Regrouping

September, for me, seems to consistently be a time for re-assessing my knitting direction. Time to circle the wagons, see what we've got after all that summer knitting and see where we're going. This year, as with last, it also happens to be the time when my schedule undergoes a rather severe change and I find I have new knitting needs that need to be met.

I've been floundering a little bit over the last week trying to transition from having the time and brainpower to work on intricate, detailed knitting, to striking a new balance with simpler, more intuitive projects. Things are still up in the air, but I did do a bit of spinning to help aid the confluence.


I pulled out a bag of natural brown shetland and set myself on auto-pilot. Lately more and more I've been craving natural, undyed sheepswool, and spinning this has been just the ticket for me in the last few days. As for knitting with it, I'm dreaming of some in-the-round knitting with steeks - something simple that shows off this beautiful wool. For now, though, I'm happy with endless plying.


I've said it before, but Shetland is one of my all time favorite things to work with on the wheel. I think it gets lot of flack for being typically scratchy and unwearable, but I think it is quite the opposite - so light and lofty, it spins up into a yarn that is fluffy, soft and warm - not to mention looking beautiful. I never tire of it.

In other news, as I was trying to physically organize my knitting this week, I was able to collect up all my swatches from this summer into one place (they were stuffed in many a nook and cranny) (oh the places you'll go, little swatches!) and had to take a photo. Is this a way to measure progress?


I have a scarily low number of projects on the needles (that's a relative "low"). After having finished up some design projects that were needing attention, I realized I may be closer than ever to digging myself out of the deep ditch of WIPs I seem to have created for myself last year.

Oh yes, and the woolly lace is progressing without delay and should be all ready for the click of the seasons that I'm expecting here any day now...



Until then, though, I'll be doing my share of knitterly spring-cleaning in hopes of reaching a balance which I can ride right into the thick of our favorite season for wool-wearing. It really is just around the corner.