Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, Day 2

Day 2: A Mascot Project

Today's assignment is to choose one project that sort of personifies the House that we chose yesterday. If you remember, I sorted myself into the House of Monkey, since I tend to try and not shy away from new techniques when I start projects. I like learning new stuff, and my philosophy in knitting is that it can't be too difficult since it's only yarn. Right? 

When looking through my own, finished projects, I think I would have to choose the Companion Cube that I made for my husband last Christmas. In this project I had to do steeking for the very first time, and I also had to do a lot of seaming that I hadn't tried out before. Scary, but exciting! The first version I made I did with superwash yarn, which in itself was kind of a stupid choice for steeking. I also made it in three colours, which also made the steeking near impossible. Ok, I said impossible. It wasn't impossible, it just kind of unravelled when I cut the steeks... 

It was a total and complete failure, and so I had to make a second one. The second cube I made with non-superwash wool (Cascade 220), and then I also decided to add the pink with duplicate stitch instead of having three strands of yarn on the back side of the knitting. And that was also a first for me, I had never tried that technique before. It worked out like a charm, and the cube turned out amazing! My husband was very happy and surprised, and it is now sitting on top of a speaker in the living room, displayed for everyone to see.

I think I have a tendency to just dive in when it comes to these things. The more experienced I get with knitting, the less afraid of frogging I get. I'm not a complete process knitter (where the knitting in itself is the goal, and not so much the finished object), but I have become less and less of a project knitter (where the finished object is the goal, and knitting is just a means to an end). Two years ago I don't think I would have ever made the socks that I'm tending towards now, where the knitting is more or less mindless and the yarn is doing all the work for me. But I like that I'm evolving in my knitting, and I bet things will change even more in the coming years. As long as I'm not standing still, I don't mind where it will take me. I'm having fun, and that's all that matters!

When choosing a new project, it completely depends on what kind of project I'm looking for. It it's a sweater I usually start with trying to find something that will look flattering on me. I am somewhat hourglass shaped, although I am pretty short, so I usually try to find something that will take focus from my short legs. Not that I knit much for the legs, but anyway. If it is socks that I'm starting, it depends a lot on the yarn. If I have a multi-coloured yarn, I've learned to look for a project that is very easy, but still has a little variation to keep my mind occupied. If I have a solid yarn, I usually go for some sort of cables, or a pretty difficult pattern. I definitely prefer patterns that I have to look at while knitting (if it isn't supposed to be my work knitting, then I need mindless), as that keeps me busy.

The project that I'm choosing for a House Mascot is the Carousel Socks, that were published in Knitty a while ago. 

Pattern from Ravelry

I have never made socks this way before, and the technique really intrigues me. I'll make it in one of my many self-striping yarns, but I have no clue yet which one. I have some to choose from!

See you tomorrow for the next topic!

/ Jenny