The Delight of Packing Too Much Knitting - A WIP Tour

Let's all admit it.  When us knitters go on a one-week holiday, we pack enough knitting for a month!  Instead of using that precious suitcase space for an extra pair of dress shoes, we stuff it with extra balls of yarn. Instead of carefully stowing our jewelry and cuff links for dinners on the QMII, we carefully stow completely unnecessary packs of circulars and stitch markers in every possible pocket.  And instead of printing that all important boarding pass or hotel reservation, we manage only to remember to print at least 3 extra copies of patterns just in case one important chart blows away on the Riviera.

And even if, in the end, we barely touch even one project (because honestly, we should be sight-seeing instead), for the next trip we might just pack a little more.  Just... in.... case.

This is how it usually is for me.  (Well, minus the Cunard cruise and the rental on the Riviera, lol).  But tomorrow, I will be going on a 9-day vacation to the middle of nowhere.  

There will be no sight-seeing.  There will be no electricity, and there will certainly be no internet.  I will not see a soul except for my husband and the park ranger who visits once a day around 10:30am.  I will have 4 simple choices of things to do:  swim, cook on the gas stove, read or knit.  And (patting self on back), I can do the last two simultaneously.

Could it be, that for the first time in my life, I might actually knit all that I pack??

... oh, that's sweet to think but... NOT IN A MILLION YEARS.  Come take a tour with me through my vacation knitting basket!

First up is Anatolia by Marie Wallin, from the new Rowan Magazine 54.  I fell in love with the "Folk" section of the magazine, and this one is my favorite of all.

It uses 7 colors of Rowan Felted Tweed.  I've replaced that pink/purple color with a bright red called Rage.  This pattern is not for the faint of heart... it is stranded with 3 or 4 colors at a time!

I am knitting it in the round, and have all of my current mods on my Ravelry page, if you are also tackling this beauty.

My Anatolia on Ravelry

Next up is the second of three lovelies from the same magazine.  This one has the most progress of all of my vacation projects.

This is Armenia by Marie Wallin.  It is not stranded like the above sweater, but uses intarsia.  Basically, instead of carrying the yarn along the back, you leave the color where it is, on little bobbins like these:

Instead of using Rowan Frost as called for in the pattern, I am using a delicious dark auburn brown shade of Rowan Kid Classic.  The flower accents are in Rowan Kidsilk Aura, the scraps from my epic Sofia Wrap, which left a lot of colorful fluff in it's wake.  

I think my colorway is way better than the original, don't you?

For the front, I was low on a color, so the top flower is two-toned.  I wish I had done that for all the flowers, because it is lovely!

My Fuzzy Armenia on Ravelry

The final piece from Rowan Magazine 54 is really going to be at the bottom of the basket.

This is Izmir, another fair-isle garment using many colors of Rowan Felted Tweed.  I won't be knitting this during the vacation, but I plan on taking my palette with me to decide what colors will go where.

I'm also going to re-design the front, as I have had too many 'natural disasters' with wrap front tops and dresses, to ever go back.

My Iz Different on Ravelry

Did you think that was enough colorwork for only 9 days?  Oh, please no.  I have a project I started in August 2009 that I'd like to get back to.

This is Scales, by Brandon Mably.  It's from my favoritest Rowan Magazine #38.  It uses intarsia, as well, but you can see it requires WAYYYYY more bobbins.  This particular row has 22.

Now you can understand why it is taking so long!  I need a week-long no distraction cabin vacation just to make some headway.  I am deciding whether to just make black sleeves so I can finish this some time in the next 5 years.  ;)  Plus, it might look less busy.  I'd welcome any opinions on this.

My Stained Glass Madness on Ravelry

The next piece needs so little to be finished, that I just have to bring it along.  

This is Pinion by Christa Giles, from Twist Collective.  This was my second test knit for Christa, but I only managed to get through the lovely yoke for her.  (The colored embellishment, by the way, is more of the Kidsilk Aura from the Sofia Wrap!)

I have managed to finish the body, rip the body, re-finish the body, steek and add one button band... so close, except my sleeves are wrong past the elbow and they need to be ripped, too.

I don't like forcing myself to finish something, so I'll just bring it in case I get that little tug in the back of my mind saying, 'hmm, I'd actually like to work on that right now.'

My oPinionated on Ravelry

And FINALLY (can you believe we are at the end of the basket??), here is a piece that is coming with me because I want to finish it just so I can photograph it at this gorgeous little lake.

This is Marshmallow, by Julia Frank, from Rowan Magazine 53.  I'm very happy how it came out, you will see how fitted it is.  All I have to do is tack on these i-cords at the top and bottom, and I'm ready.  

The only challenge will be to look good when I've been "roughing" it for so long!  All the more reason to put this project right on top of the pile.  

Now you can't possibly feel bad about how much yarn you've packed in your suitcase.  Tell me, what marvelous projects are you bringing on vacation this summer?

My Marshmallow on Ravelry 

ETA: Click here to see what I accomplished!

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