One for the Road

I’m not that monogamous.  But only when it comes to books and knitting, my husband doesn’t have a thing to worry about.

Many knitters refer to themselves as being Monogamous–sticking to one project until its completion or

NOT Monogamous–having a variety of project on the needles at the same time.

I fall firmly in the second camp when it comes to this.  I decided this once, when I happened to be working on a single project and when I had cast it off, woven in the tails, and held up the finished project. The delight and satisfaction I felt was quickly followed by, “NOW what I’m I going to do?!”

Like me, many knitters are also readers.  I hate to feed the stereotype but there is a basis for this in reality.  And as readers, most of us have shared that moment of completing a really good book and feeling a bit lost as we tried to determine where to go next.  I need another good book as quickly as possible and I am scanning my to-be-read pile and browsing the library site until I find something that meets that requirement.

I’ve also gone to the extreme of having so many projects going at one time that it seemed to take forever for me to finish any of them.

I finally decided that the “magic” number for me is 3 projects.  As previously mentioned in For the Journey I have a constant bucket list of techniques I want to learn or new things to make.  My current list includes things like:

1) Learning how to knit fair isle colorwork

2) Making a sweater that I will actually wear in public

3) Learning to hand dye yarn

as well as many others.

So, in my magic number of 3, at least one project will be something that aids me in checking another item off the bucket list.  I recently finished a scarf done entirely in Continental, I’m still working on the blanket mentioned in Comfort Food or Comfort Yarn?  AND I cast on a cowl using some waste silk yarn I received in a yarn club box. I am happy to report this style has become very natural for me now and I dislike having to go back to my previous English style.  I still have a rather long and ongoing project that I started in English so I will continue in that method in order to maintain the same gauge.  I do feel it’s good to train my brain in a variety of styles, so I will still look at that as a win.

Another project will be one that aids me in adding to my pile of finished objects (FO’s).  In that vein I am happy to announce that I have completed the Mercury Socks I was working on.  I have been stockpiling some nice sock yarn when possible so I am now choosing which one I want to use for my next project.  I’m planning on knitting the Vanilla Latte socks.  Having tried the Magic Loop method of sock knitting and feeling that I am neither delighted nor disappointed in that method I’m going to try another idea.

I’ve decided to get a pair of 9-inch circulars that some people are now using in order to knit socks in the round without fiddling with DPN’s for an entire project or doing Magic Loop.   I don’t want to discourage you from trying Magic Loop, many people swear by it.  Here is a short video introducing the method:

I have also been trying out different brands of needles to settle on a favorite if I can.  So I’ve decided to order a pair of Hiya Hiya Sharps in 9 inch to try out on this pair of socks.  Hopefully, by the time they’ve arrived, I will have settled on the sock yarn du jour and be able to cast on the new socks.

In the meantime, I’m going to show off my newly completed socks (whose flaws are conveniently on the bottom of the foot, yay!) by wearing them with some sandals.

Geeky?  Maybe.  Do I care?  Nope.

Finally, I need a project that is really basic.  One that I can do almost mindlessly as I watch TV, have a conversation, or while in the car  (as a passenger!), so… one for the road.

By having multiple projects going I can finish a project and take my time choosing the next one since I will still have at least one other project I can reach for until I make up my mind.  This makes the choosing less rushed and more fun.

Currently, my “for the road” project is the cowl I’m working on.  However, I’m well over halfway done with it so NEXT week I’m joining a shawl knitting class offered at our local library.  Most of the shawl patterns I’m choosing these days make excellent choices for this purpose.

Technical update:  I would post more pics of my projects but I currently have some technical difficulties in this area, but I’m hoping to have them resolved in the next 1-2 weeks.  Then I will do an update post of Finished Objects as well as Works In Progress.

Until then may you have some lovely spring weather (for the Northern Hemisphere) or cozy Autumn (Southern) and yummy yarn with which to knit.

Peace,

Jamye