it looks like i finally have my trip knitting pared down now to this batch of projects—all totable, lightweight things, all in various stages of completion, all fit into my knitting bag without too much squeezing (it’s never too much if it all still fits in the bag). i may panic and add one more ball of yarn just to be safe, but honestly, there’s probably enough here to last four days, even with the two long flights i’ll be taking. and they have yarn stores in california, too, heh (i think we’re even scheduled to visit a couple on friday).
i’m leaving the sweater project behind because it’s getting big and bulky now, but i’ll miss it; progress has been fast and i appreciate the ease with which i can sit down and just do this (i think you know how that is). the yarn is glorious to work with; i find myself stopping frequently to admire the workings of the colorway (and still it knits up fast). when i get back, i’ll set about writing the pattern for this pullover.
i spent some time on saturday afternoon blocking kim’s shawl—she used the mama mia colorway for hers—the same one i used for the keukenhof socks in bambino
isn’t it amazing how the vividness of the colors changes on different fibers?
several people have written to ask me about blocking in the last couple of weeks, including why the heck i like it so much, hahaha. i think it’s mainly because it offers a quiet work respite from machinery of any kind.
putting the polishing steps on a final work brings home the fact that a transformation is about to take place which will elevate the whole thing to another level.
this realization enables me to slow my racing mind, still my jittery hands, to call up patience in threading wires ladder-by-ladder and placing dozens of pins just so. i like to see myself as patient and careful sometimes. and it’s not like there’s no payoff
there’s always a money shot to be had at the end.
this is going to look wonderful on kim.
as far as doing a future tutorial on the subject, i actually have done several in-depth posts about blocking—you can see step-by-step wet-blocking for lace here, here, and here, and a couple of discussions of wet and steam blocking for sweater pieces here and here and also here.
i may discuss it yet again but i don’t know when; usually what happens on the blog is pretty immediate to what’s going on in my head or on my needles on whatever day i write. what i oughta do is make a category for blocking and finishing posts—it might be helpful to put them all in one easy-to-find place. i’ll be sure to put that on the list.
so anyhow, what am i taking along to knit? well, here’s what i’m thinking i should do, since there’s a lot to talk about there: instead of telling you all of it now, i thought i’d try writing another post which will automatically go live some time tomorrow while we’re flying (cool, eh?). that way i can be with you even when i’m not really here. in fact, for a while i won’t really be anywhere (since we’re crossing time zones) so i could actually be posting from the void.
i’m pretty psyched—i’m gonna see kim, yay. and i’m gonna see jocelyn and her sweater, yay. and hopefully i’m gonna see nan too, yay.
20 thoughts on “is it too much??”
LOL…that last paragraph cracked me up. ‘Posting from the void’…I wonder if I comment on that post if you’ll answer it from the void too. (Insert Twilight Zone music here)
Have a super trip!
Oh Anne, the shawl is absolutely beautiful – looks exactly like a butterfly to me!
Have a great trip – if you add any more projects you may need more bags – ha!
Love Kim’s shawl – it looks birdlike.
i am so interested in this blue lace thing, but there is not much to seeeeeee
petra
You probably have enough technical information for a small book. If there were patterns included, it would be a sure-fire hit. Some little nothings, some shawls and stoles – it’s already written……..you’d just have to pull it from the blog (although I’m sure it’s lots more complicated than that in reality.) Do it, do it!
I’m sure there will be photos of the shawl in situ. Look forward to it. And photos of some sun shine and warmness too please. It looks like you’re taking the right amount of variety in your trip knitting. Have fun in the time machine.
Amazing! 🙂 Very impressive, too! Have a wonderful and safe trip, as always….looking forward to your sweater patterns (the famous “red” sweater) LOL
Yikes! Too much? Never. Looks about what I would bring with me lol. ADORE those socks, and I think I even like the colorway better on that yarn than the lace, though they are both gorgeous.
Oh, wow, that shawl is GORGEOUS. Love it! And the sweater you’re leaving behind? Just as stunning. Just … wow.
Yay!!!!!!! Should I bake a cake???? I’m thinking I should . . . . .
Have a great trip! I shall be watching to see what that beautiful blue yarn turns into. The swatches were most intriguing!
You’re so fortunate to have such a great career! I’m with Melanie, as you well know!
I don’t think you can EVER have too many projects along. What if your flight is cancelled or rerouted? It’d be awful to be stuck without!
Enjoy your trip – hope it’s a safe, fun one. 😀
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Maplewing looks stunning!!! You are such a talented grrl!!
The sweater and I can’t wait to see you, too! Thursday can’t come fast enough 🙂
One of those projects would be plenty of knitting for me. I can’t imagine dragging along all of them.
The shawl is gorgeous!
If you can carry it, it’s barely enough. (and I wonder why you wouldn’t like blocking? Especially lace!)
Keukenhof looks a lot like Evenlyn Clark’s Bleeding Heart Lace, also a fun knit and very pretty. The yarn is really nice too.
Okay, so I’m going to ask a stupid question….Once you have something blocked do you have to block it again if you wash it? Thanks, Anne.
It may be moot to comment at this point, but I hope you had a fabulous trip. I think we’re all the same when it comes to packing for a trip. It’s how you distinguish between the Knitters and those who knit.
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