When Knitting Mimics Writing --- Again

I'm still working on the Vortex shawl but it's gotten a bit big to carry around. Add that to my issues with project monogamy and I cast on a new shawl. Right now I have a fascination for lace so I cast on this project....



This is Girasole - a pattern by the talented Jared Flood. You can see it on his blog or on Ravelry It's not a free pattern but it's well worth the small charge.

Right now I'm making it in KnitPicks Gloss fingering weight yarn in a color called Serengeti. It's a discontinued color that's a sort of butterscotch.

Now here's where writing and knitting seem to mirror each other. I've started my Egyptian Steampunk story, Desert Alchemy, but find myself unhappy with the start - over and over. I think I've restarted this story about three times so far. It's being a problem-child.

The shawl I've restarted six, yes SIX, times. I kept making mistakes and was obsessed with perfection so rather than fudging something so I could keep going (it's only for ME), I ripped it ALL out and started again. As of today, I'm on chart D and it's looking nice. There now are a few fudges in it where I made a mistake and couldn't figure out how/where but I'm not ripping the damned thing out again. I swear.

Today I'm going to try that with Desert Alchemy. Just write, stop fussing over every word. I can go back and fix or massage them later.

We'll see if my resolve holds....

Things You Hate to Find....

This is the Vortex Shawl. I'm not knitting it in this colorway but actually in a Lorna's Laces sock yarn on the Mining colorway. Think earth tones :). It really will be gorgeous when it's done.

I was merrily knitting on the Vortex Shawl this weekend and when I stopped to admire the loveliness that is my knitting ... only to discover an unintentional (and incorrect) make one (additional stitch) about eight rows ago. I'd finally gotten comfortable with fixing dropped stitches and thought maybe I could drop the extra stitch and fix it. No such luck - I now had a gap at the current row about a half inch wide.

There was no choice - I had to unknit back to this row and fix it

In a way, it reminds me of when something goes wrong in a story and, in fact, the editing I'm doing for my Ellora's Cave release right now. There's no quick fix. All you can do is suck it up, undo back to where something went wrong and redo it.

And, yes, I have project ADD. I know it. I'm still hoping to get update pictures soon.

A New Project - Already

Best laid plans always interfere. I got news yesterday that my sister-in-law has a serious heart condition that is going to necessitate (almost certainly) open heart surgery within the next year. Not only that but the surgery will happen states away from home.

My helplessness has already morphed into a sense of purpose. I'm always cold in the hospital and being far away from home would suck on top of it all. We won't even go into the scariness of it all. I decided to knit a oversize stole for her that she can have at the hospital if she wants.

This means it needs to be acrylic to stand up to the washing and such. Easy care is a must. I also wanted a rich color, not a pastel or even-vaguely hospital-ish color. During lunch I surfed patterns at Ravelry and found one called the Crescendo Shawl. If I make it a bit wider than specified, it should really cozy and big enough to snuggle in.



A trip to the local yarn store was undertaken after I got off the evil day job and I found a lovely color in Bernat Satin called Wine Country Heather. (The color doesn't show well in this tiny image, sorry.)



Having discovered there is a weekly knitting hour at work during lunch and being graciously invited by my work editors, I am going to start working on it and see if I can get it done ASAP to deliver to her. At least it can stay in my office at work - it's great working with people who understand the need to knit a row as a substitute for ripping someone's head off!

I'm New Around These Sticks....

Thanks for the warm welcome, ladies! I found this blog very much by accident (okay, I WAS procrastinating from a synopsis I need to work on by surfing knitting blogs) and was very happy to see more knitting authors!

I'm a writer with technical books published under my legal name and multiple genres of erotic romance epublished under my pen name. I'm in the process of writing like mad and trying to break into New York at the moment but, most importantly for this blog, I KNIT.

I am actually multi-crafty -- I make jewelry, knit, crochet,... Way too many to admit to. *blush*

I only taught myself to knit about two years ago because I was sure I needed yet one more hobby. I didn't anticipate how much I'd like it or how addictive it is, though. With the help of the internet and a few handy knitting "how-to" videos, I learned continental knitting and I was off and running.

I've made a lot of wash-cloths, scarves and hats and recently decided to give lace a whirl. When I wanted something not too fine, I decided on the Hemlock Ring Blanket by the wonderful Brooklyn Tweed. I'm in the seemingly endless round of binding off the thing now. I did it in a sunny acrylic I happened to have in my stash because I didn't want to waste really expensive yarn on something I wasn't sure I could succeed at. This means blocking the thing is a huge unknown at the moment but, hey, I'll enjoy it!

Yes - I realize I'm conflicted, thank you.. :)

This is the center of the blanket. I need to be better at taking photos of projects in progress.



I'm trying not to start new knitting projects until this bind off is done. Otherwise it may linger forever as a UFO. Of course I used my own rules-lawyering ability to convince myself it was okay to work on a crochet project too - I'm making some cotton shopping bags for grocery shopping from a 1970's pattern. I'll try to take some pictures of them when they're more than a strip of ecru-colored cotton.

I'm happy to be here and will enjoy having a place to talk about all my knitting adventures!

Welome Maura Anderson!

I am delighted to welcome Maura Anderson to Romancing the Yarn! Maura writes in a variety of genres and will be along shortly to introduce herself.

You can read more about Maura on her website. Best of all, she's a knitter!

More writers = more knitting which means more fun for all of us.

Maura, we're glad you're here.