What a Life!

I didn’t start my socks last Sunday. I’m really looking forward to doing them and decided to savor the anticipation. I love this picture I took of the yarn and the pattern. It makes me smile every time I see it. I’ve even contemplated setting it as the wallpaper on my computer. Isn’t it pretty?

Meanwhile, I have been working on the basketweave jacket I started for myself last month. I got the body completed, but then it just sat waiting for me to start the sleeves. The hang-up? I needed to figure out exactly how I wanted to do them, and that involves starting, stopping and frogging. I spent Sunday afternoon trying six different ways of doing the short-row sleeves, and finally settled on a way I liked. Then I worked on the sleeve cap, which seemed to take forever. Finished that and started the sleeve, but I didn’t calculate the frequency of the decreases correctly so I had to frog a few rows and re-do them with the correct decreases. At this point, I’m half way down the sleeve, and I’d like to finish this sleeve this weekend.

Here is a picture I took of it as it was yesterday morning:

The thing about knitting for myself (vs. my children) is that making one thing takes a lot longer. Single basketweave stitch on a baby sweater isn’t bad, but I must confess I’m getting rather tired of it on this sweater for myself.

I really want to make some sweaters for myself, though. Almost all of my sweaters are store-bought, so when I go to our knitting get-togethers, everyone else is wearing pretty things they’ve made themselves and I’m just wearing plain old civilian clothes. Ugh!

I have yarn to make another sweater for myself. A short-sleeve blouse done with a wool-cotton blend. Blue and grey. I have the design all cooked up in my head, but I’m afraid to start it. I’m afraid it will look silly when I wear it. I think the idea I have is great, but I would be much less fearful of actually knitting it up if it was for someone else.

Which is probably why I knit more for other people than myself. Most of what I’ve made for myself is socks…lots and lots of socks. And I do wear them…and I get compliments on them…but wearing socks one made for oneself is different than wearing a sweater.

Am I just a big chicken?

I do think the design for the blue and great wool-cotton sweater is rather vogue-ish, and I doubt that I will look stupid in it, really. But what will I wear it with? A skirt? Nice pants? Jeans? I agonize over things like this while I knit.

I am sure I will like the basketweave jacket. I’ve tried on what I’ve done so far and it fits exactly as I planned it. The sleeves are perfect, if I dare say so myself. Most of my sweaters are worn over turtlenecks, and I’m making this the same dimensions as one of my favorites. I am sure I will wear it alot. It will go perfectly with my jeans.

When I think of the wool-cotton yarn, though, my mind starts to contemplate what I might use it for to make something for my boys instead. Pullovers? Cardigans? How might I jazz them up? But then I stop myself. I really do want to knit things for myself. And wear them. I really need to let go and just do it. [Deep breath.] Just do it…

But first, I shall finish this sleeve…