Hi readers, and happy Wednesday! How are your weeks going so far? Not much has changed on my needles since my last Unraveled post — I’m still knitting away on my Merry Melodia, as I like to think of it, and my Arctic Cardigan is getting so close to being done. I’m a few rows shy of the sleeve cuffs being done, then it’s just pockets to be knit and finishing details. I can’t wait!
In fact, I’m so close to being done that I’m antsy to pick my next big sweater project. I’m having a bit of trouble deciding, so I thought I’d ask for your help!
Option 1: Bulky short-sleeve sweater. A few weeks ago, I saw a post on Instagram from fabulous Tin Can Knits, linking to a post on using special, one off skeins in colorwork. This got me thinking of a really special skein of handspun that my lovely friend Grace sent me last year for my birthday, and that I’ve been wanting to knit with ever since. The handspun is bulky, and I remembered I had some bulky Rowan Pure Life British Sheep Breeds Chunky from many moons ago in my stash (bought for an Owls sweater … but bought in a quantity for a smaller size than I would choose to knit now!)
Since then, I’ve been thinking about a simple, boxy, short sleeve sweater, using the handspun to do a band of colorwork across the torso. And what with it being Wovember, it seems the perfect time to knit a sweater all out of British wool. Pros: Short sleeve, bulky sweater would be fast to knit! Using up some very special and some very old stash! Knitting off pattern can be an exciting challenge! Good layering piece for the wardrobe! Cons: Knitting my own garment without a pattern might require a good bit of swatching, figuring, and general mental energy that I’m not positive I have at the moment. And I’m not 100% sure the handspun and Rowan will play nicely together, as I think the handspun is a bit thicker (nothing for it but to swatch).
Option 2: Brookings by Marie Green. The bulky short-sleeve sweater is completely out of the box for me — just something I’ve been thinking about in the past few weeks. Brookings, on the other hand, is a sweater I’ve wanted to knit since it was released, and the yarn I’d use — De Rerum Natura Gilliat — is also yarn I’ve been wanting to use since I ordered it, er, a few years ago now. In fact, I was so excited about this sweater that I swatched for it earlier this year:
Pros: Sweater that’s in already in my queue! Swatching already complete, so could cast on with minimal effort! YELLOW! And it would be a great replacement for a storebought mustard sweater that’s seen better days! Cons: Er…..
Option 3: Stasis Pullover by Leila Raabe. The Brooklyn Tweed Loft for this sweater has been in my stash for ages — in fact, I started a sleeve for this sweater shortly after the pattern was released, but it was so long ago that I’ve frogged it. And this is the sweater that my friend Kate and I chose to knit for EYF next March (and now Kate’s friend, Sharon, whose also coming to EYF in a big, international EYF party is also making this yay!) The most sensible thing to do would probably be to get started on this ….
But am I feeling sensible? Pros: Glorious Brooklyn Tweed Loft! Colorwork (which I’ve been itching to do!) I need to knit this by March! Cons: Going from knitting a bulky weight sweater (Arctic Cardigan) to a fingering weight sweater is going to be pretty punihsming … and all my other projects at the moment are fingering weight.
And then, of course, I could be really good and not cast on anything new at all, and instead focus on finishing this long languishing Lopi sweater or pick my beautiful, barely started Rail Trail back up ….
What would you do? Advice and thoughts very welcome!
Linking up with As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday — go check out what others are knitting (or, in my case, mulling over!) this week.
fiber and sustenance 
I vote for Stasis! Think how good you’ll feel if you have it done well before March 🙂
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You’re very right, of course … it would feel soooo good to have it done ….
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Oh my goodness. So many choices. I think I am leaning toward that beautiful yellow yarn especially since you have already swatched
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I think I am too, hehe!
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It sounds like what you want to knit is the yellow Brookings, so follow your heart! Promise yourself you’ll queue up the Stasis that you need to get done next – and give your fingers a break from all the fingering weight yarn!
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That sounds like a very good idea. I’ve even thought I might cast on Brookings and possibly, after I get it going, start a Stasis sleeve to work on as and when …
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I vote for Brookings. It’s such a lovely golden yellow autumn color.
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Isn’t that the perfect yellow?! Thanks for your help!
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I love them all–but the yellow is speaking to me!
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It’s such a gorgeous yarn 😀
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You know I’m going to vote for Stasis – go #eyfteamglobal!
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Hehe, I know, you’ve put me to shame with your nearly finished one!
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Knit the yellow one. Then we can knit stasis at the same time.
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I like this idea a lot, except I think you’re a *much* faster knitter than me .. but I am leaning toward the yellow!
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I was going to say Stasis, but it sounds like your heart isn’t going that way. How about writing the names on slips of paper, put them in a hat then choose at random. You don’t have to go with the choice, but it will focus your mind on your real preference.
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That’s a great idea Claire ! And I feel like actually the comments sort of had the same effect — noticing which suggestions made me shout YES! And which ones I was less excited about, ha!
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I was going to say Stasis, but then you mentioned all your other projects are fingering weight, and I think that tips the balance in favor of Brookings. The alternative would be to cast on Stasis and a hat or scarf in bulky British wool…not that I’m an enabler!
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Ha! I like the way you think!!
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It sounds like your heart knows what it wants to do. And remember, our knitting is not the boss of us, so you can do whatever you want to do 🙂 With that being said, I really like the yellow…and swatching complete on top of it? That would go really fast and then you’ll be free to work on your Stasis!
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Haha, you’re so right Paula! It’s important to remember we’re the boss of our knitting! I think I’m going to go for Brookings, and I might even start Stasis sleeve before I finish Brookings …
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Ooh—so many good options! I am currently trying to finish up a large pile of mostly fingering-weight WIPs, so I would pick up that Lopi sweater to keep a bulky knit in the mix!
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Oh … now that is a good point! It *would* make for a change of pace!
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Uh, you practically jump up and down in the post with your preference for the mustard jumper. If you try to knit anything else your heart won’t be in it.
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Ha, you’re right! The fact that I couldn’t think of negatives for the mustard is telling …
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