good intentions, lousy follow-through

Posted on | August 28, 2008 | 14 Comments

If you’ve been reading my blog any length of time, you’ll realize the truth of that statement as it applies to my projects.

I’m stalled on the latest sweater.  I thought I’d circumvent second sleeve syndrome by knitting the first sleeve first, then the back, then the second sleeve, and finishing up with the front of the sweater.  The front of the sweater has all that cool colorwork and I thought the anticipation of making curly designs with yummy fuzzy Rowan would be enough motivation to make me fly through that second sleeve.  But second sleeve syndrome was onto me.  It was too powerful for me.  Almost as soon as I started the second sleeve, ennui set in.  I began to feel meh about the sweater as a whole, not just the sleeve.  ‘August isn’t even over yet,’ I thought, ‘we still have another month of hot weather.  Why knit this now?’  A part of me didn’t want to knit AT ALL. 

Enter my duplicitious nature.  At the same time that I had no desire to finish that second sleeve, much less the sweater itself, my mind was racing ahead, planning out future sweaters.  I have some coned Shetland I bought from Webs eons ago that I’ve finally washed (most of) and it really wants to be a simple, cozy sweater to wear with jeans -probably an EZ design (Rachael just finished a saddle shoulder pullover  that I love).  I bought the Wisteria pattern and am contemplating the pros and cons of making it from a silk/viscose yarn.  (Pros – this yarn is a black tweed that’s gorgeous and I think the drape would make a very flattering sweater.  Cons – Wisteria is seamless and silk stretches; I worry I’ll end up with a sweater down to my knees.  Thoughts?).  I want to make a February Lady Sweater, I want to make the lightweight version of Wicked, I want to make a dozen sweaters! 

I know I’m not alone in my indecision hysteria.  Margene recently went through this (and found the same solution that I did!) and so did Becky.  I think we all get overwhelmed with choices and Ravelry certainly hasn’t helped.  Sometimes we need to put our knitting aside and take care of other things.  I spent the majority of last weekend reorganizing my yarn stash and repurposed three Rubbermaid tubs!  I have three more to go (of fiber) and will tackle that this weekend because it involves installing shelving in my closet.  Forget my clothes – I need room for my stash! 

Since I can’t watch television with idle hands, I knit some squares.

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They’re the perfect distraction, I can knit two per night and still watch the Democratic convention!  (btw – Hillary’s speech made me weepy, all that pride in womanhood and how far we’ve come, yet how far we still have to go, brought out the women’s libber in me and it was all I could do not to put on the Helen Reddy album) (Hell yeah!  Hear me roar!).  Okay.  Back to the topic at hand.  The simple act of knitting these squares has refocused my mind and helped me remember that as much as I want a drawerful of handknit sweaters, it’s the KNITTING that I love and that keeps me centered and makes me happy. 

The squares will eventually grow up to be EZ’s Mystery Blanket, but I’m in no rush to have them completed.  In fact, I may keep them as my fall-back, refocus project, because after a couple of nights of knitting squares, that second sleeve doesn’t seem so daunting afterall.  There’s a long weekend approaching, bringing with it the season of guilt-free knitting (aka college football season) and whatever project I’m working on, I’m going to enjoy my knitting, enjoy my creation.  I hope you do too!

 

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Comments

14 Responses to “good intentions, lousy follow-through”

  1. margene
    August 28th, 2008 @ 10:18 am

    The change of season has us thinking we need to knit to be warm and we need to knit it all NOW. Of course, once we come to our senses we see how silly that is.

  2. Carrie
    August 28th, 2008 @ 10:38 am

    I was feeling fallish today, especially after seeing a tree with yellow leaves! (I suspect that one was diseased, as no healthy tree turns colors here until late December, if at all.) As for Wisteria, I think to make the cables pop you’ll want a fiber with a little memory, so maybe not silk/viscose. ?? I was researching tweedy silk (elann.com) for Linden and everyone I asked who’d used it said they’d never choose it for a cably project again. Feb Lady might be good because if it grows, the lace pattern will just open up a little more.

  3. Heather
    August 28th, 2008 @ 12:22 pm

    Ooh, thanks for sharing those sweaters. Now I really want to make the February Lady Sweater, it’s so simple looking and pretty.

  4. Emily
    August 28th, 2008 @ 2:41 pm

    I want to make February sweaters for both of us (both meaning Ellie and not Michael)! I’ve really enjoyed having the CounterPain as a big project that is there when you need it.

  5. rebecca
    August 29th, 2008 @ 10:41 am

    i love that you used ennui. it’s my favorite word and not used enough, i think, anywhere, but especially on blogs, knitting blogs in particular. hope you get your stride back with the sweater, soon though. the squares look like a great project to see you through…

  6. Jessi
    August 29th, 2008 @ 12:37 pm

    I’d love to make the February Lady Sweater, too. I just feel so guilty about casting on for it when I know I haven’t finished my CPH. I love those squares, btw! What kind of pattern are you using?

  7. Jeanne
    August 30th, 2008 @ 8:19 am

    Love the squares – what a great project. It must be the time of year – I just organized my stash, uploaded it to Ravelry, and now I’m looking at sweater patterns…

  8. paula
    August 30th, 2008 @ 3:28 pm

    Oh well, I’ve abandoned my sock and baby sweater for squares from leftover sock yarn. I needed mindless project yesterday. I am thinking Celtic Cable Slipover vest in wool (in my Rav. queue) not Cotlin and bamboo yarn

  9. Snowbird
    August 31st, 2008 @ 4:59 am

    I can honestly say that there is more than one project on needles in my house. I get bored with one and jump over to another then back again to the first. This goes on until one or the other is complete. I think all knitters love multiple projects. It’s probably that time of year again when Fall is right around the corner and we want to make our needles sing with all the great sweater designs out there. Does that sound like I’m justifying multiple projects and buying more yarn and the need for more needles? The squares look great and we’ll wait for the future finished post. I just love knitting.

  10. kv
    September 2nd, 2008 @ 4:30 am

    It’s such a beautiful sweater. and your substitutions are yummy. I’d love to see it finished, but I can wait, too……

  11. Becky
    September 2nd, 2008 @ 7:50 am

    My problem is I have so many things I want to do and not enough time to do them all. I get a new idea and get all excited about it but it takes so much time to figure out and I end up getting distracted by other easily doable things. What can I say? I’m fickle. Now if only I could figure out how to give up my day job I might get more of ideas out of my head and into yarn.

  12. wendy g
    September 2nd, 2008 @ 8:36 am

    I think a lot of us have the same problem of wanting to knit everything we like. There is just not enough time in the day.
    Love the squares too. Oh no, now something else I want to do.

  13. Jennie
    September 6th, 2008 @ 9:52 pm

    ooohhh those are such pretty squares. I love all the colors. I’m a big flip flopper with projects too these days. I can’t seem to get my knitting mojo going. So I start new projects here and there. I hope you get your drive back to finish up your sweater. Can’t wait to see you post pics of it. :)

  14. Diane
    September 8th, 2008 @ 12:35 pm

    I love that blanket pattern – it’s great for handspun! Good luck with finding your mojo again on the sweaters :-)