Clothing and kid visits are on my mind.

Not a huge amount of knitting results yesterday.

I don't remember it that way.  I am sure I knit all day.  Reality and memory are sometimes two different things.  Still, the rows count.  

My head was full of my summer wardrobe.  I rarely wear things that I have not made.  My undergarments are still purchased but that is mostly to do with the quality of elastics and fabric I have been able to source.  From socks out, I wear clothing I make myself.  I don't weave the fabric, nor do I spin the fibre, but I sew and I knit and do reasonably well.  There are still a few things that I need to do though.  

I want some bike style short leg bottoms to wear under dresses.   I did sew a test pair and after a few changes, they are great even though I deeply dislike the slippery fabric.  I have fabric and just need to cut and sew a few pairs with those changes.  

I want to make some more skirts.  I made a couple last year and they were good, but they can be better.  They are not as cool in the high heat as my dresses are and I am thinking about that.  The debate is on:  should I make skirts or go with my dresses?  How many do I need?  Is this indecision about need or want?  :)  Want is the more likely if I am honest.  

Either way, it won't happen for a bit.  It's is time for spring breaks so kids are coming and it's going to be in 2 different weeks.  School breaks are offset again this year.   It's also a race weekend, China this time.  Lots of time to knit to and contemplate these things as well as some of the darker things of this current time in the worlds history. Knitting makes it better, that's for sure.  Kids visits help too. 

A Full Day?

Some days are just wonderful.  Knitting wise that is.  

Got striped sweater to a landmark.

I am on to the last gold stripe.  This means 14 rows to the ribbing which will be blue of course.

And I managed to sneak in a few rows on the vest.

It's joined in the round!  Not by much but it is connected.  

That pretty much was my day.  Add in coffee and a tiny bit of puzzling and it really was my day.

Adapting the Dream to Life

Midway through the day yesterday, a sudden and possibly inspired thought came into my head.  Maybe this should be a full on sweater.  

Three quarter length sleeves.  Longer than a summer top. Cool looking.  Casual.  I can see it in my head on a much younger, trendier person who is in no way shape or form, ME. That's when I knew it was never going to happen.

In my head, the vision was of the lifestyle of this sweater with wide stripes.  It is most assuredly not my lifestyle (The wide stripe sweater is on a dock surrounded by boats and is heading toward a trendy coffee shop).  My lifestyle is knitting tops that might possibly look trendy on other people but to fit the me that is, here in the real world.  I am never going to fall for the vision of a lifestyle rather than a garment again.  

I used to.  We all did and do.  We fall for a dream and expect it to be a reality when we have the sofa, or house or makeup brand or car.  In that dream, if we have that thing, we will have that life.  There is nothing wrong with dreaming.  We all do that too, but if we dream without adapting the dream to our own lives, we will forever be unsatisfied.    

This is a summer top, not a top for indeterminate seasons.  What my wardrobe needs is a couple more summer tops so summer top it will be.  Besides I have only 2/3 of a skein of gold left.  I need that for what ever the sleeves will be.  (Hint:  not 3/4 length) 

Progress is not fast on this last bit of a sweater but I am still so thrilled when I switch the colours.  I know it won't be set aside.