Feeling a bit emo after that last post...

So how about some knitting love?

First: Some FO (finished object) goodness.

This is the Inga hat (rav link), with no modifications made. And I love it. I used Mirasol Qina yarn (alpaca and bamboo) and it knit up to be heavenly soft.


This is a Fake Isle Hat (another rav link... actually let's just assume the rest of the links in this post will be ravelry.com links, okay?) in Noro and some random acrylic white I found in Sean's grandma's stash. It's pretty. I substituted the chart provided with a Norwegian star chart and I think it's winning. I did cut out a few rows of pattern in the top chart to make up for the difference in size. I also had to cut a portion of the Noro out (the color was too light with the white) but I think it worked to my advantage. :) This was my first fair isle attempt and it began a love affair between me and stranded work.


And this one! I just finished this one. It's a Selbu Modern hat on DK yarn (it really looks a lot better with light fingering yarn but I can't stand tiny needles... nevertheless, the mods are on my rav project page if you're interested). Sean has stolen it (fine by me) and dubbed it the "Papa Smurf" hat. Also in Mirasol Qina (heaven heaven heaven).


Second: A little WIP (work in progress) love.

This will be an Inga hat with some modifications by the lovely helloyarn (that one is NOT a rav link and I really think you should go visit her blog because it's awesome). Again with the Qina and I'm loving the color combo!


Oh and this beauty! It will be that shawl I mentioned a few posts ago for my favorite aunt. I think she'll love it. The neutral yarn is Noro Silk Garden Sock and the colored is Jojoland Melody which I received in a swap from the ever lovely nysssa. I'm working with three balls of yarn and keeping that bear untangled is (to say the least) a big giant challenge. It will be worth it in the end... I'm finding the knitting to be rather soothing after so much changing colors and what not with the fair isle knitting. Weird. :)


Oh and I'm still working on this bear of a project, too. It's slow going because I'm mildly allergic to the yarn (Curses!! It's so beautiful!) but I work a couple of rows at a time when I have the brain capacity to pay that close attention. The yarn is Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca and Silk and it's the Luna Moth Shawl.


There have been a few other things here and there... (None of these links are rav links... all photos!) Some gloves for Mom, a Hermione hat, a tulip cowl, and I showed you this beauty, right?

Okay, I feel better now. :)

I have issues.

I have this pile of projects sitting next to me on the couch... We have some gloves, a shawl, a hat for Jessi, and a fern glade hat. They are all less than 50% complete (well, the shawl may technically be around that) and my logical reaction to them was "I need a new project". My problem with knitting is that there is an inevitable boring part of every project. The part where you have to do stockinette stitch for 6 inches, or the part where ribbing takes over, or the part where you have nearly 200 stitches on the needles and one row takes you forever to get through.

So in typical Brie fashion, I decided to do something less boring and more challenging because I find that when I have something challenging to work on, I'm more inclined to work on the boring parts of projects. Cue sock knitting.

I've always had sort of an aversion to knitted socks. It's not because they're not beautiful to look at, and I'm sure a joy to wear and knit. It's mostly because I feel like socks are meant to be abused. Socks are something you change frequently, something you walk on, something you don't lament when you lose one. So to put hours and hours into a pair of socks didn't work in my head.

But on Tuesday I was at Ally's new place in San Jose and we opened her yarn bin to search for a needle she was going to let me borrow, and sitting there in the midst of bright red cotton and blue rivers of silk, there was this beauty. Perfect green, perfect texture, perfect amount, perfect twist. Ally says "Yeah, I don't know what to do with it, yet." I say "Yes, obviously." which probably came off as snotty but it was in fact a very understanding statement. I understand having a revered skein that just hasn't realized its full potential yet. The skein that sits and sits and patiently bides its time until...
It speaks.


In this case, Ally's green beauty spoke to me through these (rav link) golden fancies by favoritefibers. And then in a moment of clarity, I saw the beauty of knitted socks.

Everyone has those days, the days where you sit with a blanket on the couch and your book (yarn, movie, reality tv show, laptop, newspaper) and you don't want to wear your slippers, but your socks aren't quite doing it. Enter: knitted socks.

And while Ally's green yarn spoke to me, it needs to speak to her in order to become its true self, so it thoughtfully nudged my thoughts toward the prettiness I have in my own stash.


You may recognize her from the beginnings of the Wurm hat, but she clearly needs to be those socks instead (don't worry, I have a different yarn for the Wurm hat because I love it so, just not in sport weight yarn).

So, in conclusion. Ally's yarn told me it wanted to be socks, and then my yarn wanted to be socks, and now I've cast on a fifth project and am knitting with needles that feel like toothpicks.

And I still love pink.

TGIF

Silver sleeves knitting project

T for trusting. What are you trusting today?

... Trusting that everyone is safe and warm
... That my business is going to pick up
... That indeed, everything will be okay

G for gratitude. What are you grateful for today?

... Moments alone
... Fuzzy kittens
... Having work to do
... Pretty yarn
... Emotional turmoil that calms itself
... Afternoon naps while the breeze blows sweet smelling wind through my windows
... Sandalwood incense
... Knowing

I for inspiration. What are you inspired by today?

... That sweet smelling wind

F for feeling. What are you feeling today?

... Tired
... That my right hemisphere is losing to the left
... Feeling like the only safe/comfortable/warm place in the world today is my bed
... Like the freedom I take for granted is a beautiful thing

And you, dear readers?