Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit, either. ~Elizabeth Zimmerman

25 July 2009

A Mid Summer's Knit Dream-Confessions of a Knitter's Season

Medano Beach,Heidi Kirrmaier


A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing
at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was
knitting!
Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the
trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, "PULL
OVER!"
"NO!" the blonde yelled back, "IT'S A SCARF!"

I dream in skeins of yarn. Knitting patterns dance in my head while I go about my day...they tap me on the shoulder in the middle of emails and meetings telling me to shorten the sleeve, knit in alpaca, use two strands... 24-7 I am a KNITTER. I have been known to fall asleep with a skein of yarn by my side, a knitting needle in my hair and a pile of patterns under my feet.

I can become crazed over a skein of yarn, or completely enthralled with a pattern that must get cast on at once. I can walk through a shop, open a catalogue, or look through a magazine, spot even a smidge of a sweater/scarf/jacket and HAVE to make it! I have so many torn out pages that I have sent me running to yarn shops or digging through my yarn bins to duplicate. This one keeps me up at night!
Lutz and Patmos

I am also Color CRAZY. I can be haunted by a shade for weeks on end. I will spend hours searching through shops and drive miles to hunt down THE perfect match to what I have in my head-this week it is all about Tangerines and Mandarin Oranges, last month it was Pale Pistachio, or was that Tiffany Box Blue?? or Faded Denim??



Cecily Glowik MacDonald



Fortunately there are others out there like me, completely in love with knitting fibers and the process of designing the perfect pattern to get on the needles. My yarn shop friends know to just let me play and that I will know it when I see it.





Anacapa,Kendra Knitta from Knitting in the Sun by Kristi Porter

I am always planning the next project-OK, I am always Planning the next 20 projects-grabbing a sleeve from here and a neck from there and a yarn inspiration from there...I see a yarn and think "oooh, what can I do with that?" I clean out stash and stumble upon treasures forgotten and grab pattern notebooks and scour them for ideas to match my loot.




Nantucket Red,Thea Colman



The knitting needles Never rest, even in the Summer, but in the summertime I do approach my knitting a bit differently. The projects are quicker, smaller, leisurely, easy on the brain cells-perfect for kick off your shoes, put up your feet, grab a cool drink, a good book just and sit and knit!








Boathouse Row, Champagne Maker, The Stitch Poet



Since February I have been planning and plotting and playing with my summer ideas-the fiber is cotton, which I adore all year, maybe some linen mixed through! The projects of the season are chosen to let me knit while I read, or knit while I catch up on episodes of Mad Men. I pick projects and design ideas that down shift the brain, a the brain never closes! There is no off switch to this affliction except to Run for the Needles...




Flair, Wendy Bernard


...and the needles rarely stop! I am finishing the Medano Beach Bag (above) while typing this actually! As the end of July nears I am in "Get it Done!" mode...I want to finish up the true summer styles and move into transition knitting...I know the new fall patterns are knocking on the door shortly. I am giving myself permission,however, to stop looking at the calendar and JUST KNIT!



In the summer before the fall patterns really start to capture me I follow some simple steps for my knitting. All projects designed kick back, slow the brain and leave space to plan the knitting season ahead!!



Here are some very simple steps I TRY to follow to make the most of my Summer Knits-Enjoy!!!





1.Be Inspired- LOVE your pattern, no on-the-fence, wishy washy emotions here, find the "Have to Make it"






Empire Waist Top, Mari Lynn Patrick



Buttercup, Heidi Kirrmaier






Paper Crane, Kirsten Johnstone












Pam Allen

2. Fall in Love-Buy yarns that talk to you, if you are spending time working with a yarn it should jump off the yarn shelf and follow you home. For summer buy cottons, linens, organics-light breezy and soft in colors that make you smile:
Ellie's Reclaimed Cashmere

Misti Pima Silk Handpaint



Tilli Tomas


3. Follow that Stitch-Sometimes there are patterns that haunt me til I cast them onto needles-I will not rest til I start knitting:
Gisela,Julie Weisenberger










Shoreline Cape, Stitch Poet

4. One and Your Done! Not all One Skein Wonders but this time of year QUICK and FUN are the keys-Instant Gratification:

Liesl, Ysolda Teague

Take Me to New York, Stitch Poet



5. Places to Go... Things to Do ! Choose a project that is portable, not bulky unless you are knitting in the A/C...a few skeins should do it:
Kimono Beach,One Ball Knits

Pleated Wrap, Debbie Bliss






Lace Shrug, Heather Bagni


Montego Bay, Amy Singer

6. NO Heavy Lifting! You need brain dead-miles of garter or straight knitting with wonderful yarn that does all the work for you!
Garter Stitch Swingy Jacket, Jenn Pellerin







Blossom Shop, The Stitch Poet


Three Way Wrap, Ingrid Nickols

On the Needles!

Off the Needles

Pearls from the Yarn Basket