OH NO! A KNITTING INJURY

Don't know how I did it, but I popped something in my right yarn.  It interferes with my knitting...and I am letting it heal.   I know when it happened...I just don't know why.   I miss knitting marathons.

My father used to be a big one for reminding me, "This too, will pass."   I hope it passes sooner than later as I have been growing the stash and need to start knitting it down.   When the yarn closet becomes hard to close...it is time to do more knitting.

Here is a shocking confession.  I skipped a gauge swatch on a pair of green slippers.  I ASSUMED the right needle was in the bag with the yarn.    When I did not have enough yarn for the first slipper...not by much but enough...I scratched my head.  This was very odd.   I continued.   I really looked at the finished slipper.  It will be too large for its intended foot.    Fortunately, there is a larger foot available.....I can can get more yarn.    Next time.....check the needle size and for the love of all that is yarny...do a swatch!

Projects .......

There are projects that I see that I HAVE to do.....    There will be something about the picture that captures me.   Then I must find yarn, grab needles, swatch and go.    The Burly Spun Grey Owl Cowl was one of these.    Saw it, had had had to do it.      Of course in the many boxes of yarn I have I did not have have anything suitable.   OH DARN!   Had to go to Depth of Field to see what was there for me.   I don't always use the yarn the pattern calls for...this time I did.   I loved the browny-black color....and decided that was it.

Burly Spun Grey Owl Cowl

This was a really fun project to do...and I am
happy with the way that it turned out.

The buttons would have been nicer if I had been able to scare up three more antler tip buttons, but the wooden ones that I found work really well and are not unpleasant when the cowl is worn.   I know this because I test drove the cowl this morning.

Do you ever get sick of a project before it is done?   So sick of it that you don't want to see it again?  I often do and tend not to like a project for a bit once it is finished.  Somehow, the finished project doesn't fill the expectation that I had of it when I was doing the knitting...or I grow to dislike the color....or something happens while I am doing it that makes me unhappy and I associate that with the project.   This did not happen with the cowl....and it did not happen with the Basketweave Baby Blanket for Baby Pasek. 

Willow Yarns makes a yarn called Burrow in a couple of weights.   The colors are really lovely.   The yellow used for this blanket was very cheerful and, even better, I did not want to poke my eyes out whenever I saw the color towards the project's completion.

Baby Pasek's Basketweave Baby Blanket

Burrow is a lot like Plymouth Encore.   It launders really nicely and has a very good hand.   The price is really, really nice too.   This is a good go-to yarn for any project that needs to go through the washer and the dryer.    It does have some wool content so I can't use it for the people in my family or friends for whom wool is kryptonite.

The pattern, also from the fine folks at Willow, was complicated enough to be interesting, yet simple enough to work on while talking with my knitting buddies.    Eventually, I will do it again.

Socks, basic socks, are my no-think projects.  Sometimes, I just need to knit out thoughts I am having.....and I don't want to have to pay any attention to the knitting.    Socks are perfect for that because there are great stretches of simple ribbing or straight knitting.   No fuss, but busy hands helping me work through whatever has me peeved.

While garter stitch scarves also do this......I don't really want to do those as much as I do socks.   Socks are great gifts...people are much more excited by getting a pair of socks than a ......garter stitch ...scarf.  

Projects have different purposes for me.   Some are gifts...some are selfish knitting for me....some I do just because I can.