So, I’ve been sick with the flu and its aftermath for two weeks. The only upside to this is that I’ve been able to sit on the couch and knit while watching knitting podcasts and Star Trek TNG, guilt-free. Therefore, I made great progress on my Vertices Unite shawl and finished a pair of Simple House Slippers during that time. Plus, I’ve started another pair of socks for the #sockbash2017 hosted by the Grocery Girls. Since I almost always have a pair of socks on the needles, this is no hardship.
When I was still quite sick and my cough was keeping me up during the night, I started writing a new blog post in my head, but naturally the next day I couldn’t remember the substance of the post, nor did I have the energy to put the words on the page, even if I had remembered them.
I have a tendency to write amazing prose in those circs, but somehow, once I’m actually typing, the words don’t flow quite as well. However, I’m still going to take a stab at remembering what I composed during my delirium last week.
I’m pretty sure I was thinking about designing knitwear and what kind of person does that sort of thing. Could I ever design knitwear? Are people divided between those who invent patterns, and those that will be forever following patterns designed by others? It reminds me of the way musicians are often divided between those who can play by ear, and/or improvise, and those (like me) who are dependant on written music. There are many who can do both, but I believe more are in one camp or the other.
When it comes to designing knits, I think I could eventually design a pattern, but I would need a lot more experience and expertise than I have now. When it comes to music, I have plenty of experience and expertise in reproducing music, but I still don’t have the inspiration or desire to write or improvise music. I’m hoping it’ll be different in the knitting world. Even now, I’m capable of “designing” a sock pattern, but it’s really a matter of using the toe from one pattern, the heel from another and choosing a lace pattern for the leg, also made up by someone else! That really isn’t my own design and I would never have the gall to charge money for such a thing. It’s more a kind of improvisation, since I’m using tools I’ve picked up from others, but combining them in a new way, much like jazz, I suppose. It gives me the hope that one day I may have the experience to create something I can claim as my own.
Talking about inventing something new, I’m fascinated by patterns that become incredibly popular for one reason or another. Take the one that has taken Ravelry by storm recently called the “Find Your Fade” shawl. This is a wonderful design, (starting with the name!) not so much because the actual design is so new or different, but because of how it inspires knitters to be creative. It intrigues people to choose the colours that speak to them, and make their own very different versions of this shawl. Of course it’s intriguing to me and I have every intention of making one, one of these days. However, The Vertices Unite is allowing me the very same creativity in choosing colours that speak to me, some of which don’t really seem all that connected on the face of it. It’s been a wonderful experience making this shawl, and, now that I see the end in sight, I’m eager, but a little sorry to think of it being finished.
Next time I’ll show the end result of my work on my VU obsession!
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