through thick and thin

When selecting my next knitting project, I wanted something that was portable, and mindless. I've had trouble with complex patterns lately as my attention is usually pulled in other directions than my hands. I have yarn from a friend that's been calling me from my stash since I got it, and I have some laceweight that had begun life as this, but it just wasn't working out for me, and had to be frogged. And since I always have at least two projects going on at one time, I decided to look for patterns for both. Strangely enough, they're the same color.

The laceweight is Malabrigo Lace. It's soft and warm and I love the way the subtle color changes throughout. The problem with the sweater I originally started in this yarn was that it was a bottom-up design. That's a LOT of stitches to start out with in such thin yarn. I got about an inch into it and yanked it all out just as I was about to yank out my hair. I didn't think I'd ever have the patience to knit a full sweater in laceweight. Looks like I was wrong (happily); because now I'm about to separate for the sleeves of this sweater. I love LOVE this design. It's so simple and sleek, and perfect for finicky Spring afternoons in central England. Best of all, it's a top-down design. By the time I got to the larger number of stitches, where one row takes about five minutes to work, I've already completed too much to turn back. Clever.

The unknown heavyweight, I'm hoping, will become this. I weighed what I have and if my wpi estimate is correct, I'll have JUST enough. I should know by the time I've worked up two balls of it. That's enough to know whether I'll have enough to complete it, but not so much that I'll be pissed if I have to frog it all.

It's fun knitting two different projects at opposite ends of the weight spectrum, in the same color. Selfishly, they're both for me! On that note, I've been trying to pick out some projects for my babes lately, but Monkey has all his brother's hand-me-downs and really doesn't need anything right now. Scooch doesn't really have anything mama-made right now, but he is So. Rough. on clothes that I'm afraid anything I make won't last long enough for him to grow out of it. Plus, we're having to change clothes after every meal almost these days, and I don't think I much like the idea of hand-washing his woolens that often. Ahem.