Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Cold Feet

And I don't mean just because it's February and I forgot to change into my boots when I walked John to Latin this morning.

No. It's the Hybrid Seamless Sweater. (Imagine a heavy sigh, here.) I've been reading, thinking, planning. I've got my 24" circulars for the body and 16" circulars for the sleeves (16" circulars are short. I take these out of the package, look at them, and feel deep misgivings). I've swatched to get my gauge. I've measured John. Now, as my latest delaying tactic, I'm winding yarn. Lots of it. When three skeins were wound for John's sweater (1 to start the body and one for each sleeve), I was supposed to stop. Then I did an extra (so annoying to be half-way through the body, and not have the yarn ready to go, right?). Then I started gathering the yarn to wind 3 skeins for Marco's sweater. After I found myself setting up to wind a 4th ball of his yarn, I decided to come over here for a few moments of truth and reflection. I mean, really. I don't even have the pattern figured out for Marco's. Sure feels like avoidance to me.

It's so embarrassing. The yarn is beautiful (well, I think it is, and I'm the one who'll be knitting it). The pattern means new skills, which is always exciting. Yet I seem to be freaking about knitting a sweater in the round. Enamored as I am of the minimal sewing up, I find myself thinking about casting on and my brain fritzes. Yes, I am aware this makes no sense, but there it is. Knitterly cold feet.

I'm going to read that chapter on seamless sweaters one more time and then, so help me, it's "unto the breach, dear friends, once more...for Harry, for England," and, well, for me.*

*Henry V, Act 3, Sc 1. I'd apologize to Will, but I don't really think he'd mind.

No comments: