Back in the saddle
Okay, so it took me a couple of weeks to get my shit together and get online. Sorry 'bout that. We are working on the house so that we can list it for sale, and I'm trying to tie up some loose projects at my (second) job before we move to Oregon. So, I've been super busy.
Photos from the cruise can be found here, and photos of Socks that Rock at Sea can be found here. Enjoy!
My days on the cruise were quite busy, and night-time hours were spent either working up data, flopping out and watching movies, or very rarely, knitting. I was usually so tired by the end of the day that sitting idle on the couch was about all I could handle. Not surprisingly, I didn't get as much knitting done as I had hoped. I finished another Short Row Hat (still not blocked, FO post will be forthcoming), and one complete four-miter block with my new yarn. Observe.
There was another reason that I didn't get more knitting done on the miters. I am secretly disappointed with the blocks. Still. The pattern isn't doing the yarn justice. The yarn is beautiful and soft and drapey, and the miters are crap. Total crap. My eye for color needs more development, but even I can see that the stripes blend together and that the amazing colors aren't popping. I need more contrast, maybe?
I am broken-hearted about it, and I don't know how to proceed. Maybe a random log cabin with a few more colors of STR? Maybe I should dump the Carbon Dating colorway and stick to the semi-solids only? *sniff* What I should do is cry uncle and call Tina at Blue Moon to ask for advice on colorways that I can add to the bunch. Any words of advice from the peanut gallery? Time for lurkers to sing out in the comments! Please!
In other news, I started an entrelac scarf. I've enjoyed the Short Row Hat so much that I figured it was time to see how entrelac compares as a technique to create blocks of color. Inspired by this post on Craftster, I got a couple balls of Patons Soy Wool Stripes at JoAnn and got started. I've been wanting to try SWS for a while, so this scarf was a good excuse to go for it.
I don't find entrelac any more or less difficult than the short row technique that Veronik Avery came up with, but picking up stitches is kind of a pain. Not really, I guess, but it does slow me down. I need to figure out how to do reverse knitting, and then the entrelac would probably gain an edge over short rows. It's been a fun project so far, but I am starting to submit to the urge to revisit...crochet!
I've been hankering for a bit of the hook since I saw these coasters over on Streets and Yos. And then, of course, Ripple, Babette, and the Larger than Life Bag. The bag put me over the edge because I knew that I could never finish one of the afghans while working on my STR blanket, and I could always use another tote bag. I also really like the block pattern. I stopped by my LYS and they had both issues of Interweave Crochet that I was looking for (Spring 2006, Summer 2007). Score! So, I've been reacquainting myself with the hook over the last couple of nights, and will have something to show for it soon.
In the mean time, brainstorm some ideas for the STR - what should I do with it?!
