This is the phrase that every knitter should live by…
Knitters, like most people I know, have grand plans for the future- amazing cabled sweaters ( I have to put up my hand on that one), gorgeous bedcovers ( hand goes up, again), lace and colour saturated cardigans ( half way up, that hand), socks with intricate fair-isle ( I have even found a book, “The Joy of Sox”, to spur me on), and the list goes on! Since these projects take time, a fair amount of financing, good yarn stocks, patterns and some more time, the grand plans remain on the back-burner, causing heart-burn when one least expects it
This phrase is one of the best parts of this blog which I follow faithfully. Karen Templar, the lady who shares her life on this blog, believes that one should take a small project, on the lines of that grand one, and feel good about getting one’s hands dirty instead of just watching grand plans simmer for decades on the to-do list. Taking on a small project also helps in getting a good idea of the techniques involved, the challenges and the charm, and there is that great bonus of completing a project.
So, instead of a bedcover, try making a bag or pot holder. A lace and colour saturated cardigan can be substituted by a lace cowl. Sock patterns can become wrist warmers, or leg warmers. And cabled sweaters can be taken over by cabled hats.
I am making this cabled sweater, and I have even swatched a big size sample of the cables which I want on the sleeves. But with Biskit coming first, insomniac nights and a fair degree of exhaustion in every step, I just dont have the energy to do the calculations for the sleeve crafting.
Enter daughter wanting a thick, warm cap for Ranikhet winter walks. I find some pure wool of indeterminate age and origin, which can be used for the cap.. This pattern, beautifully written out for total knitting nerds, had been calling out to me for a while. The gauge works out well, and I am on my way.
Its a quiet Sunday afternoon. The daughter has flown away for a week. The cloudy skies and sleepy dogs make knitting the best option to pursue. After charting out the cables, putting in as many markers as I can and settling down with a good movie, I am knitting my heart out. The completed cable hat should appear on this page soon!
Ahem, a little reminder that knitting for a long time does not make you an expert. See that arrow on the margin of that chart? I made that mark after I had knit 5 full rows of the pattern, from the TOP line instead of the base! Kept wondering how is this pattern going to emerge, but too engrossed in the movie, and too confident of my knitting skills to cross-check the chart. Just placing the chart upside down gave me 3 wasted hours.
Beware of pitfalls in your knitting and have a good Sunday!