...and the charm is wearing off. Not that I don’t think the final product will be absolutely lovely, but after the non-stop drama of the sampler scarf this is, well, less drama.
And you know, that’s not a bad thing. I have more than enough drama in my life at the moment.
Which brings me to a salient point: quality materials. Sitting and knitting on this shawl the other night, I was struck again with how satisfying I find the experience of working with this yarn and needles. The yarn is smooth yet with enough texture to really be noticed under your fingers. I find myself running my hands down the knitted piece, taking in the paradox of smooth bumps. It drapes fabulously. And the more material I produce, the more weight is added to the piece so that the stitch pattern and drape come out more and more. Yummy. You just can’t get to that place with a ball of acrylic sport weight. Not that such yarns don’t have their place, but some days you just need the “luxe” vibe.
Which brings me to another salient point (I’m a professional writer, I’m supposed to have lots of these): good needles. I am a huge fan of Lantern Moon needles, particularly the ebony ones which I am using now.
There is just something amazing in the way they feel to me. I own metal needles—I even own a pair of the ones with light-up ends which I used often until my son thought it would be cute to stuck them up his nostrils so I could watch his nose glow (can you say antiseptic wipes?). I love addi turbo circulars. But there is a romance for me in the Lantern Moon straight needles. They feel indulgent, and face it; I’m in knitting for the indulgence. It’s a tactile pleasure for me.
So, when faced with a project that is a looooong stretch of basic repeats like this, I take my inspiration and endurance from my materials. Plainly put, I’ll keep going because it feels so good.
If only I could say the same about a treadmill….
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