I've been knitting feverishly. And I mean that both literally and figuratively. I'd like not to dwell on it too much but sheesh we have been sick this winter. The fevers of mine and, more often, those of my young wards has meant lots of time to knit.
In January, when we got home from the West Coast, I hopped on the Sunday Sweater Knitalong and stitched up a bulky, cabled number by Brooklyn Tweed in just three weeks. I finished a test knit in fingering weight, a sweater for my daughter and a running beanie . It was an epic knitting month!
Just before we left for our trip, I completed the Bough Hat, also by Brooklyn Tweed, which we've talked about. But I also finished this Magnolia Cardigan in December during a battle with the stomach flu.
I heard the phrase "vital knit" from the intrepid knitter Karen Templer. And I could think of no better phrase to describe this particular sweater. I hesitated with it for months - the knitting is repetitious, the color plain. The fabric is a triumph, though, made from fingering weight wool: Quince and Co's Finch . It has a beautiful bit of drape with just enough wooly life in it to give it a bit of rusticity (I'm pretty sure that I made that word up but you catch my drift, right?). This color and style suit my sense of fashion exactly. It is a wardrobe staple.
I was ill and eager to finish in the end, so the button band is improvised and I didn't even add buttonholes. I just push the buttons through the fabric when it suits me.
And yes, I've even slept in it. Which I'm hearing is odd - don't you sleep in your hand knits? This is probably as a result of my young adult life having been spent living in a tent with my boyfriend (now legal mate). Sleeping in wooly things was a neccessary antidote to the cold nights.
I have more than a few knits in my closet that rest, unworn. And I'd like to explore this question of vital knits further. I love a stylish, textured knit but maybe I should save the wild techniques for accessories?
What are your vital knits? Do tell! And if you dig, share them on Instagram using Karen Templer's hashtag #vitalknits.
Joining Frontier Dreams Readers today.
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I'll be joining the Small Things Readers on Wednesday where knitters share both their works in progress and their books in progress.
In terms of the written word, I just finished listening to Gone Girl (which I won't link to because it was the worst). I don't often read (or listen) to fiction so I was a little lost and chose this book because it was on the NY Times bestseller list. What a waste of time. It was violent, misogynistic and just plain awful. It made me feel sad to be a woman, sad to be raising a daughter in America. I'll leave it at that.
On a lighter note, though, I cannot get enough of the Woolful Podcast. If you are a knitter and you're not listening, get on it! The interviews are distinct in their length and content. The guests are diverse and surprising. I always learn something new when I listen.
What are you reading or listening to?
