Bliss had a contest recently. It was one of those contests that I like entering (just leave a comment!) but Anyway, my prize arrived yesterday and it made me squeal in excitement. Bliss sent more than just the sock yarn! She sent a little pattern booklet, a Pop Top needle holder thingy, and chocolates! I had to take this photo right away because I wanted to eat the chocolates. *burp* Thank you so much Bliss!
The Bad
Last time I was here, I promised to do some complaining. You see, lately, I haven’t had much desire to knit. At least I haven’t had much desire to knit the projects that are currently on the needles. Perhaps ripping Lotus three times was starting to get to me. Perhaps knitting pink cables is starting to get boring. (That can’t be true!) Who knows why I have the knitting blahs? For days I’ve been poking at Lotus and Gathering Intentions hoping that they would either magically finish themselves or magically turn into something that I want to knit.
The sad part is that I don’t know what I want to knit. Or at least I didn’t know what I wanted for days. Just the other day I realized what I want to do—I want to knit some plain boring stockinette. That’s right! I want to knit without looking at my hands! I want to knit without thinking about what I’m doing! I want to knit something so quickly that it amazes everyone around me!
I think this is the first time I’ve ever wanted to knit nothing but stockinette. And that, my friends, is a problem. I have yarn for a couple cabled sweaters. I have yarn for a couple of lace sweaters. I have yarn for a few lace shawls. I do not have yarn for a stockinette sweater. In fact, I don’t even have any stockinette sweaters in my “to do” list. Sure I could find a nice stockinette sweater pattern and the buy the yarn, but my stash is so out of hand right now. It needs to be knit down.
Sigh.
I can’t abandon my current projects. That would not be good for me. One of the biggest motivations in my life is the act of finishing things. And I can’t start a new project. With two large works in progress, starting a new one would drive me batty. So I’ve decided that I have to push on and finish up Gathering Intentions. Perhaps finishing something will give me a knitting high.
Since the last time you saw this sweater, I’ve finished the front and most of the sleeves. I already attached the front and the back together because I was messing around with the getting the cables looking good with the shaped shoulders. FYI—cables, short-row shoulder shaping, and the 3-needle bind off is not a good combination. Much fiddling happened. (Perhaps that’s why I’m not so thrilled about this sweater anymore?)With any luck, this sweater will be completely finished next week.
The No Longer Ugly
I ripped and reknit the offending rows on Lotus. Then, I duplicate stitched the flowers. I know some of you thought the previous flower didn’t look so bad, but don’t you all agree that this flower is millions of times better?
12 comments:
I get the exact same way when I am working on something complicated (like you are). Something plain and easy ends up sounding so nice!! I keep a simple sock in progress for times like this.
The Lotus flower does look a million times better, you're right.
Well, if you still want stockinette after you're done, you could try Eris. It's like Rogue: lots of stockinette, but some cables & shaping to keep it from being *just* stockinette.
Anyway, I hope Gathering Intentions stops giving you trouble!
And fine; the flower looks better. Sheesh. Don't you ever get tired of being right? ;-)
Do you have enough yarn to make an Hourglass sweater? Lots of stockinette there.
Oh, and no one can be bored knitting pink cables. ;-)
Only knit what you love! Come back to the other sweaters in a few months and you'll be so refreshed you'll knit them in minutes! I'm very goal-oriented too, but last winter I put aside 2 projects (a sweater that was 3/4s of the way done and a Backyard Leaves scarf) and when I pulled them out this fall, I finished them so fast, it gave me a great little boost!
If you have yarn for cable and lace sweaters, couldn't you use some of it for a St st sweater? Or how bout a 1 skein St st hat? That might be enough to ward off the craving!
If I sound opinionated, it's because I just went through one of these slumps where I disliked knitting, because I had to knit something for a client and so I started to dread everything about it!
Lotus, by the way, is blowing my mind with it's awesomeness!
helLO, don't you think the universe is whispering awfully loudly to you? "Laura . . . Laura . . . [echo] Knit some stockinette socks . . ." :)
I know you're antisock, but really? some straight stockinette socks? A delight. (Not that I've ever made a pair of straight stockinette, but I can imagine.)
Make your nephew a plain little top-down raglan for a day or two. Then come back to the cables and colorwork with fresh enthusiasm.
Heh, minty said exactly what I was going to - there is an obvious connection between the two parts of your post! Few things are more mindless than plain stockinette socks. :)
You're tired of cables?!?!
I must have subconsciously used your subject line in my post today--oops. Well, it's appropriate!
I feel the same too...must be something in the air. I'm hating the CPH and was considering the frog pond the other night, even though I'm so close. Nothing I have in progress is enjoyable, but I refuse to start something new until I finish what I've got. I further refuse to buy any more yarn because the cabinet is full.
But please please please promise me you will not stoop to the level of socks. You're the only friend I've got left in this club!
Merry Christmas!!!
Ahhh...the zen of stockinette. I hear ya Laura. Soothes the soul.
Amy
You and I are alike in our unwillingness to abandon perfectly good projects just because they're not really turning our cranks. I just can't enjoy new impulse projects when there's something else on the needles that really is more deserving of my attention. The good thing is that when you finish your pink sweater you'll have a great sense of accomplishment, a lovely sweater, and the freedom to start something completely new. I hope that time comes soon!
Have you seen the Perfect Sweater Pattern at Mason-Dixon Knitting? That might be just the thing for plain stockinett.
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