Sunday, June 29, 2008

Finally! Some Recent Knitting!

I lost my motivation to knit right around the time I went to the writer's conference in April. Or maybe it was the month before, I don't remember. I lost the motivation to do a lot of the things I love right around the same time. I wasn't reading, and despite the fact that I'd pledged to work on my novel and short stories for at least one hour a day, I wasn't even doing that. My life over those months consisted of an annoying commute, a stressful workday, and going through the motions of dinner and bedtime stories before plopping on the couch with a closed notebook in my lap and staring like a zombie at the television or falling asleep. Rinse and repeat.

But in the past couple of weeks, some of the stress has lifted, and I'm getting back in the groove, slowly but surely. (Many thanks to Serena for motivating me to write and blog again and to Dawn for motivating me to pick up the needles again. It's great to have friends who care!) I still need to read more, but even that's improving. I finished a book on Friday and another this afternoon. I've been sleeping on the train and recently slept through my Metro stop. So not cool. Anyway...

I picked up a mitten project that I started in February. I'd cast on for the second mitten and never started it. I brought it with me earlier this month to one of The Girl's baseball games and had two boys on her team compliment my knitting. One actually leaned up against my chair and casually said, "That's some nice knitting you got there," almost like it was a pickup line. I just about died laughing. I digress yet again.

Red Cabled Mittens

Pattern: Basic Cabled Mittens by Amy O'Dell of Whistlepea Knits
Yarn: Sandnes Garn Smart Superwash (approximately 2 balls, color 4065)
Needles: U.S. 6 bamboo DPNs
Started: Feb. 2008
Finished: June 2008
Modifications: Out of stupidity, I crossed the cables wrong on the left mitten, but I didn't want to lose my motivation to knit again, so I didn't have the heart to unknit and start over. I don't think it looks bad, though. The only change I made was on the thumb; I picked up 6 stitches instead of the 2 stitches called for in the pattern. It makes the thumb look pretty big, but it fit perfectly and looks completely normal when I put them on.

This was the first time I knit mittens in the round, and it won't be the last. I'm not good at picking up stitches without leaving holes, but I'm willing to fudge a bit to avoid seaming (not that I really mind seaming, it just takes a lot of time to do it right). Amy's pattern is fairly easy and involves cables...what's not to love?



**Photos Copyright 2008 Serena M. Agusto-Cox**

6 comments:

Serena said...

look at all these old knitting photos...ah good times...you bringing the work to the office, and me bringing the camera to take photos.

I can't wait to show you the whale watch photos....you would have died laughing at JO

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Dawn said...

Okay, I know I have bad eyes, but I still don't see the boo-boo? I would've never known! LOL! I love those, they look so warm and cozy. I have yarns earmarked for mittens...someday I have to get back to those! ;O) I never work fingers or thumbs like a pattern says, I always p/u whatever # I need to make it work.

We all have those times in our life when we're wondering: "what the heck is wrong with me?" I can so relate. I'm so glad you're getting back into the things that bring you joy though. That's so good to hear! Gives me Warm Fuzzies.

Now falling asleep on a train scares me...missing my stop would tick me off but I'd be afraid because of all the strangers around...and what if I snored??? hahahahaha

Anna said...

The cables are going in opposite directions. That's the only boo-boo. Dawn and Serena, thanks for all your support when I was going through that rough patch. It really means a lot to me.

I've snored a couple times on the train, but there are worse snorers than me on the train. I only went one stop past my stop so it wasn't that bad!

Dewey said...

Oooh, I can't wait until I become advanced enough for mittens! Those are so beautiful.

Anna said...

Thanks, Dewey! They really weren't hard at all!