Bewitched

Last post: decide to design my own pattern for my aunt's stole
Tonight: find what could have been the perfect pattern.

Humph. I think it's too late now. The stole is cast on, and the lace has spoken. BadCat's pattern is very much like what I was looking for, but I think I'm already committed. It's not like me to use a pattern, and it's even less like me to stop designing in favor of someone else's pattern once I've started. That didn't stop me from heading straight over to Ravelry and buying it. Some patterns are ones that you think about and plan for and hunt for the perfect yarn to match (Susan's Arabian nights is an example...have you seen her Iris pattern, by the way? It's looking lovely already...). Some you just go and buy without a clear end in mind (the honeybee was one of those). I wonder what makes the difference?

I usually love the process of waiting for a pattern and a yarn. The planning is actually one of my favorite parts of a project. I'd rather think about it for a month or so before buying anything than to go out and find something right away. The steeping is part of the joy. I think that's why I like big projects; they give me time to enjoy the process, and as I begin to get bored I can start to think about the next. Something that only takes a week to knit is a bit jarring. It's done before I have time to decide what's next, and then I have nothing to knit while I ponder. I prefer things that unfold slowly, gracefully, blooming in the fullness of time (isn't that a beautiful phrase?). It's like a strain of music that fades slowly away, or a taste that lingers on your tongue. Slow pleasures, drawn out pleasures. Things that require your full presence and attention to appreciate. What's your favorite kind of knitting?