Monday, April 21, 2008

Not Quite What I was Hoping for...

Like any big dreamer, I often find that reality doesn't meet up to my expectations. After my first Noro sock, I was all fired up to create ones that would fit my feet. I bought two skeins that I thought would work well together:


But they don't. Not so much.


I should probably keep knitting, to see if I like it better later, but I'm just feeling blah about it. Or perhaps I'm burnt out. After all I did accomplish quite a bit of this type of knitting in a very short time. Plus, my second sock wasn't coming out as nice as the first.

Which is part of the reason I switched to the other colors.

So this weekend I knit mostly on the Bee Fields shawl. It's nice to know that I can pick something up again after putting it down for quite sometime. Today, I booked a day off for myself, but I've been restless with the knitting and so not enjoying it like I thought I would.

I spent some of my day outside, knitting on the Mystic Light shawl and I was surprised on how brilliant the colors look. The winter light really took the vibrancy away from this yarn, but the spring light is bringing it out in spades.

This was shot under cloud cover, or it would have seriously blinded your eyes.

And in keeping with today's theme, here's another project that wasn't coming out quite as I'd planned:

This is the Aspen Leaf pull over, just about ready for the leaves. I used a provisional cast on, so I could line the inside neck with something really soft to accommodate Jim's sensitive skin. I think my gauge is too tight, and it just looks more purple than I'd expected. I was thinking of doing my calculations after the leaves to see if I needed extra increases to get it to fit. This is part of the reason I was knitting it top down. But I just can seem to get around to knitting those leaves, and it should be the fun part of the project!

I know this is a common phenomenon. A knitter has a big idea, starts a project with gusto, and then wanders off when things don't turn out quite as expected. So far my strategy is to let things marinate. Later, I will either rip or carry on. But I have noticed that projects are accumulating. I'm going to have to do some housekeeping very soon.

It doesn't help that new and exciting things are catching my eye all the time. Take this book of toys by Alan Dart for example:

I bought found it a Chapters this weekend and had to have it. (You can buy Irresitable Gifts to Knit online.) There are many toys I'd like to make in this book, but I'm smitten with this pirate:

The only thing that is keeping me from casting on, is that I have mostly fingering weight yarns and the patterns all call for DK. I'm been contemplating what the substitution would look like. I'll bet it won't turn out like I'd expect....

9 comments:

  1. Sorry things aren't working out for you. I do the same thing, marinate while I ruminate. :-) I guess that's where all my spare needles are, eh?

    Is that the book that has the gnome in it? I must get myself off to Chapters !!

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  2. If it matters (and yes, I know that it likely won't) I really love the colors in the new sock. Does it have a name?

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  3. Hmm, I agree. I think there's too much grey in that first sock.

    If you use fingering weight yarn for the pirate, I suggest size 1 needles, and it will work, except he'll be smaller. You want to use a needle that knits a little tighter than the label suggests.

    I've been using worsted weight for dK toy patterns, and size 5 instead of size 3 needles, and they've been coming out wonderful. I've done 2 of the Alan Dart gnomes this way.

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  4. I dunno. The greys in the noro seem to neutralize the bright colours. I think the same greys in a smaller % of the pattern might pop the colours instead.

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  5. Anonymous10:15 am

    I just bought that book too. Everything in it is crazy cute. I want the mermaid and the pirate, for sure. I started though with a gnome. I have one ready to sew up -that's the fiddly part. Can't wait to see what everyone makes from this book.

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  6. I need to get that book. It's amazing , your Mystic Light looks so much like mine. Very similar in color, altho I have some orange highlights. I really struggled with row 131-134 but now I'm on 144 and it's going much smoother. It's my 1st shawl.

    I haven't tried Noro sock yarn yet. Do you like knitting with it? I hear it's rough.

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  7. Anonymous10:22 pm

    I always know a project isn't turning out the way I expected when it languishes untouched a little too long. It can be hard to find the motivation to finsh when the vision doesn't turn out.

    The pirate looks cute and fun to knit. But I'm not so sure about the chicken on the front cover. lol.

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  8. Do I ever know that spring feeling when somehow none of the projects on the go make you excited, and you keep being distracted by new ideas.

    Get just one thing done. Then reward yourself with the treat of a pirate!

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  9. I LOVE that freaking pirate! Holly crap - great score on the book front. Hang in there with that Noro

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