Lately there hasn’t been a lot of knitting. There are just periods where nothing satisfies me, and so I knit nothing. Or rather, I start something, hate it, and rip it out. Yesterday I had a play with my Kaffe Fasset designed Regia sock yarn. There are two things I cannot understand about this yarn. Not the yarn inherently, but about my decision to buy it. I cannot understand why I chose the colourway I did (Twilight) and I really cannot understand why I bought Mirage and not Landscape. Not that the Mirage versions aren’t lovely, but it really doesn’t do justice to any pattern, and no pattern does justice to the yarn. In my opinion anyway, and I’ve had quite a hunt. Whereas the Landscape yarns have a bit more potential, and I’ve seen some really lovely socks with them. Which leaves me, really, with a plain stocking stitch pair of socks. Which I manifestly do not want to be bothered with right now. I feel a need for something a bit more challenging; a bit more rewarding.
So, yesterday, I decided I would have a play with this yarn and see what I could come up with. I had an idea which was, actually, not bad, but I think I over complicated it. So I ripped out the sock and, at some point, when I feel less opposed to banging my head against a brick wall, I’ll give it another shot.
A similar problem was had with the remainder of my Cherry Tree Hill yarn from the Jewels socks. I started a toe-up sock, in the hope that there would be enough for a trainer sock or slipper. But there is not, I fear. Although the upside of that is that I found a toe-up cast on I don’t hate! I have only ever knitted on toe-up sock (and never its mate!) because I hated the cast ons so much. They were fiddly and stressful, and I don’t need that from my socks! However the round-toe cast on, I don’t hate. It isn’t necessarily the toe I would pick for a sock, but it isn’t a bad toe, and as one that doesn’t make me want to stab things with 2mm needles, it’s worth noting!
What has been going quite well, however, is spinning. I haven’t been doing a great deal as I am swiftly running out of fibre, and don’t want to finish what I have until I have more to hand! But I am getting a much more consistent yarn now, something that I could even feasibly ply (the previous tries, of course I could have plied but, the resultant yarn would have been so thick that it would have been basically unusable, and what is the point in yarn you can’t use??). And I absolutely adore my lighter spindle which is both useful and beautiful and so both I and William Morris are happy!
I think that the time has come to take one of my many skeins of yarn and ball it up, so that I can start something new. I quite fancy starting a jumper, but perhaps late June isn’t the time for wooly jumper knitting? But, it occurs to me that I have the beautiful yarn that my belovedest of Christinas dyed for me. It’s sock yarn and it’s a single colour. So I’m sure I can do something beautiful out of that, and which will keep me interested and entertained as well. Aha, a plan!
2 Comments
June 25, 2008 at 11:38 am
Its very frustrating when you wonder why you ever picked such a yarn or started such a project isnt it/ I have a cushion cove ron the go like that which is Rowan and cost the earth so I’m ploughing ahaead.
Glad your spinning is progressing
June 26, 2008 at 3:14 pm
It sounds like this frustration is contagious. I had almost forgot my own recent hair-pullings when we chatted yesterday! I do suspect that we will find some pleasing and inspiring things tomorrow. I am really jazzed and I am sure you are too! Watch out Woolfest, here we come….