Tricotant, or Third Time's A Charm
When I was in Paris, I bought the makings of a bouclé cardigan at Galleries Lafayette. Once it was finished, I reasoned, I would always think of Paris when I wore it. Well, that was in September, and I've yet to finish it. I currently have sleeve number three on the needles. Yes, three. I only have two arms. I made a small but important mistake on the first, which I did not realize until it was cast off. I had to tear it out and start over again. So, that is how I've knit three sleeves for one sweater.
Still, I am totally smitten with Phildar knitting. Phildar is a company in France with chic pattern designs, not lagging behind current fashions as American companies often are. Phildar is fun and fabulous (with some scary, stereotypical exceptions), so it's a given that their merchandise is very hard to get in the States. They have no American distribution, which leaves Phildar-loving American knitters at the mercy of various foreign yarn shops. I discovered that one Canadian store was engaging in price gouging. Why should I pay twelve dollars for a magazine that costs five euros (plus shipping)? And worse. So, I'm becoming acquainted with the dollar to euro exchange rate and driving my spell check crazy with emails written in French. I always told my friends in high school that it wasn't a useless language! They were so smug about the usefulness of Spanish.
This time of year seems perfect for starting new projects, which is dangerous. It's very easy to get startitis and have a half dozen projects in varying states, none of them nearing completion. I've got the bouclé cardigan going at a fair clip, but there's also the ondé cardigan that's been languishing since last summer, and a pair of socks for Grandma that still need the toes done and the ends run in. Still, I long to knit up a fabulous black mod sweater in time to celebrate my birthday (which is in a month, yikes), and to get started on a kimono inspired cotton sweater. The silvery, lilac cabled yarn seems perfect for Spring. Maybe this is why some knitters make big heavy pullovers in the Summer and light little sweaters in the Winter, so that the garments are actually ready to wear.