It's the Little Things

It was a little difficult last week to settle down and knit on any one project.  Do you ever feel that way after a you finish up a piece of knitting that you enjoyed so much?  Nothing felt right. Nothing I picked up had the rhythm of the beautiful lace, or the feel of the exquisite yarn, that Hanging Vines brought to my knitting. I even tried a little lace to see if that would help bring back my knitting mojo, but it didn't work. My world felt like a dear friend had gone away and I missed her. 

Then on Friday the need to knit, the desire for the process, returned.  There were several small projects on the needles and I decided to finish them up before jumping into another large project. (It's cold around here and time to knit a nice warm woolen sweater.)  One of the Gauntlet's for Give A Little was complete, so I knit all evening on the second and finished it, save for the thumb, that night. It only took a few minute the next morning to finish up and the pair is now ready to gift. They could be yours.

Next is the sock for Smith's cousin Emilie.  The first sock was finished and the second had a couple of false starts do to gauge problems.   Emilie is anxiously awaiting the arrival of these socks so she can have something bright and happy on her feet.  After finishing the Gauntlet, I picked up and started the second sock and watched, finally, as the stitches flew.  It is now well past the heel (and not where the picture shows.) 

Gauge problems have plagued me with all three of these projects. Might that be the reason why I let them be for a few days?  You would think a little expertise would pay off, but in a silly decision I went up a size needle and had to frog and reknit.  I have been using 1.5 needles to knit socks for a long, long time and most fingering yarns work up perfectly with this size needle. 

The very same error was made on my beautiful blue Opal sock (the yarn is from my Better Pal.) As the heel was turned and the gusset decreases  started, I tried it on and found it to be very large, gigantic, in fact. Instead of taking it all the way back to the beginning, I frogged back to the heel and will continue the foot on smaller needles.  The ankle area will be loose but it should be fine.  The challenge will be to make the second sock fit and look the same. What was I thinking by changing to a size 2 for this sock?   It must have been a moment of insanity for me to think my gauge, the gauge I always knit, was too tight. I never swatch for socks as you can frog a sock as well as a swatch, but check the gauge early on! 

Now the socks are moving along quickly, easily, and should be finished in the next couple of days.  What a relief to be knitting again, enjoying the process again.  I might just be ready for more lace, too.

We have finally convinced our Stitch 'n Bitch beauty, Teri to start a blog!  She's a Harry Potter freak and a very good knitter.  She might even show us some knitting soon.  Welcome to Blogland, Teri!

Comments

[Kim]

There's those 1.5's again. I learned last week that no matter if the pattern calls for size 2's with sockweight yarn, it is going to be too loose for my liking. #1's do work well for me, but I an anxious to give 1.5's a try too.

Emilie is going to love her socks!

[Cassie]

Now, when I have that bereft feeling after finishing a project (its been a while, but I remember) - I do some spinning. Just saying. ;-)

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

Loooove them gauntlets! Good mojo renewal.

[Kathleen]

The gauntlets are lovely. And Emilie will love those fun socks. What's the next big thing on the needles though?

[Jackie]

Beautiful gauntlets, Margene. I know how you feel - sometimes the knitting just won't do it...you could spin a little!! :)

[PumpkinMama]

Glad you found a groove again. The gauntlets are lovely, as are the socks.

[Krista]

I've got the same problem at the moment. Just finished a sweater whose colors really captivated me while knitting it. I'm not sure what to do with myself now. The other projects I've already got in the needles just don't feel right, but I'm going to try to get into a groove on one of them before starting something new. It's hard to figure out what to do with yourself once you've finished something big.

[Snow]

I think lace messes with our gauge, honestly. It's necessary to knit very loosely in order to prevent snapping a finer yarn, so we get into the habit of knitting so loosely that the next time we try to make a firmer fabric, it takes a very conscious effort. Or at least that's the way it is for me.

[Teri]

Thanks for the welcome! I am knitting--believe me--but I don't have a digital camera, so my blog will probably be short on pics. Oh well, I guess I'll have to create a "use your imagination" section. :) LOVE the gauntlets!!!

[Teresa C]

Weird how we second guess what we know to be true every time. I'm swatching aran weight right now and it feels so weird after knitting only lace and sock weight for so long. I don't know if I like it. I feel so clumsy and it doesn't feel natural at all.

Loving all the socks over there.

[Norma]

*closing eyes tight and whispering* "I hope they're mine, I hope they're mine, I hope they're mine." Hee. Or I could make them myself. Either one.

[Kathy]

What a pretty autumn color on the gauntlets -- you are inspiring me to pick up those Sally Melville books! Glad that you are enjoying your post-stole projects.

[Liz]

Love those gauntlets. Way to make me regret my decision to not 'win' a prize. ;)

[Cara]

So funny! G and I were flipping around the tv the other day and as a goof I stopped on Knitty Gritty. Sally Melville was there and everyone was wearing those gauntlets. I immediately thought of YOU! G was like, do you know those people, and I said, no, but I know people who do! ;-) Everytime I see them on your blog I want to knit them, but I don't think I'd ever wear them.

(Then he wanted to know why I wasn't on there knitting on tv. Silly boy.)

[Paula]

Hey Margene, I was feeling lost after I finished Eyelet Cardi, well the knitting part. I was down to two UFOs in my bag, Meadow Flowers shawl for Summer of Lace (it's still summer weather in AL) and Samus. So I had to have socks-Opal Flamingo started.

[Kristi]

I'm very unmotivated on all three projects that I have on needles at the moment. I think I'm just tired and have too many larger projects (knitting and life) going on that I need some quicker, instant gratification projects.

[Carole]

Good for you for finishing the gauntlets. I just really need to finish SOMETHING myself these days. I'm feeling way too scattered with all the projects going on.

[Kim/Chef Messy]

I was so glad Teri got a blog! She's a peach.

:) What a surprise that socks would be the thing to give Margene the Sock-Master her Mojo back!

[Tracy]

I'm going through that feeling right this minute. It's like a period of mourning.

[lisa]

I fear I'm going to have the same problem tonight after I sew the buttons on the cardi I just finished. So many projects I want to try, but I don't know which one will end up being "the one."

Your guantlets look great though!

[Julia]

Lovely gauntlets. Whoever wins them is lucky - hope it's me!

[The Knitting Kit]

Isn't that why the Yarn Harlot recommends having several projects going at the same time? To reduce the grieving period when a project is finished? *grin*

[Bliss]

You don't mess with perfection! Your socks are always so lovely. Sometimes it's easy to follow someone's instructions that are contrary to what we know works for us, simply because it works for them.

[Sneaksleep]

Lovely gauntlets! Not that I would expect anything less from you. :)

[Michelle]

Beautiful gauntlets!

You've inspired me...I'm going to start looking for some Koigu to make some!

[marti]

it is that time of year for me too, trying to finish up odds and ends before starting a nice woolen sweater. hey, maybe i should finish rogue that i started last year and satisify both urges. well sort of anyway.

[Heather]

Beautiful socks & gauntlets! Maybe that's why I have such a hard time finishing stuff, I like the process too much. Hmm. Food for thought.

[Michelle]

Beautiful gauntlets and lovely socks too!!

[Debi]

Those gauntlets are so pretty M! I know what you mean about missing the project you fell in love with. Altho my shaped triangle was more love/hate I do miss her!
I'm not knitting lace right now, maybe that's contributing to the separation anxiety.
Glad you're getting your mojo/zen back!

[Wanda]

I do know what you mean Margene about trying to find your knitting mojo after you finish something you love so much. It's hard to get back in the groove, even when I have multiple projects on the needles. Sometimes I can keept alking myself into knitting and then I sorta fall back in love with something or I can see the finish line, so I keep going on it till it's done. Or I take a break from knitting for a few days and read a few books and then I start getting the joneses for knitting needles again.

Re: socks, I always make socks on 1.5 needles. It's the best size for me and when a pattern says size 2, as long as it's the same type of yarn I just use 1.5 needles. But for Opal, I've had to go down to a size 1 (gag!), as well as my Sockapalooza socks, which used Lang Jawoll Cotton/Wool as the yarn was pretty fine. I keep thinking with Lorna's, I will need to go down to size 1s as well.