A Seismic Shift

 

Last night, not being in much of a mood to either read or knit, I began the process of selecting my husband's next handknit sweater.  Those of you who've been with me for a while will remember that he gets a new sweater every other year....and this is his year!  I had a few ideas about what I wanted to do this time around, but even after talking to my (darling, sweet, handknit loving) husband a few times I really didn't have a plan.

 

Downstairs to the knitting library I went!

 

As I started to pull a few books it occurred to me that it had been a very, very long time since I had gone through many of them. 

 

Hmmmm.....

 

The next thing I knew, I was tucked in bed with the pile of books you see in the picture above. (Funny how that happens.)  As I paged through book after book after book - remembering why I bought each in the first place, and rediscovering patterns I'd long forgotten - I felt the earth move.

 

You see, I have realized what my knitting problem is.

 

Knitting problem?  What problem?  - You might ask.

 

Truth be told, my knitting life has been rather flat since I finished the Princess Shawl and my Scrapbook Blanket.  Don't get me wrong, I still love it.  It's just that nothing beyond basic socks has really attracted my attention, and I've had trouble focusing on the few bigger projects I've started.  The spark has been gone....it's all been rather 'meh.'

 

Until last night.

When the dust settled, a new mission had taken hold in my heart.

 

Friends, I think I'm done knitting lace for a while.

 

It's time to start knitting sweaters.

 

With growing excitement, I pulled out my iPad and keyboard and I started a list.  As of this afternoon I've officially gone through all of my pattern books*, and have a master list of all of the sweaters I'd like to knit for myself.  (That's 146 sweaters, if you're curious.)  Next up - that pile of magazines I've needed to go through anyway, and once that's done I'll add the dozen or so online patterns that I can think of off of the top of my head.

 

Now I'm not delusional.  Even producing a sweater each and every month it would take me 12 years and three months to get through that initial list...and that would seriously be pushing it.  With a bazillion online patterns and new books and magazines coming out all of the time I'm bound to continue finding other patterns I love just as much if not more than those that I've placed on my list.

 

But.

 

Having that list shows me some definite trends and interests.  There are specific sweater types and styles that I really want (a heavy cabled coat, lace blouses/shells, traditional fine-knit cabled cardigan, fair isle pullovers)  That list will be a fantastic reference when I want to begin planning each and every project.

 

Even better...I already know where I'm going to start....

 

 

*I did have a secondary reason for wanting to go through all of my books, and that was to pull any books that I no longer wanted.  In the last six months I've given away several silly knitting essay books and a few pattern books.  I pulled four more to give away last night - books that either didn't qualify as inspirational/educational or held absolutely no patterns I ever would knit.  I'm very happy with my decisions, and am glad to open up a little bit of room on my shelves.