Friday, August 18, 2006

A Post About Knitting!


Occasionally I should include some actual knitting content on this so-called knitting blog, hmm? Here's a detail picture of the Yarn Botanika scarf-in-progress. The stitch couldn't be easier, but it makes a great effect with this yarn. I'm planning to add something to the ends, to jazz things up a bit. Maybe some strands with interesting beads? Is the artsy-Bohemian look out again? I hope not. That's one trend I'm always happy to see cycle around again.

While I've been working with this yarn, I've been thinking about the other kinds of projects it would serve well for. Since it's a superwash, I bet a couple of skeins in the right colorway would make adorable baby things. I can tell you, it would not cause itch on even the most hyper-sensitive of babies. The stitch pattern I'm using for the scarf would also work well with it for a swingy unstructured cardigan. I can imagine all sorts of interesting textured scarves, worked the long way with self-fringe. Of course you'd scare a few people away if you tell them to cast on 300 stitches on #2 needles, but for the stalwarts who stick with it, the effect would be great.

I've been making mental lists of various WIPs. That's Works in Progress as well as Works in Planning. As always for me, socks don't count. Anyone remember the tweedy slip-stitch sweater I started for Mr. SABLE last fall? Maybe I'll bump that back into active status. I doubt it would be a best-seller pattern (those # 3 needles!), but I know it will be a great garment. I still have high hopes of starting a complex fair isle soon. Like this fall? Again, I don't know that such a pattern would sell enough to justify the work in a pure dollars and cents accounting. But, it would make me happy and satisfy a deep itch. I need to finish machine knitting a very basic fisherman ribbed sweater for my friend Jim. This is long overdue. I will be relieved to clear it from the pipeline so I no longer need to feel guilty about neglecting it.

I would like to strengthen the Mens' offerings over at TGB. Only two garments for men! No wonder the guys grouse so much about their choices in knitting patterns. Then you read up on their wants and you understand why: no bright colors, no dull colors; not too fine a gauge, not too bulky; not plain, not complex; don't make it look like a sailor, no cables; not like a Grampa sweater, not too trendy and of the moment, and certainly nothing you might call a "Cosby sweater", etc etc. It can be any color as long as it's blue or grey. Maybe beige. But only the right beige. If any guys care to tell me what they personally would like, I'd love to work on expanding the options. But the way I read it, all the patterns most men would ever need have already been written: they just need to re-use the classics.

All in all, a busy time ahead. I just need to get these kids settled in their schools and my whole life will change. And this will once again be more of a knitting blog. It seems every time I post a close up picture of a bug, someone unsubscribes from my bloglines feed. We can't have that, now, can we?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I for one, love the bugs ;)

Anonymous said...

whoops, didn't mean to make that "anonymous!"

Chelle said...

LOL @ your description of a "guy sweater"...I ran into exactly that when I tried to get DH to select a pattern. BTW, your Adirondack sweater fit the bill perfectly. If you could come up with a few more like that, I wouldn't have to knit Adirondack in blue, beige and grey!

Jerry & Maxy said...

oooh, I LOVE the bugs! And the stitch pattern for your scarf.

How about a good men's scarf?!

MiniLaura said...

Bugs are ok as long as they are the right kind of bug. Bee-like, wasp-like things are frightening to me. Butterflies are pretty. I like them.

Men are impossible to knit for. I'd love to see a interesting to knit pattern for a guy sweater for Cotton Fleece (or Cotton Fleece gauge). I'm thinking that Cotton Fleece is the correct yarn for my guy. I can't seem to make him love wool.

Elizabeth said...

Yeah, Mr. SABLE is taller than me, but not really wider. Maybe a bit wider. But mostly, he doesn't wear most of the sweaters I've ever made him.

Laura, I think Cotton Fleece is a good idea! And it comes in cones. Fewer ends to darn in.

Marji said...

damn, I like your bug pics. Have you any of the irridescent Japanese beetles yet? did i miss that? lovely bugs, as bugs go, but I hate seeing them in my basil.
I had to laugh reading your descr of what men want in a pattern. I swear, that is exactly what I went through with son#1 this year. He could tell me everything about what he did NOT want, what he *does* want: beige but Not pink-beige or green-beige, wool but not too hot. sigh.
I'm thinking a mens sweater of any wool/cotton blend, Sierra or Blackberry Ridge or any one of a number of them out there would make a wonderful mens sweater. That doesnt' look like:...
oh, and you're safe still this year with beads and bangles embellishing your knits.

Bezzie said...

No no! Keep the bugs coming! I'm all excited to see what kind of bugs show up in your garden and pose on your dead plants this fall!

You hit the man wardrobe conundrum on the head. We used to call my dad's clothes "Contemporary Drab." And thinking back, all his sweaters were simple pullovers in black or navy, and the cardigans were the same--nothing fancy. Cables were too "girly" for him. Sheesh!

YarnB said...

I like the idea of a swingy sweater with that yarn...I'll dye the yarn for you!! :) What color do you want? I love this yarn for some reason. It is strong, soft and the shine is unusual I think.. And I will always love the Bohemian look...can't wait to see it..

allisonmariecat said...

I love the Garden Botanika with that stitch pattern. Lovely. I don't think the artsy bohemian look really ever goes out completely, so you should be fine :)

Sarah said...

Yes! I also like the bug pics!

There was a cool dalmation looking moth on my screen yesterday, and I thought of you!

True about the men and knits....

I love the Yarn shot! So shiny and soft looking. I'd dig beads. I'm a bead person.

Erica said...

Love the bugs! Love the flowers! Please, keep them coming.

I read Hubby what you said about guy sweaters, then asked him if there was such a thing as a sweater he would wear. Answer? "No. Sweaters are out. That's too 80s." I do think that it has a lot to do with climate, though. If we lived up in the Sierras where it snows in the winter, he might wear sweaters. He doesn't even wear the golf sweaters he has, and that's saying something!