June. The sixth month of the year, the halfway point of 2015 knitting, the point-of-no-return for holidays-are-coming knitting (if that's what you do). The first true month of Stash Dash, too. For me, it's always been full of tons of planning, new projects, old wips, and fresh FOs for the stash dash yardage. using up bulky yarn fast for fun. all sorts of things.
Except this June, I'm going to try to be a monogamous knitter.
I don't think I've ever practiced knitting monogamy. Maybe my first two projects, a scarf and another scarf--but those were before I had really taken up the craft, back when I was just fiddling around. Before there was stash; when I would just go into the store, see yarn, decide I wanted to knit a scarf, and buy what I thought I needed for that project.
Now I don't have any qualms about my normal knitting polyamory. Some projects are better suited to certain situations than others, and once I started knitting in class to keep myself awake, I'd always have something supersimple and another more engaging project going on at the same time. This spread, especially as my stash grew and I got on ravelry, where I was inspired by 400 things every minute.
So, nowadays, as you well know, 10 projects on the needles that are active, plus five or so hibernating things, plus some spinning and other crafts keeps me happy and busy.
Still, I've never knitted a sweater. Well, I did knit that one in Denmark, but I improvised the pattern, it didn't fit right, it was too short, and I ended up felting it. Soooo that was more of a disaster than a project. I've never actually measured myself, followed a pattern, and then adjusted it to make it fit me. I mean, I can (and have) knit a sack that goes over my head, but that's not a sweater.
I started two sweaters since the time in Denmark. One required colorwork,and changing a pattern to be knit in the round rather than flat--rather easy (as it was colorwork, and I wanted to steek) except for doing increases and decreases in pattern, which I spectacularly flubbed on the sleeve I started as a swatch. That was three years ago and the six inches of sleeve is all I have of it, still.
The other was a fitted sweater knit in pieces and seamed that I started two and a half years agol. I decided to mod it. I wanted it to be seamless (not hard). I had to change the numbers of stitches for the yarn, needle, and my own size--so I swatched, and measured, and blocked the swatch, and measured again. But I also wanted to change the shape of the neckline and the sleeves, and I had the wrong amount of yarn, and after knitting three inches at the interminable stockinette bottom and having it be a weird size and shape despite my efforts, I abandoned that one too.
About a year ago, I finally worked up my nerve and ripped the second one out, then bravely cast on a completely new pattern. This is Harvest, by Tin Can Knits. It's well written, and it's part of their (free!) Simple Collection that's designed to help people learn how to knit. Yes, I know how to knit. but I do not, apparently, know how to knit sweaters. Also I like the construction of this, and it seems to look good on fat people as well as skinny ones. And, finally, as a top-down raglan, I could try it on to make sure it fit as I worked it. Plus, with my shortage of yardage I am hoping that I can mod the sleeves just in length.
So, I worked on it last Sept (2014) and then put it in a bag and ignored it for six months, pretty much only because of gift knitting. I finally scraped it back out of the bag, figured out where I was at in the pattern, and started working on it again at the end of this past April. But since then, and despite the ease of the pattern, the loveliness of the yarn, and my desire for the FO, I have knitted like a fiend on socks, cowls, hats, and other things.
I want this sweater. I want it to work, to fit me, to have enough yarn, to look good and be wearable, and I want to finish it. actually finish it, and be able to wear it to work for the freezing AC and to like it. Also it's gonna be like 1300 yards for Stash Dash, which I rather desperately need. How to make myself actually work on it? this monogamous thing.
So, I'm trying it. And I don't even want to tear my hair out yet! I had about an hour's worth of knitting time yesterday and today and I've put it into the sweater with nary a qualm (I did glance briefly at a pair of socks that are more than 75% done, but they meant nothing, I swear). I am enjoying how the yarn knits up, the feel of the fabric, and keeping track of how much further I have to go before I can separate for sleeves (maybe 14 rows? not too bad!). I think this monogamy thing might be working out!
In fact, I'd be really optimistic if not for one thing: It's only June 2nd.
Keep your fingers crossed that I don't crack.
