Projects in My Head

Yesterday after I posted my blog in which I mentioned actor Gabriel Byrne, I got an email from a reader who said she was surprised that, bibliophile that I am, I did not know about the book he wrote titled Pictures in My Head. So I went to Amazon and looked it up. It got great reviews so I ordered a copy. Reviewers praised his use of language and his descriptive powers as he wrote about his life growing up in Ireland, as a young seminarian in Wales, etc. I am looking forward to reading it.

And I loved the title because I had been thinking earlier about the pictures in my head only none of them are memories --- they are all projects that I envision and then struggle to make happen. Some of them are artistic, some domestic but most of them are, well, knitting. I have been looking at all the wonderful blogs written by these young, fabulous knitters who do such beautiful work. Most of them show their interpretation of patterns and designs created by others --- the Lady Eleanor Shawl, the Forest Path Stole, all the great socks patterns that are coming out. The problem is, as a person who has almost never followed a pattern in her life, these are inspiring but defeating in a way too. I've never been good at following directions, either in a mechanical sense or in a practical sense. I always have to give everything my own spin. Sigh.

Last night I got out a bunch of knitting WIPs that have been languishing for awhile and I tried to figure out why I wasn't finishing them. Partly, I just never have enough time but also because I often get hung up when the picture in my head is at odds with the yarn on my needles. This is very much the case with my Lady Eleanor. It's 95% done. All I have to do is block it and add the fringe but for some reason I don't want to. I thought that I didn't like the edges so I decided to create a more finished look by knitting I-cord around the perimeter but, even though it looks nice, that isn't the issue. For some reason I don't really like it. I like the colors and the design, I just feel strange when I put it on. And I wonder if it isn't the case that I am have so doggone many shawls now that another shawl might not be what I need.

So I got this bright idea to turn it into a cocoon, much like the one I made in black cashmere/silk that I wear all the time. I have plenty of the wool/silk yarn left to knit an edging and cuffs. So that may be my next project. I have three other lacy bed-jacket type projects started and I want to get back on them as soon as the Christmas projects are all finished up.

Also, my latest order from KnitPicks arrived which included a ball of the Merino Wool they call Merino Style in Fog. I wanted it to knit the inside pockets of my gorgeous Fog Alpaca vest so that is what I did last night. I got them knit up in a few hours and I have the vest on now. It is so warm and cozy on these sub-freezing mornings that I am already entertaining dreams of another one.

I've decided that it is just fine to have all these knitting pictures in my head as long as I am willing to go carefully and not be afraid to revise and rip out as I go along. The purple cashmere cloche hat I am working on may hold the world's record for rip outs but every time I do that I get closer to making my oicture come alive and that is really the point. My friend Leslie says there are two kinds of knitters --- Project Knitters who just want to get something done and Process Knitters who love the process of creating something and are willing to devote time to make it the way they want it. I like that. I know I am a Process Knitter and I wonder if that can be said of the rest of my life too. I hope so.

Thanks for reading.