Short of budgetary catastrophe I will be undertaking a major knitting project in October – the Garden Patch cardigan by Philosopher’s Wool, as my project for the Anne Of Green Gables Knit and Read-Along. The KAL is four months long, which should be ample time for a major knitting project as long as I practice a reasonable degree of project monogamy.
Garden Patch will be the second sweater I have knit (We’re not going to discuss the first one. Some things are better left to the past.) , and is going to be a serious challenge for me – I’ll be working stranded knitting in the round, then steeking to shape the cardi.
The first thing I think I need to do is clear up my backlog of UFO’s — I’ve gotten it down to two serious projects, the Stella Maris Scarf and the SnowDrop Shawl. The scarf has six repeats to go before I can start the border, and Snowdrop is perhaps 40% finished. I’ve been following a small self set rule of working on only two projects at a time – one old project, and one new project. That’s been working well for me. I’ll definitely finish up the scarf this month, and I should be able to finish the shawl as well.
To practice the stranded knitting, and improve my tension carrying yarn in both hands, I am going to knit at least 3 stranded knitting hats. I have the first one started. That’s about a hat a week this month, which should be do-able. I’ve laid in a stock of worsted weight yarn in nice colors, gotten a hat book (Hats On by Charlene Schurch), and am getting underway with this.
I’ve also worked with my schedule, to make sure I am developing a good habit of knitting every day under good conditions. I have designated a “sit down knitting time” in the evenings, when it is understood that Mom is doing complicated knitting, and will not play or read or do Mom things short of emergencies. I will chat, and give hugs and am otherwise not to be disturbed. I’m starting this a month early so that la familia will have time to get used to it — so far it’s going well. The Bee gets her knitting and sits and knits with me! and dasHusband is usually at work, so it works out very well.
Knit-Write 