I feel like I'm all growed up now...

I've been fighting with my complete antipathy towards the Veronique for a while. It's a gorgeous little shrug, and I really like looking at it, but I just haven't felt like knitting on it for quite some time. I started it July 1. I got halfway through the body and just quit. Here's what it looks like:


Cute, no? But I'm not feeling it. For a while I struggled with the possibility that it was my feelings towards the recipient that were preventing me from continuing, but I sat down with it tonight, read through the next few steps in the pattern, and realized that my reluctance comes from the way the sweater itself is constructed.

RIP (and ripped) Veronique. So Ella's getting a completley different sweater. I was thinking about making her a whisper cardigan, but I wasn't feeling that either. Here's a link to some photos. I've already made one, and I don't really feel like the pattern itself suits Ella.

See, this is the problem with knitting for other people. Not only do the yarn and the project have to match, but the person also has to match the pattern...

I decided on another Hannah Fettig project for this yarn for Ella. I'm going to do her lovely Featherweight Cardigan. Here's a shot of that one (off Ms. Fettig's website):


It's a super cute pattern, and I think I'm going to have a blast making it (even if I'm not too sure about her choice of colors for the sweater above, I think the pattern rocks). Ms. Fettig and Ysolda Teague are my two favorite knitwear designers out there. I can't wait to make something by Stefanie Japel, as I think her designs are awesome. I'm really interested to make some of her stuff to see how she puts her patterns together.

And my point is...

Oh wait. I had a point somewhere. ah yes, the title!

So it was a really really huge step for me, about ten years ago, when I first put down a book that I didn't want to finish reading. I'd never done that before. I had always slogged my way through whatever I was reading, feeling like if somebody had felt it had enough value to put it into print, then I should at least give it the respect to finish. Well, not after I put down that first book. Since then I have started and not finished all manner of books. Ok, probably not more than 10. I can't remember what the first book I didn't finish was, or what most of them were.

Did I have a point?

Yes! I remember it now.

My point with all of this is, I feel like this is a major step for me as a knitter. That I've grown to the point where I can now make a judgment call about a pattern, and that I don't want to continue on with it. HUGE step forward.

The next thing to work on is fit. That will be an entirely different post.