Long Weekend Knitting

While my husband is off to collect a rototiller for this weekend's gardening projects, I'm taking a quick moment to line up this weekend's knitting projects. Even with the gardening, you know a long weekend means long knitting!

First up, Sockapalooza socks are finished!

My youngest son graciously modeled them for us. (Ewh! Boy feet! I'm going to give them a good wash before packing them up. ) My pal loves Koigu and didn't want anything too bright, so I think these will fit the bill. I was in a bit of a hurry to finish them up because I got some really nice things in the mail.

I ordered Selbuvotter, Biography of a Knitting Tradition. I had chills reading this. I know that sounds dramatic, but I did! The designs really spoke to me, and Terri's writing is wonderful. She's a down to earth knitter. It's funny because one of the reviews I'd heard praised the book for offering techniques to perfectly meld the hand pattern into the thumb. The book does do this, but right in the prologue Terry describes how the mittens in the museum have many flaws that weren't always corrected. She speculates that modern knitters are obsessed with perfection because we are too used to seeing machine perfect knitting. I thought Yes! I've long held that perfection in knitting is overrated and I've written about knitting organically before.

So I'm really thinking I'd like to start knitting a mitten this weekend. I've got some lovely black Apple Laine yarn and some off-white Koigu as well as some semi-solids.

The reviews didn't mention that the book is signed.

I started a summer top on the sly, using some ribbon yarn I got on sale (no label).


The pattern is Sweet Peas from Interweave Knits, Summer 2006. This knit almost didn't live, because after knitting for a while, I started calling it "the big pink thing" in my head (ala Yarn Harlot) and was getting ready to rip it. Too pink! Too varigated! But my real-time knitting buddies gave it a thumbs up and told me I was just too close to it. I've been working on it on and off, when ever my hands get tired of itty-bitty sock needles.

Yes, lots of tiny needles this week, because my true love still waits for me.

I still love this yarn (Schaefer Anne) and this color (Pirates Cove). But would you look at those ladders? Sheesh. I think I pull too tight, because I just can't seem to eradicate them.

Oh yes, and a long time ago, when I learned I would be going to the Toronto Knitter's Frolic, I ordered some Sea Silk from Red Bird Knits. It never arrived. Now Canada Post won't say they lost it, but they did send Robyn a cheque. Hrmph. Robyn took good care of me and I got a replacement of this Fleece Artist Blue Faced Leicester 2/8.

I'd heard rumours, but nothing prepared me for the ultimate lusciousness of this yarn. Even my husband was hugging it. I looked it up on line and some referred to it as "poor (wo)man's cashmere". Wow. It's gotta be lace, don't ya think? And then I had a design idea for a sweater where the body was knit in that purple, with lace bell sleeves and a huge swoopy lace color done in the red. Dramatic! So maybe I'll be swatching this weekend too.

Oh, and I haven't forgotten about my Frost Flowers and Leaves shawl. I should get that started up again too. Sounds like I should have something interesting to report at the end of this long weekend. I just hope I don't get mired down in project angst. Wish me luck!