Wednesday, 1 June 2016

My queue

I have a confession. I've purchased a ridiculous amount of yarn for the past year. "No more!" I said, at the beginning of this year. That didn't really happen. Now I have the urge to knit EVERYTHING. Too bad I'm so slow. 

Right now I'm trying to finish my Dessine-Moi Un Mouton by La Maison Rililie. I'm knitting it in Coast by Holst Garn, which is very soft. And very thin. I'm hoping it will be the perfect summer sweater. I'm in the middle of knitting the second stripe in the last CC. You can just about see the last three stripes knitted in the low contrast color in the sample photo. I can do about one stripe in an evening if I don't have anything else to do. I could probably finish the hem during the weekend if I don't need to go anywhere. And after that I have to knit the sleeves, which should be quicker than the body since there's no purling. Anyways, I'm trying to stay committed to this sweater before I start new ones, but there are so many things I'd like to start and so much stashed yarn that I'm quite anxious to get it done. Which still doesn't translate into knitting because I'm too busy with work at the moment.

These are some of the items in my Ravelry queue in almost no particular order:



Yarn idea: Hopeasäie Sukka (100% Superwash BFL)
This is probably a true #1 in my queue. Since I have the yarn already. 

Yarn idea: Nothing particular yet! 
At first glance I loved it and immediately queued the pattern. After looking more carefully, I think the sizing needs to be spot on, especially positioning of the "seam" at the bust. The hem I'd want with less positive ease and since I haven't had the courage to purchase the pattern yet, I don't know how easy it would be to adjust. So I'm not 100% sure. I didn't know how a gradient yarn would work, so  I was waiting for more projects to show that. I know now that it will work like I envisioned, so maybe a rainbow Breathing space?

Yarn idea: Drops Baby Merino (100% Superwash Merino)  Cherry & Plum
My sister's having a baby so I might knit these as a present. 


Not sure if I want to knit both of these shawls or pick just one, but I want and need shawls that I can use as a scarf. I don't really like to wear shawls like shawls are traditionally worn. I need functional pieces of clothing, i.e. shawls that can be wrapped around so that my neck and chin are comfortably protected against cold & windy air (for autumn). Forget shawl pins and "this will look pretty for about a second if I stay completely still". These designs look like they might work like that, and I like how simple yet effective color-blocking is. 
Yarn ideas: 
Drops Baby Merino (100% Superwash Merino) 
Drops Lace (70% alpaca, 30% silk; would hold double)
Yummy skeins*


I keep searching for this by "Spectrum" or "Spectra" and then always resort to going to my shawl bundle in my favorites and going "ah" when I see that it's "Prisma". Now it's in my queue so even easier to find. I'm still not sure about this, because I don't know how that shape works for me in reality. 
Yarn idea: Opal Happy (with silver bling) + something in dark grey (because I want a clown scarf!)
Or maybe something else entirely. I also have Aade Lõng Artistic 8/2 that needs to be a shawl. 

7. Waiting for Rain by Sylvia Bo Bilvia - a two color version probably.
Yarn idea: I don't have any particular yarn assigned for this yet, but something light and airy.
Re: shawl shape. I really have no idea if this is wearable for me, but the design intrigues me and it's so pretty that I just want to make it. 

Yarn idea: Drops Baby Merino (100% Superwash Merino)


I think you can tell based on the samples above, that all the designs I am drawn to have something different and unique in their construction. I'm sure I would improve faster at knitting if I would first pick more basic designs and then use that knowledge as a base for something more complicated. But I like to learn new things and get bored with just simple knitting. 

Apparently nine pictures were too many for a collage, so I almost forgot about this. I actually bought 10 skeins of royal blue Baby Alpaca Silk for this quite a while ago. Two years now? I love lace details at the back of any cardigan. I've been loving this forever, but then I get distracted by other shiny things and this remains in the queue. Also, I would modify it to not include the pleat in the back.
Yarn idea: Drops Baby Alpaca Silk (or maybe what's stopping me is that I'm not completely loving the color I ordered?)




*I have two three different skeins of hand-dyed yarn aka "yummy skeins" that I'm still searching the perfect projects for. A scarf or a shawl most likely, or as a detail in a sweater. They are by Hedgehog Fibres, Lai-la-lai Yarnz and Lanitium Ex Machina


In a mental queue I have Stephen West's Exploration Station, but picking the colors is overwhelming. It also overlaps with the Prisma. As in, same size & shape. Exploration Station might be much more interesting to knit because of the different sections.

I didn't include sock patterns because there are just a million of those.