Monday, November 09, 2009

What's next?

First of all, thank you for all the comments! You have been on my mind a lot during the past days even though I have not been writing.

The winter returned after warmer period that was in between and all the new, fresh snow around is very inspiring. I do not mean knitting-wise only, but snow in this darkness is like sunny day after lots of rainy days. I wish someone would make a whole series of hand-painted yarns just mimicking these soft whites, greys and blues. There could be some dark heathery green like evergreens around and some greyish browns for tree trunks. It could be called Winter Hibernating or Winter in the Arctic. Maybe there already is one, if there is, please tell me. In fingering weight, please.

Yes, I am thinking of hand-painted or variegated or self-striping yarns all the time. This business with these yarns started in August when I was worried of them never being knit and just wished there was a good way to get rid of all these wild skeins. I thought that many of them were only good as they were, they could be displayed in bowls for admiring but as knitting I managed to bring out the worst of them. That thought just troubled me to no end.

Then I knit the little baby jacket that was called Seedling. Since there already is a cardigan named Seedling, I had to change the name. The new name is Lilleput. Anyway that was the beginning. Since then I have not looked at any other yarns and I have bought some new ones.
It is always the same route: the more I knit, the bigger the stash; the faster I knit, the faster the growth. The more I quilt, the bigger the fabric stash. The more I draw, the higher the paper pile.

And then the garter stitch - me and my big words! Some time ago, long time ago, I declared that I don't like it. Well, Lilleput is garter stitch jacket. On the needles at the moment is garter stitch scarf of Noro Kureyon sock yarn (S240, S149). So what's next?
Maybe huge boxy sweaters are coming back to me. I must admit that if they were not figure flattering, they were very comfy. Sweaters that were so roomy that they could host my twin pregnancy without any seam crying. And there never were any fit issues, they always did fit. One inch became ten inches when being knitted but it never mattered very much. If the stitch count was something like 320, just make it 420 to be on the safe side. The bigger the better. When buying yarn for them, it was never less than 10 big skeins. It really was easy time for sweater math.

To be totally honest, those huge sweaters and cardigans did get lots of wear, much more than these carefully calculated fitted sweaters I have been knitting lately. The socks then were always long simple basic ribbed ones, with heavy hard wearing yarns and again the sizing did not matter that much. There was plenty of room to wiggle the toes. The more I think of this, the more tempting it sounds... But one thing stays the same; it was knitting then, and it is knitting now. The joy of making the stitches, one after another, for hours and hours, for weeks that become years (decades!), and still there is no end to it.

Wool with you,

Lene

14 comments:

  1. Heehee, I was just thinking the exact same thing the other day. I was looking at my Alice Starmore Aran book, wanting to knit a fabulous cabled thing, but turning my nose up at the drop shoulders and baggy fit. But I recall dressing exactly like that in the 80's and being more than happy about it (and so comfy too!) Fashion is such a funny thing. Even if I think I'm not that into it, it does have some influence over me.

    I had not seen your new banner. It is so pretty and wintery, just like your dream line of yarn. If you find it, tell me. I would love it too.

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  2. I just spun a beautiful fingering weight 3 ply sock yarn. I blended white finn wool with soft grey alpaca and added some handdyed blue silk. It reminds me of those beautiful colours you mentioned.
    I luv your pics...they are very artistic and inspiring.

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  3. So nice to hear from you again.

    Melissa in El Cajon, California, USA

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  4. It's so true. Lately I've noticed that I put on sweaters for comfort and ease more than for style...therefore my aesthetic needs to change a bit.

    I just love your new banner.

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  5. Lene, your blog is often the highlight of my day, giving me daydreams of living in Finland. I initially came to your blog for your knitting posts (and still adore them), but I also love your photos and descriptions of life in the Arctic, and would love it if you'd post sometime about your recommendations for those of us who'd like to take a vacation in your homeland. When should we come? What should we see and do? It seems like a winter wonderland!

    Kim in Rochester Hills, Michigan, USA

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  6. Anonymous19:48

    Your comments took me back to the late 80's when knitting was pure pleasure and MANY skeins!

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  7. Your thoughts on boxy knits caught my attention. I have been wanting to knit a big boxy pullover to wear around the house. That style is very comfortable and it is easy to wear layers underneath. Maybe in a few years it will be back in style.

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  8. Love your new banner.
    I think I can visualize your colourway and I have taken some looks around trying to find something but no luck... yet.
    I had to chuckle about the garter stitch as I've said the same thing.. and I had to ponder the whole thing for awhile.. as I've become more than a little smitten with garter stitch. Is it because when I first took the needles and wool in hand, learning how to cast on and then the knit stitch, "here, do that on every row" thus producing garter pattern, then learning the purl and producing stockinette, surely that must be 'better'.. and then learning various ways to put them together.. did I just not give it credit because it was so elementary? who knows. I just know it makes some pretty fabulous fabric, soft, cushy... really nice.
    Scritches and rubs to the fur-faced kids :^)

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  9. dear lene,

    i just love your new banner!and your description of that wintery yarn sounds just wonderful!i will have my eyes open for your quest....

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  10. Lene, Lisa Souza http://www.lisaknit.com/yarn/animalfibers/sock-merino.html has two colorways that remind me of winter -- one in Lake Superior and the other is Lapland.

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  11. http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/newmoon/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=19_21_52

    it doesn't have the green, nor the brown but it does look to be soft grays and blues....
    I'm still looking :^)

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  12. Anonymous06:49

    Such a joyful post!

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  13. I see someone posted a link already to Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I don't know if it's at all easy to obtain this yarn where you are but they do have a really interesting line called "Spirits." The subtle shading seems to be a fairly rare find as most of us seem to like the big bold colors of hand dyed sock yarns even if they never knit up as nicely as one would hope.

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  14. Carmen14:24

    → Iam so with you on the colours of the Tundra, of the great north!

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