Change of Season
This weekend I took Lisa’s advice to heart and made time for glove. I followed the basic glove instructions in the latest Interweave Knits, and found that it wasn’t scary at all. I’m half a pinkie and a whole thumb (plus closing the wonky gaps between each finger) away from my first completed glove. I’m using Inca Alpaca.
Yes, yes, yes, I’d promised to swatch for Season on Friday. Well, I did start Season (full name is Season of Darkness and Winter Light. Sometimes I think I want to knit it just for that name alone), but technically I didn’t swatch. Or rather, I started the first sleeve and that sleeve IS the swatch. If I’m on gauge once I’m one pattern repeat into it, I’ll just keep going. If I’m not, I’ll frog. Not by the book, I know, but whatever. If I have a disaster down the road due to my carefree semi-swatching, feel free to say you told me so.
There isn’t enough done to actually see much of anything yet. You can, though, see that I went with a totally different colorway than in the design.
My reason for ditching the designer’s color choices? If I’m going to put this much work into something, I want to LOVE wearing it when I’m done. I don’t wear blue. Also, I knew if there was sharp contrast between colors in the jacquard, I would be less inclined to wear it. The colors I chose will make for a subtler pattern. The cable border will be done in a deeper moss green, so the whole thing will have a rather earthy feel to it. Maybe I should be calling it Season of Dusk and Falling Leaves, instead.
It’s been a good weekend for facing my knitting fears. I thought gloves would be really hard, for some reason. You know what? Not hard at all. A hell of a lot of fun, in fact. Now maybe more complicated glove patterns would make me sweat more. In fact, I’m sure they would. But I bet those would be fun too.
And Season? I’ve had that Season kit for many months now, but I kept putting it off because I haven’t done two-color knitting before and I was intimidated. Now, just seven rows into it, I’m thinking, “So THAT’S what I was afraid of?!” Not to say that my work is perfect. I’m quite sure my floats are too loose, actually. But the thing is, I keep forgetting that knitting isn’t brain surgery. No one’s going to get hurt if I screw something up. The worst that can happen is that I need to frog and try again. And what’s so damn scary about that? Nothing.
You know what IS scary? Writing a novel. Scary and exciting. I had a great meeting with Ernesto, my workshop teacher, today. He agreed with me that I should keep my novel well clear of workshop from now on. The way I work, it’s not been even remotely helpful to workshop it. In fact, it’s been a bit dangerous. So from now on I’ll turn in short stories for workshop, and only Ernesto and one other reader will read the novel as I work on it. Once I have a finished first draft (hopefully by the end of this summer) I’ll put it back into workshop. I’m glad he agrees with me. I’m so lucky to have him as a reader.
So tonight is for writing, and then maybe a few rounds of Season before bed. I hope everyone had a good weekend. If you’ve got some good will to spare, think healthy thoughts for recovering Rachael.
WOW!!! Weren’t we busy this weekend! It all looks amazing, just as I knew it would. If you feel like lugging them, bring Season and your glove tomorrow; you can go on the bragging rounds. I bet Derek and Chris would love to see them!
Posted by: Andrea
I love the glove color! Would you recommend the Inca Alpaca? I noticed it in the Knit Picks catalog and was intrigued. And I absolutely agree with your change of colorway for Season–I can just picture those colors on you! It sounds like you had a great knitting weekend.
Posted by: Em
Great color on the glove. I just love knitting gloves. They really are simple once get the hang of it. Very pleasing to finish as well. I think they are easier to knit than socks.
Gloves also impress non knitters to no end…
Posted by: max
You’re such a sweetie and you do my heart good. Thanks, doll. And hey, I’m GLAD you’ve decided to keep your novel well out of the way – I’ve told you I lost one that way. Still have that 175pp languishing in a desk drawer somewhere, workshopped to a gasping death.
Got mad glove for you, baby.
Posted by: Rachael
That’s my preferred method,sleeve as swatch.It’s a compromise.Compromise is good !
Lovely glove.You’ll really ejoy wearing them.
Posted by: Emma
Good girl, stay away from workshop! It is your work, and some people write better without the peanut gallery! And I love the gloves! I have 2 hanks of Inca Alpaca in stash, been thinking of gloves…..
Posted by: Kristine
WOW!!! Weren’t we busy this weekend! It all looks amazing, just as I knew it would. If you feel like lugging them, bring Season and your glove tomorrow; you can go on the bragging rounds. I bet Derek and Chris would love to see them!
Posted by: Andrea
I love the glove color! Would you recommend the Inca Alpaca? I noticed it in the Knit Picks catalog and was intrigued. And I absolutely agree with your change of colorway for Season–I can just picture those colors on you! It sounds like you had a great knitting weekend.
Posted by: Em
Great color on the glove. I just love knitting gloves. They really are simple once get the hang of it. Very pleasing to finish as well. I think they are easier to knit than socks.
Gloves also impress non knitters to no end…
Posted by: max
You’re such a sweetie and you do my heart good. Thanks, doll. And hey, I’m GLAD you’ve decided to keep your novel well out of the way – I’ve told you I lost one that way. Still have that 175pp languishing in a desk drawer somewhere, workshopped to a gasping death.
Got mad glove for you, baby.
Posted by: Rachael
That’s my preferred method,sleeve as swatch.It’s a compromise.Compromise is good !
Lovely glove.You’ll really ejoy wearing them.
Posted by: Emma
Good girl, stay away from workshop! It is your work, and some people write better without the peanut gallery! And I love the gloves! I have 2 hanks of Inca Alpaca in stash, been thinking of gloves…..
Posted by: Kristine