Knitter, Know Thyself

[Okay, I was just totally distracted by the sight of my older son running by in an orange pajama shirt and pants with fire trucks on them. Daddy dressed him for bed tonight.]

Anyway. What was I saying? Oh yes. So, I've heard it said that there are two kinds of knitters: those who stash, and those who plan projects. I am totally in the latter camp. Not to say I don't have a stash, I certainly do. It's not really huge, but I wouldn't call it, you know, tiny.

But, I buy yarn for specific projects, and because I am compulsively rigid consistent, I don't usually deviate from my plan. Yeah, I do love me a good plan. So, anyway, I bought this STR and had the bright idea to take a skein and knit something other than socks. I tried that drop stitch pattern, didn't work. I got about 40 rows into the Alix shawl and thought "You know, this pattern just isn't doing it for me." Nothing against the pattern, at all, it's just not my style! So I frogged it.

I am now doing Branching Out. I am not convinced the yarn is right for this pattern either, but I want to do a bit more and see. I'm doing it on fairly big needles, 8s, to get a more lacy effect. The yarn is so gorgeous and smooshy and sproingy, maybe I should just do socks with it. I've done 1.5 pattern repeats, but because it's going to need blocking, it's hard to tell if it really works. This is where I just don't have the confidence as a knitter, that I can make a good call for swapping a very different yarn into a pattern. And because the yarn is so pricey, I really would hate to make something that I won't enjoy and wear, you know?

I know, fascinating, isn't it? ;)