Call Me Crazy

Hey, check it out: It's JUNE. June! When did that happen??? And what is up with the weather in California? It seems like we were having heat waves while the rest of the continent was digging themselves out of snowstorms, and now everyone is enjoying summery weather while we sit through weeks of mid-60s cloudiness. It's not the weather I mind (I do like that it's not scorching hot), but the fact that I have absolutely no way to measure the passing of time. People from northern climes often say that they like having four seasons because "you appreciate the good weather more". I say, ballz to that! I like good weather any way you slice it! BUT...this Minnesota gal can't tell winter from summer any more, and the months seem to go by in the blink of an eye.

I have been on a finishing kick lately...of sorts. I never have many projects lying around, so I don't know if you can officially call it a "kick", but I finally blocked my Little Birds and Laminaria. Both turned out well, but I will have to do FO shots later. Little Birds needs buttons, and Laminaria needs a photographer.

I started the Petal Halter ages ago, it seems, but have been having so many problems with trying to get the sizing right that I keep working on it for a day or so, then abandoning it for other things. I'm tall, so I'm trying to rejigger the pattern so I can make the length of the larger sizes, but I'm not very big up top so I'm trying to preserve the width of the smaller sizes. The problem is that the top is constructed in six "petals" that are knit individually, then sewn together two-by-two to create three layered tubes. Each petal is knit from the center out, then attached end to end with a second one. Because of the way the petals are constructed (knit sideways instead of bottom up), and because of the way they are angled and overlapped when sewn together, I am having a hard time adjusting the sizing.

I started out doing what I thought would work, but ended up with a tube that fell right off my hips when I tried it on. I ripped it all out (and ended up with 4 mini skeins of yarn), and started again. This time, the tube was much smaller, but is more suited for the bottom hip area than my chest (see photo of this tube sewn together). I made the next two petals much smaller than those, but I haven't had the heart to sew them together (see photo again). I'm afraid that they won't fit. If they don't fit, I will give up on this project. I don't want to face the fact that a project may have kissed my ass. A project, no less, that several other Ravelers have made and look great in!

So, in a fit of avoidance, I searched around for a new project to work on. I knew I wanted to use up some old stash yarn (look at the counter on the right--I'm over halfway down!), and I also wanted to use one of my pattern books that has not been used yet either. I settled on the Hex Coat from Norah Gaughan's Knitting Nature in Berroco Ultra Alpaca. No, you do not need to mention how ill-timed my choice is. I am fully aware that knitting up a knee-length moss stitch coat in a wool/alpaca blend is not the most logical of choices. In southern California. In June. But for some reason, it seems to be just what I needed. I already have one front and one sleeve done. Crazy!