Summer knitting

Yippee it's the holiday weekend! Now that is a beautiful thing. I feel like I am on vacation, just by dint of a) not having any work to do (I caught up on an amazing number of things on Friday and last week after being out two days the week before) and b) not having too many other social obligations either.

Bliss!

I'm really excited about the fact that summer is coming/here. I hate the winter, although I think that knitting will mediate that now. But there's tons of summer knitting I want to get done and already I'm worrying that I'm going to run out of time. At what point does one start knitting winter things again I wonder?

This ties in nicely with the Skeins Her Way Pre-Summer Contest that involves listing your summer knitting goals. Here are mine (not in order of priority):

1) Finish fingerless garter mitts

2) Finish Clementine Shawlette

3) Finish Yankees set (I just have to tidy up the color work on the hat and add tassles to the scarf)

4) Knit two sets of baby hats and booties for the grandchildren of my husband's recently retired boss and his wife, probably in two different but coordinating Koigu colorways (KPPPM of course). I can't say how much I love some of the KPPPM colorways. I'm going to have to try not to go too crazy ordering.

I'm thinking of buying 50 Baby Bootees to Knit just to get the pattern for Sheik Yerbouti and yes I know I've linked to those several times already but I am completely obsessed with them! I can't find that colorway of Koigu anywhere either...

These are cute and look somewhat similar but also would require purchasing a book.

Knit Simple Spring/Summer 2007 has some cute booties too (scroll down) but are not exactly what I have in mind.

Oh but look at these! How utterly adorable are those?!!! They are the "Suede" Booties and the pattern is free!

As far as hats go, well, I don't really need a pattern and can use Molly's hat as a guide but I did try looking around online for baby hats knit in Koigu. I might also use the handle hat as a guide although both patterns use much thicker yarn (I could always double up... like this hat... or adjust).

This set (called Chicchai - pattern here) could work and at least confirms that I should be able to knit a hat a two booties from one skein of Koigu. This hat is interesting too.

Then there is the Slip-Stitch Quilted Baby Hat which is very different but very cute, especially in the colors chosen. I'm trying to get a copy of that pattern...

5) Knit something for another friend's baby girl who was born last September (not sure what yet but perhaps something in Koigu too, one of the above)

6) Knit the indigo ripples skirt from IK Spring 2007 - I have been stalking this pattern ever since I saw this one and have since found this one and this one that also look just gorgeous. (It's good to note that there's a pattern errata published. There is also a KAL here.)

As many have, I would definitely want to lengthen the stockinette portion and the entire skirt also. I have really been loving wearing longer fitted skirts lately. Could it be that I'm getting too old for mini skirts?! Who cares, I love my just below the knee flirty skirts - I have brown and pink (both from Sisley as a matter of fact) so I am thinking of knitting a pale green one. Apparently, I like green. It's not my favorite color but I think it's a good clothing color. I like pink and purple and orange and yellow and red but those to me are bolder and less flexible clothing colors.

Anyway, the yarn specified in the pattern has been discontinued (you'd think they'd check that out). Rowan Denim, a popular substitute, only comes in blue or natural. I'm too much of a newbie to select a substitute all on my own, so I've been scouring the web looking to see what others have used. The Silk City Perle 3/2 looks good but doesn't really have the green I want, so I think I'm going to go with the Knit Too Crochet One 2nd Time Cotton in Artichoke. I'll keep you posted.

Other skirts I've been eyeing include the Daktari Skirt (I love the color Julie uses here, even though she had problems with it) and Intolerable Cruelty although I would probably personally use a ribbon with less contrast in the back...

7) Knit something stunning for my mother. I think the lacy cape in Knit It! Spring 2007 (this was my KTE magazine - for some reason I can't find a website for this it anywhere) would really suit her and look great but is it stunning enough? Also, the recommended yarn is 100% acrylic - what will that be like? So I'm wondering if I should save that for myself(!) and instead choose something like the River Stole or perhaps Birch or something similarly light and lacy in Rowan Kidsilk Haze. Or perhaps Hanami (I would do the cherry blossom version) (I wonder how that would come out in Kidsilk Haze). Or maybe Clapotis. Or, going a warmer route, Cavendish in my old friend Noro Silk Garden. As you can tell, I'm not sure yet what the right project is going to be. I'm going to have to mull that one over further.

8) Knit the Lacy Hooded Tunic from Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2007 for myself. Oooh, look, errata here. I can't seem to find a photo of this project anywhere online. This is one I'm getting anxious to knit quickly before the summer is out.

9) Knit a white cardigan for myself. A few things have caught my eye but I haven't even begun to decide what yet.

10) Buy a swift and ball winder.

Those are the immediate/major goals anyway. I think anything for fall/winter is going to have to go on the backburner for now.

Wow, research for knitting takes a long time!

Comments

[chrispy]

I made the Indigo Ripple skirt in March and loved the pattern. I used Knit Picks Cotlin. It was a great sub for the yarn and held the lace pattern lovely and wears great. Since it has linen it does not stretch out as badly as 100% cotton.