Grumpy puss but better at the end.

It was a good knitting day.  I worked solidly on the Blue sweater.  Front and back hems are now the same length so there is only two inches to go on the back hem.  I am looking forward to getting it done.

Otherwise I am grumpy this morning.  Look away because I am venting.  

I got new bedsheets.  I missed the part where it said sateen.  They are pure cotton which is what I wanted but the sateen weave means it feels as if I am slipping ever so slowly out of bed.  I just wanted a simple cotton plain weave. 

I also got a new pair of shoes.  I really hoped that these would be okay.  They are called a barefoot shoe.  Ha.  My idea of barefoot and the manufacturers idea of barefoot are two very different things.  Very different.  I need a thin sole without a thick clunk at the back of my heel that pushes my feet forward.  I needed a shoe that I can feel the floor through it, protected by the sole but not shaped or controlled by it.  I kept hoping I wasn't going to have to manufacture shoes myself.  Damn.

I can tell I am old.  I have no patience for things that have been new and improved beyond what worked.

The new pillow I purchased is great though.  Quite nice.

In other good news, my fabric arrived from GK Fashion Fabrics.  I have found they are the best supplier to use when I am looking for specific fabrics.  I love Fabricville (the Quebec and online branch of Fabricland) but sometimes they don't carry what I am looking for.  If they do, they are not always giving me enough information for me to feel confident in what I am purchasing.  Gk Fashion Fabrics states very clearly the specific amount of stretch and the weights of fabrics.  

  Plus they always seem to have good old fashioned all cotton waffle weave.  I love that fabric.  Heavy enough for pants but stretchy enough for all around comfort.  

My other fabric, the 4 way stretch is likely a wee bit too light for pants I think (330 gsm: this note is for me for future reference).  Too light a fabric and I will end up with that tights that are not pants look.  It will however, be great for a light close fitting pant/tight style that I can wear comfortably under dresses and tunics.  I need those in my wardrobe anyway.  

I have to finish a few things before I do a major bit of sewing though.  Finish the Blue sweater first.  I want that sweater badly.  I just can't wait!

To knit

It feels like forever since I wrote the last post. Long weekends can be like that.  It was such a good weekend with lots of knitting time.

I did knit on socks on Friday.  Four different pairs to be precise.  I couldn't settle. In the end, I picked up the yellow sweater.  I had started that the day before and it was just fun.  I really wanted to keep going on it.  I stayed with it the whole weekend.  

I really enjoy this.  It's simple but really engaging.  I am just working the second increase set now.  It's not a fast knit for me.  My wiggly shaking finger makes me need to go slowly.  But slowly is good.  Knitting this also confirms my comfort with carrying both of the colours in the same hand.  It feels quite natural and normal.  

And that brings me to one of my big plans for this winter.  I meant to work on and finish my blanket colourwork project

(Just a snapshot of the pattern page)

and my vest colourwork project.  

Now that I am feeling more confident with carrying colours on one hand, I had hoped to get these long term projects completed before winters end but here it is full, mid February.  Winter is running out fast.  

I planned this because I wasn't feeling the burning need for sweaters.  That burning need had been a bit of a bug bear for me the last few years. It was a bit all consuming.  It's fun when that happens in some ways but it is nice when it let's you go.  Lusk was the last urgent sweater.  Why?  I have no idea but it was.  It all feels much more relaxed now.  

It may not stay that way.  Who knows.  I just go with it. The only thing I feel the need for now is to knit.  

Boxes of Joy

It arrived!  The yarn I ordered using the gift from my lovely niece.  It is lovely.  Joyful.  Delightful.  A treat!  

  

I ordered the neon colours that Jo's Yarn Garden had in Cascade Anthem, a very nice acrylic, and one colour from Cascade's Pacific line in the neon orange.  All this will be paired with more of the Anthem in a deep Navy blue.  It's going to be a glorious blanket.  

The blanket is not a challenging one at all.  It's the Sweet Shop Blanket from Laura Penrose.  I saw it on several vlogs, most notably, the Knits from Lincolnshire vlog on youtube.  She just had so much fun knitting it.  You could see her joy with this project just shining out from her when she talked about it.   It's one of those fun, always something new projects that are just great knits.

The bright neons come from watching Jana at Finnish Knitting Stories.  She often has these wonderfully bright cheerful projects and in the dark of winter, I crave the brights.  Not necessarily  neon, but just colours.  Her soft colour choices for with the brights are lovely, but I love strong contrasts,  hence the navy.

And so my stash grows.  The whole stash brings me joy.  I feel like it is time to do a dive but I already did that since the New Year began so no dive for me.  There is knitting.  With the trouble I've been having feeling connected to a project, I was surprised to find myself here.

I'm almost at the length of the front cast off.  Since I want to have the back be a couple inches longer than the front I think I have only 4 or 5 inches to go.  Then it is only sleeves and those are always fast, right?  Right?  

Off I go.  It's sock day today.  Maybe.  The hands might stray to the Blue.  It's calling too.