Stash growth

Analysis Paralysis

~ Kristin Tolle ~ 3 Comments

It’s been a big year for a lot of things. Well, everything except knitting. I made quite a few pairs of socks, due to the portability on my extensive travels. But I’m a bit bored with socks now—even with the additional texture work.

I’m ready for something bigger and bolder. But I’m stuck.

I’ve been spending lots of time on Ravelry dreaming and filling up my queue. The problem is I’m not knitting, I’m just doing a lot of creative dreaming and getting nowhere–fast! And lately I’ve been on a yarn buying spree, especially Blue Sky Fibers’ Baby Alpaca. I’m up to 7 (!) colors now.

My questions for you are:

  1. Do you ever get stuck in planning mode, and if yes why?; and
  2. How the heck do you jar yourself out if it?

I guess that’s 2.5 questions. 😊

PS: The project I’m trying to sort out is a yoked sweater and I’m choosing between two Interweave patterns I have: the Brimstone Gulch or Meltwater Pullover in Icelandic colors (see below). And suddenly, I’m looking up patterns for palazzo pants. Geez!

PPS: He chose Option 2. I’d better get winding.

More than I can Chew

~ Kristin Tolle ~ Leave a comment

Last week was Paris fashion week and though I’m a practical knitter, I like to view the Fall collections since that’s usually when designers show knits. Not so much this year. It seems that funny hats, brown latex, poofy sleeves and sloppy fits are “in”. If you are curious, Paris Fashion Week Instagram showed a good variety of looks: https://www.instagram.com/parisfashionweek/.

Part of the reason to scour the looks was to break out of a knitting funk, since all my projects seem long and boring. On the needles are requests: an afghan for mom, another pair of socks for a friend, and a wrap made of tiny yarns on tiny needles. If keep on this tack, I won’t be using up any of yarn I’d hoped to destash, and I won’t hit my goal of 20 completes this year.

  • Mom selected this yarn for an afghan
  • Lang Jawoll Color Jaquard–the varied
  • Tiny yarn for a big wrap

Last night, I found myself looking at the inventory (online) of two of my local yarn shops (LYS) for inspiration. I even thought to drop by, because retail therapy is what I do when I feel the need for something “fresh”. The queue gets longer; the stash grows; more WIPs.

Frustrated by fashion, fatigued by projects on the needles, I went to my stash to stop myself from breaking my New Years’ resolution not to buy more yarn. As expected, I was instantly overwhelmed by the sheer volume—and the ideas came pouring out.

An Inspirational Disaster Area

All the inspiration I need is there. Now, I’m wishing for more hands and more time to knit it all up!

What’s inspiring you this week?

Wooly Skye

~ Kristin Tolle ~ 1 Comment

In Broadford on Skye, is The Handknitter Having Fun shop. I often find astounding deals of wool there. This year, since socks were my travel project, as if often the case, socks yarn was top of mind. And for another reason as well—I lost a just finished sock on an Edinburgh tram.

Wooly clouds on the Black Cuillins from the Sligachan Hotel

We time our visits to Skye to coincide with the climbing season. This year we were a week later than usual. I expected it to be warmer than it was two years ago when I brought long-johns and wished for t-shirts. This year the opposite was true. It was cold, rainy and blustery. I on one hike I was wearing almost everything I owned, soaked through and got blown off my feet by a gust of wind.

Reverse view from Loch Scaivaig on a sunnier day

Not to say the trip was a bust—not so! I was there for rest and the weather gave me time for knitting and a bit of shopping. I picked up three beautiful sock skeins and started another pair of socks, having brought two projects for the trip. Here are the three skeins which seem to be color inspired by the location.

  • Cream to blue variegated (color of the sea)
  • Shades of gray (color of the sky)

Can’t wait to see how the socks turn out. Too bad they take so long to knit!

NOTE TO SELF: hand dyed—don’t use different skeins and expect them to look like the belong together. This said, in spite of cutting the skein in half and caking it in reverse, the Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball® socks I started are variegating in the most peculiar fashion. Even if I make that mistake, it won’t be *this* different.

Even with taking a ball in the middle and caking it opposite, these socks look VERY different from one another

It’s the Big Stuff

~ Kristin Tolle ~ Leave a comment

“Don’t sweat the small stuff”, my mom’s favorite saying. And it is projects for her and lots of big projects dominating my knitting.

Domestic projects are still ruling the day. Mainly because they are simple and square. That’s about all I can handle right now.

And as I come to the end of another simple squares throw, I’m eyeing my next BIG project.

Simple Squares for my Circles Duvet
Woolfolk TOV resting on the new blanket

My mom has put in an order for a long bathmat and a chenille afghan. I let her pick out both colors from online and when they arrived, the gold of the cotton bathmat seems too subtle and the turquoise chenille of the afghan seems—LOUD. Just look at this Ice Yarns mountain!

An Ice Yarn Mountain of Baby Chenille
Odd Balls to Break Up All the Turquoise

I think I’ll do the bathmat first, because it will be quick and easy.

With the afghan, I’m hoping to use up a few more of my odds and ends; some dishie my husband didn’t like for kitchen towels and some sparkly stuff that grandma had in dribs and drabs.

And for my next trick?

Well, I’ve fallen in love with Purl Soho’s Shadow Study Throw. I found some Louet Gems on sale and though my first order didn’t quite work out, I think I’ve got a good plan for what comes next.

Purl Soho Pattern
My Chosen Colors

 

Less is Not Enough

~ Kristin Tolle ~ Leave a comment

You know the saying, less is more? Well with yarn, more is still not enough.

It’s got to be stress, because another big box of yarn just arrived. I’m like “What???”

IMG_7262And yes, I ordered it. Between developing an online class on machine learning and keeping up with my busy work, and busier husband, I’m definitely on a retail therapy kick. I’ve begun to hate Amazon for showing me exactly what I cannot resist. ‘If you buy one more pair of funky leggings, young lady…’

I’ve expounded, at great length, the copious amounts of yarn I’ve got, but it was hard not to smile when this sunny box of brightly colored cottons arrived. Ever since I won a knitalong drawing for my George Hancock sweater from Woolful, Knit Picks has become my online standard when I’m not buying local. Cheap and high quality, what’s not to love.

Sublime in So Many Ways!
Shaped to fit me

These are for bathmats for here there and everywhere—including my parents house in Idaho.

But until I get around to knitting it up, I’d better find a place to store it.

Bring on the Spring!

~ Kristin Tolle ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been off on work travels for 2 1/2 weeks in India and I fell love (all over again) with the clothes, colors and food. Since getting back, I’ve been missing the sun and heat of Bengaluru and Chennai.  With all the dark, cool, and rainy PNW, I’ve never struggled so much to get over my jetlag.

The taste of sunshine and bright colors has made me impatient for Spring. Needless to say, I wasn’t too thrilled with Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of a long winter.

To counteract this unfortunate prediction, I went yarn shopping for spring colors–many of which were on close out (yay!). To chase away the pacific northwest gray days, I arranged them as a spring flower and a Japanese maple.

 

Now if only I could find time to knit!

How are you planning to get through the long winter?