Start Your Engines!

 I have a case of start-itis in the worst possible way.  I want to cast on for a ton of new projects.  There’s no rhyme or reason to this start-itis, I just want new new new.  I don’t want to focus.  I want to play.  Luckily I finished this little baby sweater (or almost finished) so I can almost justify starting another project.  I still need to make the little I-cord loop closures, but those will be done shortly.  I needed to block it first in order to figure out just how long the closures need to be.  And as long as I was blocking it, I might as well take a photo at the same time. 

Pattern:  Flower Cardigan and Hat Set from Itty Bitty Nursery. 

Yarn:  Pagewood Farms Alyeska.  One skein was perfect for this project.  I did have one big issue with this yarn.  I think it was a problem with this particular skein because I’ve knit with Pagewood Farms yarn before and never had a problem.  The yarn kept fraying and individual plys would break.  Because it was superwash, I couldn’t just spit splice the ends together.  I randomly added in bits of a pink and green ribbon yarn to jazz things up as per my Stashology class at Stitches.  Every so often I used an overhand knot to tie on a piece of the ribbon yarn.  I tried not to do too many rows of the ribbon yarn on the back of the sweater since I thought a baby lying on this wouldn’t like the feel of the knots too much.  Normally I wouldn’t tie knots in my knitting, but with the ribbon yarn it seemed like the only way to really get it to stay and not unravel.  We are getting some new baby cousins on my husband’s side of the family, so this sweater will go to one of the babies (we know it will be a girl).  The other baby is still unknown as far as which flavor it will be, so I’m going to wait to knit for that baby.  Both will probably be given lots of knitwear!

I also decided that Christmas is just around the corner and that I’ll need to knit a little something special for the girls.  I’m making this sweater in pumpkin orange for Lily.  She’s always asking me what I’m knitting for her, so I know she’ll love it.  Plus, orange is her favorite color.   For a four year old, she has an exceptionally long list of what she’d like Mommy to knit for her.  I’m debating about doing a heavily modified version for Addie.  I’m thinking about making it more of a full length cardigan with long sleeves.  It will probably be navy blue, since she’ll be able to wear that to school with her uniform. 

I don’t know if it’s the change of seasons that’s making me feel this need to start new things, or maybe it’s just coming off the high of Stitches.  Maybe the combination of wool fumes and the chilly nights are making me a little crazy.  Am I the only one who wants to indulge in fresh from the garden tomatoes simmered on the stove and a new project?