I know I said I’d do a lucky dip delve into my craft box to come up with bags containing mystery items. I’d concentrate on finishing, or unravelling, long ago started things before starting anything new, but blame my friend.
She messaged me last week with two shawl pattern pics asking which one she should pick. Then I say a day or so later that I really have an urge to knit.
“What’s prompted that?”
“You, you lemon!”
Ha!
Digging through my craft cube I found yarns I’d forgotten all about, some really nice stuff that’s been tucked away for a lonnnng time. I’d done that deadly thing of keeping it ‘for best’ and it ended up there for years. Today is the day I decided. Just make something, anything, with it.
Life’s a bit like that in general at the moment, isn’t it? On Simon Mayo’s Books of the Year podcast author Sabine Durrant said that she’s always finished books, no matter whether she’s enjoying them, or not. However now she will give up on some. It’s the same sort of thing. This year is making us think about some aspects of life a little differently.
It’s really pretty. The colourway is Spiced Plum and it’s by Fyberspates. It’s 100% merino 4 ply. Very pretty. I bought it years ago in iknit in Waterloo, London. I googled to see if they still sell it and found the shop has closed. I can’t find any more information about when, why or if they’ve moved. What a shame.
I’d kind of forgotten that with luxury skeins of hand-dyed yarn you can’t simply pick them up and start knitting; before you begin there’s hard manual labour to do!
I don’t know about you, but I can spend a very long time looking through patterns trying to decide what to make. This time I just went straight to things already saved in my Ravelry library and picked the first shawl pattern I saw: Close to You by Justyna Lorkowska.
Later I messaged my friend as actually it seems we’re doing a Knit Along! She didn’t pick either shawl in the end, but went for a pattern she’s used before. Here is hers in progress and here’s mine (there was a knot and undyed piece of merino unfortunately, so I had to cut it. That’s why there’s a trailing end and separate ball. Beautifully hand wound, I think you’ll agree?)
What are you up to at the mo? Are you thinking life’s too short to save yarn for best, do you carry on reading books you’re not enjoying etc?
The Little Room of Rachell 
That is a really gorgeous shawl pattern, and it’s going to be fabulous with your for-best yarn. I don’t save yarn for best, although I used to save beads and fabric “for something really special” but I’ve stopped doing that as well. If my eyes land on something, it gets used! Books – unless someone has recommended a book and tells me to just get past the beginning, I’ll carry on. Otherwise not. Life is too short to waste on lousy writing, plus there are too many really excellent writers who deserve my attention!
PS. I most certainly have never seen a more perfect hand wound ball of yarn in my life ;)
Thanks Jill. It’s a simple knit but shows off the yarn well.
Good for you! I’m glad I’m not the only one.
I was like that with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – a friend said just carry on as it gets better after the first fifty pages. She was right! I ended up reading all three books.
Ah you’re too kind – I know it’s not really but I love you for adding that!
I used to insist on finishing every book I read, but I stopped doing that when I read this truly awful werewolf novel. I gave up after about 15 pages and suddenly it didn’t seem like such a big deal any more.
Nooooo! Fifteen pages? It must have been a shocker.
Oh it was dreadful. Truly dreadful.