Making Miscellany: 6
Winging it ...
Dear reader,
Well June has gone by in a flash of heat, of adventure, of interrupted nights. The month began with my first longish stretch flying solo with our two girls and is ending in what feels like a crescendo of parties, day trips and end-of-(pre-school)-year celebrations. Things have felt very much catch-as-catch-can, but not in an unpleasant way. And bits of making have fit into stray pockets of time. With little time but lots of desire to be doing, I’ve been winging it, more than usual.
Hazel’s hexagon cardigan, for example, got finished this month and ended up being a very improvised affair … I ran short on yarn (which I’d expected); relaxed, ahem, quite a bit when crocheting the second hexagon (for the second time); and decided to ignore the collar instructions. In another life, I might have agnoized over my gauge issues or forced myself to stick to the pattern.
Instead, I enjoyed embracing crochet’s flexibility (let’s add another row here, and a bit more there!) and the satisfaction of getting something finished, even if it’s not perfect. While it’s been too warm for Hazel to wear (and thus for me to consider weaving in the ends), I think it’ll be a cheerful and wearable layer for her when the temperature calls for it!
And I’ve certainly been winging it when it comes to this Dappled Lace Raglan (Ravelry link), knit in this brilliant limey lemon Orangic Trio yarn. I swatched once and my gauge was far too tight, but I liked the fabric. In a compromise move, I went up one needle size—still not enough to achieve the large gauge—and recklessly cast on, deciding to just see what happens once I’ve knit the yoke. The joy of a top down sweater.
If it doesn’t fit, I’ll pull back (a willingness to pull back, is I think, the precondition for winging it) or work more yoke. We’ll see, we’re winging it.
While my sewing has been more predictable … two more Jackson tees, my now firm favorite tshirt pattern, a simple swooshing skirt, I’ve also dived into something a bit new for me (that I can’t share quite yet) and have been thinking about two new improvised projects. One involves this little pile of double gauze scraps …
Another, a scheme for my growing bag of jersey remnants.
I’ve been daydreaming about these projects for the better part of June. Maybe recording them here means they’ll start to come to fruition in July; at the very least, it means I won’t forget about them!
And as we enter high salad season, I’ve very much enjoyed winging it in the kitchen, doing some of my favorite kind of meal prep: big salads with lots of things to pick at (dips, cheese, olives, fruit …).
And while we’re on the subject of wings…
these beauties from Twig and Tale are on my horizon for a certain little person’s birthday in October. Will the happen? Watch this space! I’m a little intimidated by them, but there’s video and a sewalong which makes them seem more doable.
How cute are these bird sweaters from Knitting for Olive (soon to be available in English, I think!)
And in a return of my occasional series, unasked for board game recommendations, Wingspan is one of our absolute favorites. Learn about birds while playing a play a fun game!
This month, I’m also winging it a bit with this newsletter, breaking out from the format I’ve been using so far and seeing how something a bit more free-flowing and thematic feels (have thoughts on this? I welcome them!). Somehow, this marks six months of the Making Miscellany! Thanks for being here, reading, sharing, responding, and commenting :)
So I’ve been in a happy place with my making, with (for now at least) behaving projects and a clear path of things I want to do. If you asked me, I could probably chart out a reasonable plan for what I’ll be knitting the rest of the year (although as reasonable as I think those plans are now, I’m sure there will still be an expectations/reality gap). Overall, I think this is a decent way to deal with not having much time for making: remove the question of “What Next"?” and stick with things you’re pretty sure will turn out. And yet. My fingers and brain still sometimes itch for a bit more play, for winging it that’s more profound than “my gauge might be off, but I’m going for it.” In my daydreams, I’m swatching for the sock design ideas floating around in my head; I’m learning about natural dyeing; I’m trying my hand at English Paper Piecing; I’m testing all the strawberry shortcake recipes until I find my perfect base for sweet strawberries piled with whipped cream (I mean, dream big, right?).
These are the tensions I keep circling back to: between the pleasure of always having something to hand, ready for the unexpected quiet moment, and the freedom to explore; between knowing what’s next and room for discovery; between easy wins and trying new things. I suppose the challenge is finding, in making (in life??) the balance between these competing impulses. For now, I’m hoping to carry on with plans at my stately place (because, undeniably, regularly finishing projects I’ve put thought into gives me a real boost), but try to, somewhere, find a bit more time for experimenting, for play, for giving stuff a shot that might not work out.
And on that note, I’ll leave you. I’d love to hear what you’re mulling over in your making at the moment, whether it’s in the comments or by replying to this email. Thanks, again, for being here and if you know someone who might enjoy a monthly making missive (with its attendant gratuitous alliteration), why not pass this newsletter along to them?
Happy making!
Katherine
Have to say I fixated on the Father's Day dinner. Potato and mackerel salad?? Oozy Camembert?!? Plus those other summery bits...I'm there.
What a lovely post! What a busy time you’re having. I love that you continue exploring and making and keep your creative juices flowing!