Knitting Forward While Tinking Back

Happy New Year, friends! I hope your holidays and holy days were blessed.

The title of this post is the brain child of my husband. I wanted to write about how my first projects of the new year were actually repurposed from WIPs that have been lurking on my shelf for way too long. And in one case, 8 years! As I explained this to him, he offered his ever-expanding knitting vocabulary as a suggestion for the title (very sexy). I am knitting forward into the new year, by tinking back old projects. Clever, eh?

During the Christmas break, I went into all the closets and dark recesses of my home where WIPs tend to lurk. I flushed them all out and took stock in the projects. To my credit, there were only a handful-maybe 3 or 4- with only one not worth saving. I made up my mind to stop what I was currently working on to finally finish or frog these long-forgotten projects. So over the next few posts, I’ll take one project at a time and share with you what they were and what they became.

The first project I dealt with was the Shawl Collared Cardigan by Erika Knight. I started this for my oldest son last winter (as in 2018). As soon as the wool arrived, I cast on and went full steam ahead until I had 6 pieces that required blocking then seaming. It had been so long since I knit a garment flat that I forgot how much I dislike seaming. None the less, this was made with super bulky yarn and it worked up rather quickly. The primary challenge was finding a place on the edges to insert my needle without creating a large hole. Once I got in the groove, it was smooth sailing. Until the zipper. Have you ever been faced with a new technique that you avoid for no rational reason except fear not knowing exactly what the h*ck you are doing? Fast forward a few months and I finally put the time aside to sew it in. Took me a few attempts, but after about two hours, it was done. One more final blocking and an hour of pulling off Razz’s floof and the sweater was complete. I wrapped it and put it under the tree for Ben. I am very pleased with the final product and it definitely falls into the “Mommy Hug Sweater” category! The wool is Rowan Big Wool in black. http://knitrowan.com

Isn’t he handsome?

Super cozy, squishy, super bulky wool

I used to be a monogamous knitter but with the advent of knitting video podcasts, I found myself downloading and casting on way too many projects. I never realized how this habit hindered the joy of the project I was actively knitting at the time. This exercise in finishing or frogging was a great reminder of the freedom I feel when I am not bogged down by too many projects.  I have since made it a priority, upon finishing a knit, to block, snap a few photos for Ravelry and Instagram, then I completely unpack my project bag, returning all needles and notions to their proper place, dropping any left over yarn into a bowl for a scappy project. There is less clutter around the house and much less clutter in my head! And, I am actually getting things done! win-win-win!

So, does this post fall into the “a little about knitting” or “a lot about nothing” category. Not sure, but I do think it is time to wrap things up. I want to thank you for stopping by. I look forward to sharing time with you in the months to come. If you have a moment, drop me a line in the comments and tell me what you are working on, who you are rooting for in the Super Bowl or what your best fur baby has been charming you with lately.

Be sure to peek in on Razzle, he would love to see you.

What I am listening to: Nice and Knit podcast

In my cup:  Tea in a sweet little tea set from my boys

Saint of the day: Saint Sabastian. St. Sabastian had a rough go of things toward the end. He was not popular with the emperor Diocletian who had him beaten and thrown in a sewer. Does it surprise you that he became the special protector from the bubonic plague? He is the patron saint of archers and pin-makers. Today, I will say a special prayer for all the wonderful knitters and creators whose little enamel pins adorn my project bags and totes.

Love to all,

Regina