My knitting brain has been a little scattered in the past few weeks. I blame it on the Small Knits Along. You can’t help but believe that you must KNIT ALL THE THINGS when your friends are inspiring you with loads of new patterns and ideas. That, coupled with a strong desire to knit the stash, has left me wanting to cast on new projects left and right. Stashbusting is probably less effective when you’re spending all your money on patterns, but hey, it’s better than acquiring more yarn.
Okay. So I think that the above paragraph has further proven my aforementioned scattered knitting brain. Moving on.
As I’ve been building my Ravelry queue in order to bust said stash, I just had to cast on the latest pattern I added – the Imogen Cowl, designed by Carrie Bostick Hoge. I could wax for paragraphs on my love of Carrie’s designs and general aesthetic. Her blog is lovely, and she’s doing amazing things with Quince and Co. The look she goes for is clean and simple – classic pieces you imagine will become family heirlooms, with a hint of vintage charm. She has incorporated the Imogen lace pattern into several designs, but I went for the cowl because who doesn’t like the feeling of a cozy hand-knit warming her neck?
It also didn’t hurt knowing that I had the perfect yarn for the job. After knitting my Norie, I still have quite a few balls of Pierrot Soft Merino Fingering yarn in my stash and this impossibly lofty yarn is perfect for lightweight, yet warm garments. And at $2.50 USD per ball, I got this yarn for a steal, so it makes the knitting even sweeter.
The beginnings of Imogen
I had a few false starts with this one, mainly because I haven’t done a provisional cast on in a while. After a few keystrokes, I found Knit and Tonic’s Long Tail Provisional Cast On tutorial. It’s impossibly easy and I can’t recommend it enough. I have one repeat finished and I’m on my way to a gorgeous cowl.
What’s on your needles right now? Are you finding yourself enamored with a certain style or designer, like my new love affair with Carrie Bostick Hoge? Has startitis struck you recently? How do you deal with it – do you cave in like me or fight the evil urges?
Happy knitting!!
xx
bmore crafty. 
I think maybe the startitis is in the air, I have three things on the go now that have been cast on since last week. At least patterns take up less space than yarn 🙂
I think once the end of summer is in sight, the needles start clicking a little faster for many of us. And that will henceforth be my pattern-buying rationalization. 🙂
I’m trying to fight the evil urges since I have about 10 WIPs at the moment. I am in love with Laura Nelkin, Romi Hill and Stephen Wests designs at the moment.
Ah, all such great designers. And hey, 10 WIPs just means you have plenty of options for every occasion and mood!
I’m currently trying very hard to avoid startitis, but not really succeeding! Love the colour of your cowl, and it looks like it’ll be beautifully cosy for the winter 🙂
Thank you so much! I’m going to cast on a pair of mitts to match… but maybe I should finish something on the needles first. 😛
I love Carrie’s designs, too – so pretty! That Imogene stitch pattern is gorgeous. I also love her photography.
I can usually manage to fight startitis….I can’t stand having a bunch of WIPs going all at once, so that keeps me from casting on too many things. My “imaginary” knitting (aka, my favorites list on Rav) is out of hand, though. : )
I am trying to resist startitis now that I finally have my WIP down to a reasonable number. There are so many great patterns out there! Your Imogen Cowl is looking fabulous. (and gosh, that yarn was a steal!) I am crushing on Cecily Glowik Macdonald’s patterns right now. She has a similar aesthetic to Carrie’s. Very classic with a modern twist. I am also dying to knit Aidez by Cirilia Rose. And have you seen the patterns in Wool People?!!
i don’t have startitis so much as i do a case of lost knitting mojo. i am a firm believer that moving can do that a person. good luck! 😛