Saturday, February 9, 2013

This and that

I would be in the midst of a truly terrible case of startitis now if I actually cast on for each of the patterns I've been eyeing lately. But instead I've been daydreaming about future projects while running into dead ends on current ones. Take Wurm, for example. This was a quick, easy knit (addictive even) in a lovely yarn (Sundara sport merino two). But the finished project just isn't for me. The slouchy hat style that looks good on so many people just looks odd on me. You'd really see that if I showed you one of the head-on photos that Mr. Tinks and Frogs took last weekend, but there's a good reason that I'm not sharing those shots.



Tadpole looks fetching in everything but even she can't quite pull this hat off.


So if you'd like a hand-knit green Wurm in the medium size, shoot me an email at tinksandfrogs AT gmail DOT com and I'll happily pop it in the mail and send it your way. (If there's a lot of interest I'll use a random number generator and post the winner on the blog.)

I've been really excited by Rams and Yowes lately. You see, I'm in the last row of sheep on the center section of the blanket. It's just so much fun to watch the pattern grow and I absolutely love this one.


Can you blame me? There's just one small problem: this is by no stretch of the imagination a travel project. And I have a fair amount of travel to do for work this month. Last weekend - right before my first trip - I procrastinated my way through the weekend knitting along on the sheep while putting off the decision of what to bring with me for the plane. (Come to think of it, I'm doing the exact same thing this weekend, too.)

In that case, I'd better get cracking and figure out what to bring when I have to get back on a plane tomorrow. Last week I brought this:


The bodice of tadpole's jumper is several inches longer now - I divided the front and back at the armholes while flying home on Friday. But despite the fact that I was able to knit quite a bit on the plane, I didn't make that much forward progress. I'd get half a row and realize that I really didn't want to do something that way (or, more often than I care to admit, I noticed that I had crossed the cables the wrong way for an entire row) and had to undo what I had just knit. I'll do my designing at home for this next bit, I think.

So what to knit? It doesn't help that I'm distracted by this lovely sweater in the new Wool People or this blanket and this scarf by Stephen West. I frogged my Nanook sweater last weekend so that the yarn can become this sweater instead, but even I acknowledge that I really should swatch before starting an adult size sweater. Kristen's new pattern is especially tempting but I'm not sure I have the right yarn in the stash. Perhaps a toddler sized sweater instead? Possibly this or this? I'd also toyed with the idea of colorwork mittens - that wouldn't be too fiddly for travel, right? Oh, I'd better go sit and knit some more sheep while I think about this some more.

5 comments:

Gale Bulkley said...

Oh. My. All of your picks are knit worthy. I am particularly smitten with grittir. The blanket is looking good.

Rachel said...

Oh, that blanket!! I want to get one more colorwork project under my belt before I start that (I have pattern and yarn just waiting!). So I'm hoping that blanket will be my project next winter. I am loving the start of that jumper...the deep ribs growing into the cables. That will look fantastic I'm sure! I'm trying to finish up a bunch of WIPs before going into the field so quit tempting me with so much awesome potential in the links!

btw -- I have 2 already knit myself so if someone else wants the wurm, they should get first choice...but if you don't get any takers, I'd give it a good home. I love that pattern and the yarn you used is stunning (but seriously maybe you should reconsider, this hat looks awesome on you from the side...i can't imagine it looks that bad from the front!!).

Jacey said...

I think I'd have the same problem as you with Wurm, and that's unfortunate. It's such a gorgeous hat!

It was lovely to see you last week. I hope you solved your traveling knit problem! I took that Dijon sweater to San Antonio this weekend, and didn't knit a stitch!

Jodi said...

Such beautiful knits and photos! I'm enamored of your Rams and Yowes blanket -- just gorgeous.

It sounds like you and I are in the same boat with a bad case of startitis. There are so many beautiful patterns I want to start right now -- Gnarled Oak, Rocky Coast, Entangled Vines, Pop Spots, maybe a colorwork hat for myself. I'm muscling through a Valentine's gift for Paul and the last sleeve of Aidez for myself.

Kathy said...

Hi there! If you haven't already sent the wurm to Rachel, I'd love it! It is a supremely addictive pattern, but I sent my one attempt off to a friend. That color looks divine.