I’m packing once again for a long-haul flight. Tomorrow I’m heading to Johannesburg on a business trip. I’ll have about 10 nights stuck in a hotel, so I definitely need to have some knitting packed, and preferably more than one project.
I am steadily progressing on my Falkenburg jacket, but it’s not good travel knitting at this stage. I will take my Highland Rogue along. Here is the last progress photo I took:
I am further along now, about two thirds of the way through this project. The ends will be grafted together to make a very substantial cowl which can be wrapped three times around the neck. I am finding it slow going; in fact, I took it along on my last trip to Johannesburg and possibly the one before that.
I have spent many hours trying to think of another project to take along with me. I think I may have found one. Emma and I went through all of my stash last month (more on that in some future post) and I found three skeins of yarn that I purchased long ago to make a Color Affection shawl:
I wrote about this yarn purchase more than seven years ago in this post. (OMG! I have been writing this blog for a very long time!) A year later I wrote about the yarn again, stating that my very contrary nature prevented me from knitting the Colour Affection shawl because it was too trendy. You can find that post here. I find the latter post to be rather ironic right now, because I am thinking of finally using this yarn to knit another very popular shawl pattern, the Match & Move shawl by Martina Behm:
© Martina Behm
Not only is it popular, but it is also a triangular shawl, a shape which, as I have stated numerous times, I don’t like. However, it checks the boxes for travel knitting: fairly mindless, acres of garter stitch, and lightweight. It will provide a good counter to the Highland Rogue. Maybe I can buck my trend to avoid trendy knits by knitting something trendy (!). Or perhaps it’s now on the downhill side of the trendiness chart so it no longer qualifies. In any case, now that I have the knitting sorted out, I’m off to unearth my summer wardrobe.
Deciding on one’s travel knitting is usually for me much more time-consuming than thinking about which clothes to pack. I am with you on the importance of taking suitable projects, and absolutely having enough to last the time. Just imagine the horror of being away and finishing one’s knitting with time still left… 😱 My current travel project is Passegiata by Janina Kallio – a nice bit of colour via oodles of garter stitch, and a crescent shape to boot (like you, I hate triangle shawls). 😀
It’s kind of awesome to reread one’s posts from years back, isn’t it? Love the Behm shawl, go for it!
I loved knitting Match and Move, mostly since the rows aren’t endless becoming eternally long like Affection.
I agree with Liz, deciding which knitting project to bring along takes longer than the clothes. (Maybe because I have skeins than clothes). So happy to find another knitter who doesn’t like triangular shawls. The exception is McMilne (from Jane Richmond). But this one from Martina is more elongated than triangular, so it should be easier to style. It will be beautiful in the colors you selected, an original combo.
Forgot one word: more skeins than clothes.
I would also recommend Janina Kallio’s designs, and you might find something in Northboundknitting (Lisa Mutch) – she has some great shallow crescent shaped designs with flexibility for colour placement.
Whatever you choose, have a great trip!
Those sounds like good travel knitting! It is always tough to pick out what to take – there are definitely parameters. Looking forward to seeing your projects!
I would highly suggest this gorgeous shawl created at my favourite LYS: http://www.espacetricot.com/european-road-trip-shawl-kit/dp/20991
My sister is making it and it is stunning. I think I will be next….
I vowed not to make another shawl but this will be one exception.