New Knitting Project

Now that my Christmas gifts are finished, I decided to start making the Arachne shrug in The Knitting Goddess (by Deborah Bergman and published about four years ago, just as knitting was taking off as the "in" thing to do with your spare time. I didn't find this book to be a very easy reference for a new knitter, but I really love to re-read the sections on mythology associated with the crafts of thread, and this is the second design I have used out of the book, so it was a worthwhile purchase for me.

I had purchased the Horstia yarn, in a light teal, three years ago on Ebay, and thought maybe I would try to find it in black instead last month, but after a lot of online searching, had to concede that, since it isn't being made any longer, I probably won't find the four skeins I need. Then, I tried to take the light teal and make a lacy capelet featured in Stitch and Bitch Nation, but it just wasn't the right yarn for the design, which I wasn't enjoying making, anyway (I didn't like the wrap-thingie that was part of the lace sequence). I will be keeping an eye out for a capelet pattern and a pale aquamarine yarn to make a capelet to go with one of my re-enactment costumes, but frogged what I had done yesterday, and pulled out the shrug pattern and got started. What better way to spend a snowy/rainy afternoon?


Here is the first sleeve of the shrug... variegated cuff, twisted stockinette teal body, with 6x6 square of variegated with a grey bobble in the middle. 

Here is my revised WIP List:

Denim Jacket Cardigan for Glenn.. partly done and stored in the cedar chest.

Teapot Sweater.. light moss green cotton with intarsia design of a teapot on the back, but I can't locate it. This design is from Vogue Knitting. I started this about ten years ago and the sleeves are done as well as part of the front. I hope it turns up in one storage location.

Knit Patchwork Vest .. this was a design from Knitters' Magazine that I started about eight years ago. Made the plain back and one of the fronts. I will probably finish this one eventually, but kind of dread the thought of doing the embroidery embellishments.

Rainbow baby jacket... from one of Elizabeth Zimmerman's patterns, published in Vogue Knitting awhile back. I just saw the baby I was originally making this for about a month ago... he is now going on five and has two younger siblings. If/when I ever get it done, am hoping there will be a grandchild coming into our lives to receive it.

Chenille Pillow.. started three years ago, but my decorating scheme for our bedroom changed this summer when we finally finished it. I am looking around for a nice tank/shell pattern to channel my effort into something I can wear, because it is one of my favorite colors, a garnet-red.

Silver Mohair Jacket .. this is a sad case; all I need to do is complete the button band and finish seaming up. I just hate finishing. I plan to get back to this after Christmas.

Brown sport-weight socks ... these I started a few years ago, when I couldn't figure out what else to use a batch of Unger Britiania that I found at a thrift store.. enough yarn for part of a shetland-style sweater, but I didn't like it enough. I have the heel turned on the first sock.

Denim wool clogs... I just got the yarn for these this fall, and have to felt my gauge swatch, and then can get cranking on these, which will go quickly.

I rounded up two separate gold mixes to make a narrow scarf using triangular motifs from Module Magic, written by Ginger Luters. I bought her book at my LYS back in late October, when she was there for a book-signing (lives in Nevada City), and it is way cool! I just need to sit down for a whole day and absorb through doing the process of making and interconnecting modules.. I have a feeling that once I do that I will be able to just fly with this technique and try to go several directions at once. I will write a review of this book as soon as I have made my first project. In the meantime, you can learn more about it here: http://www.stitchesmarket.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=6804&cat=%20&page=1 The photos alone are worth it and great eye candy for knitters.

I would also like to make a bolero from Crystal Palaces' new "Trio" yarn and had my LYS, MeadowFarm Yarn Studio order the yarn for me. I am hoping to be done with the shrug and ready to start on the bolero when the yarn arrives.

I also found a very cute short-sleeved top pattern in the latest Berroco e-newsletter (http://www.berroco.com/234/234_sylvia_pv.html, made from Glace, that I just might add to the list, if I can get over the high cost of buying their pattern book, or just plain get around to drafting it out myself.