Monday, June 25, 2012

FO: Rory's striped scarf

Ahem.  I wrote this post a long time ago.  March, I think.  And now I'm posting it.  Don't judge.  You have things hanging over your head, too, right?
 
As part of Stash Down 2012, I've used up some scrap yarn!  Since Downtown Abbey is over (sad face), I've started re-watching Gilmore Girls for the 78th time.  In Season 1, Rory wears this stripey scarf, and I found myself thinking, "I could make something like that!"  I realized I had a ton of worsted weight wool scraps, so I gathered it all up and got to work.


Pattern: I wanted the stripes to be very clear, not affected by purl bumps, so I used the Noro striped scarf pattern.  It's a 1x1 rib, which ends up looking like stockinette on both sides.  I used each color for 15 rows.

Process: This was so speedy!  I hate making scarves because of the boredom factor, but this wasn't boring at all.  I should tackle the Noro striped scarf!

Product: It's a cushy, basic, sporty, very warm scarf.  For free!  Score!

Yarn:  This was like a sampler for different worsted weight wool.  Out of the 15 colors, 8 were Wool of the Andes, one was Cascade 220, one was Cascade 220 Superwash, one was Patons Wool, and one was Merino Style, which is now sadly discontinued.  It really is very soft.  It's listed as a DK weight, but it knit up at exactly the same gauge and hand as all the worsted weights.

What I learned:  This was a super simple project, but I still learned something!  When it comes to binding off a 1x1 rib, it will flare out and look sort of crummy.  So I used the kitchener stitch!  I put all the knit stitches on one needle and all the purl stitches on another needle, and then grafted them to each other!  It worked perfectly and made me happy.



Ravelry project page: ta-da!

Stash Down 2012 strikes again!  Maybe I'll use the scraps to make some Sundance-inspired mitts?

Queue up!

Okay, I need to get my creative mojo all working in the same direction at the same time.  My brain is crammed full of things I want to sew and knit, but I've found myself the last three nights without anything interesting to work on.  Why is this happening?  I'm paralyzed by choice again.  So I need to narrow things down and make a plan.  And where better to figure all this out than this blog?  Here are my thoughts, in thoughtly order:

1.  I will be working on a vest for Ravelympics (or whatever we're calling it now).  It's the Wood Hollow pattern by Kirsten Kapur, and I'm using Wool of the Andes worsted weight.  I'll start that in late July, so that gives me a month or so of knitting time to use before then.

2.  I really want to make this pattern, Cinnie, a summery cardi.  But wouldn't you know it, I don't have a single appropriate yarn in my stash.  And not only did I really look, but I swatched.  Nada.  So I think I'm going to order some Knit Picks Cotlin because it's cheap and I've wanted to use it for a sweater.  I will not feel guilty about not knitting from stash, because it's summer, and who's wearing worsted weight wool in July?  Exactly. 

3.  I'm about to finish the Caeles top (although I've run out of steam lately with just the seaming left.  Meredith, get on it!) 

My Caeles progress several weeks ago.
I'm thinking I need a summery new skirt to wear with it.  I'm internet stalking Simplicity 2215.  Isn't that a beautiful skirt?  I'm loving the versions I'm seeing in the blogosphere.  This is also leading to fabric stalking.  When am I going to commit to this project?  I need a deadline here.  July 1, I'll give myself permission to buy fabric and invest in the skirt project.

3a.  Why do I need to give myself a deadline?  Because I'm still primarily a knitter.  Sewing takes a lot more mental energy for me, so without giving myself a commitment goal, I'll just bounce around theories forever without taking the plunge.  Why isn't it that way with knitting?  I'm at the point in my knitting understanding where I understand how all the moving parts (pattern, gauge, yarn weight and fiber, fit, needle size and notions) fit together.  In sewing, each one of those moving parts is like a mystery to solve. 

4.  I'm about to finish a shirtdress, McCalls 4769.  It needs buttons and it needs to be hemmed.  So far, it looks great.  I made a collar!  But I'm afraid that I'm at the point where finishing my ruin my pretty handiwork so far, and so I'm a bit paralyzed.  Again, I need a commitment date!  I've ordered snaps (!) in the mail, so when they get here, I will get to work on finishing that. 

5.  I have some stripey fabric for a Renfrew Top.  That won't take very long.  I could knock that out before my skirt deadline kicks in.  Hmm ...

6.  At the back of my mind is this idea that I need some more summery things, like skirts and dresses.  The 4769 will be in the closet soon, and the 2215 skirt fits the bill.  Are there more summer dresses I can use?  I've recently made two maxi dresses (McCalls 6073), and although that was a lot of fun, it's not work appropriate.  Maybe the very cute Cambie Dress?  Is that beyond my skill set, or is that exactly the kind of challenge I need? 

6a.  Focus, Meredith.  First, the 2215 skirt.  Then think about more summery things.  See how well this writing thing is working?  I'm prioritizing here! 

7.  I started the summer wanting to work on some lace, especially a lace stole that I could use as a scarf in the fall.  I just finished the Vermont Shawl, which is beautiful!  It's blocked and waiting for pictures.  But I have 800 m of a purple alpaca lace weight, and I'd like to do something with it.  I swatched for Euphrosyne, another Kirsten Kapur, but I didn't like it in the swatch.  I think I need to go down a couple of needle sizes, and it would be okay, but it did make me second guess the project.  What happened to the stole idea?  Should I revisit that?  If I'm going to do lace, then I need to get on it.  Because I have the vest coming up at the end of July, and after the vest, I'm knitting an Aidez cardi for my sister's birthday in September.  It's now or never for a lace stole. 

Here's where we are:

July 1 -- Buy fabric for skirt.
July 1 -- Buy yarn for Cinnie cardi
July 1 -- Make a commitment to a lace project with the purple alpaca
Before July 1 -- Finish shirtdress
Before July 1 -- Finish Caeles top
Before July 1 -- Renfrew Top?  Use Renfrew Top as a break from other things in July? 

Does that sound like a plan?  Yep!  Which I guess means it's all subject to change at any moment.