progress is good

last night i noticed that my stack of go bags has visibly diminished—this must mean i’m finishing things, right?

and so it is—i have finished a couple of secret projects since we last had a look at that pile, which allowed one or two bags to migrate over toward my knitting chair, where i am now working on the project within.

far be it from me to read too far into my knitting behavior or my denial toward languishing projects, but honestly, i can’t for the life of me think of even one reason why i put aside wasp and rose for so long. i really had a serious block about it for a while, causing me to throw up all sorts of excuses for not working on it. was it just the uncertainty about the hem design?

because i sat down last week and totally squared that away in an hour or so. of course, plenty of distance is good in these matters; i had forgotten entirely what my original intentions were or what i was trying to achieve. i basically started from scratch again and i’m pretty sure that helped (though i have yet to see if it will be pretty, haha).

now that i’m back in business with it and i know where i’m going to the end, i am a refreshingly motivated.

this is fine lace on small needles and the rows are getting long, but the knitting is not difficult. i’m able to work at least two or four rows each night and that’s WAY better than none, right? i’m already much closer to the end of the second trellis chart—one more trellis to go after that and then i can begin the hem.

i have a few days coming up during our visit with my mom that should afford some long knitting hours; i’m hoping to make great gains during that time.

if anything is going to get in the way, it’s a sudden (but ineveitable, haha) betrayal by my own body. i don’t know whether it’s from lack of sleep, allergies, or some mysterious deficiency yet to be determined, but since the middle of the summer, i’ve been having vicious—and quite sudden—attacks of sleepiness that are seriously cutting into my knitting time. and not just at the usual after-lunch time; some days it hits by 10:30 am. and of course they tend to descend with the most force when i’m working quietly in a relaxed state—as in knitting or pattern writing.

of course, i could just try going to bed earlier . . .

anyway . . . besides wasp and rose, i have some small secret projects going that i can’t show you, but also my new sweater, which is knitting up SUCH a treat that i keep it up in the third floor TV room so as not to be tempted into working on it at the expense of other things.

sleeve one is nearly done—maybe a half inch to go, but i fell asleep before i could finish it last night. since it’s a raglan, i only need to knit to the underarm and put it on a holder. i’ve pretty much decided that i AM going to knit the sweater in one piece; even though it’s not my preferred method, i do want to place cables right on the seams; working in one piece will facilitate that.

isn’t the fabric yummy? the yarn is indigodragonfly polwarth/silk DK. it’s such a beautiful, varied green when you get up close (ask for colorway curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!), with lots of blue and some bright olive highlights. but it reads as a rich solid from a distance, very elegant. i’m really glad i went with the size 5.0 needles; i wouldn’t want the fabric any more dense than it is.

i realized today that i’ve been running on and on about this garment with a complete and detailed picture in my head of what it will look like, while you have no idea whatsoever where i’m going with it. heh.

for someone who loves to draw and has spent half my life lying on the floor making art with with pencil or charcoal in hand, i am woefully delinquent about doing fashion sketches. all my garment construction work takes place inside my head; it’s the way i prefer to work. i actually hate sketching garments and i’m not at all good at it, isn’t that funny?

however, i made one the other day on a post-it when i working out my starter pattern and trying to decide whether to go with cables or ribbing at the seams (i could still go with ribbing instead of cables; it’s not too late). it might help fill in the blanks between what i know and what you know.

the body fabric will go straight to the hem; the cuffs and button bands will be worked in deep, meaty rib and the seams will be covered with cables—unless i do end up going with ribbing (not trying to mess with you; i’m just not sure yet).

anyway, it illustrates the point that i only resort to sketching when i absolutely must—it’s too awkward and laborious for me to indulge in it for fun.

so i’ve got these two projects happily moving toward completion as well as a secret thing or two. plus the accompanying pattern work to go with them.

and enjoying the fruits of the garden. tonight, i’m cooking an indian curry with eggplant, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, onions, and garlic, all from the garden—plus tofu, and maybe chick peas. mmm.

our butterfly bushes are covered with flowers now and indeed, are attracting hoards of butterflies. we never had them before but i’m hooked now.

the weather has been simply lovely here, balmy, almost cool during the day and chilly enough for a blanket at night. the other day when i went out to run, i realized that fall had begun—just in small ways for now but the signs are here; i noticed also a sudden increase in interest for sweaters, mitts and cowls.

knitting season is here!