Thursday, September 20, 2007

Is The Knitting Malaise... Broken?!

Perhaps. I was inspired to knit my own coffee-cosy/cup sleeve thing on DPNs. What I created is really only a rough copy and totally not fit to photograph, but I managed to have the measurements fit and a venti-sized Starbucks cup securely hugged by a cuff of knitted yarn, which is about all I want from it. When I make a second one - this one with the join connected right, possibly in something zippier than light grey - I'll take a picture and stick it up here. For now, I'm pretty much just rejoicing that I managed to get something knitted, and it didn't totally suck!

Friday, September 14, 2007

The Things That Keep Us From Knitting

I really can't say for sure why my knitting not only slowed down considerably but ground to a halt for the last few weeks. General crafting malaise? The overwhelming breadth of my blanket project? Feeling trapped by my lack of organisation? I would say it was probably the blanket - after you've unknitted something in the neighbourhood of 80 stitches because you missed a slip stitch, not only once, but twice, you tend to feel a bit grouchy. You may even consider a trial seperation, which is I guess what I did. I can't actually remember the last time I picked up the needles. Tonight, however, I foraged through my circular needle wallet, picked out the 16" size 10s, and have begun casting on for a hat. I would like to make a beanie with a 1 - 2 " seed stitch border, stockinette for the body, and earflaps. Sounds like it would go pretty quickly, not terribly ambitious (seriously, I don't think I knew what I was getting myself involved in when I started a KING SIZE BLOODY BLANKET), something to get the ball rolling again.

I fell into knitting so hard and fast, intending for it to be that one, true, lifetime craft, that I'm afraid I burnt myself out before I had a chance to pace myself. I'm still interested, but I doubt my commitment. I did, however, buy a stitch dictionary today, so I guess I can't be too far gone.

Well, time for bed, or reading, or something. Hopefully I might have photographic evidence of actual knitting to post, sometime soon!