goals

I haven't blogged a lot in the last year or so and I've noticed a general downturn in the frequency of the knitting blogposts I read, too. It might be my natural introvert tendencies creeping in, but I also just haven't been doing as many fibre-related things to talk about. My goals over this past winter actually had nothing to do with knitting and everything to do with achieving things I've wanted to do for a long time - learning to play the violin and running a half marathon.

So I've spent a lot of time training for both lately. The violin-playing skill is ongoing (note: having played piano as a child I can attest that learning an instrument as an adult is much, much harder, despite already knowing how to read music)...but I did complete my first half marathon last weekend. I currently have zero desire to ever run a full marathon, but getting faster at the half and shorter distances is my new goal. So these pursuits are competing with knitting for my free time, but I did manage to finish a project this week.

Pattern: Ravello by Isabell Kraemer
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay 'Alegria' in 402 A (navy-purple) and Tanis Fibre Arts Blue Label Fingering Weight in 'Plum' (lighter purple)

This was a pretty quick knit - lots of stockinette in the round. Knit in fingering weight at an extra loose gauge (24 sts/4") it's really drapey and lovely. It used two full skeins of the Alegria and a full skein of the Tanis. I was happy I didn't need to break into any extra skeins, but I love that I got a decently sized sweater using only 3.

I switched up the pattern by doing a contrast colour at the neck and then eliminating the third colur striping in the pattern. My Alegria skeins were quite different, so I just striped between them instead for a more subtle effect. I wasn't paying attention when I blocked it and it's bigger than it should be, but it's super comfy.

Our spring weather has been warmish-to-chillyish, so it's been a great sweater to have on hand. Hoping it gets warm enough to plant my garden soon.