The Dashing Impulse

I think I have learned a lot about myself as a knitter over this past week.  Here are a few things that I have come to realize:

1. Although I may have multiple projects going at once, it has been proven impossible for me to work on more than one at a time.  I tend to ignore most - if not all - of my WIPs for one reason or another (see following realizations).
2. I get bored with projects quickly.  This becomes a particular problem when it is a gift knit, such at the baby sweater I have yet to finish for my nephew (all it needs is a sleeve.  WHY CAN'T I KNIT ONE FREAKIN' SLEEVE?!).  I lost interest in my Hemlock Ring Blanket while in the middle of the bind off, and I have a lace project dating back to last June that has been sitting patiently in the bottom of a drawer, waiting for me to get back to it (which I will soon, I promise).
3. Sometimes a quick, simple knit is the best kind.  And with this third point, I present to you my first true impulse knit - Dashing.

This project marks the first time that I have ever grabbed a skein of yarn and knit up a random pattern for the sole purpose of making something quickly to soothe my restless knitting mind.  It felt great!

Started: April 16, 2008,  Finished: April 20, 2008

Yarn: Almost 1 full skein of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in "Willow Leaf"

Needles: Knitpicks Options, size 5 (3.75mm)

Pattern: Dashing, from Knitty, Spring 2007

Size made: Larger

I modified the pattern a tiny bit to use thumb gussets instead of, well, instead of doing what the pattern told me to do.  Cotton Fleece may not have been the best yarn choice for wrist warmers because it is, as the name implies, cotton, but I had the yarn, I had the needles, and I had the urge to knit, so I went with it.  I'm not sure how often I'm going to wear these, but I do like them and they were a wonderful way to use yarn that was sitting in my stash and to distract me from my WIPs for a few days.

I plan to try to finish most of my WIPs before starting any new, long-term projects.  I like the idea of not having anything looming over me while I knit on something that interests me.  I think this week I discovered that although knitting multiple projects at a time sounds wonderful, it may not be the most practical or realistic thing for me to do.  Hopefully armed with this new knowledge I will be able to tackle my pile of projects and start something new and wonderful very shortly.

As I said previously, I have yet to finish my Hemlock Ring Blanket, which means that my friend won the friendly competition we were having to see who could finish first.  This is her beautiful creation:

The color is actually much more wonderful in person.  It is Knitpicks WOTA in Lake Ice Heather.  I will include details of the pattern and yarn and needles and all that good stuff when I post about my blanket.

Until next time, happy knitting!