Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Portable knitting

I always like to have a knitting project in my purse.  I've been thinking about this today because I need purse knitting tomorrow while commuting to downtown Chicago for a visit to the Art Institute.  Trains = knitting time.

There are certain requirements to make knitting a moveable feast:

1.  No beading.  I love to bead but not away from my studio table.  I drop beads.  I drop stitches that I'm beading.  I am not a picture of grace when it comes to beading.  Unlike two friends who are so good at beaded knitting that they work beaded shawls on planes, in cars and at baseball games.  This leaves me in awe.  Me?  I'd drop the beading hook down into the bleachers, never to be seen again.

2. No more than two colors of yarn.  Otherwise I'm juggling colors.  Then there's the fear of losing a skein along the way.  Again, this is something I'm talented at.  Hansel and Gretel left a trail of breadcrumbs; I leave a trail of dropped skeins and dpns (just in the last few days -- I'm nothing if not consistent).

3.  The stitch pattern has to be something I can work with only occasional references to the directions.

4.  No dragging along a huge piece of knitting.  When I went to visit MB in South Carolina in June, left at home were two sweaters (Old Town, Lea & Lola) that had progressed beyond the portable stage.

Everything I'm working on right now is either advanced, huge or beaded. 

True, though it sounds like an excuse to start another project, doesn't it? 

Since picking up this pattern at Stitches Midwest last weekend (all I bought, proving once again that Janet spoils me/us when it comes to finding interesting yarns that you really, really want to knit with), I started the entrelac back panel out of Noro Taiyo just because it's so eminently portable.  Really.  I may drop beads but I can entrelac (didn't know it was a verb, did you?  It is now) pretty much anywhere.  This partially explains the numerous skeins of gradient yarn (Noro, Zauberball, Jojoland but mostly Noro) in my stash.  Entrelac just begs to be worked in gradient or self-striping yarn.

What are your requirements for portable knitting?

Oh -- forgot one. Nothing in white. 
Years ago a friend said that when she grew up she wanted to be able to wear white. 
Not there yet.

LK

1 comment:

  1. I agree with NUMBER 3!!!! An easy interesting pattern is the best

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