Thumb update: It still feels funny but after being "good" by avoiding knitting (aka bored out of my mind and a little bit twitchy, in spite of all the reading) for over a week, I am happy to announce that knitting doesn't hurt. I'll take it slow, I promise.
Now, some thoughts on Ravelry. Anyone who reads this blog and doesn't even occasionally ponder the wonder that is Ravelry, and it's impact on our world, and the (hard to imagine) concept of what we all did before Ravelry ... well, I can't relate.
I've been part of Ravelry since very early on. I've (so far) managed to ignore the possibility of "cataloguing" my stash. While it would occasionally be cool to link a future/queued project with a stash picture/link, I can't go there. A. it would mean ripping my house to shreds to find everything and photograph it and B. I really do know (more or less) what's here. If and when I allow myself to think about it. Which I rarely do.
However, I do regularly go and look at what my friends are making/queuing/favoriting and browse. I'm a few days into month #2 of not buying yarn right now. [See paragraph above.] Honestly, this has been relatively painless, in spite of working at a fabulous yarn store several days a week. One becomes blind to yarn seen on a regular basis [again, see paragraph above] - I'm only really in trouble when I do something dangerous, like going to Rhinebeck.
What I love about browsing patterns on Ravelry, most often courtesy of my friends - and their excellent taste in ... everything - is when I find a pattern for a yarn that I already own. Even better? When the yarn that I already own is owned in enough quantity to make the pattern that I'm suddenly so excited about.
The latest? Thea Colman's Irish Coffee. I've got enough Berocco Blackstone Tweed (a birthday gift from my sister, via a gift certificate) to make it. I love the design, I love the style, I love that it's top-down. And having the yarn in the house to make it (go see the Ravelry projects - two are done in Blackstone Tweed) makes me want to cast on immediately.
But I'm going to be "good" (which honestly is getting tiresome and annoying) and wait until I've finished at least one other sweater before I even. buy. the. pattern. The upside is that having a new project singing it's sweet siren song is making me knit again.
Gotta go - sweaters to finish...
One of Ravelry's best ideas is that you can put a pattern in your cart and let it wait there until you're ready to buy it. No more "buy it now or I'll forget what it was" and then forgetting it anyway. . .
Posted by: ElizabethD | 07 February 2011 at 07:30 PM
ElizabethD is right on about that, and you're right on about Blackstone Tweed - an undersung yarn if I've ever knit with one! it will be fab on you - when you get around to it ... take it easy with that thumb, girlfriend.
Posted by: Margaret | 07 February 2011 at 08:29 PM
In the waiting room getting our car serviced this morning, a guy came in and saw my knitting and just about swooned. Told us wonderful stories about his mother knitting cotton sweaters for him in China. My husband started asking all sorts of questions about what fibers were available, and when the guy commented that nobody knits anymore, DH burst into laughter and said, "Go to Ravelry.com!" They both had their laptops out in moments... And yes, we're keeping the new guy as a friend -- a splendid man our age with a fast-fast brain and a love of knitting? A keeper. [I think you should cast on the sweater. I am way more fond of UFO's than bags of yarn that are sitting there, worrying that I'll chose a dorky pattern, pondering their fate...]
Posted by: Sylvia | 07 February 2011 at 10:12 PM
Yes, Juno's been crazy on Rav lately - favorite-ing all these wonderful projects. It kept me sidetracked for 30 minutes yesterday!
Good luck with your meeting today!
Posted by: elizabeth | 08 February 2011 at 11:47 AM
I wish my brain was faster than my hands, some nights I've knitted inches before realising that I can't count to six reliably. I do not catalogue anything, anywhere, all the relevant information is stored between my ears which is worrying given what I just said about counting to six.
Glad to hear the thumb is resolving itself
Posted by: Caroline M | 08 February 2011 at 02:19 PM
Oooo...another must knit pattern. Lovely!
Posted by: Jenny in Jersey | 10 February 2011 at 08:13 AM
S.O.S Please Help me. Tormented with the Norwegian Gloves of Nancy Bush: RIGHT HAND
I am unable to reverse the placement of the THUMB following the PALM chart, WHERE,and HOW do I start? have tried MANY ways: frustrated,Waiting for your help PLEASE ! mimi.
Posted by: mimi. | 12 February 2011 at 12:43 PM
Glad to hear that your thumb is getting better..make sure that you are taking it easy.
Baby Cocktails is a wonderful designer, Cassis is next in line for me with Shiraz right after. I have 2 inches to go on the current sweater on the needles...LOL but Cassis is calling me..
I also don't document anything on Ravelry. It would take some(actually a lot of) my time that I would rather use knitting...LOL
Good to hear from you,
Val
Posted by: Val | 14 February 2011 at 09:12 AM
Please continue to take care of your thumbs. Otherwise they may fall off and roll around on the floor! Which makes knitting quite difficult. Hugs to you. Paula in Iowa
Posted by: Paula O'Neal | 19 February 2011 at 04:48 PM
Happy Birthday, Cass!
Posted by: DebbieB | 23 February 2011 at 08:06 AM
Thumbs up for you.....as long as it doesn't hurt!
Posted by: Leslie Wind | 01 March 2011 at 11:37 AM
How's the hand healing?
Posted by: Caroline M | 11 March 2011 at 02:15 PM
I just cast on Irish Coffee a couple days ago! Slow going, as it's just started to be spring so it's tough to knit a sweater...but I'm loving it! It's a beautiful pattern.
Posted by: Lydia Schmidt | 25 March 2011 at 03:37 PM
Where are you??????????????????????????
Posted by: Susanne | 22 April 2011 at 10:47 AM