Getting a Grip for '06
I worked on a list today of knitting projects I want to work on.
It is, by my standards, long.
1. *Wrap/Cape/Poncho to replace Ugly Crochet Poncho
2. *Ruana (pattern from Interweave Press' Traditional Folk Shawls) (Solves #1 as well)
3. Felted laptop bag
4. Felted knitting tote
5. Flap for felted entre-lac bag
6. One Skein Wonder
7. Hat (Purple Angel Hair Yarn)
8. Fingerless mitts (for Judith's friend)
9. Burgundy sweater vest for Gryphon
10. Felted potholders to keep
11. Edgar scarf from Knitty
* Indicates a work in progress.
11 items, sort of. About item 7, I had purchased some yarn with the intention of making a hat. Not because we needed another hat, but because it was a color of yarn we didn't already have a hat in. (I say we because Gryphon and I share a pile of hats that are suitable for either of us.) But then I got the idea for #2, the Ruana, which is actually going to be my replacement for the Ugly Crochet Poncho mentioned in #1. And I'm doing the Ruana as a stash-buster, which meant I went stash-diving to find yarns in related weights and colors, and well, the yarn purchased for #7 was perfect. So it got re-purposed for the Ruana.
Some of these projects I have yarn for. Most of them, even. Which is a good thing, since the budget and all....you know.
Currently on the needles (aside from the perpetual current Wearable Hug) is Item #1 / 2, the Ruana. I cast on for it as soon as I finished the fingerless mitts this weekend.
I'm discovering that I prefer to keep only one or two projects on the needles at a time, so that will probably be all the WIPs for the moment. As for the next project after the Ruana - I think I'm most excited about #3, the felted laptop tote (very relevant now that I have a WiFi card for the laptop and may be carrying it more places), and #11, the Edgar scarf.
Edgar Scarf - Photo respectfully borrowed from Knitty.com
The models for the Edgar were knitted from Noro Kureyon and from Silk Garden. I'm thinking it might be nice done in this yarn I got in Syracuse over Christmas:
Lana Grossa Mega-Stoppino, Color #203
I think the undulating diamonds of Edgar will show off these colors nicely. The knitting will be interesting and entertaining to do, but the yarn will still be the star of the project. Perfect!
As for item #3, the laptop tote, I've got an idea for the pattern already - I was able to get the book Alterknits recently, and there's a laptop tote in there that I like the looks of. I don't have the yarn they call for - Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted, I think? - but I do have a bunch of Noro Kureyon I've been accumulating, and I think I can make it work.
I'm considering a couple alterations to the pattern, and that's to incorporate a long shoulder strap into it, and maybe a flap. As it is now, it's a plain open top, with slits cut into the felted material for handles. With New Hampshire weather, I need a flap to protect the contents of the tote, and a shoulder strap will help immensely with carrying it.
What, then, am I retaining of the original pattern? They knit multiple colors of the Brown Sheep so that the stripes in the tote would come out vertically, not horizontally. Nearly every tote I've seen using multiple colors has been done for horizontal stripes. I rather like the vertical.
What about a WIP report?
Notice how I've managed to avoid talking more about the Ruana, other than the fact that it's on the needles? It's actually coming along nicely, but I haven't taken the time to take pictures yet, and the way I'm approaching the color changes and choices is actually deserving of detailed explanation. So I think that will wait for yet another day.
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