I am not alone

This year, this week, today…I feel a spirit of kinship with many a knitter around the world. The changing season brings on the desire to knit something different and new. A new yarn material perhaps, a lighter piece of knitting, or some lace or equally airy stuff which allows one to knit without perspiration?!

I have completed a cotton sweater, and there is a little kimono blocked and getting ready to go to a newborn baby. It was two days of a new pattern ( for me) from the MasonDixie site, and I enjoyed knitting up such a cute, quick and quirky sweater. Would love to make it again.

Knitting with cotton yarn can be addictive. Though cotton does not have elasticity or bounce, it is a calm and cool fibre which looks good in simple patterns too. My stash has been raided and old forgotten balls of cotton yarn have been pulled out for making…..(hold your breath)…..kitchen dusters! Cotton yarn gets softer with use, can be cleaned thoroughly by spinning them in the washing machine, and have a much lighter carbon footprint that those packets of elegant Scotchbrite dusters. The first one has been cast on today, and I will teach Hema to knit them, once I stop using this piece of knitting as a crutch!

While amazing knitters and their amazing blogs discuss their choices and ideas for a new project, and while I spend an amazing amount of time reading and looking at their options, I am sharing my dilemma too..

Since it has to be a cool project, I have two lovely yarns waiting for me. The Color Affection Shawl, knitted years earlier for my daughter, begs to be knitted again. I have these three custom shades from Miss Babs ( present from friend) which just need to be winded into cakes and the knitting can begin. But, I want something new to knit!

Enter these three shades of a beautiful yarn made from merino, silk and kid mohair ( present from another friend…yes, I have super friends!!).  I am inclined to make them into a summer pullover , but the yardage and the possibility of not having enough yarn, is a bother. I shall swatch the yarn today and then its a toss between the much knitted Icelandic Pullover, or this one from the Brooklyn Tweed Collection.

And then, like a long time life partner, there are the squares of the Optic Blanket. My go-to project whenever nothing else is shaping up!! I can always pull myself away from choices and knit a square or two!

All these choices, all these decisions….what does a knitter do?