Project Relationships: 5 Tips

Sorting

Picking new yarns, patterns, and ultimately a project is like starting a new relationship.  Inspiration begins the creative process and starts the wheels turning.  I look to my favorite knitters on IG, flip through patterns on Ravelry, listen to great podcasts, and somehow something my next project bubbles to the top.  It might be a color way that I want to play with, or a new technique, or a designer just released a new pattern, or I just learned of a new yarn vendor and I simply must try their products.

Picking

When my children were little and they both wanted items that were very similar we would set everything out in front of them.  A draft was the only way to make the decisions of who-got-what fair and easy to live with.  They would do a quick round of Rock-Paper-Scissor and then start making their choices.  Very rarely did they complain as they were excited that they got to choose what they had.  Sometimes, a little trade would happen on the side.  I find myself using this same type of system when I pick what I would like to gather into my stash and then I allow my knitting belongings to sit and wait while I get inspired.

Inspiration

In September 2017 Kristy Glass made a Finished Object (Ninilchik Swoncho from White Barn Farm Yarn) video wearing her Ninilchik Swoncho – you must check out the video, she is fabulous!

Then, of course, I had to do a Ravelry search for this gorgeous pattern by Caitlin Hunter (BTW, she has tons of amazing patterns!)

My inspiration continued to get awakened at Rhinebeck, we spotted so many swonchos either made up as a sample for a booth or on an actual person! Each time I noticed one, I was compelled to touch it, and ask questions.  Shows are great for learning about new products, but also research about what others are making, what yarn they choose and what they love about the project or where they made modifications. It is as if the Ravelry notes page comes to life and has voices to tell you everything you need to know!

The clincher was how many Swonchos I saw at  Vogue Knitting Live! in NYC.  I was very impressed with the fiber companies that had put together kits for the pattern.  It was at this show that I decided I must make this Swoncho!

Choices

A year ago, I had received 2 large bags of wool from my sister. She told me a story about how she was standing in her driveway getting ready to put down mulch when her friend suddenly arrived, jumped out of her car and quickly asked, “do you like wool? I have a bunch of it in my car and I am allergic and it has to go NOW!” My sister called me and sight unseen, I bought it for 100$.

What I bought was a treasure trove. Hundreds of hanks of wool in a rainbow of color.  I was taken with all the colors and started to learn more about color work and fair isle knitting. Mary Jane Mucklestone has a Craftsy class that is amazingly helpful in learning how to do color work knitting.

A few hats began to emerge. I gained some strength in Design. And off I went to begin knitting many fair isle hats and cuffs.

I got a little stuck on the idea that the wool was scratchy and how would I actually wear it?  It was also working up at a much smaller gauge than any of the “cool” sweaters I was seeing on Ravelry . I am horrible at math and thought that trying to figure out the riddle of how to get my wool to work in these new patterns was going to be too hard for me!

Around Thanksgiving Jeana invited me over to her home for a visit and she encouraged me to cast on the Arboreal sweater in a larger size which would account for the smaller stitch I was making. She was a genius!!! The sweater actually fit! I would get to milestone moments and try things on and it fit!!! Completing the Arboreal KAL gave me the confidence to try the Ninilchik Swonch. Using the same method gauge, I cast on for the larger size and away I went with great success.

5 TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT PROJECT

Tip 1:  Look for inspiration everywhere

Tip 2: Talk to to others who have made what you like and get their advice

Tip 3: Pull our your stash and do a draft to see what you really want to use and what can wait for another project

Tip 4: Set your wool choices in a place you pass frequently – you will notice if colors are not working together

Tip 5: Create a timeline and a little schedule and plan to work on your knitting to finish your project as planned