I’ve been in the mood for shawl making forever but nothing has especially piqued my interest. Lace knitting is, for the time being, shelved so the shawl would have to be of a heavier weight yarn. Actually, that isn’t a problem as I have a couple of bags of sport/DK/light worsted that could be pressed into service. I also have a bag of sock/fingering weight yarn - but those colors are pretty uncoordinated and random so I don’t think I could use them together.
Anyway, I have the yarn - now all I need is a pattern that floats my boat or, failing that, an idea or two. I’ve been all over the net looking at patterns and while some are fabulously lovely, nothing jumps up and down and yells Make Me Now!!. So I’ve been looking through stitch patterns and trying to cudgel my brain into action :)
Even as I do this, I know that it never works. I can’t beat myself into knitting anything. Whatever I might wind up making will come of its own accord, unbidden - not because I attempted to force it out as though I were suffering from mental constipation. But it’s hard to stop, you know? You keep thinking that if maybe you just looked at the Knitting Stitch per Day calendar, or the New Knitting Stitch Library one more time, something (or a few assorted somethings) would fall into place and presto - there would be your next project!
Of course it’s not that simple - there’s still the math to do and the swatching. You still have to decide how you’re going to work - top down triangle? Center out square? Rectangle? And, at least in my case, you have to have at least one good attack of the panics over whether you’ve got enough yarn and whether the colors you’re about to wed really play as nicely together as you want them to. Is the pale shade a little too pale - will it get washed out by the bright and the dark and just look bland? Is the dark shade maybe not quite the match you’d hoped for? Will it enhance the whole or just lay there, glowering sullenly at the rest of the work?
And of course I can spend days dithering about needle size :) For the yarn I’m looking at, a size 6 US (4 mm) would make a lovely fabric - but an 8 (5mm) or a 9 (5.5 mm) would make a much lacier item. The yarn would go farther too so that would help to allay some of the nervousness about running out of yarn. But if you make it lacy, especially at this gauge, it will definitely be about the look and not about the warmth. Not that there’s anything wrong with that - but is that what you’re going for?
And while all this is going on, some other part of my brain is yelling, Ya wimp! Sit down, shut up and get to work!
Please tell me I’m not the only one?
Thanks to all those who stopped by Chatters last night - what a nice time we had :)
Have a great weekend all; try not to let your potential knitting drive you crazy!
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Have you ever taken a look at the book Folk Shawls? There are some lovely shawls in there with heavier weight yarns and minimal lacework. Check your library!
Opal - Actually I don’t need to go to the library - I just have to look on the shelf under the coffee table where my copy lives :)
Alas, I have looked through it many times without arriving at any conclusion or acquiring any inspiration…sigh…
But one more look couldn’t hurt!
Oh, honey, it’s so not just you. I’ve finally decided to revisit the Somewhat Cowl, but I’m just not sure I’m motivated enough… and I keep thinking I should modify it. Or maybe the purple isn’t the best color for me? And what was my bust size again? Hm. Another, newer yarn to jazz it up? Prettier stitch markers?
Oh, yeah. Vacillation nonstop at Chez SilverRose…
Colleen - Oh I dunno, a straight jacket could be quite fetching don’t you think? A little fringe here, some sequins there… It just needs a little bling :)
Vacillation :) Yes, I know exactly where you are - rounding GO with no $200 in sight…
dithering? ha, you are speaking to the ‘queen of dilly-dally’ here as you well know- i can take indecisiveness to such heights that one would get a nosebleed just thinking about it-
i know you will be hit by just the right idea in the middle of the night, so keep a pen by your bed to jot down your idea- meanwhile, i must be on my wishy-washy brainless way back to work so i can afford to purchase yarn to (at least) look at-
stay happy-
Barb - I suppose I wouldn’t take it so badly except that ordinarily I am a fairly decisive person so this inability to settle really gets to me.
Perhaps I should take it as an omen (like the poor groundhog getting manhandled every February 2) that spring will be early this year - since this miasma doesn’t usually set in until March?
Of course you’re not the only one. How do I know? Well, that’s were I’ve been for the last week or so ;> Surrounded by patterns, stitch books, calculator and yarn. Still doodling with yarn, but it looks like the doodle really will turn into a scarf. While the big stuff percolates…. Have you taken a look at Knitty.com’s Ella?
instead of forcing yourself, why not make another hat or scarf or go on a wristwarmer binge along with me?
Small but intricate project = almost instant gratification while you wait for inspiration to strike.
btw I’ve turned procrastination into an art form. I knit to procrastinate quilting. I quilt to procrastinate knitting and I only really do major housework when I’m trying to avoid either of the above.
Not having much luck getting to Chatters lately so if I miss again this week which seems likely [ visitor] say hello to the girls for me please.
Rob - I have looked at Ella - many times. I keep going back to it but can’t seem to feel enthusiastic about it, though I can’t put my finger on why :( I think I like the style, the V shape, but don’t care for the stitch pattern…
Susan - That may be just the thing - playing with something simple but detailed for a while :) Definitely something to think about - or at least something for my hands to do while I’m thinking out other projects.
No worries about chatters :) You’ll make it when you can make it and in the mean time I shall pass along your regards!
Hi Robbyn, looking through past knitting mag issues I found two interesting shawls, in Vogue Knitting Fall 2005. There is a section of shawls near the back, and two interesting stoles, one by Deborah Newton (uses an aran weight yarn) that I really want to do at some point, and one by Barbara Venishnick that uses a dk weight. Both patterns are available as free PDFs at http://www.vogueknitting.com/exclusives.shtml Maybe one of those will strike a chord…
Heh, me too! I’m making myself nuts trying to figure out what to have for my take-along knitting since I finished the baby kimono….I looked at my books..I looked at my yarn…I looked at the internet…Nothing is popping up for me. I got a $20 gc to the yarn store for my birthday, and I can’t even decide what to get with it! I finally gave in and started another caliometry ~ because I was making myself (and everyone else!) nutty by not being able to find something I want to do!
Rob - As it happens, I actually have that issue of Vogue Knitting and had forgotten all about the wraps! I’ll go dig it out later this morning and have a little look/see :) Thanks a heap for reminding me of it!
Lisa - I know what you mean. I’ve got to come up with something fast to bring with me tomorrow because I’m going to be out all day. I suppose I could start another Dulaan scarf if all else fails :)
Why does my knitting muse (the lazy wench!) always take February off?
