The first, a cardigan finished in June, was not really worn until fall, when the temperatures had cooled. Although it is not a winter cardigan, being knitted with cotton/nylon/polyester novelty yarns, this was not a sweater for hot humid summer heat. It may have been had I followed the pattern as written, which was for a cardigan with more ease and drape.. After knitting my swatches however, the hand of the resulting fabric reminded me of the kind of light drapey boucle that is often used for soft Chanel-style jackets, and I decided that a short, more fitted cardigan was required. I altered the pattern accordingly, individualizing it by taking in some of the asymmetry I was finding in my sewing pattern sloper development. There was some fudging, and some ripping and reknitting, which is not easy when three rather snaggy strands are held together while knitting. But I am absolutely enamored of the finished cardigan. This is not a hard-wearing everyday sweater but more of an occasional item. I need to take care not to catch the rather fine sequined filament that runs through the sweater on buckles, latches, or even rings and other jewelry. This cardigan wants to be the star of the show in its own understated way. It is a sweater I can imagine myself wearing for a long time.

The second sweater was for a wool shell or vest, knitted to be worn as a layering piece. The pattern was Carol Feller's Trellis top, and I used the recommended yarn, Stolen Stitches Nua Sport. Even thought I used the designer's yarn I did not quite manage to get gauge, My gauge was slightly tighter in stockinette, but the same as the recommended gauge in the pattern stitch. Since I wanted to make my sweater a bit more close-fitting than the pattern, this was easy enough to manage. Aside from size issues, I more or less knit the pattern as written with the exception of the shoulder shaping and the finishing. The original design is looser and more casual, with button bands in lieu of seamed sides. As I was seeking a more classically close-fitting silhouette that could also be worn under a jacket, I simply seamed the sides. I am very happy with the result and this sweater has already proven to be a favorite. I wore vests frequently in my 20s and early 30s, did not wear them in the intervening decades, and find I now reach for them again and again, something to consider as I contemplate future knitting.

As to 2023, who knows.

My plan is to begin the year by finishing the temperature blanket I started at the beginning of 2022. This started as a whim, but I have mostly stuck with it. I put the blanket aside during the hot months and picked it up after Thanksgiving, trying desperately to catch up. When the year ended, I had knitted the blanket through the last day of September, or three-quarters through the body of the blanket.

I am determined to finish this blanket before finishing anything else this year. Since January 1 I have knitted 47 garter ridges, which finished out October and put me half-way through November. I should finish the body by early February and then I need to pick up and knit the borders, As you can see from the blanket, spread out on my bed, the borders will be long, and I am thinking now that I do not want them to be particularly narrow, although I am considering the idea that the side borders may be wider, perhaps, than the top and bottom borders. I haven't yet calculated what color the borders should be, but if I am serious about finishing this, I should figure that out and make sure I have the yarn in house before it is needed, simply to avoid further delays. I do know that should I put it aside, it will be difficult to pick back up again, so best to keep knitting until it is finished. The blanket itself is fun because I love watching the color patterns unfold. The border of course will be more tedious, but the reward will be in the joy of curling up under it on chilly evenings.

Also on the schedule for this year is to finish a modular, log-cabin style blanket I started knitting out of Plymouth's Baby Alpaca Grande, I do think I will take a short break between blankets, finishing something smaller. I have another sleeveless cotton sweater on the needles, although I am not devoting much time to it at the moment. The cotton sweater is my portable project, but the blanket remains my main focus and the center of all my crafty energies at the moment. Expect that knitting updates may be few and far between at least for the first quarter of the year.
January 18, 2023
2021 In Review

All in all, 2021 was a good year for knitting, certainly the most productive I've had in quite a few years. I finished eleven projects, only 4 more than in 2020, but that makes this the most productive year since moving to Knoxville at the end of 2011. In 2011 I completed 12 projects. Part of me wants to say here's to beating that, but really it is not about the number of things I knit but rather the process of purposeful making. Sometimes, however, I have been known to miscalculate.

More specifically, I knit:

1. Four objects for the home, of which two were deconstructed from one larger blanket, reassembled and partially reknit. Both were given away.

2. Three cardigans

3. Three scarves

4. One hat.

Two of the scarves, and one of the household objects, a thick wool hot pad for use with a rectangular baking dish, were constructed out of remnants and left-over bits of yarn. Somehow this makes them feel like bonuses, almost like creating something from nothing, even though I know this is not quite true.

My plans were admittedly more ambitious. I planned to finish more garments, at least one if not two blankets, catalog my yarn stash and make significant inroads to the UFO pile. None of that happened. I also bought more yarn than I actually knit. I don't know how much yarn exactly, although I see it piled up in a basket in by my television chair. At least I only bought enough extra yarn that it still fits in that basket. I didn't catalog the yarn as it came in, although that was my intention. Cataloging fell by the wayside. I did catalog yarn as I started projects however, so I know that I knit 47.25 skeins. I am happy with that.

l already know I want to finish at least one blanket in 2022, fully aware that bigger projects also mean fewer finished objects. But as I said who cares. Most of us, at least most of us who read this blog, really are not in need of anything much, myself included. I can buy a blanket or a sweater if I need one. I would rather knit.

All I ask of 2022 is that I take the opportunity to seize onto what makes me happy.

January 6, 2022
Colorossimo Scarf

And now for current projects.

Upon finishing up the purple sweater and coordinating scarf, I was filled with ambitious plans to attack the stash of pending projects. The first thing I grabbed was a project from one of the early boxes from L'Atelier's magical mystery box tour, which I wrote about here. I have failed miserably both in terms of knitting the projects from this knit-along and in keeping you up to date on the more recent box additions. I hope to do better in the future.

In mid July I had great plans. I figured I could knit up this scarf in a week or two, and that I could barrel through some other small projects as well. Never a good idea to count your chickens before they hatch, as they used to say. The scarf is not difficult, but it is a little fiddly. Above is the photo of the scarf from the L'Atelier website. As you can see there are areas of the scarf knit in the Colorissimo, and contrasting (or coordinating) areas knit in the Beaded Silk and Sequins Light. I remember loving the combination of yarns as seen in the skein, and loving my imagined version of this scarf, based on my memory from the zoom reveal, and the two skeins of yarn, as seen above.

I cast on July 17th, filled with hope. I soon became frustrated. For one thing, I had started a new chemotherapy regimen, paclitaxel, and although I initially felt much better than on the previous regimen, I was very quickly hit with neuropathy, first in my feet and then in my hands. I am managing this, better and first, and now less well, with drugs, and since the effects of the chemotherapy are cumulative, I am quite hopeful that we will be soon adjusting my medications as I have the third, and penultimate, dose of paclitaxel next week. Anyway, I found that I could knit, but could only knit very slowly, needing to rest my hands every couple of rows or so.

I did not have access to the pattern photo when I began the project, only the written pattern, but I mostly liked what I saw. At least until I got to the first repeat of the Artyarns Beaded Silk and Sequins Light. The pattern directions were to cast on with the Artyarns, and then switch to the Colorissimo. To finish, one would pick up the cast on and repeat a lace repeat at the bottom of the scarf, which one can see clearly in the L'atelier photo shown above. The problem was that, although I had no issues with the way the cast on row appeared on the scarf, I took a strong disliking to the insertion of the Artyarns into the Colorissimo. The color was not far off, but just enough to make me troubled, and I strongly disliked the combination of these particular textures, even though I often love contrasting, and even disconcerting contrasts. Looking back on the L'Atelier photo now, I am not surprised at my reaction, and think that had I had access to the photo, I would have simply left out the Artyarns from the beginning. But there is no point of fretting over these things; one of the constant challenges in knitting, is the process of moving from the imagined interpretation of what we see and the actual realization of the finished product. Knitting then is a very good metaphor, and training practice for life: If one is not open to stopping, reconsidering, moving backward perhaps, and starting again, one is never going to get anywhere.

I ripped out the Artyarns and continued with Colorissimo alone. That took a while because my fingers were not working well, and the slippery yarn, combined with those adorable little sequins, which snag on everything, would have been slightly problematic in the best of circumstances.

I adored the scarf as it progressed however, adored the simple, 4-row, lace pattern. The problem was that my fingers did not adore the pattern as much as I did, although I suspect that generally my fingers are simply not up for anything at all fiddly at the moment. The two rows of garter stitch were a problem. The problem was with the wrap and cross section of the pattern, which is actually not difficult. It took me over half of the sweater for me to figure out a way that my constantly numb and tingling fingers could actually hold and cross the stitches consistently and evenly. Even so that did not speed up the knitting.

In the end however, no matter how long this took me to knit, I love the final result. It is light and airy, and hopefully it will be warm, but not too warm for Tennessee. But then, Tennessee winters are highly variable, so like all woolen things, there may be winters of heavy rotation and winters where wool rarely shows its head. As of yet, I have become probably a bit more warm-blooded, but not yet as warm blooded as the natives. Of course that may have changed completely after this cancer season as well. Who knows.

Anyway, if you look closely at the scarf above, you will notice that I pulled the initial cast-on with the Artyarns Silk and Sequins Light out, picked up the Colorissimo and knit a new end border in garter stitch. This is somewhat different than the pattern, but I am happy with it. I am very happy indeed.

August 21, 2021
Purple Dreams

Still catching up.

About the same time I finished, or semi-finished, the striped sweater called blueberry season, I also finished the purple cashmere cardigan knit from a L'Atelier pattern called Back to the Future. I wrote about the progress of this sweater here, here, and here before my temporary abandonment of this blog.

The yarn was also from L'Atelier, their Classica DK cashmere. I had yardage for the large, 9 skeins, although I actually ended up knitting the medium, which called for 8 skeins. I used 7 skeins probably for two reasons: my row gauge was a little on the long side meaning I get fewer rows per inch, which is not unusual for me; and I knit the sleeves to my preference, which is narrower and slightly shorter than the pattern specified.

I am actually quite happy with the cardigan. When I started it I was one size, and although I intended to lose weight I was not quite sure how quickly or consistently I would do that. This was before my cancer diagnosis. By the time I finished I was another size, and although I liked the fit of this cardigan when it was finished in July, my only caution at the. moment is whether I will still like it in November, when it is likely to be worn. Of course in July I tried it on over a sundress. In November there may quite well be a bulkier sweater underneath and I will be done with chemotherapy so I am not quite sure where I will be size-wise.

But I am not going to worry about the future right now. I am quite happy with this sweater and I am looking forward to wearing it.

As I noted above, I had two skeins of yarn left over. I also had one skein of the same yarn in a teal green left over after knitting a pullover in 2019, a pullover which I apparently never blogged about, but which I have loved wearing. Initially I thought I would knit a hat from the purple cashmere and use the green, plus a bag of color samples of this yarn to make a coordinating scarf. I started with the scarf, thank goodness, because I quickly realized I would not have enough yarn unless I also incorporated the purple. There were a few false starts as I basically made up the striping sequence for the scarf, but in the end I am very happy with the results. I used up most of the yarn; all that remains is half a skein, or roughly 77 yards of purple DK cashmere.

And I am very happy with the scarf. It goes well with the cardigan, of course, but also with one of my most commonly used winter coats.

Both of these were satisfying projects. I have yarn to knit a shell that is meant to go with the cardigan, also in DK cashmere. But at the moment I am happy with scarves and cardigans. I want to finish chemo and give myself time for my weight to settle before I start knitting anything that needs to be more closely fitted.

And this catches you up with my interim knitting. Next up will be a recently finished project.

August 19, 2021
New Scarf

The urge to knit slipped away, and has remained hidden beneath the sofa for the last two weeks. Even looking at the yarn in my knitting basket has not proved temptation enough for me to take up my needles.

Nonetheless, I persisted, half-heartedly at best on a few occasions. But at least I have something to show for my efforts. The scarf I had started in my last post, the one being knit from three mystery balls of stash yarn, has been finished. I have named it Glacier Pools, because the colors remind me of the colors seen when staring down cracks in glaciers lit by sunlight.

I simply knit until I ran out of one of the yarns, in this case the white yarn. There remains 20 grams of the blue and white flecked yarn (Louisa Harding Trenzar) and 46 grams of the blue, white and turquoise variegated yarn. The finished scarf is 7 inches wide and 104 inches long, or a little over 8 1/2 feet. I am not convinced that I am enamored of the occasional bits of lilac found in the variegated yarn, but they do not dominate the scarf and their effect is minor when the scarf is worn. I can live with this and still like the scarf overall.

I had minor surgery last Friday and that has affected my interest and ability to knit. I am just now at about what I would call 50%, and for the first time in a couple of weeks I feel interested in picking up and seaming the purple sweater, or, perhaps, focused enough to knit the diamond pattern and begin the sleeves. I also have another simple project in the wings, a not-so-basic stockinette sweater, should tiredness set in.

More later.

April 21, 2021
Project Update

The body of the purple cardigan is done and is in the process of being blocked.

Admittedly it took me a few days after casting off to actually get the sweater on the blocking board and pinned, although I fully planned to do it immediately. Even though the laundry room island is perfect for this, and at the perfect height for me, I was often too tired at the end of a day in the garden to face standing and pinning. The mind was willing but the body was weak.

It should be dry by tomorrow and I think I shall seam it together before starting the sleeves, which is just the way I prefer doing it at the moment, as it seems I always have to shorten sleeves. Technically I should just figure out the actual dimensions I prefer for different styles of sweaters and then calculate the appropriate sleeve length for each shoulder/arm combination. But somehow I am not at that point yet. Close.

In the meantime, I uncovered these three skeins, or partial skeins of yarn while I was unpacking a box. I don't have the labels and have no idea what they are, nor really why I purchased them. Actually, as I wrote this paragraph I realized that one of them, the plied blue wool with white flecks, was used in a cowl I knit for my step-daughter three Christmases ago. That one is Louisa Harding's yarn called Trenzar.

The simplest way to avoid cataloging was to cast on. Since two of the yarns remain a mystery, I am simply naming this mystery scarf. The pattern is half-linen stitch, which is a four-row pattern, and I am alternating the yarns as I knit, one row per yarn on size 10 needles. I think it is turning out rather nicely. I have no real plan except to keep knitting until I run out of one of the yarns.

At the moment I tend to pick up my knitting in the evenings when I am exhausted, and the scarf suits my current needs more than the diamond stitch at the ends of the sleeves. That will change. Either I will take a break from planting, or a rainy day will come along, and I will seam the purple sweater and start the sleeves. But there is no particular rush, and I am happy with this slow flow of life, where each day is filled with the whims of inspiration.

April 7, 2021
2020 and a return to Knitting
In many ways, 2020 was not a bad year. Let’s not dwell on the exceptions to that statement now.

In terms of my knitting life, there was positive movement. I finished more projects in one year than at any time since my move to Knoxville at the beginning of 2012. I started posting in this knitting blog again. And, even more importantly, I am eager both to finish off old WIPs and to start new projects.

The Details:
6 blog posts, half of them over the last two or three weeks of the year.

7 finished projects

33 skeins of yarn used.

Of course there were some glitches, some unknitting, and I bought yarn as well. I did not knit all the yarn I bought. Although I started cataloging my yarn stash, and yes it is big enough that it is not yet cataloged, I did not specifically note new purchases. That will change this year: I will track new yarn purchases, as opposed to existing stash, with the goal of knitting up more yarn than actually comes in. And I will also finish cataloging, which will help the process of knitting as well. I did not finish in 2020 not because of the size of the stash, but merely because health issues put a large damper on my ability to do things, more so than I actually realized at the time.

I did not tackle anything on the accumulated mountain of UFOs. Two projects finished this year were started in 2019 however, so at least the mountain did not grow higher. Finishing what I have started had developed into an ongoing problem, one I am still working to correct, may always be working to correct. It may be that I am just the kind of person who starts too many things.

And so here is the list, in chronological order. Some I previously posted here, some not. Links are provided if I posted a finished photo. Blue Square Throw and Summer Sunset photos here.
1. Cozy Cowl Cardigan. Pattern is 007 Cowl Cardigan by Lisa Richardson in Mode at Rowan One. Rowan Kid Classic. Color 899, floss. Started in October 2019. Finished March 18, 2020.
2. Checks and Stripes Shawl. This was knit for my church’s prayer shawl ministry using 3 skeins of Lion Brand Cupcake DK. Started in January and finished in April
3. Citron Socks. Yarn used was Lichen and Lace 80/20 sock in color citron. I started in April, and knit off and on, finishing in July. These socks have been in heavy wear this winter.
4. Blue Square Throw in Noro Taiyo color 124. Pattern is Perfectly Square Throw by Vanessa Ewing. This was a fun fun knit and the only reason it took so long, from 8/2/20 until 10/16/20, was that I was concurrently dealing with some major health issues. I want to knit another, and have purchased yarn to do so.
5. Summer Sunset. This is the #15 boxy tee by Laura Bryant from Vogue Knitting Summer 2019. Started in July 2019, put aside when I started the Cozy Cowl and resumed following completion of the blue square throw, finishing on 12/6/20.
6. Berries in the Snow. Quick hat knit with Malabrigo RASTA in color Lotus, using Sidewinder Beanie by Aspen Leaf Knits.
7. Sidewinder 2. A second sidewinder knit in Malabrigo Franca in color blush.
All of these projects were successful. Five of them are currently heavy rotation. Summer sunset is not because it is still too cold, but that should change as the weather warms up. I assume the prayer shawl is being used but actually do not know. I found this a tedious knit. I like the way it turned out, and the shawl itself was soft and cozy, but I did not enjoy knitting the yarn.

All in all, a successful year. Hopefully a trend.
January 4, 2021
Finished Segment

The segment scarf is finished! And it is the best thing I have knit in a long, long time. It almost makes me wish it were winter again so I could wear it.

Segment by Shibui

Yarn: Staccato, held doubled, in color mineral.

Silk Cloud, color velvet.

The pattern calls for Shibui's Baby Alpaca yarn, which is a DK weight. Staccato is fingering weight; even doubled I did not quite achieve the gauge specified in the pattern. I didn't worry about it — it is a scarf after all. I cast on 400 stitches with the doubled staccato and ended up with a scarf about 7 1/2 feet long, long enough. It was even a fun
knit, despite those 400-rows. Truthfully, it was the silk cloud that made it fun. Switching to stockinette from garter stitch seemed speedy, even though the 13th row, where you pick up the first silk cloud row to make the welt was a slow process.

I enjoyed this so much I am seriously considering knitting another.

June 2, 2014
Next: Segment by Shibui

When I finished the socks, I spent some time fretting over what to knit next. I have a yarn closet filled with potential projects. But it is upstairs and I can't climb the stairs yet. I have a helper in the mornings, but it is difficult to explain what you are looking for to someone who doesn't knit. I could do it though, at least as far as the yarn is concerned.

Patterns and knitting needles are another story. I never finished unpacking after the move. That stuff is either in boxes or scattered about upstairs as I work through the process of organizing. Knitting needles are scattered about the house, in bags and boxes, unruly tangles and untamed piles because I pull out what I need and then leave it because there is, as yet, no proper place to put them back. Sigh.

So I decided to knit this scarf, Segment, by Shibui. which I had recently purchased. I knew where the materials were hidden and they were easily fetched. Alas, Moisés got hold of one skein of Silk Cloud, and left me with this little present.

I considered just looking for another skein, but Silk Cloud is nice enough, and expensive enough, not to waste. Besides, on Friday I was too foggy-headed on my new medication to count to 400 in order to cast on. In fact I was too foggy-brained to count to 50. So I untangled delicate fuzzy yarn, and managed to get it about 60 percent untangled before I needed a break. Luckily I have 2 more skeins, and I will get finish before I need the yarn. Untangling yarn is good contemplative work.

My mental synapses seem to have recovered somewhat, or at least managed to adapt enough that I can once again focus. Although I probably couldn't solve complex mathematical problems, and it might be a good idea not to drive, I can read and count and function a bit more steadily. Last night I cast on and knit the first two rows. There really isn't much to see, but at least you can get a sense of my colors.

Segment scarf photo courtesy of shibui.com

April 8, 2014
Hello Again

Sometimes things work out for a reason. I never wanted to delete this blog, and yet I never really planned on coming back either. I am still blogging at restingmotion, and will continue to do so, and yet, as I find myself knitting again I also find my mind purling away, and here I am again.

Let's just go with the flow for the moment and see where we end up.

I've been knitting. I stopped for a while. Well, I didn't exactly stop, but my progress was slow and intermittent at best, and often retrograde. And then, suddenly the yarn and the fingers and the brain waves have connected and creation once again takes place.

First there is this scarf:

It is complete and has a role and a life as itself, a lovely lacey scarf, and yet it is also incomplete, with potential yet unexplored.

The yarn is Lontue by Auracania. The pattern is for the Janus Shawl, but as you can see it is not yet a shawl. The basic idea is that you knit this lovely lacy scarf and then you add the the crocheted edging that turns the scarf into a shawl.

For now I am stopping at a scarf, but I have not yet abandoned the idea of finishing the shawl, I am just making the most of this transitional phase. I am finally unpacking and organizing my studio (sewing/knitting/needlework) and in the process of putting up shelves and workspace have piled all my materials in a room in a most unorganized fashion. Somehwere in that pile of boxes and bags are the remaining two skeins of Lontue and the pattern, and they will eventually be unearthed and this scarf may yet be transformed into a shawl.

Once I finished the scarf, which seemed endless as it was a project with which I struggled through a long period of intermittent difficulties, I was ready, finally ready, to start something new. Plans and ideas popped into my head like bubbles and I didn't exactly know where to start, until I saw some bright green cotton yarn.

I had actually planned on starting a different project when a lovely green silk, rayon, and cotton yarn by Debbie Bliss, Stella, came into my life. I didn't have much, 5 skeins, or roughly 450 yards and the yarn is fairly thick and heavy, so I knew I wanted something rather open and airy. There was a model on the floor of an open drop-stitch top, and I knew it would work, so I picked up the pattern, "Summer Poncho Knitted" from Loopville, my new LYS.

I was thinking this would be a quick project that I could wear now, while the weather was still warm to hot, and that a little instant gratification might be just what I needed, something to whet the creative juices and make me eager to jump into a more time-consuming project. A week later I had a sweater and I like it.

The sweater is really very simple, two large rectangles knit in a k5, p5 rib with every fifth stitch being dropped on bind off. I knit it on size 10 needles, and although my gauge was actually smaller than the pattern, the silk and rayon content of the yarn, along with its weight, actually made the final cloth much more drapey than the original, so final dimensions, post-blocking, actually ended up slightly longer than the original although with the same width.

For now I love it. Whether or not it will be a longterm staple in my closet or it will be ripped and transformed at some future date is yet to be determined. I keep making similar sweaters, but I also keep forgetting how easy they are to snag. Perhaps this will be the exception. Perhaps I am becoming more mindful. Perhaps not. For now, this is perfect.

Green Janus Shawl (Scarf) on Ravelry

Green Summer Poncho on Ravelry

August 28, 2013