My current portable project is Lizard Ridge squares. Ideal streetcar knitting, on a short circular. Not a lot to carry around, it can easily be stuffed in the corner of my bag. And I've memorized the pattern so I can knit it on autopilot (although not in the dark, sadly, as I figured out at the movie last night).
For home knitting, I haven't settled on what I want to do. I've been trying in earnest to make progress on the Country Wool Feather & Fan shawl. It's not been going well, though. This project is resisting me at every turn.
The yarn was going to be a poncho-thing, at first; although the knitting went well, I wasn't pleased with the results, and there was too much variation in the hand-dyed colourways. So I ripped it back. It sat for a while, waiting for inspiration. A while later, while researching lace knitting, I found this pattern for a feather & fan shawl. I thought this would be a more interesting project, something to test my lace skills, and possibly a good gift for someone I know who's hard to buy for. Not so. I have been struggling. Lots of ripping back. I make mistakes. I mess up the stitch count. I fail to pay attention and work the pattern in areas that should be plain. I just can't seem to make this one stick in my brain. I think I'm actually trying to make it harder than it needs to be....
Do I persevere, or put it down and find something I'm happier with? Will it ever be done, this shawl? And more to the point, do I really care? I'm not sure it has a role in my life anymore, given that I have the really rather magnificent Highland shawl completed, and the possible giftee seems to have gone off green. (Don't ask. She's a bit odd about colours.)
I advise my students in my class to only work with yarns they like touching, and to pick projects they'll enjoy. A project that you don't enjoy knitting will never get done -- or you'll have to force yourself to work on it. And god knows there's enough in life that you have to force yourself to do, I don't believe knitting should fit into this category.
Perhaps I should take my own advice and give the damn thing up entirely? It's great yarn, maybe it needs to find another home?
Anyone want 5 or 6 100gm skeins of an aran weight variegated green hand-dyed 100% wool? Will trade for a double espresso...
2 comments:
You are joking about the giving away that yarn, aren't you? Because if you aren't, I'll gladly pay the international shipping to here and send you something coffee-related, if you like. That yarn seems perfect to complete my mostly green and yellow Lizard Ridge.
I cannot send you a double espresso from Portugal, I guess it would spill on the way ;), but I can send you a packet of locally roasted coffee! Portuguese-roasted coffee is quite famous in Western Europe (similar to Italian-roasted, though we prefer our espressos taller, or, as we say, longer)!
I still suppose you are joking...
I have also knitted that shawl and had the same problem, the pattern is so easy that you relax and that´s when it goes wrong. My advice is to let it rest for a bit and then decide what to do with it. I planned to give mine away too, but when it was finished I liked it to much ;)
/Ingela in Sweden (sorry my blog is in swedish)
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