Knitting Friday

I wait for predicted snow activity which will hit NJ at various levels soon. The web weather says it’s coming tomorrow now. Of course, I could walk 4 feet to the window and do some real checking but it’s Knitting Friday and I’m pretty bummed out about my lack of knitting this week. Not my lack of trying to knit this week. In fact, I did knit, and knit and knit. Then just hours ago, I ripped out two shawls and there went my knitting for the week.

I think I hit some sort of record when I pulled out the variegated yarn shawl for the 10th time; this time after the thing was bound off. Every other time it was a few rows, then a-quarter up, then a-half up.

Humans are such optimists. Each time, I told myself: This is the pattern. What a fool!

But I did learn some things. First, variegated yarn on very large needles does not solve anything. That was my most recent frogging. The finished project looked like an open weave mesh-like shawl on my lap but once it hung from my shoulders it looked like a jumble of short pieces of yarn just hanging with no obvious pattern. Like the kid who spreads his food around on his plate to pretend he’s eaten; some things you just can’t get away with.

Second, I learned that variegated yarns should have long runs of color to make the pattern attractive. You can get away with short runs on dark variegates but on lighter variegates the yarns just looks choppy. Maybe that’s why I’m so attracted to variegates when they are scrunched in a skein but so disappointed in the final project. (My only really successful variegated project - and I’m talking about using big box store variegated, not hand-spun - was a very darkly patterned one.) Note to me: Spend the money on variegated or stick with solids.

However, like Ulysses seeking new worlds: To strive, to seek, to find....., I’m itching to return to my quest for my perfect variegated pattern. It has to be a shawl. It has to be reversible. Preferably, from few stitches to many. Very little garter......It was easier buying a car.

So, for Knitting Friday, I’ll leave you with a shawl search site for you to enjoy:

http://www.stickamera.se/gratismonster.php?gratismonster=gm_sjalar

The language on the top of the page is foreign for me but scroll down for the mother lode of shawl patterns in English. Then click on any of the words on top and you’ll be taken to a new category. For example: Filtar = blankets and Vantar/handskar = gloves.

You can get lost for days here.

Next week: I will have a pattern for my variegated yarn. I know I will. But, if you find one first, please let me know.