What a Life!

I’ve been getting comments from my friends lately that I seem to be doing a lot of pink. Given the projects I’ve been knitting lately (all of the above) and the sweater I’ve worn along with my pink knitting bag, one really cannot blame them.

My rule for knitting socks is that when I cast on [begin] the second sock, I can order yarn for my next pair of socks. Believe me – it’s not that I haven’t been looking. It’s just that the yarn that pops out to me…every time…no matter what line of sock yarn I’m looking at…is pink. I’m knitting pink socks right now – I can’t order more pink yarn! So I’m perpetually in the market for more sock yarn.

But I want everyone to know that I have turned over a new leaf.

Last December when brooklyntweed came out with Girasole, I knew I had to make one. But alas! I could not find the right yarn. I settled on Berroco Alpaca, but couldn’t select a color. I even bought enough yarn in one color for a blanket at the Personal Threads annual year-end sale, but it was such a pretty red, I decided it must be worn, making it ineligible to become a blanket.

Last Friday, I was browsing yarn again [as I seem to do quite often] and Eureka! it occurred to me that the color Yucca Mix in Berroco Alpaca might look quite pretty in my living room.

I mean, that was the whole problem. The main colors in my living room are blue (which I love but I have too much of), red, yellow and green. I wanted something that would look pretty in my living room. The light green of Yucca mix with the flecks of blue mixed in might just be perfect.

The yarn arrived yesterday, and I must say, it’s every bit as beautiful as I thought.

It just works.

I did something I don’t think I’ve ever done before – I cast on the same day that I got the yarn, even though I have more than one project already on the needles.

But I’m telling you, this pattern is even more fun to knit than I imagined. It’s the kind of project that keeps you up late at night…that makes you question how important eating really is…that makes your life revolve around when you can go back and pick up your knitting. Yes, one of those.

I have yet to see light in which this yarn doesn’t just look gorgeous. It is so soft. And the pattern just has this rhythm to it that you can get lost in. It’s logical, yet simple. I’m savoring every moment. I mean, I love my knitting, but it’s not often that I have a project like this.

The finished project will be a blanket. A bit smaller than the one in the pattern, but big enough for me. The alpaca will keep me warm while I knit – both when I’m making it and when I use it later on. It’s the perfect winter project.

What can I say? It’s Friday, I’m in love!