Startitis: The Viajante and The Mohair Bias Loop

Knitters know of the curse of “startitis”, the irresistible impulse to start many projects all at the same time.

I most definitely have a healthy case of this, the moment I came home from Stitches West I started these:

• The Rug Named Rover (now finished, see previous post!)
• The Viajante Shawl
• The Mohair Bias Loop

I have in progress:

• The Kauni Cardigan – (since 2006!!)
• Showoff Stranded Socks
• Ombré Swiss Cheese Scarf
• The Event Horizon Pi Shawl
• Foggy SF Sky Scarf – (sleeping since 2012)

All I want to do at lunchtime is work on the Viajante and, when I get home, knit on the Mohair Bias Loop! It is like an irresistible compulsion.

But the Viajantes is so wonderful and simple, I am making it out of the dreamiest Malabrigo Silkpaca, a silk-alpaca lace yarn that is soft and airy, it’s going to be gorgeous to wear.

It is a fun design and I have wonderful support from the LSG group on Ravelry. LSG stands for Lazy, Stupid and Godless, and I just love these ladies.

The Mohair Bias Loop is the simplest pattern that I found at the Claudia Handpaints booth at Stitches West. Years ago I made a pretty spiral scarf out of Alchemy Haiku, and it had a tragic end. I made another and it’s pretty but I missed the airy loft of the silk mohair thread of the Haiku yarn.

At the booth I saw this gorgeous, glowing fluff of the Haiku knitted up into a pretty, simple cowl shape. I have cones and cones of silk mohair yarn from Artfibers, but I coveted a skein lying next to the sample Bias Loop that glowed like cranberries roasted on butter at Thanksgiving. They were meant to be mine.

I started it last night after I finished my embroidery and thought about it all day.

After a few hours I was more than halfway done.

It did not take long to finish it and I wore it to the book reading by Stephanie Pearl McPhee, the “Yarn Harlot”. She complimented me on it, which thrilled me down to my toes. She’s a tiny lady and I crouched down as far as I could so spare her from yet another “Mutt and Jeff” photo.

Despite all my projects lurking in the wings I am really tempted to pull our the cone of palest lavender or the cone of vibrant burnt orange and make this according to the pattern, which fits around the shoulders like a shrug. The gorgeous Haiku skein did not have enough yardage . I think I might have to cast on one immediately!

When Inspiration Strikes – Weekend Knitting

I have been having a lovely afternoon, knitting my First Möbius Shawl in a pretty Malabrigo yarn called Arroyo in the color “Glitter”, which reminds me of the fall colors of leaves and, coincidentally enough, the arroyo behind my friend’s house in Santa Fe.

I brewed some floral and delicate white tea and started watching Agatha Christie movies, and have been trying to stay warm during our sudden cold snap.

While knitting and dreaming of a vacation in Barbados like Miss Marple in a Caribbean Mystery, I realized the fluffy pink knitting project that Miss Marple was working on while talking to the soon to be murdered Major Palgrave, the film actually flashed the pattern on the screen!

I started doing a little research and found lots of knitters had noticed this same thing and that they had industriously researched and located the pattern. Isn’t that quite marvelous?

I plan to send away for the booklet called Bairnswear, Booklet #107, “Babies’ Cardigans” 1 to 2 years. A bairn, for those of you who don’t have Scottish heritage, is a charming name for a child. The booklet has four patterns in it, including the famed Dumpling Diddle. Now I need to research what a dumpling diddle means!

I do love how a pleasant (and dull-seeming to some) weekend activity can result in such a fun discovery.

Funnily enough, yesterday I was having a trying day, a tiring and painful walk to run an errand that proved mostly fruitless, and I returned home chilled and grumpy. I found I had a note from a dear family friend in the mail, and opened it to find an article she sent about how knitting and other crafts actually do more than make us happy, the activity calms the mind and the body and reduces stress and anxiety. It was such fortuitous timing to receive this little missive. I started knitting with this Malabrigo and started to feel better in a few minutes. It changed the tone of my entire day and made me feel happy that I had a weekend all to myself to just do as I please: knit, nap, watch movies and make simple meals.

I still wish I could go on a long vacation to somewhere pretty like the plantation in Barbados, but curled up on my Victorian settee “Vicky” by the radiator, wrapped in down and faux mink will just have to do.

Sky Scarf – Day 18

Day 18 of my Sky Scarf and it’s a pretty one: blue skies with pink and grey fog mixed in.

Every morning I have something to look forward to.