When its done, its done, but then there is the starting

Yes done, today I have blocking and wearing photos of my Whisper Cardigan, taken yesterday, Today I am wearing it, and I love it, love it, love it. Light, surprisingly warm for a cardigan with no front, and for one so light. I've also finished the Soctober TTL Mystery socks 2008 .... and so can show them off (although they are not blocked just on the blockers). Then there is a little bit of fun, knitted and turned fungi ... all for a good cause ... I realize this is all part of a delay before starting on the 'next-big-knit'.


So Whisper, by Whisper Cardigan, Hannah Fettig, in Interweave Knits, Spring 2009, did I mention I love this design, in this yarn? I do. I was a little surprised at how soft and light a felted single could be, its Malabrigo Lace, and was a surprisingly frugal choice of yarn. I have more than 28g of the second skein left, meaning this weighs in at only 71.3g. I bought 3 skeins, playing safe, and now know I have enough to knit another should I want to. I was a little confused about how to block something of Whispers shape, given its is not knit conventionally with a front and back. I know that most lace and lace weight yarns respond well to blocking so I wanted to block - and this is what it looked like. I do have a tiny crease across the upper arm, but that isn't really visable when worn.

And worn - super comfortable, and light and warm - and yes, it needs a dress not trousers .... I didn't dress yesterday to go-with Whisper. It looks better today with a dress.

Socks all done, and Signature dpns all fallen in love with, so pointy, so smooth, so nice to use. As soon as this company does circulars in sock sizes ... I'm there. I worked the socks as written, but followed the 'errata' and knit the leg until row 26 of the chart (not row 16). I used 84.4g of the 100g - plenty left for fish for the fish blanket when I get back to that project. I've got the next sock all lined up, its another Mystery sock, this time with beads, the clues have been up since the start of the month, so I am a few weeks behind - that won't matter, sock knitting isn't an armchair sport IMO. The next sock is the SKA Mystery January 2010 sock by Debbie O'Neil, I've got the colour and the beads all sorted ready to go - and I've cheated, I've looked at the socks others are knitting and its pretty.

But as I worked on these last two projects, trying to clear the needles so I would feel ready to start the next project, I didn't feel ready to start the next project. There was one more little thing I felt a need to do. I had to knit fungi ... I'm off to a knitters weekend latter this month and part of that has a fundraiser charity auction of knitted tulips and mushrooms, raising money for the local Toy Library. Now I'm a past Toy Library supporter, both as a committee member and as a user, my kids favorite toys as babies were often ones that we first learned of of when we borrowed them from the library, then latter bought our own to keep. And the toys that I thought they would love, I learned by borrowing from the Toy Library that my choice in toys wasn't always their taste in toys. I wasn't sure what sort of Fungi I was going to knit, and to be honest the instructions to use Acrylic yarn was a little off putting to a yarn snob, one who likes the finer fibers in life. I do realize that Acrylic would weather better outdoors. The other day I came across these little night-lights, when turned on they glow, and the colour they glow changes - all the hues of the rainbow. I've knitted a spotted cap, with yarn overs and large circular holes and worked the stem in white - all the better to show of the light glow.


Beside it is a lace-weight spindle, small, light and hand made. This one isn't perfect (yet), it needs its hook and isn't quite balanced (small mishap with learning how to best center the drill press- although I'm hoping dad will help me set up the lathe to drill dead-center). I'm planning a second one over the next few days that should be much better balanced. Even though this wasn't balanced, I wanted to see how 'mushroom-ie' I could make it, with a darker rim, spots, and gills ....
I think it worked don't you?

Which leaves me with only the secret project, and balling up the yarn from skeins ready for the next Sweater, and the next socks. I deliberately didn't clear the needles for Christmas, or for New Year, but now realize I seem to need a clear out or off of what I'm working on. I do need a space to feel ready to start something new and give it my attention without any feelings that there is something else I should have finished first. Perhaps the end of year clear out/clean up is a human need and I shouldn't fight it? I do know when work gets busy the first thing I have to do is clear my desk so I feel ready. I've already discovered the KAL on Ravelry and plan to spend some time reading thru the posts and learning more about the shaping and options before I start my own Green Sweater. Seems like I do need to feel 'ready'.

Take care
na Stella