For the love of tiny stitches
You might have noticed that, as a rule, my patterns aren't of the quick-and-chunky variety. There's of course the odd exception (to prove the rule or, as my old English teacher put it, to bugger it up), but otherwise... It's lacy mohairs and bouncy 4-plies, a rugged DK at most.
I can't resist the beautiful halo of a thin alpaca, nor the intricacy of tiny stitches. The way lofty sheep’s wool blooms into the smallest of gaps and trap pockets of air. A little puff stitch that sits just so, sometimes concealed in folds of soft fabric only to pop out unexpectedly, delightfully. From a designer's point of view there are advantages too; Given the double-layer nature of crochet stitches, using lightweight yarns opens up possibilities that just aren't achievable with chunkier ones.
I do know that making a project in a lightweight yarn takes time. A lot of time. Often more than I have, too - when I'm making a hat as a gift or a sweater that will be outgrown by my kids in a season or two (if I'm lucky), speed matters. When it's something for me though, something that has to fit perfectly and that I will treasure for years...
It's okay if it takes a while. And it does. A sweater that I'm making as a personal project (as opposed to a work one, which I have to prioritise) can easily take me 3, 4, 5 months to complete. My first sock yarn cardigan took six months, I think? A Spring project turned into Autumn, but it was okay, still just as beautiful the next Spring.
Even if at the time, during the making itself, it sometimes feels like a bit of a battle. My children are almost-3 and 7, which puts them in the "Not Tiny but Still Quite Small" category. They still need me, a lot, and working out what I do and don't have time for is a never-ending brain teaser. I ring fence those 30 minutes at the end of every day with a fierce protectiveness. I'll squeeze in a few rows while I wait for a pot of pasta water to come to a boil, and I probably look forward to the children’s weekend screen time as much as they do. When I can involve them, even if it's just a case of making stuff alongside one another - they paint or build or make puzzles while I crochet - I do. Eventually and sometimes seemingly against all odds, the rows grow into a sweater or shawl.
I don't mean any of this in a "if I can do it, so can you", way. The only person who can understand the routines, needs and challenges in your household is you, especially at in this climate of uncertainty (as I write this Sweden has not been put in Coronavirus lockdown, but it very much feels like it's only a matter of time). Sometimes the only time-investment worth making is Quick and Chunky. But if you're in the mood for a few weeks, or months, of slowly plugging away at a swingy cardigan or a lacy shawl, I've got you covered.
