Fiber Babble: About Those KALs

About Those KALs

February 27, 2006

This post is slightly modified from a mini-rant I posted on a Yahoo! Groups page. That's why some of you recognize it.

Recently, I've been avoiding doing anything that could be even loosely construed as constructive (other than, of course, the Meredith sweater. More on that below). Instead, I've been indulging in KBS - Knit Blog Surfing. There are so many knitting blogs out there and apparently I have taken upon myself the task of looking at every one of them. I started with the Knit Blogs webring, home to over 900 knitting blogs. While wandering through these blogs (in whatever order the Knit Blogs people have them), I'm seeing so many other webrings devoted to knitting blogs, in addition to the miles-long blogrolls on each site. In theory, I could read blogs for at least the next 6 months and somehow still get my Fiber Fix without touching a needle.

Of course, you all know that when indulging in KBS, one cannot avoid reading about KALs. There are those that are in full swing. Those that are just starting or winding down. Justifiably proud pictures of KAL projects that are COMPLETED .

But here's how it's been shaking out during my KBS: I see a reference to a KAL that piques my interest. It may be a completed or partially-complete pic of the cluster project. It could be something as simple as an intriguing or otherwise appealing BUTTON. I click on the button or the link in the post. I get sent to the blog of the KAL host[ess]. I see NO EVIDENCE of the KAL except for The Button.

How hard is it to link to the post(s) that actually talk about the KAL? Or, be-still-my-heart, a picture of the project or a link to the pattern? Am I supposed to magically intuit (yes, the world needs more tuits, or something like that) which of the four hundred ARCHIVE categories contain reference to the KAL?

So far, I don't KAL. It's not that I'm not a joiner. It's not that all of these UFO's actually mean diddly when I'm inclined to start a new project. I just haven't gotten there yet. Maybe my aversion to digging through all of those archives is a sign that I do not yet possess the tenacity to stick to a project chosen by someone else.

Having said all of this, if and when I do attain the moral fiber to join a KAL and talk about it here and post an interesting button, you have my permission to deliver thirty lashes with a wet i-cord if I don't link/update/maintain the information properly.

Meredith update - Yes, it was Sunday yesterday, so I did get to work on the Meredith sweater. I've gotten back to where I was before The Ripping. Now that I've finished the boobular short rows, it's time to try it on again (yes, I did try it on to determine that the new-and-improved pit placement was good). Sometime soon I will have to start thinking about what type of edging I'll do on the V-Neck; I suspect that since it's fuzzy yarn I won't get all fancy.

I'm just so excited about doing the sleeves top down that I don't know if I want to wait any longer. And do you know the cool thing? I don't have to!

Labels: babble, knitting, THESE