the blue blog archives: the short game

I've been looking for some "short knitting" to bring along with me when I take the boys to the playground. Short knitting is the way I think of small, but interesting, portable projects. Like the short game in golf, small projects can be good practice for improving your knitting overall - when the whole project is only a few inches big, it's important to do a good job. They're shorter, not necessarily easier (case in point: the little stuffed giraffe I just finished). Well, we all know that I don't really like knitting socks, so that's out. And the sleeves of ava are pretty boring and will quickly become long, so I'd rather not bring them. As the boys say, "what'da gonna do?"

Annie Modesitt to the rescue! After seeing her Fiesta Tea Set in this summer's Interweave Knits, I knew I'd found some fun, short playground knitting. Here's this week's progress. One saucer and most of a cup.

I just happened to have vaguely Wedgwood-y colors in my little stash of Sugar n Cream (perfect name for yarn to make a tea set, don't you think?!) I made most of the saucer at the playground yesterday. Note: we were at the playground a LONG time. Knitting the worsted weight Sugar n Cream down on US3's goes slow and it's none too good on my fingers, let me tell you. It's like one never-ending Bottoms-Up brim. Oh heck, I'm breaking in summer sandals anyway, what's a few calluses on the fingers!

This little tea set is going to look great on the dining room table. I've had to leave the table bare (no flowers, no vases, no candles, no nothing) because the boys tend to push whatever's on the table on to the floor so they can play with their cars on it. Here's hoping an indestructible tea set will be a good compromise.

posted by alison at 8:29 am | in the tea party

Comments

This is one of my kids favorite projects, I have knit two cups ( I want four) and the pitcher. My daughter asks to play with it everyday. It's the perfect tea set; non-breakable and cute as a bug in a rug.

Posted by: Jackie at June 17, 2004 9:27 AM

How adorable! What a great idea! That would be an awesome present for little ones...since it's indestructible. Hee. it's funny to think of knitting as indestructible.

Posted by: carrie at June 17, 2004 9:34 AM

I wondered how it worked in Sugar n Cream, must add this short game to my short list! The nice thing about the playgrounds in your neighborhood are the sprinkers! I loaded the kids onto the greenline last week and stopped at the playgrounds off Cyprus for some good, wet fun.

Posted by: Amy at June 17, 2004 10:41 AM

Cute! I like what you've done. I'm still going back and forth as to whether I want to try this one myself. We're all about tea parties at my house, so I'm sure it'd get used.

Posted by: LauraA at June 17, 2004 11:38 AM

I bought the yarn for it right away (I'm a Fiesta collector) but it's just sitting there. That will be my next project to cast on. Thanks for getting me moving.

Posted by: Jessica at June 17, 2004 11:41 AM

What a charming little cup and saucer you have there. I really dig the wedgewood colors. I'm liking the poncho below, too. It's funny how you don't necessarily notice a pattern until someone else makes it. I should have known better - I always like Glampyre knits! Can't wait to see the set complete...

Posted by: Julia at June 17, 2004 12:02 PM

It's not fiddly? Really? Very pretty colors. Just like Wedgewood only you don't have to break the bank. Or the china. :)

Posted by: Kerstin at June 17, 2004 5:02 PM

The cup and saucer look great. Very darling!

Posted by: Sarah C. at June 17, 2004 5:26 PM

I would have loved to have owned a knitted fiesta tea set when I was a kid. Heck, maybe even now. Very nice colors you chose for yours!

Posted by: Becky at June 18, 2004 4:11 AM

Not a bad idea...there's nothing on my dining-room table for the same reason: two little boys!

Posted by: laetitia at June 18, 2004 4:46 AM