Thursday 22 March 2012

Optimism

I do get rather annoyed when a project decides, halfway through, that it's not going to work. Even though I know it's something that happens when half my knitting projects are from handspun, or stash that's been there a while - things where I have to use what I have, because I can't get more. And even when I do recognize that it's a grand exercise in problem-solving and creativity.

I want to get the little baby sweater my aunt commissioned done in the next few days, since I can then pass it off to Mom to give to her this weekend. However, I had to restart it yesterday. The back was 3/4 done when it became very obvious that the remaining blue I'm using as the main color would not be enough for the sleeves. Not even half the sleeves. I wondered it I was going to have to choose an entirely different pattern - and I really like the little intarsia stars. But then I realized that I could keep the pattern if I reknit it in stockinette stitch rather than garter, seeing as it takes essentially 2 garter rows to equal one stockinette, in height. It means the cast-on stays the same. The stars are knit with one row rather than 2 per stitch, and aren't quite square anymore (and will need more attention to end weaving, seeing as it's easier to get gaps with only half as many rows and no difference in frequency of color changes), and I had to add a hem to keep the bottom edge from curling. But it will work. Is working. And going faster, so the back is already redone, and one front almost half done. And the extra yarn saved should be enough to take care of the sleeves.

Other things, at least, are progressing. The oatmeal alpaca I had on the wheel this week is done and plied, for a total of 340 yards.

And not only are my crocuses out, but there are scylla and miniature daffodils. Cheerful and pretty and exciting.

Soon, by the looks of it, there will be more things too, with buds in the wood hyacinths and the pulmonaria and some of the big daffodils. Someone needs to reschedule Tulipfest, because at this rate they'll be out weeks early.

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