Creativity check, fall 2020

My creating as of late has been more low-key, and more "comfort projects," as refer to them. I've written many times how creativity serves many purposes for me, one being that it is a source of comfort to me. There is a rhythm and productivity without expectation that can help (me) with weariness. I've knit my way through moves and months and months of "liminal spaces" in our life. And I knit now, as we mourn the twins.

Everything I'm working on requires little thought while I knit, which has been precisely the best type of knitting at the moment.

Finished Objects

A pair of sport-weight socks for Nicholas. Mid-September, in anticipation of our move and knowing that my yarn would be packed away, I picked out some partial skeins of fingering weight yarn. I was inspired by Lindsay of A Wooden Nest, who held yarn double to knit socks for herself and her husband. I referenced her ravelry page for initial numbers and then had Nicholas try them on as I knit to make sure his own pair fit well.

I cast them on a few days before we learned of the miscarriage, thinking they would be the perfect moving project. Then after my appointment, I almost set them aside, considering not finishing them. But they ended up being engaging enough of a knit (with colorplay and sizing testing) to be distracting when that was helpful and straightforward enough to be comforting when that was therapeutic.

The fabric is very dense and almost slipper-like. I'm expecting them to be rather sturdy. Nicholas loves them, both aesthetically and fit-wise, and it always feels satisfying to me to finish a pair of socks, especially when so many projects remain partially completed, so soon after moving house.

Details

For more details, see my ravelry project page

Yarn: Various partial skeins from stash, all leftover from other projects

Size: 52 stitches

Pattern: a vanilla sock recipe, made-up as I went to fit Nicholas' foot, used Lindsay from A Wooden Nest's project as a starting point (see above)

Needles: US 2 dpns

Specifics/modifications: All the details are on my ravelry (linked above), but I knit them to fit his foot. Carried the yellow/gold yarn throughout the entire sock, swapping in the other color for stripes. Garter stitch heel, didn't slip edges of heel flap, just picked up for the gusset between each garter ridge. Stopped the gold yarn at the toe to finish with blue/grey, held double.

Works in progress:

• My Faroese Atmen shawl, a longer-term WIP. I'm knitting this in special yarn my brother bought for me from the Faroe Islands. I've gained some momentum on this project, as I'm nearing the end. I think it will be very warm, and the entire shawl feels very lightweight, since the yarn is so lofty. I am using a sportweight yarn and it calls for DK, so I'm adding in some extra rows to attempt to make it similar to the sample in final size.
• Nurtured sweater. I haven't worked on this very much, but I would like to pick it back up once I finish the shawl. The first sleeve is 95%(ish) done, and I've done the math needed to get the sleeves to fit, accounting for my error in casting on the wrong number of sleeve stitches at the cuff. (The sleeve fits really well, so I'm going with it). Looking forward to casting on the body and just knitting this texture for a long time.

Upcoming project(s):

• Self-striping socks, knit from special birthday yarn (2019). Once the shawl is done, I will cast these on as a more portable project, alongside the sweater.
• A worsted/aran-weight cardigan, knit from a sweater's quantity of this Cestari yarn in the light grey/medium grey tweed color. Considering Snowland, a Plain Cardigan (I like this marled version), or Winter Square. Regardless of what pattern I choose, I think it needs to be predominantly stockinette stitch, since most stitch patterns will be lost with a marled yarn.
• Maybe a pair of the sport weight socks, knit for me.
• Perhaps a gift knit or two?

I haven't sewn for months, although it isn't uncommon for me to take long sewing breaks. There are a few projects for our house that I will want to sew at some point soonish, including a cushion for under Cooper's Pikler's triangle. I would also like to sew a quilted/pieced larger project bag, suitable for storing and carrying larger sweater projects.

In years previous, I knit several gifts for Christmas. I think will end up knitting a few, but not the usual quantity. Definitely feeling the need to adjust my expectations and find joy in making, which might involve less (sometimes stressful deadline) gift knitting.

Right now, knitting serves me well as a soothing practice.