theknittyvritti

blush

 

Self-consciousness is the bane of human existence.

Our capacity to blush is evidence of this. An unfortunate few are cursed with an uncontrollable blush reflex, such that any time they do or say, or even think, anything even slightly embarassing, they turn bright red, registering their discomfort visibly on the world.

 I'm not cursed with this affliction. But I am still prone to excessive self-awareness and self-castigation. I've spent days re-playing moments that I wish had never happened. Internally, invisibly, uncomfortably. If I were a blusher, I might be a much brighter shade of pink most of the time.

I wish I were more like those people who find their own questionable behavior less worthy of attention. Accept that life is full of awkward moments and worse, and make them just not so interesting. I do get better, and someday I may just live fully in the moment, accepting whatever less than gracious acts I commit. Because they will continue to happen, whether I approve of myself or not.

You may be wondering why this topic is coming up at all. Well, I'm not going to share all of the reasons. But I am sharing, above, the yarn I unapologetically bought, breaking my six month ban on new yarns. It was supposed to last until Rhinebeck, but I have been longing to make Akoya since it was published. And in all my lots of sweater yarn, I didn't have anything for it. So I treated myself to this Blue Sky alpaca silk.

Colorway: Blush.

the reveal

It's hard to tell wnhat's going on in the garden until summer really gets under way, so every year there's a suspenseful month waiting to see if I've made any progress on getting it to look the way I imagine it might. This year I've made progress, no doubt, although somehoe I can't stop looking at that bare little corner up front and asking myself why I just haven't filled it in...maybe next week.
A bit like this sweater, Drops pattern 129-3 (free and totally worth it). While it didn't take a whole year to find out, I really had no idea whether I would like it, and luckily, I love it.

There was just so much suspense...the new shape....which now that I've got it, I'd like to have in as many colors and fabrics as I can make.

And the fabric...linen is such a mystery. How does it go from that scratchy stiff stuff to such drapy luxury in the time it takes for a wash and dry cycle? Magic.

Like those flowers, coming back year after year just because they want to. Happy summer everyone.

copy cat

 
Just two months ago, Bel Air ( another perfect pattern by the amazing Ann Hanson) went on vacation with us. And no, those are not my hairy legs, she's just cozying up to Operations Man, who needed a little extra softness at the time.

 
She's my girl now. Previewed her last night, and found that the amazing yarn, Spirit Trail Sunna, may be as close to an all-weather yarn as I've ever seen. It's a silk blend, and it felt wonderful on my skin, unlike a pure wool, which would have driven me crazy in the warm-ish cool of a New York June evening.

 
A detail of the sweater, and some proof of the season. That red mark on my chest is a mosquito bite. Mosquitoes ravish me all summer long. I think I might consider giving up quite a lot to become one of those people who they don't bother, since all summer long I am covered with dots like these and worse as the mosquitoes dine on me....apparently I am a seasonal treat.

Speaking of seasonal treats, lots of great flowers and food ahead. Summer's here, and we have spent the last few weekends working like dogs (huh, the dog did not lift a paw) to get ready for it. After a spring full of worry and work, we are ready, hope you are too.

clever

 

No, not me, silly. My sweater. This one was a fast, fast knit in some Peruvia I bought on de-stash, again, never having touched or even seen the yarn in real life. I did not especially love the yarn but it redeemed itself by knitting up into this really fantastic sweater, I mean really fantastic.

What makes it so fantastic? Well, beyond the knitting experience, which was as easy as it gets, this sweater feels great on, and has a few design elements that are just genius. First, the shaped shoulder, which prevents it from looking like a sack, and second, the slightly high on the waist tie which brings the eye into the center of your body, which I suspect is rather flattering, perhaps on lots of people. Maybe you should try it?

 
Here's the back. Great also....good lines, easy fit, I am happy........

Vogue Winter 2010, #10. When Vogue gets it right, they get it right.

single-minded

 

It is very difficult to say "no" to the dog when she wants something. Imagine this face (minus snow, that comes later) in your face at seven a.m. You are warm in your bed, barely awake. It's ten degrees outside, but she couldn't care less. After all, that built-in fur coat means that she barely registers the extremes of cold.

One of the reasons I ultimately opted for childlessness was my suspicion that I would utterly resent the obligation to take my child on play dates. I wanted my schedule to be mine. At fifty-five, I am finally mature enough to cater to the needs of another being. So I hop out of bed, cursing loudly, put on layer upon layer of clothing, and take my dog on a play date. 

 

It's a huge daily play date, every  morning before nine, with dogs from all over the neighborhood. She loves it so much that she screams with joy when she arrives, then spends about an hour running madly from one group of dogs to another. Although getting there is a bitch, it makes me happy to watch her so happy. Perhaps in a few years, I will be ready for a human child....

 
Or perhaps not. I hear they require considerably more than an hour a day of entertainment. Which would take me away from my own single-minded pursuits. Like this sweater, which has taken up most of my weekend. It's the kind of quick and simple knit that brings out  that desire to have the world just...go away...until it's finished. Or a desire to learn to knit in ten degree weather while smiling at a German shepherd lost in her own obsessive play?

 

flipperlinty

 
 

Otherwise known as Nesselrode, by Norah Gaughan. This sweater is the first of my IntsweMoDo twelve, the yearlong stashdown challenge. And stashdown it did. I was able to use up my supply of Jo Sharp Silkroad Tweed, a yarn I bought having never seen it in real life during my "why not" yarn buying days. A yarn that I do not really like, and a yarn that has been discontinued. Not sure why, but I have my theories.

I'm calling the sweater "Flipperlinty" to call attention to the two things that I don't really like about it.

 
First, the fact that I feel like the arms aren't really arms, more like flippers. They look ungainly, at least for a human, but I think they might actually be very convenient for a lot of things. Most of my oversize sweater have oversize sleeves to match, sleeves that get in the way when you're trying to actually get something done. Sleeves that fall into your soup, sleeves that constantly beg to be pushed up. Sleeves that barely fit into a coat. These sleeves will give me no such problems.

 I wish they were a little wider at the top, but I am not going to undo this sweater and correct these sleeves, as I might for something else.

Why?

 
This yarn has to be the most extreme lint-collector I've ever seen. It should have come with a warning label, "do not buy if you have animals in your home". I don't think I will ever have the patience to lint-brush it adequately for wearing outside of my house, so it is destined to become something I wear only at home. At least I will have complete freedom of movement when I wash the floors while wearing it.

Don't think I'm complaining.....I'm happy enough...it's really cozy, and it's done.

I'm going to see if I can extract a lesson from each of the sweaters I knit this year. Lesson #1 is clearly that I should not buy a sweater's worth of any yarn sight unseen. Check it out at one of the many LYS's near me, or buy one skein on Rav. Lesson learned.