Knitting Vampires

It really doesn't matter what your craft is - sewing, knitting, crochet, weaving, scrapbook, jewelry: we all have one, or three, okay maybe six projects that are in the "never to see the light of day things". Those projects that were fun to create, from picking out the pattern, yarn and needles to the last making-up stitch. Then you realize that, well, it just doesn't work for ya. Whether it's the fit, the yarn you choose, or just the "yuck" feeling when you wear the finished piece. So ya toss it into the corner. Then a moment of clarity and you put the rejected project into a tote - (just because you won't wear it doesn't mean you should let it be a free meal for moths).

Every time you go near your stash, you feel the nagging feeling of those projects just sitting there. You have that excited, heady feeling of starting a new project. Finding the pattern that you really, really want to make. Next, the yarn: did you find the perfect yarn in your stash or do you need to make a run to your LYS? While looking for the yarn you bump the tote/box/plastic bag of "rejects" and you feel guilty. You cringe as you feel the excitement being drained from you.

Knitting Vampires...what the heck is that? Vampires who love creating knitted items? Can you just picture vampires having a knitting circle? Or would that be "Knitted Vampires"? That gives the image of a pile of knitted vampire dolls. I love calling the "rejects": "vampires"!

So what Knitting Vampires do I have that keep sucking the knitting mojo from me?


"If you pick out yarn I'll make you a sweater" said to my then-5-yr-old son. Well, he has since outgrown the sweater so it sits in the "frog-it" pile. I loved knitting the sweater. The boy did say it was "itchy" so a turtle neck was worn underneath.

It is Araucania Magallanes #307. A thick/thin yarn that is 100% wool. I'm thinking of making felted mittens.



Next project: a wrap with sleeves in Lily Chin's Nolita in white. A bulky yarn of, 48% Nylon, 26% Wool, 21% Acrylic, 5% Rayon. Similar to mohair, so frogging it is going to be a pain. My choice to frog, so I guess I better not complain.

The wrap with sleeves was going great. Got to the second sleeve and bingo: needed one more skein to finish the sleeve. If I ripped it back on the wrap part I would have to rip 3/4s of it out to the before the first armhole so both ends from arm to arm would be the same length.

Found a really nice hoodie sweater that is done in a larger than usual gauge so it has an airy type of effect. That is going well! I guess this one is really in the remake category, as I'm already frogging and getting "new" skeins, and on-the-needles!



Number 3 in my frog-it pile: This bolero. Enough said on that one! Don't know what I was thinking when I bought that yarn. It was 2 Hobby Lobby yarns. Have no idea what I'll make next with these yarns. No idea at all!









Number 4 in the pile is this wonderful little number. Sleeveless turtleneck out of Lion Brand Homespun - too bulky for me to be a top. Cardigan yes. A shawl - another yes. A couple of scarves - maybe.






The last item in my pile is this sweater. Lion Brand Jiffy in blue. Nice, warm and a great shade for me. It's the sleeves and neck that get me. I have redone all 3 at least 3 times. I guess llama wrangling, sheep wrestling and general farm things have given me more muscles in my arms that this sweater has stitches for. The neck is at that perfect place. You know the place, where it rides or hits that slowly drives you insane.





That's my group? Flock? Bundle? Of knitting vampires...watch out they like to grab at your ankles to keep you close! If you have wooden needles like me, you could always drive it into the project like wooden stakes in vampires. At least there is less mess!