Last night I was measuring the sleeve on my latest project, when my 7 y.o. daughter asked "What are you making?" I answered "A sweater". After a pause and an ever-so-subtle wrinkling of her nose she said...."You sure are making a lot of clothes."
Wow, that really hits home. There's been a lot of buzz on the web lately about why we knit, what we knit, do we really wear what we knit. It gave me pause. I do have a lot of sweaters, and many many many of them I do not wear. Maybe the fit isn't just so, or maybe it turned out to be fun to make, but not "fashionable" enough to wear. Some are too warm, others just don't "click". Some, dare I say it, looke "homemade". So what's the answer? I don't really see myself as a shawl person, although undoubtedly I will make one someday. I love making socks....okay, I love the first one, but am a horrible victim of second-sock syndrome. And even socks.....how many thick wool socks can a person jam in their sock drawer? My current idea is to start tackling more complex projects with smaller gauge. That way, the whole shebang takes longer to finish, and quite possibly I'll be happier with the finished garment. On the other hand, is there anything more satisfying than whipping up a larg-ish gauge project in a yummy color, whether you wear it or not?
My current piece of clothing that inspired my daughter's comment is the snap tape cardigan by Blue Sky Alpacas, in their Blue Sky cotton. Squishy, great color, quick to make because of the large gauge. A bit hard on the hands, but otherwise fairly satisfying, especially when my tired brain can't handle anything complex. Is that so wrong?
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