What's Next?

For the first time in weeks I spent most of Saturday at home and I spun for much of the morning. Then, got sucked into the black hole of pattern organization and reassessment of the WIPs.  The pattern organization black hole almost did me in.  The thought was to put all the purchased Twist patterns into one notebook. Two hours later I was still sorting and had made 4 different notebooks of patterns, added to the 10 notebooks I already had, AND was about on the verge of pulling out my hair.  Thank goddess, Smith walked into the room, broke the spell and I put it all down and left the room.  It's still there, scattered about the floor and I'm not going to do a thing about it until later in the week.  So there.

You want to hear about the knitting reassessment:?  Well, let's see.  On the needles is was the Cardi Cozy (we'll discuss it and its fate later), the Maelstrom Sock and the Shetland Lace Shawl. I made a tactical error on the cardi ('nuf said), then I thought the Maelstrom Sock was going to end up to large so I pulled out the needles and was ready to frog it.  Good thing I actually tried it on because it's perfect and was saved, just in the nick of time.

The Shetland Lace? WELL(!) that's the knit that really stuck in my craw.  I just couldn't stand it!  The yarn is lovely, but not suitable for the pattern. It's much too tightly twisted and made a dense, not lacy fabric. Lace should be light and airy and as there wasn't much of either in the fabric.  The pattern is also quite dense and the double whammy made for unsatisfactory knitting.  There was nothing to love and I resented it.  The process was a slog and I couldn't imagine the finished product would be to my liking. All that added up to too many strikes against it...so out it came. The yarn will be happier doing something else and the pattern will be knit in another lighter weight yarn.

Meanwhile, I stopped into Black Sheep on Saturday afternoon as Nancy Bush  was signing her new book, Knitted Lace of Estonia.  She had all the gorgeous shawls on display and it was a delight to touch and drool over each one.  (No pictures, so sorry.)  The rest of the weekend I looked through the book every chance I got and decided to knit something from it right away.  A look through the stash (with a wealth of lace weight on hand there had to be something suitable) produced a lovely vintage Reynolds yarn called Cashmere Lamb.  A search of the Internet told me each skein had 155 yds (I have 3.5 skeins) and that proved to be more than enough for my chosen pattern. 

There is Kitchener stitch grafting involved, but I think I can bribe someone to do it for me.  Been there (once is enough!), done that.

Comments

[Pat K]

How lucky to see the actual shawls! I've just gotten the book and have been dreaming over the patterns. Particularly the Queen Sylvia Shawl. I'll be watching your progress. Good luck on the organization project!

[Betsy]

The Winter Knotions is live! So now you can start the Magic Mirror Mittens (and figure out where to put the pattern when you are done with it!) too...

Since you turned me on to this pattern, it's been an obsession to see if it is live...I've already wound enough yarn for several Christmas presents...

[Manise]

Love the Lily of the Valley scarf. It'll be lovely in white!

[Laurie]

Weren't the shawls amazing? Very very beautiful choice of yarn for the knit.

You are my role model for wiping the slate clean.

[Kathy]

THAT will be gorgeous! There was a lot of organizing here this weekend too.

[Nora]

You will laugh and laugh, but I am planning a Shetland Triangle of worsted alpaca, a la Jared Flood... That denseness is exactly what I'm going for, so I can wrap myself in comfort!

Can't wait to see the scarf - how lovely!

[CindyCindy]

Cashmere Lamb? I can't get past the softness of the name. That is gonna be one gorgeous scarf. And a signed Nancy Bush book? How cool is that? Sounds like a good weekend.

[Sarah HB]

Sometimes frogging is the best thing!

Love it when I can find stuff in my stash to knit my chosen pattern.

[Carole]

So did the reorganizing feel good or was it overwhelming? Sounds like you had lots of fiber fun over all.

[Wool Winder]

It doesn't sound good for the Cardi Cozy.

[Anne]

Even if your patterns are perfectly organized, sounds like your mental list of WIPs is! That new book of Nancy's is absolutely fantastic!!

[Kristin]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who can be ruthless with my WIP's! Feels sooooo good to get rid of projects that just aren't working.

[Knitnana]

Ah...another lovely lace book to covet! I can't wait to see that pretty scarf...It sounds as if your Saturday excursion saved your sanity (at least a bit?) lol
(((hugs)))

[Kim]

How lucky for you to have seen Nancy's trunk show in person!!! This book is high on my Christmas list this year :).

Good for you for knowing that the Shetland shawl in that yarn was not meant to be :)

[Dianne]

Busy Lady!! I'm currently on the frog fence..about 4" into a project and just am NOT happy..plus the yarn isn't fun to work with..'too frog or not too frog'..

[Lucia]

I hate when I have a great yarn and a great pattern and... they can't stand each other. That cashmere lamb looks too yummy, though.

[Jean]

That scarf is going to be gorgeous. Funny, I was going through all my old knitting mags and patterns on Saturday morning as well. I didn't get very far. It just reminded me of all the beautiful things I wanted to knit and hadn't yet. lol.

[Judy]

yummmmmy!

[Marcia]

No one seems to have the book yet back here..I'm going crazy! And it will be the only NB book I own not signed by Nancy when I do get it. I should have sent you some money!

[Birdsong]

So glad you got to attend Nancy Bush's presentation, and you are lucky to have Cashmere Lamb to soothe the troubled soul over the unhappy WIPs that needed to be frogged.

[Cheryl S.]

RIP Shetland Lace. But I'm sure it's for the best. Your vintage yarn is awesome, and that will be a fabulous scarf.

[Chris]

Whew - good thing Smith was there to rescue you! Reassessing is good - and I think most of us don't do enough of it.

I have some of that same vintage yarn, somewhere...

[vanessa]

i'd be happy to kitchener for you ;-)

[Heather Joins The Round]

I like it! And it sounds like you found the perfect yarn in your stash.

[elizabeth]

Oh! Too bad about the shawl, but I know what you mean. I like mine a lot, but I wish I'd used a yarn that was a silk/wool blend, as any drape it has is from blocking.

That Cashmere Lamb looks divine!