Take it Easy

Now and then you just need some mindless knitting. A project you don't have to think about at all. One that you don't have to rush to finish, because it's for you.

I find this to be especially true during mid-winter and mid-summer, when you're often "trapped" in one place because you're traveling, or because it's freakin' freezing or bloody boiling outside.

Enter the humble sock. This isn't a fabulous look-at-me lace sock. It's not a startling crazy-colored sock. It's modest, yet warm. Comfortable, like your favorite jeans. And oh-so-easy on a tired brain...

Yarn: Shalimar Yarns Zoe Sock; needles from KnitPicks

The stitch pattern is a double-garter rib (you'll find it in most stitch dictionaries and in the fun Blueberry Waffle pattern). It's stretchy and allows some air to be trapped in the little "pockets," keeping your feet nice and toasty.

This sock has no secrets. It's a plain old cast-on-64-stitches-and-knit pattern, allowing your hands to fall into the rhythm and your mind to wander. No need to urge yourself to relax, to focus, to hurry, to do anything. No need. Just hang out with your knitting. Just take it, as The Eagles advised, easy.

Why not grab a skein and give it a try -- use plain old stockinette stitch or K2 P2 ribbing, if you want. All I'm saying is, give yourself permission to cast on something easy once in a while. Like now. Go with it. See where it takes you.

Take it Easy

Victoria Fingerless Gloves: UFO #2

Dear "Victoria Fingerless Mittens" admirers,

When I first laid eyes on Louisa Harding's book, Knitting Little Luxuries, I fell in love. C'était le coup de foudre! (It was love at first sight...isn't the French version more fun, though?)

To make matters more dramatic (to a knitter, anyway) I actually had three skeins of Louisa's Grace yarn in my stash, in this lovely cerises color. I rushed home with book in hand, eager to cast on the Victoria Mitts (the photo in the book is much prettier).

And so I did, after clearing up a little error I spotted (yarn amount for solid-color mitts was incorrect...quelle surprise when Louisa Harding herself wrote back to me with the clarification!).

This was almost a year ago.

You see, frustration began to set in when I noticed the yardage issue in the book. Then, when I realized the pattern would produce gloves sized for a 12-year old girl -- or for a very petite woman -- I felt another pang of annoyance. No problem, however, as I was easily able to fudge the gauge to make them fit my long and slender hands (read: average size).

Then...Oh, no! I realized the pattern called for seaming the gloves after knitting them flat on two needles. Now why would I do that??? Why do so many designers choose to put bulky seams on lovely gloves when the pattern could simply be written for knitting circularly? Well, you know me enough to guess what I did. (If you don't, here's a hint: I did no seaming.)

Ugh! What should have been a three-hour knit at most turned into a two-and-a-half evening affair--for one glove. And when that first glove was finished, I realized the picot edging on the thumb would forever get in the way and/or curl back on itself. Understandably, second-glove syndrome set in, and the project was relegated to the doorknob. Sad...so sad.

Now, I'm not saying you should avoid knitting these gloves--they are truly lovely (especially when you do away with the bulky seaming). And the yarn? Well, Grace is simply gorgeous, and it comes in mouthwatering colors. It pills a bit, but most wool/silk singles do, so that's OK.

I'm not dissing the book, either. In fact, I love the book! It's so beautifully photographed. Looking through it makes me feel the way I do when I watch a romantic old movie. The patterns are, as you'd expect from Ms. Harding, dreamy. So honestly, do buy the book! Just be aware that you may decide to make some pattern adjustments.

And should you choose to knit the Victoria Gloves in a solid color, make sure you have two to three skeins of Grace on hand, as well as a nice selection of needles on which to get the right gauge for your hands. I can assure you they will likely be a bit larger than those for which the pattern was written.

It's a bit of extra work, but, believe me, you'll be glad you didn't take the shorter route.

Yours truly,

Knit*Six

Victoria Fingerless Gloves: UFO #2