Skein of Thought
“I wish I could knit during this.”
That’s what popped into my mind when my amazing and wonderful dental hygienist began working on my teeth this morning.
She’s so good at what she does. She’s the perfect mix of friendly and professional, and she’s excellent at making a person feel comfortable while she does her work. She’s also smart, which means she doesn’t ask questions requiring long answers right before she starts cleaning my molars.
This leaves me with some odd free-ish time. I’ve been tempted to nap, but you can barely get in half a nod before that mini vacuum is pulling your cheeks in and waking you right up. I ended up with loosely connected thoughts that started with, “I wish I could knit during this.”
That thought was followed by:
I wonder if anyone’s ever knit a comfy cozy contraption for a dental hygeinist or dentist to carry her tools? Wool? Cotton? Cotton. Would it need a handle?
That second crocheted pumpkin’s almost done. I want to get that finished before the weekend so I can give it to ____. She seemed to like the one I gave _____. And I wonder if _____ would like one? Hmm. Can I get another one done before I see her again? Can’t let it go too long. No one wants a Fall pumpkin at Christmas time. I bet you could modify that pattern slightly and make really cute ornaments.
It’s not that long until Christmas. How am I doing on that Christmas knitting?
***HARD MENTAL LEFT TURN TO AVOID THINKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS KNITTING***
I’m not too far off from being done with my Rhinebeck sweater. It’ll be so great to be able to wear that one. I could get into this sweater-making-and-wearing thing. The first ones were kind of a bust. Well, the ones for me were, anyway. I had a lot to learn about fitting. Of course, that was pretty early on. What was I thinking? That confidence could overcome gauge miscalculations?
I liked making little sweaters when the kids and grandkids were tiny. They took like five minutes and two skeins then. For me it’s so much more involved. Though who are we kidding? We have several sweater quantities in the basement that need to get made up into sweaters. I should get on that.
I should make Greg a sweater.
I should make the grandkids sweaters again. They’re still tiny.
That Sea Glass Cardigan would be a great one to use up a bunch of odds and ends in the basement. I really like that one. Apparently, you deal with all the ends in some magical way. That’s an appealing trick I’d like to learn. And it never hurts to have a cardigan with all the favorite colors in it. Should I pick a neutral for the main? Maybe a dark charcoal gray? That could be pretty and give it a stained-glass sort of look.
I like that Twist Loop Sweater a lot, too. And I think I’ve got some deep purple or cranberry yarn I could use. Maybe brown? Cranberry. That would be really pretty. Do I need to finish the Rhinebeck sweater before I cast on one of those? Yes. Probably.
Maybe.
I used to have bunches of projects going on at the same time. Not so much anymore. I don’t really want to as much, either. I wonder if that’s a sign of cognitive decline. Maybe in ten years I’ll only have one project going at a time.
I wonder if anyone’s combined the Sea Glass Cardigan with the Temperature Blanket concept and made a temperature cardigan? You could do that with socks, too. Or even with little miniature somethings and make a really long garland and decorate your Christmas Tree with it at the end of the year. Is this the year I make an Advent Calendar garland with mini socks for the fireplace mantel?
***SLOWLY STEP BACK AGAIN FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF CHRISTMAS KNITTING***
I should stop and pick up some yarn after this in case I don’t have enough to finish the extra pumpkins. Won’t Greg get a chuckle about me bringing home more pumpkin yarn? I wonder how Fall is my favorite season and orange is my least favorite color. I sure like it in pumpkins, though. I’m gonna kncok out those pumpkins. Maybe even tonight.
I need to get the newsletter written first, though. I wonder when inspiration will strike for that.
Time to go already? Yay!
Greg’s Got Questions:
Thank you to those of you who participated in the poll last week!
LAST WEEK’S QUESTION:
How does this alpaca yarn compare to the yarn that would come from our merino sheep?
This is a GREAT question, and I love answering it, because it gives me a chance to highlight the benefits of both alpaca and merino wool.
The fundamental difference between the two is in the structure of the individual fibers. Alpaca wool has a hollow core, while merino wool is a solid, crimped fiber. The hollow core makes alpaca slightly lighter and gives it better insulating ability than merino wool.
Most people also find alpaca to feel silkier, and it tends to be slightly more durable than merino wool. Since it contains no lanolin, alpaca wool is also considered a better choice for those prone to animal allergies.
So why aren’t we all knitting with alpaca wool?
Well, merino wool has some advantages. It’s less expensive, for one. Premium merino wool can feel almost as luxurious as alpaca but carries a much lower price point.
Additionally, merino wool is “breathable” and has the ability to wick away moisture. It’s one reason folks look for merino socks and base layer garments: the wool wicks sweat away, allows for airflow, and keeps our bodies comfortable and dry.
As a knitter, I tend to prefer the feel of merino wool to alpaca. Merino is slightly more elastic than alpaca wool, and so the yarn “gives” a little when I work with it. However, if I’m making an elaborate shawl and I want some silky drape to the fabric, I consider alpaca or a blend that includes alpaca wool.
As in many other contexts, it’s best to consider what you want to achieve with the object you’re making when you’re selecting your yarn. If you want a lightweight, luxurious, especially warm cardigan (like the purple one pictured here), alpaca wool is a great choice. If you’re looking for something that transitions well from indoor to outdoor wear, can wick away moisture, or allows for considerable airflow, merino may be a better choice.
Greg’s Questions for This Week:
Here are the questions up for the vote this week. I’ll answer the winner in the next newsletter. (As a matter of procedure, the poll function takes you to another page to submit your vote, so if that happens to you, you’re on the right track!)
Question 1: You mentioned your early sweaters were kind of a bust because you had a lot to learn about fitting. What tips would you give knitters who are just starting with sweaters so they can avoid the mistakes you made?
Question 2: If you did have your yarn and needles with you, what kind of project could you actually do while tipped back in a dentist’s chair wearing those funky sunglasses?
Question 3: What’s the Temperature Blanket concept? You’ve told me before, but would you please remind me? Does it have anything to do with your internal thermostat and sleeping habits? There’s definitely some Temperature and Blanket action going on there.
Happy knitting,
Kiersten J
