Monday, April 21, 2008

My Knitting Mojo Has Gone ...

...and it apparently took my Blogging Mojo with it.

April is 3/4 behind us and I have nothing knit-worthy to show for it!

I have been knitting, at least a bit, most days, but I'm just not satisfied with anything.

I've done a little work on my Leaf and Trellis stole. I love working the lace, that isn't the problem. The problem is, I'm not sure if I really like this stole enough to put in the hours to finish it. Maybe what I really want is a slightly heavier stole/shawl that I might actually wear? (This is the niggling thought I've had going since I first cast on. Why didn't I listen to it then?) I had a knitterly epiphany a few weeks back and I was all set to rip it out and start something new, maybe even re-using the Zephyr, but doubling it - and then I stalled. All those little stitches, can I bear to rip them out???

My other knitting uncertainty is a summer tank out of Allegro, a yarn that I bought so long ago most likely no one else has ever heard of it. It's a Crystal Palace yarn and is a little bit like Waikiki, except it's 100% silk. I think the reason it's been sitting in my stash all these years (nearly 25, I figure) is that it isn't especially pleasant to knit with; it's kind of squeaky, if you know what I mean. But I worked a few swatches and the result, after washing and blocking, is a lovely drapey fabric. So it seems like it might be worth slogging through the knitting. I'm tentatively working the Diagonal Triangle Tank by Iris Scheier. It's a strange leap of faith sort of construction and I'm not sure I'm A) doing it right B) going to like it .. but I guess I'll keep plodding along.



Suffering from this knitting malaise, I was especially grateful when the mail arrived last week with an Amazon box addressed to me containing my pre-ordered copy of Shear Spirit!! What a beautiful book! Gale's photos are gorgeous. Goats, alpaca and sheep - they just don't make 'em more photogenic than that, and Gale has captured some fantastic images. Along with the animals are farms and ranches and, of course, yarns and projects. Great projects! There are at least four that I'm thinking about after my first go-through.* (Currently, I'm dreaming of a Cassandra Cardigan.)


Really, it's the just the sort of book to stoke a smoldering knitting fire .. thanks, Gale!

(*And there are the wonderful stories behind the farms and fiber, but I've only scratched the surface on those.)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

ah, the mojo. I would hate to rip it out too, but then - are you going to wear it? Are you going to be miserable knitting it? Will it affect the mojo more? Especially if you know you'd be happier knitting and wearing something else....

Helen said...

I love the way silk squeaks, but it can get very tiring on the hands. And maybe yours squeaks in a different key.
BTW, the Shear Spirit link is wrong, although I somehow managed to find the Amazon page myself and have put it on my Wish List. Please please please post a photo of the Cassandra Cardigan meanwhile.

Anonymous said...

yay, so glad you like the book! I would love to see you knit the Cassandra , I was trying to sneak the sample away un-noticed from the designer when I left the farm.

kt said...

Go for the frogging before you get much further along. That or decide if it'd work as a giftie for someone; then you can finish without the worry about using it...

April has been a weird month for knitting and blogging, I agree!

Hilary said...

I don't even seem to be able to get myself motivated enough to *comment* on people's blogs (not even my very own sister-in-law's!) let alone actually blog ...

The Leaf & Trellis is the white? It is gorgeous ... such a dilemma. Would you never wear it? To a party over a dress? (Do you go to parties where you wear dresses?:) It would be very traumatic for me to rip out, but if you would love it doubled, you should go for it.

I think the Triangle Tank is going to look great hwen you're done.

Anonymous said...

I'm a big believer in frogging proejcts that don't make you happy - but the stole is gorgeous. Love the color on the silk! I hope you find your mojo soon!

Kim said...

I'm not above ripping. It's better then pushing on and finishing something that you don't like or doesn't fit. Yarn is a terrible thing to waste.

Hope you get back into the groove soon.