Traveling stitches

In the next week my stitches will be traveling quite a bit.

1) In August 2007 I was visiting my friend Smatt in Pittsburgh. He accompanied me to Knit One and picked out some sock yarn. In October we picked out a pattern and I started knitting him some socks. By December 2007 the first sock was done. But unfortunately I didn’t mention when I would actually be finished knitting them. Remember what I was saying about the importance of deadlines? Well, fast forward 14 months– enough time to make me feel that the second sock syndrome was way out of control. Also, inspiration came in the form of a couple of a-pair-a-month KALs on Ravelry (The Great Sock Off 2009 and 2009 Sock Knit Along). Suddenly the drive to finish rose up inside of me and Smatt’s second sock was done in two days! So these stitches will be traveling back to Pittsburgh where it all started 19 months ago. I expect Smatt is going to be pretty shocked to have them arrive in the mail. I wonder if he even remembers them…

The color is most accurate in the photo on the right.

Matt Makes Me Make Him Socks Socks (M4HS2) (Ravelry link)
Pattern: Earl Grey by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: Schoeller + Stahl Fortissima Socka Mit Bambou
Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm)
Started: (HOLY CREAP!) October 2007
Finished: Feb 3 2009

2) The second set of stitches that will travel far far away this week are a pair of fingerless mitts I knit for my friend Elena in Stockholm. I haven’t seen her since July and I miss her terribly. But I look forward to a trip up to Sweden at the end of March. And until then hopefully these will keep her hands warm. I’m worried that they’re a little big for her, but maybe she can felt them up a bit.

Elemm’s Cabled Kolenya, for Elena (Ravelry Link)
Pattern: Kolenya by Carola Haglund, cable pattern from Shedir by Jenna Wilson
Yarn: Noro Kureyon (180)
Needles: US 4 / 3.5 mm
Started: January 30 2009
Finished: January 30 2009

3) And finally, next Friday me and my stitches will be traveling to the Netherlands for two months. I’m very very very excited about this trip. And the first order of business as I start to pack… deciding what projects to bring with me. Lately I’ve been feeling very strongly about sock knitting, so they will dominate the queue. It’s all so inspiring! I’m focusing on projects from Nancy Bush’s Knitting Vintage Socks. But as a celebration of the Netherlands, I’ll bring a couple of Yarnissima patterns: Spina di Pesce (the featured pattern for the next KAL in the Yarnissima group on Ravery– starting some time around March 7) and Cleopatra’s Stockings, the May 2008 Rockin Sock Club selection (Ravelry link). I really enjoy planning my knitting ahead of long trips. It was so much fun to have a knitting “set list” when I was in Sweden last year– the yarn all wound up, matched to patterns. With a plan and a fixed amount of yarn it’s amazing how much you can get done! Despite this anticipated knitting productivity, I do think I’m going a bit overboard– so far I’ve picked out five patterns. Two months really isn’t that long and I will need to be working some of the time as well. Oh and I suppose I should give Wouter some attention too. I wish yarn/knitting weren’t so hard to resist!

How to decide?