Knitting: Designer Dreams

The Brown Silk Socks for hubby are finished! I was sitting there over the (slightly boring) New Years long weekend, contemplating casting on yet another project to amuse myself, when I smacked myself in the forehead and just picked them up and finished them off. I mean, I'd already turned the heels, I just had the leg and cuff to do, which was mindless stockinette and ribbing until the yarn ran out. So I fired up the Matrix trilogy and finished them off. There's something about the exciting action and the musical soundtrack that makes my knitting speed really, really fast.

Kind of like how the theme song from NCIS makes my spinning wheel spin faster, but on a shorter scale.

I have also started my foray into designing knit garments. It's going to be a linen-blend nightie just in time for Valentine's Day, hopefully, if I'm not a complete spaz. If your New Year's resolution is to use up some of your yarn stash, or your budget can stand a $40-$60 yarn purchase, and you'd like to be a test knitter, drop me an email at tilandra(at)gmail(dot)com. Please put "Test Knitter" in the subject line. I'm still working out the details, but I think I can swing a discount for the test knitters I select who want the final, "prettied up" pattern in their Ravelry library. I'm working the prototype in a sport-weight cotton-linen blend from Knit Picks, but I'm sure the Louet linen line would work well, also. Any decent, non-stretchy (don't want it to grow, lol) soft sport-weight with a drapey feel will work too.

It's knit in the round, and there's a long stretch of straight stockinette. I've found it's a perfect project for practicing getting my knitting speed up. I cast it on after I finished the dreaded socks, and I'm about half-way done.

Next up after I finish the prototype is a hoodie sweater for my daughter. She's been wearing a fingering-weight sweater I knit for myself every day to school, and while she looks ultra-adorable in it, it's not nearly warm enough (the light yarn makes for a drapey but not very warm fabric). I've picked the "Jill hooded sweatshirt" pattern from Knit Picks, and the yarn for it should be arriving today, if the USPS has their act together.

Then, the long cabled cardigan from Patons. I was totally crushing on this amazing sweater Helen Shaver wore in an episode of Supernatural. Here's a link to the Ravelry discussion I started in the SPN group, looking for a comparable pattern. There are a few pictures. It was surprisingly difficult to find one that fit all the requirements from the original that I wanted. Mostly I wanted that amazing collar, so that's why I chose the one I did, but the gals had several great suggestions.

That's it for knitting this week. I still haven't touched my Chinook Shawl in the living room, but it's not like I need it to keep warm. :D