I Need to Knit a Sweater

It's starting to get chilly.   Like,  properly Autumnal chilly.   It's almost as if the weather is trying to convince me to knit more  The clocks going back this weekend hasn't helped with the 'let's pretend it's not getting into Winter'. 

A lot of people I follow on Instagram were at Rhinebeck earlier this month.  (Of the 29 knitting people I follow, eleven were at Rhinebeck; only two of which appeared not to be posting).  It surprised me how difficult I was finding it watching their stories.  There is something about the knitting community getting together, which is amazing.  Knitters understand knitters in a way that non-knitters never will, and I feel in need of a bit of understanding at the moment. 

Counting down! 

However, I did stay up until the early hours to watch Kristy Glass' Tell Me About Your Rhinebeck Sweater.  YouTube have a new feature called Premiere, so for the first time any recording is played, the people watching it, can interact via a chat window.  The premiere happened at 0100 UK time.  Mr Knitty was on a night shift, so his place in the bed was taken by my laptop.  So, in my own little way I was part of this year's Rhinebeck story.  I did cast on a pair of socks to knit whilst watching, but with keeping up with the sweaters and the commenting, there wasn't time for knitting as well.

Just check the time on the laptop

If you've not watched any of the 'Tell Me About Your Rhinebeck Sweater' videos on Youtube, I'd highly recommend it.  It gives you a change to indulge in other people's creativity and find new patterns and yarns you've never heard of.  The only risk is an increase in your Ravelry queued items!  The videos can be found on Youtube for 2016, 2017 and 2018. 

I'm starting to think about Christmas knitting - both for this year and for next.  Between now and Santa, my sister is due a second baby - so I also want to do some hats for him/her.  (Older brother who was born in October got hats for his first Christmas.  Bump is going to get hats for being born and something else for Christmas.

This may, or may not, have been bought for Bump's Christmas present. 

I've also decided that I really, really, REALLY need to knit a sweater.  There's something about Christmas knitting that's got me wanting to knit everything but what I actually need to get sorted.  I'm also getting a bit bored of knitting socks; the needles are small and my shoulders hurt after too much knitting.  I've been inspired by the Rhinebeck sweaters and I want to get on and knit my own - even if I don't get to New York State until 2020 at the earliest.

Of course, extra yarn for Christmas gifts means that the stash is getting even more out of control than it was to start with.  That's even more reason to knit a sweater; a sweater worth of yarn will clear more space than a pair of socks worth of yarn.  Of course, if I actually start a sweater now - then there won't be time to knit Christmas gifts.  It's the first year I've done gift knitting, so I want to at least try and get it right.

I guess I need to start by casting on....

Once Upon a Sock: October

So, I didn't forget to post yesterday.  It just got late, and I got tired...

I have three pairs of socks currently on the needles, one of which I don't have photos of.

The pair I want to get finished today:

Yarn - West Yorkshire Spinners, colourway Blue Lagoon

I was away over the weekend, and was hoping to finish them then, but didn't.  The other pair, which really should be next to complete:

Yarn - Regia Pairfect, colourway Candy

This is knit with Sockmatician's pattern, using German short rows.  Of the three times I've tried them on this pair of socks, I've got it to work once.   I'm liking the German short rows, but it does take a bit of concentration to turn the heel. 

Today is also my birthday, which is an excuse for more knitting time and sewing badges on to my camp blanket.  For those not in the know, it's a common tradition for Guides and Scouts to sew old badges or souvenir badges on to a blanket, which they then take on camp.  The blanket I'm working on at the moment, includes these incredibly cute badges:

Hello Kitty badges from Japan, 2015

Also my sister gave me the best gift - a poetry book about knitting.  I have no idea where she bought it, but it's amazing.  All proceeds go to Knit for Peace.  There's even one poem which references James Norbury  Be still my geeky knitters heart.  She's also sent me a video of her and my two year old nephew singing Happy Birthday. 

There are about three yarns I want to cast on for my next pair of socks, as well as the Christmas yarn I should start to think about starting on.  That's in addition to any socks I want to knit for Mr Knitty for Christmas.  The focus should be on the two currently on the needles.  If I don't, I'll just cast on a new pair once I've finished the blue stripey pair and the other two pairs will still be waiting for heels, this time next year. 

On the first Thursday of every month, there is a group of us who blog about socks.  OK, in this case - a couple of us have made it the first Friday of the month, but that's OK.  There is a monthly link up hosted by Paula at Spin a Yarn.  If you blog and knit socks, you're more than welcome to join us.