One of the very good things about having a proper plan in place is having one’s ability to depart from it, don’t you think?
PS4 initial planning said that I would knit the dark green Malabrigo first, then the Hand Art next. So I knitted up the Amanda Hat in the pink/green/brown/orange Malabrigo instead! What did I do next? Did I cast on for a green version?
Pah! Who do you think I am? Ob: I picked up a skein of green sock yarn and cast on some socks at craft club last night. This was exactly what I did not want to do for Project Spectrum this time around – just grab a green skein and knit any old thing with it, without thinking first and adding some creative process. That’s why I made a plan.
None of it matters – the socks are exciting me and will be wonderful when they are completed. Completion will be some way off as I REALLY need to concentrate on our publication. Besides, these socks are definitely of the idle time on hands/good light type of project; just here-and-there knitting. Bulk knitting stays with the man sweater for a while. UFO-busting is on hold until after the book goes to the printers.
What of the green Malabrigo? I’m thinking still of a hat, perhaps the Koolhaas – I bought the pattern ages ago but no hat has yet come to fruition. Or maybe I have enough hats in my wardrobe now (is that really possible, in Orkney?) and should knit a little cowl to keep me snug next winter. I shall do a pattern search over a coffee break soon.
I still want to do the Undulating Scarf – that’s my personal challenge for PS4 North. I just need to find the time to chase up that bead vendor. I can see two months getting away from me very quickly here…
Last night was Craft Club. I knitted a couple of inches on the man sleeve, before getting bored realising I hadn’t brought my stitch markers with me. I eschewed the decoupage. Visions of Laeticia had been dancing in my head all day and I was eager to cast them on. So, that I did. I am using a skein of Toddy from The Yarn Yard, which is a finer yarn than the recommended yarn. I am also using larger needles than the recommended, but I do know that the Toddy knits up well on the 2.75mm Kollage Square Circulars – Mr L’s Toddy socks are wonderful. No, I didn’t swatch. If they don’t fit me, they’ll fit somebody else. I just want the pleasure of knitting them.
I love Toddy. It is a fantastic yarn, so soft but strong. You’d never realise from the handle that it has 25% nylon in it. It is a magnificent sock yarn. I’m not so sure that I love this colour, which looks a little sober for my taste in socks – a taste that runs on the vibrant side, I have to admit. As somebody said last night, it’s a rather masculine shade “alright for socks.” There’s nothing horrid about it. It’s very nice, not so flat as first sight suggests, with subtle blue overtones that almost shimmer over the top. It just doesn’t scream out “Hey – look at my feet!” When one has knitted a beautiful pair of socks, it is rather nice to have them noticed – isn’t it? Let’s reserve judgement on the colour until the socks are completed. I’m pleased with the way that they look thus far.
Laeticia/Letitia is a Roman name, meaning “Joy”. The project is currently named Winter Joy. I’ll be working on a more creative naming for it over the coming weeks.
Spinning tomorrow is at my favourite venue, Crudy – but the weather forecast suggests that I sshall not be on my bicycle. I hope to take the wheel if I have to use the car. I want to clear my bobbins so that I can begin on that wonderful Ocean Drift roving – they are full of blue and green dyed Shetland X at the moment. Much depends on whether I can find time to organise myself before 11am tomorrow.
I am busy this week. I have a working group meeting tonight on Enterprise and Economy. Yes. Exactly. *slump* And on Thursday evening, I am going to learn to Podcast… whatever that involves. Maybe this blog will bloom into Podcasting in the near future, but I doubt it. Do you want Podcasts? SpinningGill is going too. We could be the new Mason Dixon knitters. We could do a double act podcast. LOL.
Right – my coffee is finished and I need to go back to work. My next (planned) post will be a PS4 North one, and will have no knitting or fibre content whatsoever. Feel free to skip it 🙂
(Eh up – postie’s been. I’ll just see what he’s brought me first…)