Yarn self awareness

 Since I couldn't decide what to start next this past week, I concentrated on finishing.  I realized that I was only a couple inches away from finishing a complete pair of socks.  In part as a defense against the Second Sock Syndrome, and in part out of memory preservation, I had been knitting both socks at the same time.  I hadn't knit socks for a while, and found my skills as bit rusty.  So I went back and forth between both socks, in an attempt to ensure they were identical twins.  I cast on the toe, and increased to the foot, then did the same on the second sock.  I knit the foot, then did the same.  I did the heel, well, you get the point.  This is only the second time I have knit two socks at the same time.  It seems like the progress is so slow, then all of a sudden, you are only a couple inches away from a PAIR of socks.  Just in time for winter!

My guys were away camping this weekend.  I would have gone, but my mother is abroad this month, and someone had to stay home with the doggies.  (She usually dogsits for us.)  36 child-free/husband-free hours is not a bad thing.  Along with my list of cleaning chores, I wanted to break through my knitting block.  

As I was rearranging and visiting in yarn in my stash, I identified what my barrier.  I have really stepped up my yarn quality.  With my Local yarn store closing two years ago, and a dear friend hosting a de-stashing  party, and some stunning yarns that I secretly bought on Ravelry (Shhhh, don't tell my husband), I have some high quality, truly beautiful yarns.   I was so looking forward to turning some of them into beautiful knitted objects, but then I was struck with self doubt.  Would this yarn be right for this project?  The yardage be enough?  The drape/stitch definition be appropriate?   I didn't want to make a mistake, and have to risk damaging the yarn by frogging.   Quality yarn had made me gun-shy about making a mistake.  Once I realized this, it was easy to overcome.  For what is the use of having delicious yarns if they are stuck in my yarn room for all eternity?  

I did my research:  I looked at the pattern, other examples of that pattern on Ravelry, other projects with that yarn on Ravelry. . . . then I cast on.

   This is a nice start for the day.  I have a new skein of sock yarn and a pattern picked out too.  

Today, it is all about the starts. 

The opposite of startitis

 First things first, a new Finished Object to show off.  Radiating Rubies.  Started at some point in 2021, and off the blocking pads this morning.  And it is STUNNING.  

I just love the miracle of blocking

And here you see the close up of the lace pattern.  The pattern is Radiate, free on Ravelry.  The lace pattern itself is not too difficult.  The overall pattern is customizable, and I found the instructions of which chart to use when and for how many times to increase stitches as needed a bit confusing.   All in all, a rewarding knit.  

So now what to put on the needles?  One disadvantage of having my elliptical in the same room as my yarn is a find myself staring at all of my beautiful yarns, and thinking about pretty things to start next,.  Now that I have finished something an can start, I find myself facing complete indecision.  I have a number of things in my Ravelry Queue, already paired patterns and yarns from my stash.  This should be easy, but I still can't decide.  

I started one shawl, but after a few rows, I am questioning the gauge.  I worked a little on a WIP that has been long neglected, but I am also questioning the gauge.  Also, both are not intricate lace projects.  I just finished a more complex pattern, so I can start another complex difficult pattern.  I am not usually so indecisive about my knitting.  

Today, it is all about  the indecisiveness.  

Yarn Chicken

 

I am nearing the end of Radient Rubies, I did something smart.  I started weighing my yarn.  Each row, I checked how many grams I was using per row, how many grams I had left, and how many grams I should save for the edging.  

Within only a few rows, I realized that the repeat in progress would absolutely be the last repeat.  I checked my yarn after every row.  

15 grams.  Two more rows.  13 grams.   Last three rows of the repeat.  10 grams.  Six rows of border.  3 grams.  

I feel pretty confident going into the cast off, but it is a new bind off for me, so I can't be certain enough of the yarn usage to relax.  

It is a Suprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.  That sounds like something that might use more yarnage than your average row.  

The bind off is as stretchy as advertised, which is absolutely required to form the little points at the tips.  But it requires a backward Yarn Over.  That sounds simple enough, doesn't it?  Just do a yarn over in the opposite direction than you normally would.  Except my brain no longer thinks to do a Yarn Over.  My fingers do it using muscle memory.  And my head can't wrap around which direction I am supposed to be overing the yarn.  I literally have to start a knit stich, take note of the direction, undo the almost knit stitch, do the Yarn Over in the opposite direction, then complete the rest of the steps.  EVERY BLOODY TIME.  I can't even retain the information for more than one stitch.  

When I think about it, I simply cannot remember which way the Yarn Over is supposed to go.  It has been hundreds of stitches bound, and I cannot for the life of me remember the opposite direction.  It is excruciating!  I have spent hours binding off, and I am still only halfway!

Today it is all about the muscle memory vs the brain memory.  

Just in time for Christmas

The Smittens are finally finished.  After a shockingly long time in the queue, they are finally on the way to their intended recipients.  I hope my brother and his fiancée enjoy them.  I originally had the idea of adding two ear warmers to the gift.  One ear warmer is done, but my sweetie chided me that men don't wear ear warmers.  He tried on one of mine, and I have to admit it made his hair look ridiculous.  The way it popped up on the top beyond the coverage of the ear warmer made him look like Bart Simpson. So I changed my plans to a coordinating hat for my bother.  But as you can see, it is still in the contemplation stage.  I have yarn, pattern, and needles, but I have not yet worked a single stitch.      

But, it takes some time to get Christmas gifts to Poland, so the mittens are on their way, and we will see if I can finish the hat anytime soon.  

Today, it is all about the Christmas deadlines.   

From the Bottom of the Knitting Queue

I have really been focused lately on finishing the long-forgotten works in progress that have been languishing in the bottom of the knitting bag for way too long.  The hunting mitts was one.  This mess is another.  

A long time ago, my baby brother asked me to make a mitten for two people to wear when they are holding hands.  I did some wandering on Ravelry, and behold!  The Smitten.   Then he mentioned two mittens for the non-holding hand.  Then he realized that there should be a set of mittens for each person for normal wear, with a companion Smitten.  When I bought the yarn, there was a cute speckled version in blue/gray and pink/gray skeins, and I got the idea of making an ear warmer for each to match.  So one two-person mitten turned into four regular mittens, one oversized mitten and two ear warmers.  

So I dug everything out of the bag recently, to see where I was.  Two pairs of mittens done (except for the ends and a couple thumbs), and the smitten designed and started.  

I would really like to be able to have all of this to my brother and his darling fiancée by Christmas.   THIS Christmas.  

Today, it is all about getting ready for the Season.         

Done and done

I have been on a finishing kick lately. I finished my recent shawl, and I finished the hunting mittens that have been in progress forever. This is actually the second attempt at this mittens. These were supposed to have a flap that folds over the fingers. That is where I was having the issues. The first time, the flaps were opposite each other. One showed the purl side and one knit. The second time I was trying to figure out another way to do it, when my sweetie decided he just wanted them to be fingerless, like I have done with all the teachers. Really? Just plain fingerless mittes? I can do that. I can have it finished in a couple days. And lo and behold, finished. Whew! It feels so good to scratch off another long in progress knitted item. Today, it is all about the dones.

Pulling the plug

I have reached a point where I had to make a decision: I am supposed to end on a garter area of the pattern. So at what point to a switch to garter whereever I am in the pattern. I think I have reached that point. I am supposed to do twelve rows of the lace pattern, then twelve rows of garter. But I only have a teeny tiny ball of yarn left (pretty nice dark, burgandy yarn. No more beige!) and I don't think I can stretch it that far. Then I remembered that I have a measuring tool. A little gadget where you run the yarn through it, and it measusre for you. It came in a package with my swift and scale, and I think this is the first time I have actually used it. I know I was imperfectly measuring, but it was still only 38 feet left. Definitely time to switch. I have been showing an uncharacteristic monogomy towards this project, and I may actually finish within a day or two. Today, it is all about the final stretch.