2007 July « Flower City Knits

Off to Kentucky…But Will I Get Lucky?

July 26, 2007 at 11:04 am (Work in Progress, knitting)

It’s amazing how since I’ve started knitting, a great deal of thought goes into which knits to bring on a road trip. I used to try to bring WIPs, thinking that if I’m trapped with a knit, I will be forced to finish it. I’ve stopped doing that, it never really worked; I’d just end up stubbornly not knitting what ever I brought along! I do always end up bringing more than one project though, and I’m usually surprised by the knit I choose to work on (i.e., it’s not usually my main knit at the time). So as we’re off to Kentucky for the wedding of two dear friends, I plan on bringing three projects. (Hey, don’t knock it;there’s 20 hours in a car involved in this road trip!)

I’m sure you’re getting sick of these progress shots, but I swear I will finish this by the end of the summer. I had to restart the front side after completely forgetting to do the decreases in the first few inches. That was a little frustrating. But at this point, it’s me versus the Prairie, and like the little pioneer that I am, I will triumph over the fingering weight cotton!!

The Monkey has been resurrected! Socks are always a good choice for trips, what with the issue of elbow room, and sock #2 is coming along nicely.

And finally, since I always like to bring along a new project, in case any tragedy strikes my WIPs, I’m bringing the fixings for the Coquette Lace tube top from Fitted Knits. Five lovely skeins of Cascade Pima Tencel in a nice shade of medium/royal blue arrived just in time from Webs.

I’m a little blue crazy this summer right? And coming soon, another blue knit, my finished Razor Cami!

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Summertime, and the Knitting’s Easy . . .

July 8, 2007 at 10:59 am (Inspiration, Work in Progress, knitting, reading)

So my summer has been extremely busy, but never fear, there has been knitting. I finished the back of the Prairie Tunic, and then dove into the ribbing on the ubiquitous Circular Shrug because I needed a break from the fingering weight cotton. Ow, my hands. I’ve been bouncing back and forth between the two projects ever since.

I’m a bit obsessed with the Prairie Tunic though; it’s tickling both my “process” and “gotta have it” knitter halves of my brain, so despite the pain, I can’t keep my mitts off of it.

But the Circular Shrug is my “easy on the brains,” soothing knit, so it’s coming along at a nice pace.

Causing me to rearrange my knitting queue yet again has been the lovely Fitted Knits, which my dear husband surprised me with last week (I think he got it to feel better about his own Amazon purchase, but I’m not looking this gift horse in the mouth!) I think I may want to make everything in this book, save maybe the dress and suit at the end. The patterns are all so wearable, and knittable to boot. Since it is summer knitting time though, I think I may want to try the Coquette Lace tube top first, especially after seeing Carrie’s adorable version.

I must be on a tube top kick or something, but I’ve also been casing yarns for the Tube Toporini. I’d like a relatively simple knit to follow up the Prairie Tunic—a quick hit if you will. I’m thinking either Blue Sky Organic Cotton in Bone or Knit Picks Shine Worsted. Any thoughts on a good, firm worsted weight cotton for this pretty little knit?

Can’t think about the next knits too much though, I’m scrupulously avoiding casting anything else on right now—I really want to get these ones done in time to wear it out this summer. This has taken some considerable strength, especially considering that Webs has Debbie Bliss Cathay for about $3 a ball and I’m itching to cast on Knitting School Dropout’s Leaf T-shirt, and that reclaimed Blue Sky Alpaca Silk is just dying to become a Luna Moth Shawl. Dying. And let’s not even think about the temptation wave I’m hit with every time I pick up Fitted Knits. Must. Stick. to. Plan.

The fact is, I don’t have much time to spare this summer. You see, lately I’ve been dipping into the well of a previous obsession—reading. Before I learned to knit, I was a voracious reader, consuming about four or five books a month, on average. Knitting has slowed this ingestion down to mere bites here and there. I keep an ongoing reading list for the year, much like my knitting project list, that lists books I’ve read, books I own and have not read and books I’d like to purchase/borrow from the library. I’m shocked and appalled to note that I’ve only read four books this year. Yikes.

But I’ve been bitten by the reading bug once again this summer, and it’s a good time to scratch the resulting itch. There are a lot of great books out right now. But of course I had to make a list. Let’s see how far I get . . .