phases

I go through phases when I knit. Right now I'm in a small yarn phase, mostly working with lace and sock weight yarns. I've had bulky phase, thick and thin phase, bamboo phase, cable phase, orange phase, variegated phase, stripes, solids, etc. I'm learning about which yarns are good for which projects the hard way, by making things with yarns not suited to the project. Most recently, I went through my stash and found some Malabrigo lace *drool* and thought I'd make myself something small and nice for everyday luxury. Well, as much as I love all natural yarns, it turns out that a little nylon elastic goes a long way when things need to retain shape and bounce back. And as sad as it makes me, the Malabrigo lace was not the right choice for fingerless gloves for office work. I think part of the problem is that I like universality. I want everything to have multiple uses and forms and interchangeability to adapt to my chaotic flow of ideas. Another part is that I put a lot of demands on my clothes. Durability is a key component I expect. Lace weight yarns are naturally not going to be sturdy. But I love them, so what can I make that can put lovely lace weight to good use, but won't need a survival instinct? I didn't know tiny gloves for office use would need to be resilient. I see gorgeous lace shirts and imagine how they will hang after a few hours, stretching in some places and bunching in others, loops pulled on some random thing. I want to wear them, but the way they look in the pictures, not how I imagine them after train, bus, and office chairs. Perhaps when my graduation shawl is finished I'll move into another phase and it won't matter again for a while.

whoosh

So..busy..
A cold snap hit New England right around the time I was reminding people that I will knit for food or cash or LARP or pretty much anything. So I have comissions. Yay! And bit off more than I could chew. Boo! Gloves with half-fingers and an intarsia scarf that I had to make the fuggin pattern for. That was less than a hoot. And I have things to knit for my own LARP character so I can play in the Fall, and then I have space and permission to sell some stuff at Legends, so I need to make some small, cheap things to sell. And it's all kinda due by Friday. ... Shit. Brilliant plan. But I suppose it's good pratice for if I really do want to ever make any money at this.

Back to it.

School is nearly finished, so I will finally have time to get back to knitting! Yay! The Ravolympics didn't trump papers, so I failed to finish the Dude's sweater for my roomie. And now more than ever I need to be trying to produce an income. I'll be turning out smaller projects to sell in hopes of getting some business to my etsy shop. Times are hard for so many people. I feel bad chargine so much for items, but they take a lot of work and good yarn.

the snap

I have had an experience. I have become inspired. Radio silence will commence. I am fine. And you know I would say if I were not. I love you, my dear friends. The next time we speak, I will have accomplished something.

How sweet the freedom! Drop-stitch pattern.

Remember being a child when you wanted to get into things and feel them? You would get something on your hands or on your clothes, and then someone would scold you. That is a mistake. Paint goes on the paper, not on your hands! And then, a magical new world opened up the day you got a smock (or old tee-shirt from grandpa's bottom drawer) and a box of *gasp* fingerpaints! Oh, the joy and the freedom of paint you are supposed to get all over your hands! Doing something that is normally a mistake to be fixed on purpose! Whee!

I have rediscovered this same joy. I am doing my very first drop-stitch pattern. To think, I make an extra stitch for the express purpose of dropping it later!! I dropped that stitch, and I did it because I wanted to! It's liberating. I'm normally a lightning-fast knitter, but every time the drop stitch comes along, I give it time. I unravel it slowly. I shimmy it down between the stitches on either side and make a silly noise. I am a kid again, full of the glee of doing something "wrong" on purpose! Thanks to Stefanie Japel for making a pattern so fun! (I'm knitting the drop-stitch lace tank from Fitted Knits.)

cat suit contest

It's not as hot as it sounds. I'm working on a suit of clothes for a hairless cat. There is a prize of yarn involved. And pictures. There will be pictures. I think my idea is priceless and has a good shot of winning...if I can make it come out the way I imagine it. I've never made cat clothes before. I'm winging it, as I do most things I make. And it doubles as a Halloween costume, for those who would impose such torments on a cat. My little girl would never let me do that! All the more reason to support someone else doing it to their cat.

My grandmother, despite my urges to the contrary, has sent me a box of random yarn she picked up at the flea market. She does try. It's a box of about 8 skeins of sport weight, cream colored, acrylic yarn. I can't wear acrylic because it makes me stink. I will be giving a good chunk of it to a friend of mine who had a baby recently and crochets lots of booties and blankies with acrylics. But a couple of the skeins are going to be on the back of a hairless cat soon! Muahahahaha!

I shan't disclose the plan, lest it be stolen. But I will win this contest with my nostalgic genius!!

knitknitknit

Starting a blog just for the knitting stuff. It deserves a space of its own. I'll catch up sometime in a bit. for now, it's chores!