Planning

I’m really into this whole "plan your project" idea. From finding a pattern that you really like, to picking the yarn for that particular pattern, making sure you know how to do what the pattern requires and that you have all the right needles and such, I’m really getting into this. Here is one of the products of my planning skills.

I found this capelet here (which by the way you have to check out because there are some really creative and talented folks out there who are willing to share patterns and ideas in the name of creative craftsters). The pattern called for Rowan Polar in an off-white-ish color. Of course, Rowan Polar has been discontinued but I had one ball of Rowan Polar in a different color, leftover from when I knitted my friend Sam a scarf for her birthday. However, the pattern called for two balls so I called my LYS, where I had originally bought this yarn, and they had another ball in the same color. Yay! I got another ball (hee hee). I had the pattern, I had the needles, I had the yarn, and I had me a good time making this capelet. As you can see, I’ve used some scrap yarn to hold the stitches on the sleeves and a bad attempt to use a circular needle on the sleeve, which of course, any semi-experienced knitter would know was not going to work cause the needle was just too darn long. So, when I was ready to finish the sleeves, the pattern called for the use of straight needles again and then seam up the sleeves. One thing I hate is seaming. I don’t like the way it looks. This could be because I’m not a good seamer and I’m not doing it right, but I like knitting things that have as few seams as possible. It looks much more polished. I went back to my LYS and asked the very nice woman there if I could knit the rest of the sleeves with dpns as opposed to straight needles and she affirmed my idea. The pattern only called for straight needles cause it’s easier, but I’m feel just fine about using dpns, so I bought me some size 11 dpns and that’s where I am now. Just got to finish the sleeves, weave in the ends and then do a little blocking.

Ah, blocking, not so good at that. That’s where the planning ends. I can’t tell you how many projects I have that are "almost" finished except for the blocking, or the felting. I’m so not good with all the finishing techniques. But, that’s a story for another time.