AKA, how, in my excitement, I over extended myself…… again…… 🙂
Its a story as old as time: I tell myself, “focus on the WIPs you have! Use the yarn you have!” But along come some amazing sounding knit along and I get swept up in the excitement. It isn’t long before new yarn comes rolling in and I find myself saying “how will I possibly get all these projects done in time??!!”
Sure enough, it happened again this year. I have decided I am participating in 3 KALs this summer plus I started one dream project that came upon me suddenly. In this post I will discuss the basics of the KALs and my dream project, and then I will create individual posts that will go into depth about what I am doing for two of the KALs.
222R-4 Shawl with Hood, by Rauma Designs
Wow! With a name like that, who wouldn’t be inspired! All jokes about naming aside, as soon as I saw this pattern on the Woolly Thistle website it was love at first sight. There is just something so magical and whimsical about it. Let me lay the scene…. It is winter, the snow is falling softly around you and the deep woods you are in are completely quiet besides the sound of your own footsteps in the snow. You carry a basket, filled with pine boughs and other forest offerings, and in the distance sits your cabin, smoke curling lazily from the chimney, where a cozy fire, warm tea, and a pile of knitting awaits you.
This is going to be a beast. It is, obviously, translated from its original Norwegian and the instructions are… a bit vague. Plus this will be the first steeking project I am ever working on. That alone is terrifying! I am told a lot of Norwegian patterns are a bit scant on details because they assume you are familiar with typical Norwegian garment construction. While I hope to one day be that confident, I am relying heavily on other people’s notes on Ravelry and making sure I read and re-read the pattern and will be taking a lot of time to count stitches out to make sure I achieving the best colorwork placement I can (because the colorwork chart is just a straight chart with no decreasing on it; it is up to you to figure out where in the chart to decrease). I normally don’t swatch for shawls, so I already cast the shawl on, but as soon as I got to the colorwork chart I started to sweat. It is a lot of work and the kit wasn’t cheap. I want it to fit how it is supposed to, so I am pausing and will be swatching after all to ensure that. I am knitting it in the green and cream colors as shown in the picture.
This will be a slow, long term project that I can’t wait to someday wear.
KDD & Co Summer of Mystery
My dear friend Tracy told me about this knit along that was right up both our alley’s. This is an amazing club that runs all summer and involves so many different aspects! The club is focused on the works of mystery writer Margery Allingham, who wrote during what is regarded as the “golden age of detective fiction.” This club takes places from May to September and includes a book club, in which 10 Margery Allingham books will be read, bi-weekly pattern releases inspired by the books, and essays that “explore a wide range of exciting topics from knitting and couture in golden age detective fiction to Margery Allingham’s own creative passion for making her own clothes.” The best part though, is that there is a mystery shawl knit along! This is the part, along with the book club, of course, that I am most excited about! I purchased the KDD Milarrochy Tweed yarn pack in the ‘Dawn’ colorway. I love it so much! This is my first time using Milarrochy Tweed and I am enjoying every second of it!
Summer Sock Camp 2024
Kay, The Crazy Sock Lady, runs the KAL Summer Sock Camp every summer. It goes from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. It is a very chill KAL; the goal? To knit as many socks as you can during this time period.
I have participated for the last two years, and this year, the logo theme was 80s/90s. While this was not a theme theme for the entire KAL….. I ran with it. Guys, I am ashamed to admit I bought So. Much. Yarn. When am I actually going to have time to knit all these socks?!?! I leaned very heavily into the Synthwave vibe, so lots of blues, purples, and pinks. I got some bright rainbow-y colors too! I love every single skein of yarn I bought, so while there is no way on this green earth that I will knit them all during SSC, they will all be socks at some point. I am excited to have a Synthwave inspired sock drawer! I am going to make a blog post where I expose my shame and share all the yarn I bought. It is bad, guys.
Norwegian Designers KAL 2024
Ina, from the Ina Knits Podcast and the Ina Knits Ravelry group, is hosting a Norwegian indie designer knit a long, running from May 1st to November 30th. The only requirement for this knit along is that patterns used must be designed by indie Norwegian designers; so no, for example, Rauma or Drops patterns.
I think this is the KAL I am most excited about this year. My grandpa was always so proud of his Norwegian heritage, and that is actually one of the main reasons I started knitting! So this KAL is a huge inspirations to actually start knitting all those Norwegian patterns I have been saving for years on end!
I want to make a post dedicated just to this KAL with all my plans. Once again… probably won’t get to all of them during the KAL timeframe but I shall try my hardest! Oh! And I always want to use as much Norwegian yarn for this KAL as well!
See what I mean?
Overextended. WAY overextended. But I will enjoy every stitch I do manage to make this summer.
Until next time,
-Alison
Old Pine Hollow 