How did it happen to become February already? My year is flying by me far too quickly for comfort. I remember last year that I couldn’t wait for 2010 and threw weeks at the trash like they were used up and moldy before they’d even been born and now I can’t seem to cling to weeks as someone comes and rips them from my claw like hands.

Its movin fast!

Aside from the mountain of homework that accumulates each week (and that I have to work on every day.. which I’m not used to or liking in the least bit!) I’ve undertook a new project. I’m knitting my sister in law a baby hammock for her photography and I’m very excited about the prospects. She chose the yarn, we found a pattern together and I’m going to do the actual work. I was a bit nervous at first when we started to talk about it and I offered before I’d actually seen a pattern. Who knew what crazy new stitches I’d have to learn? Who knew what obscure piece of machinery I’d need to conquer just to be able to mangle it into some semblance of shape? As it turns out it’s just the knit stitch along with a few increases and then a few decreases. This thing is going to practically make itself!

In other news, we were supposed to receive 4-8 inches of snow from some storm that has the eastern US in it’s clutches. Yeah… we’re at over a foot right now. If anyone out there is missing about 5 inches of snow, you left it in Pennsylvania and we’d all appreciate it if you’d come and pick it up. I know that in some portions of the country a drizzle is cause to drive erratically, panic and call off work. What am I going to do with an extra five inches of snow and a Saturday? Besides shovel it.

I actually really like when we have big storms like this because everything, no matter how disgusting, looks so pristine and white. Everything looks like it has the most delicate layer of frosting imaginable on it. It’s only when I’m hoisting it off the driveway and sidewalks that I raise my tiny fist to the heavens and shake it violently.

So here’s to February. The groundhog saw his shadow (though how he’d NOT see it with all those lights shining on him is beyond me) and I blame this snow fall on him. I’m buried under a pile of meteorology and writing assignments and I’m pretty sure that the next time I write in, it will be because we have another major snowfall that I’m trying to procrastinate from shoveling or because school has ended and summer is here.

I hope neither of those things are the case.

I finished my second fingerless glove on Sunday. I was so happy! Even though I didn’t exactly follow the directions (I didn’t knit them on DPNs because I can’t [It turns into a frustrating swearfilled mess of pointed wooden objects], and I didn’t knit the thumb on DPNs, I crocheted it) I think they turned out great.

I was able to wear these to the retreat my office went on yesterday where we were in the great outdoors for 95% of the day. The temperature was a balmy 40ish degrees (ie: freezing) and even with three layers on I was a bit chilly.

I knit these flat, seamed them and then crocheted a thumb because I was

Some things that I would change if I made them again without making them on double pointed needles:

• Read up on seaming techniques. Mine aren’t horrible but I’d love to figure out a way to stitch with a needle that would resemble knitting stitches more. or better. Or hey, why not, more better.
• I’d like to knit a thumb instead of crocheting it. Not on DPNs of course, because let’s not get all crazy here.. but I’d knit a small rectangle and hopefully.
• I’d also like to test out another type of wool yarn. I think I’d like to stay with wool or at least a wool blend. After one day of serious use there is some fuzzing (pilling?) from the Paton’s Classic Wool that I used. It could just be me or it could be the yarn but in any case I’d like to experiment with something else.
• Learn about casting on and binding off for ribbed work.. I don’t know if there are different types out there (I think there are) and I’m not sure what is best used in which instance. I would say that I’d have liked a bit more give in the bind off (around the fingers) than I have currently, though it’s not a deal breaker.
• Remember that when working pattern rows backwards, to work them backwards. One of the gloves has the cables all in a row and the other one (which I think is the correct sequence) has the middle one offset from the other two. This doesn’t bother me all that much because they are the prototype experimental version, but next time it’d be swell if they matched. Just sayin.

Aside from those changes, I really don’t have any complaints for the way that I bastardized the pattern. They fit snugly around the wrist, the seam job, while not perfect, isn’t really hideous or noticeable (unless you’re hunting for it) and they do the job of keeping warmth in, especially when layered with a sweater or a hoodie.

Last night I was pretty excited. I followed the instructions to knit the section that once pulled free would become the thumb hole. I was excited. At that point I had 18 rows of the rib pattern to go and I churned out 10 of them in an hour. I bragged to the cats.

After finishing the 10th row I decided to pack it in for the night and finish up the following day and figured “Lets see what this magic thumb hole looks like!” I pulled out the special piece of yarn and what did I find? No hole. No place for a thumb. Apparently I am unable to follow simple directions. Remembe what I said about making things harder for myself?

I looked at it in shock and utter disgust because I knew (I KNEW!) that I would now have to spend time undoing the work that I just spent the past 2 hours doing. I’d never undid work before that I didn’t rip completely out so I had to figure that out and after removing 1 row (That’s only 40 stitches out of the 400 that need to be torn out) I put it away for the night and went to bed.

Today’s another day right?

Making things harder for myself isn’t something new to me. I seem to do it with everything. I can’t possibly just follow instructions as written because that would be far too easy. Can I follow the same path that everyone else is treading? Nope, I have to veer off into the underbrush, snagging my clothes and getting scratches (and possibly poison ivy) all the while wondering why on earth it’s so hard to complete what it is I’m attempting.

This is something I’ve accepted about myself and yet still halfway through whatever it is I’m trying to do or learn I stop and go “Well, huh. Imagine that.”

Take my latest one of my obessions. Possessing fingerless gloves. Not just any fingerless gloves though. That would be far too easy. No, these have to be a pair of gloves created by Cheryl Niamath for Knitty.com called Dashing. I’ve been obsessed with these from the moment I laid eyes on them. These are the gloves that will CHANGE MY LIFE. Or something. All I know is that I instantly fell in love with them.

I think that I really wanted them because they seemed like a complicated project to undertake. Knitting on double pointed needles (DPNs) was foreign to me. Cables, I had practiced a bit, but never in a project before. What wasn’t to love? I’d learn to knit on dpns, I’d do some cables, and then I’d have myself a fun pair of gloves.

And a year later I’m still without them.

It turns out that knitting on DPNs is not only not for everyone, but it’s freaking hard. So many pointy little bits all over the place. All at once. I think I’ve tried to start these no less than 6 times. I have a feeling that this is going to be a lot like learning to crochet, though that I had to learn backwards. I predict that if I can ever find someone to sit down with me and show me how to do it there will be a lot of yelling at needles and yarn and words will fly that would make a sailor blush. It’s a process. It’s how I function.

Then I thought about buying a pair on Etsy and while there were some really beautiful ones available and they had cables I disliked something about every pair I saw. Too many cables. Not enough cables. Too long. Not long enough. Not the right color. Too dark. Too light… And then I realized that the only way I’d be happy with a pair of fingerless gloves, truly happy, were if I made them myself. Which is sad because it’s so much easier to buy handmade things by skilled people instead of trying to master that skill yourself.

Until I can get in line with everyone else though (those who can do and those who can relinquish complete control of how their perfect garment should look) I decided to experiment. Who doesn’t love a good experiment? I certainly do. And most times they work. Sometimes they don’t, but that’s life right? I’ve nothing to lose expect time by taking this gamble and a pair of gloves to gain if it works out the way I want it to.

So instead of continuing to try and knit these gloves on DPNs (per the instructions and probably the easier, smarter way to knit them) I’ve decided to knit them on straight needles which is interesting because I get to reverse every other row. Which is confusing. And I’ve learned the valueable skill of UNknitting without dropping any stitches.

My knitting is terribly slow. Horribly slow. Grass grows faster than I knit. So to make things more interesting I’ve decided to try and set my deadline for having these gloves done (IF they work out that is) by October 12th. This is a date of our office retreat where we’ll be sitting outside in a pavillion all day. In the cold. Where there will be no walls to block the wind. In October. Where it will probably be around 60 degrees if we’re lucky and possibly wet.

So here is my progress. I’ve almost come to the portion where I’m supposed to put in the extra bit of a different color yarn to make the thumb hole which scares me shitless (Yarn that isn’t tied down to anything! That could fall out! At any moment!!!). How I’m going to make the thumb, I haven’t decided. I may fake it with some crochet. I’m good at doing crochet ribbing and while it may look a bit different, these are for me and don’t have to be absolutely perfect. Just mostly perfect. I’ll most likely end up agonizing over the final product in any event so let’s all just go with it ok? Once this is done, I’m going to attempt to seam them up and make a tube. I’m excited.