thinking

I must confess that if the ONLY item not crossed off my weekly to do list was "blog" I would probably not be writing this.

My knitting is going eh. I am nearly done with a sock and I tried it on and because I do not ever swatch socks and just eyeball my toe up numbers it does not fit. It fits my foot, but I struggle to get it over my heel. In fact it doesn't fit the smallest feet in the house even. I KNOW I need to rip it out. Or more likely since that section had two knots that were a pain to deal with, I'll rip and probably use that section of yarn for leftovers and just start a new sock. Except I find myself a little tired of socks.

Instead because the heat is nearly upon us and I am starting to very slowly wash out my sweaters for storage (And then I'll start washing the cardigans I keep out all year long--also must remember to buy more wool wash*) I really really want to start a sweater.

I was initially thinking that maybe I should FINALLY tackle the dollar and a half cardigan. Which I KNOW I say that at least 3 or 4 times a year every year since the pattern was published which means I've had that in the queue for um maybe 10 years. But the reality is that every time I look at finished versions of that sweater on ravelry, I see women my shape wearing it and I just don't like the look. I will never be that shape, even if I diet myself to that size. And while I think I can look good in a lacy sweater, I'm not convinced that is the one.

But, I do own a sweater's worth of brown cotlin and so I was thinking a brown cotton linen sweater would be nice. Also I could wear it on the chance I finish it before fall (assuming I start it before fall).

I also own a sweater amount of leftover yarn. I have a baby blue ultra alpaca from that time I tried to adjust a pattern and failed. I have some green Quince and Co Lark leftover from a green central park hoodie I made. (as an aside, I wish I could write out in the open the longer story of that sweater and how it has come full circle for me, if you know me--ask me about it sometime). And some of the same yarn in purple from Estelle. I wondered if I got out all those yarns out and weighed them if I would have enough for something striped.

But trying to find a scrap yarn project on ravelry is HARD. I think made harder by what I ALWAYS do. I always seem to have a picture in my head about what I would like. In this case I want:
a cardigan
probably raglan
with a zipper
long sleeves
ideally knit in one piece so I will be SURE of stripes matching on the body
I don't mind paying for a pattern, so that's not a problem, although ideally free or already own the pattern would be a plus. Of course I may be going about the searching all wrong. I could probably try just looking for a zippered raglan cardigan and then making it striped--instead of looking for patterns specifically designed to use scraps. Or I could go the disaster in the making route and just cobble together my own pattern.

So to sum up: I'm sick of socks, I'm giving up on ever making the dollar and a half cardigan and I could make a summer cotton/linen sweater instead OR a scrap yarn cardigan. It's like a cliffhanger as to what will happen! * I prefer Soak. I realize this is controversial. I use it for non-wool items too.

knots

Sometimes when I'm just knitting along I don't feel like I have enough to really write about. And I am just knitting along. And yes, still the first sock (it seems like some people in my life ask this regardless of when the last time they saw me knitting and asked this SAME question).

I did stop knitting on it for a few days because I was so frustrated. I found a knot! And I hate weaving in ends in socks! It actually took two tries at a russian join to fix it and even now I can still see where it was. Then! I found a second knot. (insert eyeroll here). I tried another russian join, when it slipped out, I just gave up and started the new yarn. And now that I'm knitting, I'm wondering if it is going to mess up the pattern of colors. Not that my socks have to perfectly match, but it would be nice if they were close you know.

The SECOND knot in this skein and I haven't even finished the first sock! Swipe to see the first one I fixed via Russian join (inelegantly) this one I tried and failed to fix so I'll just weave the end in.

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on May 1, 2018 at 4:00pm PDT

I don't want to say that I'm tired of knitting socks, but I have been itching to take on a bigger project. Like sweater big. And yeah I know I say that a lot but it's about time to start washing sweaters and putting the ones I won't wear away for the summer. (I usually leave out a couple of cardigans) And I want a new sweater. Of course I don't have yarn for a sweater sized project*. I do though, have lots of leftover yarn all in about the same weight. And I was thinking stripes would be REALLY cute. It wouldn't be all the same material--like some Ultra alpaca which is 50/50 wool and alpaca and some 100% wool, but then I wonder if it would work.

*Ok, I do, but I am kind of saving that for the dollar and a half cardigan even though every time I try swatching for the dollar and a half cardigan I get all wigged out because it seems hard to follow the stitch pattern AND I don't really get gauge and I love that sweater so much I don't want to mess it up, but it WOULD be the perfect summer sweater.

Regardless, it seems as if there is some swatching and or searching ravelry for patterns in my future.