I am still so jazzed after yesterday! A spinning wheel. Oh my! The whole experience of being in the yarn shop –not just the barn yesterday—but the visit before yesterday—it made a very big impression on me.
I had already been kicking the idea around, as you know, of not just getting rid of more of the clothing/etc in my house (and R’s house too at this point) –but also of cutting down on when and WHY I buy, and how much I buy, clothing-wise.
As I walked through that yarn shop, inhaling that radiant smell, touching the most delicious fibers, stroking and enjoying, and being blown away by some of the textures—flax and softened hemp—silk—llama—angora—so many wools—entirely too many combinations of yarns…my poor little knitter’s heart rat-a-tatting a million miles per second…that desire to be a part of that existence again touching the edges of my heart, flooding into my brain, suffocating my will to finish other things first….
The spinning wheel and spindle demonstration simply pushed me over that remaining precipice and I dove in head first.
After that initial journey into the Weaving Department’s yarn shop, I made a decision to not buy anything else, clothing-wise, except essentials and what not—as I planned, right then and there, to knit up whatever I might want or need.
So long have I been a firm believer in why should I buy yarn, knit, and fight my way through a sweater, any sweater (for myself), when a thrift stores sells these beautiful sweaters for $1 or so in the most exquisite fibers that I probably would not be able to afford anyway…and as I stood staring at a cotton/llama/wool blend yarn the other day, it all became much too clear to me. All the other little pieces that have been falling upon me, struggling to connect to other pieces that float around in my brain…one more inhale in that store and I had too many pieces tumble together and finally make sense to and for me.
It’s not about QUANTITY. It’s about creating something you love, making it w love, and wearing it with pride. Even after it pills up after years of use and loving wear.
I have been thinking I need more shells and tank-top-esque tops for this coming season…and they should not be horrible to knit, since I am planning to use at least a US7 to knit them, rather than the US4 or 5 I normally see some of these patterns requiring. I’m sorry—I may not need instant gratification, but spending months knitting one garment won’t do. Especially given all the shawls I have currently upon my plate.
The Avenue Q shawl is not even halfway done, but it is all stockinette stitch, so it’s not a hardship to knit it or anything.
The planned wedding shawl has gone from Faroese style—to long rectangle. Not too wide, but wide, and probably longer than most would think it should be. Normal shawl length is what? Roughly the length of the arms? Which for me would put it at about six feet. I would prefer something more in line with 8 to 9 feet long, so that there is plenty of draping. I also want an alpaca/silk blend yarn, roughly DK or sport weight, something in that range. Something w a little bit of fluff, but something that definitely shows off stitch definition, because this will be more of a lace piece than a substance piece.
The dove grey dress shawl, which I guess I shall have to begin to call the Symphony shawl now, is also going to be a rectangle. But more on the thin side, rather than the wide side. I am thinking more soft and fuzzy, much fuzzier than the wedding shawl…not quite angora, but not the brushed mohair of the Avenue Q shawl either. And while the wedding shawl shifts from soft blues , since the dress is ice blue, to warm creams—sometimes I even think, maybe, a white…but probably not…I can’t really see white for a wedding. ‘Traditional’ for one person does not mean traditional for me—white is the color of death—and I am not wearing that to my wedding…I am not even sorry there. While the wedding shawl color shifts—the symphony shawl does not—I want a nice pale pale soft grey color for that.
Yes, for these shawls, I will be designing the patterns myself. Or more to the point, I will be test knitting the patterns I wrote out in what 2007? 2008? That have been sitting here waiting for me to get around to me.
That brings me to my other…goal…project. That knitting book. I wrote an entire knitting book, mostly of shawls and smaller square type projects (no hats, no socks, yada yada)—I based the premise of the book on something I am not real keen on any more…I have a great deal more knowledge, and not just of knitting either, at my disposal. I have evolved. I have turned things around. I have moved and have moved on. All the essays, though still pertinent to other people, are no longer pertinent to me. I need to find another outlet for those essays, and then re-write and re-structure that book. I was actually thinking of breaking things down in such a way that rather than have this entire book…I sell it out, pattern by pattern, as I test knit and perfect the patterns. Plus, now that I have more knitting and more crocheting under my belt, I have a much better understanding of how to get my point across to other people…rather than my normal ramblely digressions…
So—there is my current fiber update.
Of course, if there is anyone locally who can give me information on buying wool fiber/roving locally from the actual producer (as in, can I go to the farm and pet the sheep please? ) oh please let me know…not that I am against buying my fiber from the weaving dept…but field trips to farms…we’re back in Heaven again here….lol
Enjoy!
