So we talked about the making to take part of the vacation equation. Now for the hardest part of packing for any vacation: choosing a knitting project (or three!), i.e., what to take to make. Our Florida road trips represent a lot of knitting time. There’s the 13 hours in the car each way — only half of which am I the driver — so even with naps and other distractions, there’s easily 8-10 hours of road knitting. There’s usually most of a day on the boat, during which I knit pretty much the whole time (my absolute favorite place to knit), but this time there might be a multi-day boat trip. Can you imagine all the uninterrupted deep-sea knitting? And then there are evenings and whatnot. So it’s easily the most knitting-rich scenario in my life, and I like to use it wisely. I’m of multiple minds for this one:
1. This would be a fantastic chance to make serious headway on my Channel Cardigan (take two) at long last, and it would be fun knitting for filling otherwise long dull road hours. I’ve swatched and am beyond sold on using the Clever Camel — omigod you guys. I truly can’t wait to spend hours upon hours with this yarn, but haven’t actually settled on a shade or ordered it yet. Intellectually, I believe in the investment I’ll be making for this sweater in this yarn, but it will be by far the most I have spent on a garment in my entire life. I have to work up the nerve to actually place the order!
2. The Linen Quill would be the perfect yarn to be working with in this scenario, and I am absolutely dying to cast on with the black. Only problem is I can’t decide whether it wants to be a cardigan or a wrap. Actually … that’s not true, I realize as I’m typing. All I have ever wanted in life is a sweater’s worth of the Habu yarn I designed my Wabi Mitts around, and basically here it is, refined and in skein form. So yes, it wants to be a sweater. And the yarn is already in my possession — at least, enough of it to make it through the trip — but what sweater do I want it to be?
3. Then there’s the grey marl half of the Linen Quill stash, which I have in my head would be truly gorgeous as a Slope tank. Truly. Gorgeous. But can I bear knitting fingering on 3s, even for the duration of a tank top? Cringe, yearn, grimace, yearn … cross this one off. Maybe a modified Beach Tank?
4. Ever since knitting my Togue Stripes tank, I’ve been longing and praying for Quince’s Kestrel to come in black, and huzzah, as of last week it does! So now I’m more keen than ever to knit Heidi Kirrmeier’s Flex tee. In addition to wanting the garment very much, it sounds like the construction would be a ton of fun AND I love the idea of a project that might well be completed in the space of the trip. (Plus I could finally participate in Shannon’s Tops, Tees and Tanks Knitalong!) However, is this yarn in my possession? Not at the moment. So again, if that’s the one, I need to act fast.
What to do?? What to do!!
My vote goes to the Channel Cardigan, because you CLEARLY are dying to make it. Why avoid the inevitable? But also bringing along some yarn for a quickie beach tank (even a DK/worsted weight modified version) would be perfect for a Florida trip (and I’m not just saying that because I’m biased, although I’m clearly biased)
Slope is my vote. I knit it in Twig in black and love it. Plus the short rows distract you from the small needles.
That linen quill is gorgeous! It would be beautiful as some sort of t-shirt.
That Flex pattern is really pretty. I also like Berroco Odele. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/odele
they all sound like wonderful projects. i have to say that i like the Slope tank over the more beachy one. Splurge on that camel yarn. it’s nice to have one super expensive nice garment in your wardrobe that you can brag, touch and stare at and feel that it was money well spent.
I’m with brittsneezer and janet here – the Slope is such an elegant tank-top. It’d be worth the effort of size 3 needles (at least in my book, but I seem to have masochistic tendencies in my knitting). The Flex tee is also great. As for the Channel cardigan, you live in Nashville, right? Could schedule that for an August/September knit. Just sayin’.
I saw this new Kestrel pattern too-http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jessamin
BTW-Karen, have you worn your culottes yet? I have a Hint denim pair I bought 10 years ago and saved them for their return!
Well …. I am currently doing Flex with Kestrel … and it’s PEFECT for a travel project in my opinion – one needle, light yarn, totally entertaining without being too much of a challenge and it’s going like lightening! Plus – you will be wearing it just as soon as it comes off the needles. Talk about instant gratification. And Kestrel is awesome to work with and beautiful to look at. Do it.
A heavy wool(camel) project sitting on my body in Florida would be felted by the time I finished!
I would lighten up based on the trip. Humid heat calls for the tops. Maybe you will finish one and wear it while there?
If you have not knit a Heidi K pattern, then I recommend you try it. They are fabulous fun and her instructions are the best. Plus, doing lots of short rows while on a boat outing with lots of motion and people, on # 3 needles and slippery yarn, does not sound like fun to me.
My vote is for the Flex so you can actually have something you’ll wear the rest of the summer!
Slope is gorgeous, but so is Flex, in a different way. Please don’t do the beach tank. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
Hi Karen – I knit a FLEX last summer and it was not only great fun to knit but a flattering wear. I vote for that – and you might be wearing it while still on vacation, it is that fast and easy. Start with that and bring a skein or two to start your Channel. Karen in Seattle
As someone who have lived and knit in FL for a whole year, I vote for taking Kestrel, it is as much of pleasant knit as it’s fast, and with the humidity, can’t beat the linen on your hands there. And is the new Kestrel truly black or is my screen lying, I thought it was more dark dark brown…
You could do the camel for knitting in the car and the linen for FL/deepsea knitting. Envious – knitting on a boat would aggravate sea sickness for me!
Chanel and Slope!! You go girl.
clever camel in naked for the channel cardigan. that is the perfect camel.
Do the Channel Cardigan…you will get so much use out of it. You can get a chunk of it done on such a great knitting trip.
You have hours and hours of knitting ahead. Take at least two projects, and include your Quill yarn and a heavier project. When you are tired of knitting on tiny needles, switch. Well, that’s just what I would do, I guess. A cardigan in camel, heavenly !
I’ve knit that Flex top with Kestrel and loved knitting it so much, and loved the final product so much that I’m knitting it AGAIN! I’m almost finished with my second one. I love the yarn and the pattern is really a lot of fun, so I’ll vote for that, or highly recommend it…
Oooh, the last two are in my queue! I always have fingering yarn as a travel project–maximum entertainment for minimum packing space.
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