the return of mr. pink

I have been in a state of despair and inertia. Not really sure what I want to do with my life. I'm been busy treading water and not getting much accomplished; I haven't really been knitting. Partially because, although I have a bunch of projects on the go, none of them are near being finished and that's sort of demoralizing. This is why I don't normally do sweaters. However, all my whinge-ing aside, things have sort of been starting to look up... sort of. I got a promotion at my horrible job. So it's slightly less horrible but with slightly more pay and slightly (and only slightly) more stability. Plus it looks good on the old resume and I can work 1 less day and stay at the same level of poverty...or work the same amount of days as before and be slightly richer.

But I digress. Speaking of work, I am sick with some sort of hideous call centre plague (I fear its a sinus infection) and am feeling unwell and unmotivated. The knitting has been languishing as has pretty much everything else. However, I have decided I must take baby steps to get things (in life and in knitting) done and have picked up "pinky" the vintage hoody again...I started this thing about 10 months ago and would really like to finish it in this lifetime.




I am currently blocking the fronts and back and knitting up the hood. Then I'm going to block the pieces 8 more times until the stitches look less crappy. I will use the power of steam and my dressmaker's dummy and possible a steam roller. It can't fail. *cough cough*. I am reconsidering my decision to not do the embroidered circles and "V"s as they might be just the thing I need to hide the craptastic stitch tension. I do worry that this sweather is going to be snug, and that I'll have to do some sneaky side gussets. But we'll see.

As I look at the pieces, I despair about the horrible tension and fear that I don't actually know how to knit....but when in doubt, I will as usual blame the yarn. However, in my never ending quest to find someone or something to blame for my shoddy workwomanship, I have decided that it's not just the yarn, it's also the needles. Or the needle/yarn combo. Or the needle/yarn/me combo. Or something. In any case, my trusty Clover Bamboos aren't cutting it with this yarn. I did a few knitting tests, using the same yarn (Mission Falls: 1824 *bleah* wool) with a variety of needles sizes and needle brands (Good old Clover, Knitpicks 16" circs & Addis) and realized that yes, my tension is better with the shiny shiny metal. I've also realised that I am a loose knitter.... a very loose knitter... an obscenely loose knitter. I don't that it's always been like this, but perhaps I've loosened up with age. *cough cough*

But I digress. Needles. I have refrained from ordering Knitpicks Options set because I already have a few (6) of the needle sizes already, however most are bamboo or crappy Zellers metal ones and its good to "mix it up a bit" as they say. So I finally sucked it up and ordered the set and an extra set of 40" cables so I can try that magic loop thing that all the cool kids are talking about. Maybe it will encourage me to knit more since at the moment, it feels like a chore on these bamboo needles.

Changing the subject.



One day I will finish these socks.



but not today.