Knitting..And..Frogging....and Knitting again...

Over the last few months my knitting came somewhere behind..

Compared to last year - with usually 1 lace-shawl a month- hardly anything came of the needles. 

A pair of socks for Bram (yes, I must make some photo's)...,

some squares for the weddingblanket for Jon and Roy..,

but that is all.

Not much for an Addicted Knitter as I know myself..

There is plenty of yarn around at home in boxes and bags.....

Plenty of ideas..

A few things on the needles...

But..nothing happened or was finished..

Is this a kind of Knitting Burn-out?

No, it is not..Definitely NOT..

On Mondaynight I picked up my needles. Not the Fair-Isle one (too complicated..maybe later in the holiday) but the one with the Blue Aran Jamieson & Smith yarn on it. 

Pattern by my favourite Knitting Hero Elizabeth Zimmerman.

From her book The Opinionated Knitter which I got as a birthdaygift from Bram while on the Shetland Isles 2 years ago..

The:

I remember vividly the moment I bought this yarn at the Jamieson & Smith store in Lerwick. with this pattern in my head. 

There were 2 options, either purple or blue. I decided to go for blue, because the cables would  be more visible in this colour.

Blue, with hints of green..

But..on the way back we had a stop in Melrose,and in the bookshop I found -to my big surprise- the book: Knits Men want. 

Inside was a pattern for a simple cardigan ..and suddely I changed my mind. 

The blue yarn was the perfect yarn for it. 

No more cables..I would go for Simplicity, because that is what a Man like me really wants..

At home I cast on. Knitted the back and 1 front part..

Doubts came....

I didn't like the idea of sewing on the button band...and it looked a bit boring..

The EZ cardigan came back in sight

Why on Earth did I ever made this choice...??

Frogging came in sight..and I did..

Back to EZ..how could I have been so stupid to let her go??

I made a swatch on needle 4,5. 

Calculated the amount of stiches. 

Cast on...and off I went..

First thought: that looks beautiful and steeking wouldn't be that difficult..would it?

Don't know why, but all of a sudden it left me..or did I leave?

It was waiting on the table with the idea: I will finnish it off this summer, so I can wear it the coming winter...

After starting on again, I got the feeling that the fabric was to dense..

Doubts came again...

Isn't there too much happening? All those squares and cables around??

And than..while on Ravelry I came across a pattern by Kate Davies..The Warriston.. and as she writes a sweater: "Inspired by the smock-like garments once worn by shepherds and fishmermen".

Designed for Women, but with some changes it could be very well and item for a Man.

Might do only the patternstitches under and leave the rest plain....

I asked Kate by mail if this was a good idea and got a real nice E-mail back in which she mentioned that it was a good idea to make one for myself..

I have something like a Smock in my wardrobe. 

My Smock based shirt from COS. 

One of my favourite items, and I love to wear it.

A Smock...No, nothing like a smocked dress..Wikipedia tells (as always) the story.

2 years ago at the BoatMuseum on Shetland I took this picture from an original one, worn by a fisherman.

Ofcourse I bought the pattern, which is part of a really good E-magazine (very well written by Kate herself) with the title: TextIsles. 

It contains: 2 feature essays exploring the history of the English smock; an interview with Claire Smith about working with historic smocks and smocking techniques and the pattern for the smock-frock inspired sweater Warriston.

I might buy the 2nd issue also because it is a beautiful and well written magazine and it tells the story of the famous Betty Mouad fom Shetland. All for sale on her website or through Ravelry ofcourse.

Secretly, I envy Kate a little...but just a little...writing an designing..no time for those things now, but who knows in the future..

After another look at my knitting I knew what to do...

Frogging was the answer...

So I frogged...

Was I really sure???

Yes..I was...it was all too much for me...

I went on...

And on...

No Regrets..

Until the slip-knot appeared....still No Regrets...

(And as I always tell myself: The proces is more important than the result...)

At the end 6 balls of glorious Shetland yarn were on the table.. ready to be cast-on again..

A new start for a -hopefully well fitted- item I will wear with great pleasure...

Holiday memories of Shetland appear now and than. 

For those moments I have my special mug ready...

and than I am back in Shetland for a moment...