Sunday, November 07, 2004

More Yarn: The Justification

The introduction of knitting to my list of fibre-hobbies has certainly been hard on the pocketbook and storage space. I haven't worked on the cross stitching since early September, even though I was nearly done with a Michael Powell piece (Mini Cottages IV) and making good progress on PT. Instead, I've been knitting with a vengence. Well, OK, I've been buying stash and starting things with a vengence.

Right now, I have on the go:
2 scarves: 1 Rowan biggy print (colour: Joker, garter stitch in 25mm needles), 1 in a grey kid mohair/pink rayon ("Faggot Lace scarf" from Knitting for Dummies)
1 bag: Tasha, from Knitty Magazine. It has cables. :) I'm using the recommended Rowan denim.
1 crochet sweater: The pattern is "Casual Chic", from Today's Crochet. I'm doing this one in Naturally Woodland mohair - the colour (08) is a very neat black with bright multicoloured flecks. The fringe edging on the neck, bottom & sleeves will be done in a bright rainbow-coloured mohair (Furrari M4405) that matches the colour flecks in the black yarn. Should be lovely (though perhaps a little itchy), if I ever get around to making the front. The back and both sleeves are done. Actually, they were done a year ago.
1 knit shawl: On Size 13 needles using some dark blue fuzzy eyelash stuff (it sheds! it sheds!) mixed with a dark blue/purple boucle. I seem to have thrown away the labels from the yarn, bad me. I think the boucle was Katia Nube(?). The eyelash stuff came in balls with a black label and sheds like a beast. Anyhow, the shawl is done, and the fringe is on - but I'm adding beads to it. I have these *perfect* teardrop crystal beads, and it's taking forever. Doesn't help that the hole in the beads is too small. I hate bruised fingers. But I hope to finally have it done for Mom for Christmas. I'm sure I have those labels around here somewhere, now it's going to drive me crazy.

Other yarn in the stash:
- 1 skein Fleece Artist kid mohair in a yellow/pink colourway. Goes with...
- 5 skeins Briggs & Little Regal "Yellow WO" for a lovely cowl-neck sweater pattern by my LYS owner.
- 9 balls of Paton's Divine "deep earth" and 1 ball "soft earth" for a big cable sweater, Paton's Canadian Living Collection, vol 100.
- 3 skeins Manos del Urugual in lilac, 1 skein of brown/gold multicolour. For ???
- 2 balls of Lion's Brand Homespun, colour Sierra for ??? - maybe a big shawl?
- Numerous skeins, many colours, of Paton's Classic Wool Merino. For gloves and hats.

On order:
- 20 balls of Brown Sheep Nature spun in various colours to make a Tom Baker Dr. Who Scarf
I have recently finished:
4 hats: 1 Coronet in Paton's Classic Wool Merino "rich red", with "old gold" for the cable band); 1 knit-from-the-top-down hat with I-cord, from Knitting for Dummies, in Paton's Decor "rich aubergine", with lace band near the bottom "pale sage green"; 1 Sparkle Hat from Stich 'N Bitch, minus the sparkles and far too small for an adult, in Paton's UpCountry "charcoal"; and one hat of my own design, borrowing liberally from the previous three, in Paton's UpCountry "silver mist", with a band of "charcoal" for contrast containing a single row of cob nut stitch from Knitting on the Edge.
1 felted bag: Meema's marsupial tote, minus the keyholder, from Stitch 'N Bitch, using Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in Aubergine and Sunburst Gold.

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Why the summary, we ask? Because just when I said I would buy no more yarn (see above list), I realized I needed to make Shimmer, so that I would have something dark to wear over my sleeveless black concert dress, which is a great dress, except for the sleeveless thing. I originally bought a tan/black crochet shell to wear with it, but once I got on stage today I realized it was far too light in colour. So, off to the LYS, and I now have 6 balls of Patons Brilliant (black) with some Patons Kroy (black). I'd like to have this done before the next band concert in February.

Further rationalization: I've been too intimidated to start the sweaters, and this will give me a stepping-up project. It's more than a bag, scarf or hat, and less than a full sweater. Right? RIGHT?

So now I will really not be buying any more yarn, not even the Briggs & Little for Rogue, until I've finished at least the two scarves and the bag. And begun working on the crochet sweater again. And gotten somewhere on Shimmer.

Really.

2 comments:

Carrie said...

I *so* know where you're coming from. I've recently taught myself to knit (and I crochet, too), and I keep buying yarn, and yarn, and more yarn. Cross stitch languishes virtually untouched.

At least you're buying yarn for projects, though, and not just randomly. That justification is good enough for me. Oh, and it's nearly winter--you're going to need lots of projects to keep your lap warm.

I checked out your stitching page--do you have anything with your knitting WIPs pics?

Bridget said...

Oooooh, a comment on my blog!! Yay!! *bouncebouncebounce* Hi, Matilda!

I finally managed to take the pictures of the finished knitting (4 hats and the bag) this week, so I'll try to get them up on the website this weekend. The knitting WIPs will come soon after, I hope.

The Coronet hat came out very nice. I actually wore it yesterday for the first time.