I can’t wait to show you my next fearless project. I think this whole process is amazing. First, looking for patterns that would fall in the fearless category is amazingly exhilerating. I just go from “I want to do that! No, I want to do that! No I want to do that!” It seems that the most amazing one is the last one I discovered. Except for Curvature. I have had Curvature for a while but never knew quite how I was going to handle it. That’s because I hadn’t read through the marvelous Jane Thornley’s fearless pattern.

This is over the top! When I first saw Curvature on Pinterest, I shouted some expletive like “OMG! This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!” In all honesty, I say that about a lot of patterns. I thought what I would find were amazing directions to create this stunning garment, but that’s not what I found at all.

Just read the first paragraph. Is that me or what? Stash diving! A project knit completely from my Stash! On page 2 I was hooked. Before I did anything else, before I read through the pattern, I went up to the Stash Studio to do a deep stash dive. My first rule was set. Rule #1: I was only going to use yarn from my stash. No buying anything! I remember when I knit the Crayon Box Jacket and other so called “Stash Buster” projects. I ended up adding ball after ball, skein after skein, cake after cake to my stash. I’d see something I thought would be perfect and bought it, or more accurately, them. I have tubs of yarn just waiting to become Jan Bags. I made a commitment that Curvature would become a stash buster not a stash builder. I decided I’d make this a teal, copper and coordinating colors wrap, and this is what I came up with.

I must admit that since I took these pictures, I have added even more. I think I told you about the wall hanging I knit with 10 strands of different teal yarns. When I was planning for that my teal tubs grew to over flowing. Now I have the perfect yarn for Curvature. I added some green and purple for POP. Now I want to show you how far I’ve gotten.

Once again, my photography doesn’t do it justice. It is so fun. If you are a person who needs exact, precise directions, this may not be for you. Jane tells the story of Curvature, gives some suggestions, then pretty much sends you on your own to create. I haven’t had an experience like that since my Freeform period. I love it. Choosing the perfect color, choosing the perfect stitch then speeding off into the land of possibilities. I LOVE IT! Some nights when the creative part of my brain isn’t engaged, I go back to Cascade Vest where I can knit, think and plan what I’m going to do next on Curvature.

So, I’m in the middle of Curvature taking respites with Cascade Vest. I’ve run into a small Curvature snag. In the middle of a row, the cord came out of the needle completely. It didn’t just loosen, it disengaged! But Curvature still holds its magic for me. I will persevere. I encourage you to find a fearless pattern that grabs you and won’t let go. It’s exhilerating. I can’t wait to come back when it’s finished.

I think I am having the most fun knitting I've had in ages.  Fearless knitting is phenomenal!  I love every second.  I love searching for fearless patterns and I love knitting fearlessly.  I'll admit, it is hard and time consuming.  That's why I haven't been writing at Knitting: A Love Story as much as I used to.  It's not that I don't love writing, it's that right now I love knitting fearlessly more.  In March, I found an on sale basket of sock yarn at Ann's By Design and one of the balls didn't just speak to me, it sang to me.  It had all of the colors I love; red, purple, green and black.  As soon as I touched it, this picture popped into my head.

I've had Optical Delusion for quite a while.  So long in fact, it has gone through a couple of updates.  I never found the perfect yarn until that fateful day in March at Ann's By Design when I saw this.  

Isn't that perfect!?!?  I decided to start Optical Delusion while we were at the condo in April.  I thought it would be the perfect time to be fearless.  Before I go any farther, let me show you the pattern.

There was beautiful background information about the scarf that got me in the mood to set out on this new adventure.  I love patterns where the designer describes the thought process that went into the design of the pattern, tips on making the pattern easier and whatever else they want to tell us.  For me, it is like going to an author interview where they talk about their writing process, tell something about the characters and the story behind the story.  I enjoying hearing from both the designer and the author equally.  Kim McBrien Evans told her story, said cast-on 25 then said refer to Chart A.  There are 6 charts Fire Chart 1, Fire Chart 2A, Fire Chart 2B, Fire Chart 3A, Fire Chart 3B and Fire Chart 4.  After I realized there were no words to work from only charts, I said, "SHAZAM! This is really fearless knitting."  I redid Fire Chart 1 several times until I got it,  then I was on my way (or so I thought.)  I had to find a way to determine what row I was on.  When I got to Fire Chart 3A and Fire Chart 3B, I had to repeat them 11 to 13 times, so I had to find a way to know exactly how many times I had worked each row in each chart.  Oh, by the way, the front and back look exactly alike.  I did find myself moving along. 

I usually use sticky notes to tell me where I am in a pattern but humidity in North Carolina made the sticky note less than reliable.  Basically, Optical Delusion is done in many, many, many short row flame patterns.  I learned very quickly, you do not stop in the middle of a flame.  Always complete a flame before you stop.  I also learned very quickly that wine and Optical Delusion are not a good combination.  I also determined very soon into the knitting, this is not travel/car knitting for obvious reasons. When I got to Fire Chart 3A and 3B, I had an ingenious idea.  I found a set of multicolored pens.  I used a different color pen for each completed Fire Chart 3A and 3B!  I not only knew exactly where I was in the chart, I knew exactly how many times I had completed the chart!  It was all there in living color.  Color Coding was my solution and it worked like a charm.  Let me show you the story that was Optical Delusion.

I had to take a picture of Madonna (my hot mama steamer) because she is a little jealous that Lydia gets all of the attention.  After all it is Madonna who makes all of my treasures go from craft to art.  

Lydia does show off Madonna's and my work to the fullest.  I love this scarf so much, I have decided it is mine for ever.  I have a green top exactly this color, a purple top, a red top and a black top.  It was meant to be.  Mosaic Mania and Optical Delusion tell me my year of fearless knitting may go on for more than a year.  I LOVE IT!  I hope you love it, too.  I must admit I have a very simple, mindless piece of knitting that I use to decompress when I need to or when I want a glass of wine.  I think it is a must to those who are seriously considering Fearless Knitting.  I just have one last picture of Optical Delusion to share.  

Thursday was Tess's second birthday.  I thought there wouldn't be a better birthday picture than Tess wearing Optical Delusion.  I was right.