I did not have knitting relations with that yarn!

My current knitting makes me feel like I'm cheating on my husband and my boyfriend. No, I do not actually have a boyfriend. But sometimes Kit and I make out without our rings on, so that's sort of the same thing. It started out as just a little swatch. You know, for variety. Then I thought, well, it's really not cheating if I can't knit my regular project, right? Besides, it's only a few stitches. It's not like I'm casting on for a sweater (though I have been thinking about it...I've also got a shawl in mind to design/knit from some of my Lisa Souza Baby Alpaca/Silk...oh, and the Subway Sweater I need to finish...). And if I am going to cheat, I should be doing it with one of the many Christmas presents I have yet to finish start. But no.

Those of you paying close attention may have noticed that there's a new WIP over there in the sidebar...the famous Fetching fingerless mitts from Knitty Summer '06 (modified to include fingers and maybe a mitten pop-over). I originally planned to make them in this, but alas, my wool allergy has reared its ugly head and the beautiful soft wool makes my hands feel like they're on fire. (UTA: I just went and looked -- it's Merino! Merino doesn't usually trigger problems for me becaus of the low guard hair count. See, what usually happens is if it has guard hairs, I get a rash and also it doesn't feel good, but if no guard hairs, no problem. Hmmmm. Maybe in this case it's actually a reaction to the chemicals used to process it. I'm going to try reskeining it and washing it. Hope springs eternal.) Also, I wasn't getting gauge but I was compensating for that by adding a few stitches. They were going to be lovely. Sniffle.

However, I do get to use this lovely Navy (capitalized because it's the official name of the color but doesn't describe the shade at all) Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted that I picked up awhile ago at The Point (must remember to call them today and see if they have the yarn I need for the stockings in stock)...and that means these can be my Project Spectrum project! Wheee!

Now I know you're dying to ask why I'm not going blind and arthritic knitting stockings out of Seasilk on size 0s. Well, I'll tell ya. I swatched this weekend in every imaginable combination of stitches and yarns I could think of and nothing works. So we're going to plan B. Again, I'm not sure just how much detail I can give, but the end result is that I have to wait for more yarn before I start the stockings.

But what about all those Christmas presents you still have to knit, Laura? (Yes, I can hear you thinking it. It's okay. I've been thinking it to myself a lot lately, too.) Well, um, well...Oh! I know! If I knit these now, I can get the Christmas presents done faster because I'll be able to knit while I walk again! Really! No, seriously! Yeah, that's my justification and I'm sticking to it.

posted by Laura Y. @ 7:31 PM