second sock

It's Saturday morning, the kids are still asleep because it has been a terribly long week (And I'm letting them so I have time to write).

Last weekend we saw my favorite niece (she's my only niece) graduate from high school. We went a few years ago and watched her brother graduate and I wore a shrug I knitted especially for the occasion . On this trip I did indeed wear a knitted shrug, but one I made a few years ago. While lots of people oohed and ahhed over the sock I was knitting no one said anything about my shrug. I think they thought it was store bought. And yes, I'm still not decided on what I think of that--compliment or not. I'm trying to go with compliment.

It was a long car ride there and back which was great for me because I've been having HUGE issues with "second sock syndrome." You see last summer i knitted two socks, but they weren't a pair. After each I was so tired of knitting that particular sock, that I didn't cast on the second sock. So when I realized I was really close to finishing my current sock, I decided not to pack any other yarn or needles FORCING me to cast on for the second sock.

It worked. When we got to our final destination, I had finished the first sock and cast on for the second. Of course knitting such a tiny toe up sock looks very comical, but it was fun to sit with my niece, her boyfriend, my nephew and my kids while they played exploding kittens and knit and listen to them. They are all great kids (and I say kids even though we are talking about ages 20, 18, 16 and 14) Makes me want to make that a whole weekly knitting get together.

I've been trying too to carry my knitting to places where I might have time to knit. And while I totally failed on the band concert where I had to drop my children off an entire HOUR before the performance (and I snuck a comfy seat in the school library instead of the bleachers), I did manage a break at work.

Had an unexpected break today and amazingly enough I also had my knitting

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on May 23, 2017 at 5:47pm PDT

I don't usually bring my knitting when I work, because of what I do, the breaks I get are few and far between. But I sometimes find the teachers lounges to be a little cliquey and thought if it was bad, I could knit. Instead the children I was in charge of had a whole afternoon of art, music and gym and all I can think is it must be the regular teacher's usual planning time. Usually one break like gym class just gives me enough time to catch up on what I'm supposed to do after (find papers, grade papers, review math or whatever), three nearly in a row gave me time to do all that and knit.

I also finally tried the first sock on, worried all this time that it would be too big and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually a little snug even. I don't have a picture because I've had some not so great experiences posting pictures of my socks on my feet. And also it has been so rainy and dark here lately that I've not had great light. I'll probably photograph it and post it later this week without hashtags and if I start getting weird comments or favorites I'll take it down.

yarn thoughts

I don't really have much new to report. I'm still working away on Estelle and still putting the finishing touches on the halloween costumes. (one sleeve and some elastic and a hem respectively)
I've aslo been searching madly for thy frequent buyers card for my LYS as I want to buy something and I think was close to the reward.
Alas, it is nowhere I have looked. I have a gift certificate to knit picks (and one for my LYS--hence the card search) and I've been thinking about using it for MONTHS and my thought process always goes something like this:
I'm almost done with what I'm knitting, what do I want to knit next?
hmm maybe socks? Yes, but I have a ton of sock yarn in my stash.
Ok but maybe I want more conservative socks. like black maybe. but I never wear black. ok maybe brown?
I really don't need any more new socks, I have a lot of handknit socks, one for every day of the week plus extras.
but I don't have red.
or brown
Man I'm chilly, I should knit myself another sweater.
I already have 6 sweaters that I knit and a few I bought
Well I don't have a red one. I saw a nice sweater that was in red in a book. hmmm what was that book again?
Oh yes, Knits that fit the Sophisticated hoodie Although the stitch pattern would be a pain
I don't have any red socks to wear with it.
Maybe I should just buy some red yarn and make a different sweater.
Maybe I should just knit from my stash.
There is no RED in my stash!
Sadly, this kind of thinking goes on for a while, until I convince myself that I need red yarn. Then I fail to find a pattern I like and a few months later I see all this red yarn in my stash and think--why in the world did I buy all this red yarn?

shrug again

I thought by now I'd be showing you a picture of a finished purple shrug. And I would be too if it weren't for you pesky kids. No wait, I would be if it weren't for one little tiny problem.
I think I'm running out of yarn.

I have all the major pieces knit. I have them all sewn together. I have the collar and the button band done. And I have little tiny balls of yarn left. And so I also have a major hangup.

Last night I took a deep breath and started in on the buttonhole band. I finished it! I had yarn to spare! I tried it on and whoops. See, on the button band I had picked up 83 stitches and on the buttonhole band it came out to like 56 and I thought "well I am just spacing them farther out and that's not a bad thing." In reality I was... let's just say not in reality. I don't know why but for some reason I didn't pick up stitches all along the front, I missed about an inch at the top and about 2 on the bottom.

So I ripped it out. Actually I'm thinking of renaming this shrug on ravelry to the frog shrug. I think I have had to rip back on almost every piece of this. I can't remember about the back and I think the first sleeve was pretty uneventful.

So now I have a little less yarn (because yes I wove in my ends and trimmed) and more buttonhole band to knit. I'd buy another skein but I bought this yarn OVER a year ago and I really don't want to pay another 9.50 to use such a small amount. Also--this yarn doesn't russian join very well.

Alas, I think I just need to take a deep breath and knit. I am SO close.

tale of two sleeves

I have a confession about sleeves. I don't really like making them. It probably stems from the first ever sweaters I knit (about the 5th and 6th things I ever knit respectively). Both sweaters were the same pattern, same yarn (different colors), done on the same needles and all 4 sleeves came out different lengths!
I have gone so far as to do both sleeves at the same time to get even lengths. Mostly, I find just paying attention to the pattern usually gets me within a few rows. And this was the case in my sleeves for the central park hoodie. Because of the pattern, I was able to determine, that I was within 4 rows.

I suppose I should also say that I don't pay much attention to row gauge. I always figure that the pattern will say--knit until piece measures X inches. I do pay attention to stitch gauge, but I also confess, I don't record before and after blocking measurements.

I suppose that it is no surprise then to note that if you compare a blocked sleeve to an unblocked sleeve you get this:


Blocked one is on the right.
Ironically the one on the left is a little longer.
Not so ironically, these are going to be really long on me.

my aching wrist

finished my socks, and while I don't have a picture of them, trust me, they are fun fun fun. And in September when the weather cools and I feel like wearing ANY socks again, I'll have to model them.
I;ve started in on my next project, which is a shrug that I've modeled on a sweater from Interweave knits. Details later mainly because I don't have them at hand--except to know that I'm using Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino and US size 3 needles mainly because of the color the baby cashmerino came in--it is a dead ringer for the purple in my dress.

I'm excited about it, and working through the technical issues I'm encountering--like for example, the original pattern calls for a hemmed edge, which I've never done, but I couldn't figure it out from the instructions, so I had to do it differently following instructions from my very handy Knitter's book of Finishing techniques. And so far so good--I'm only on step 4 of 5 steps. What's bothering me, quite literally is my wrist.

A few years ago, I had this weird thing that when I was knitting (or more when I was sewing up) my pinkie and ring finger would go numb. After many tests later, it was determined that I "wrenched" my elbow picking up one of my "babies" who were 3 or 4 and weighed in the neighborhood of 35-40 pounds. After I stopped lifting them and slept for 6 months with a hand brace on, I gradually got better. This is different.

It started a few weeks ago, by feeling that I'd slept wrong on my hand an that my wrist needed to pop. Like you'd pop your knuckles. Except it won't. Steadily it has gotten worse. Nothing seems to make it better--I've even had days when (gasp) I haven't knitted anything. In fact on vacation, I went days without knitting and all the while that pain was still there. I should also note that it does not hurt to knit, but it does to scrub sinks. It does not hurt to sew up, although writing anything longer than my name is painful. Yoga has been excruciating at times. Mornings are worse than evenings. The hand brace does not seem to make a difference one way or another. And tomorrow, I'll be having it checked out. I'm hoping that it doesn't take weeks of (painful) tests to decide that I'm doing something stupid like lifting a 35 pound child regularly and calling her a baby (and scaring the doctor who wanted to know how old my "baby" was). I'm also hoping that I don't get the kibosh on knitting.

All my mistakes will become masterpieces

When I started this blog, I titled it Disasters with yarn, because I felt like I was having a streak of knitting disasters. But then I got wimpy and didn't actually write in it until I was past those "disasters". In actuality, they were mistakes and I don't mind mistakes as long as I learn from them. They play a song in my yoga class that has the refrain--All my mistakes have become masterpieces.

I'm not sure if mine have, but I have learned something from most of them, and this one is no exception. You see I had this sweater. I didn't knit it but I really liked it.


It is a nursing sweater so it has a flap in front that buttoned down and holes on the inside. I liked the color, I liked the yarn, and so I wore it even after I didn't need it for nursing Until at least it developed an "extra" hole:


Then a few months ago, I found it when I was cleaning my sewing room--I had put it down there thinking I could somehow repair it. instead I got this really bright idea, why not take it apart and make something else out of it. Something lacy and summery. And so I did--I took off a sleeve and that's when I learned something very very important.

When garments are constructed in factories, they are often surged, by which A tiny bit of material is sliced off and the edges are sewn together all nice and neat--look at any seam in any t-shirt you have and you'll see what this looks like. I even have a serger and I love it. However, when you cut the edge off a piece of knitting.....

So, yes every time I unravelled a row I had a row sized piece of yarn--and not great yarn at that--very loose splitty yarn. So now I think it might be time for plan b. I have no idea what plan B is though. I did learn though that if I ever go "goodwilling" for sweaters to tear apart to look to make sure they aren't serged together.

On the brighter note, I kind of had a small leap out of my knitting blahs and finished a shrug, which is proving impossible to photograph by myself, so I'll have to wait until I can get some help. I also received a gift from my globe trotting mother in law of some yarn from Ireland.


She didn't save the label I think--and all I know is that it is over 50 grams of a mohair boucle--each skein is over 50 grams. I have been dreaming ever since about what I will make with it. I envision something Lacy and scarf-like. Then my mother in law called--she also had gotten me a woven scarf but couldn't find it until she unpacked all the way. It has the same colors and is just gorgeous. Again, impossible to photograph by myself, but I wore it to target today with my white t-shirt and hey librarian sweater because you know when it is nearly 70 you need sweaters and scarves (and raincoats which totally ruined my look).

panda sweater

I started this whole post on how I am knitting a sweater that looks like a panda for my panda crazy daughter.


I wrote about how It was helping me to get better about relaxing and breathing and just diving in at knitting. About how I am taking the leap of faith of plugging my own numbers into a pattern, doing the addition and multiplication and trusting it to come out.

I wrote about how my concept of black sleeves and white middle to make my daughter look like a panda, but how she kept asking where the face was going to be. I said sweater, she heard, evidently, costume. So I'm kind of on tap for a hat with ears. I might have even written about how I think between the panda sweater and the striped "bee" sweater I'm afraid I need a few more skeins of black.

But then I got called to dinner, saved my post and... well it didn't save.
I think I swore more at that than anything I've done for the panda sweater. And when I get over it, I'll fill in the details.

Project process

Despite my frantic knitting away, and the space between these entries, I have nothing to show.
So instead of showing, I'll write out my knitting project checklist that I seem to use for each and every project. In between each and every one of these you could insert--check ravelry

1) Choose a project
2) dither about project
3) consider about 20 yarns for project
4) reject 15 yarns
5) debate merits of remaining 5 yarns
6) choose a color
7) decide color sucks, choose another
8) decide just to buy whatever color I can find in an appropriate yarn
9) Worry about amounts purchased
10) swatch for project
11) reject first swatch,
12) reswatch
13) start project
14) worry about yarn amounts
15) worry about size
16) finish project

Usually there are also abut 10 steps between 13 and 14 which include curse pattern, rip back, and decide to use different needles.

I decided on pattern, yarn and needles for the teacher's scarf and have already made it to #14. Today I just decided to suck it up and buy an extra ball of the yarn. I think I'll need it. I'm also adding, worried about finishing this in time.

I decided on lace ribbon Scarf In black because it goes with more stuff. If it comes out right it could work an inside scarf too. I went with Silky Wool. I had a ball from a while back that was all silk and wool--now it seems it has nylon in it as well. Honestly, I am not enamored with it. Also--it is going really really slow--and I've made more mistakes than I care to admit.
Right now I'd estimate I have 30 of the 80 inches. stay tuned.

starting over

When I worked at the yarn store, I used to hear people say--they were "afraid" to make different projects. Sometimes I see that on ravelry or Knitting Daily. I never really understood it--after all knitting is just string and some sticks making knots-- what's to be afraid of? Then I started swatching for the dollar and a half cardigan.

I should probably back up and say that usually when I start a project I thoroughly investigate it on ravelry. I look to see what other people have used to make a project, I search to see who else has used the yarn I'm considering. I look carefully at the finished projects, check the needles sizes etc, so I can get a good idea for what I think works. This also helps me to see if there are any problems with the pattern or tips that other have for working the pattern.
In doing this investigation on the dollar and half cardigan, I discovered that there are a few "things" going on. First, it appears that even though the pattern doesn't say it, you really need to use two sizes of needles--one for the lacework and one for the plain sections. If you do not, your piece will pucker. This was borne out by my swatch (which I washed and accidently dried and ugh ugh ugh it puckered). The second is that there is a trick to decreasing (for the armholes) in the lace that there is an entire tutorial about.
Because of how my first swatch worked out--and it wasn't even not really on guage--I really need to swatch again, using two different needles. But I don't want to.

Oh I still want the sweater. I still want to knit this even though it will probably be a pain, but yet I feel this tiny bit of... I don't even know. I'd call it fear but that's not quite right. Perhaps this is really what people mean when they say they are afraid of a project. It isn't so much a fear as much as a bit of something that says I don't want to put in a ton of work on something that won't turn out the way I want it too. And I do think that if I start this project now it has the potential to end up badly.
It has taken me several tiny little knitting projects--smaller even than socks (and they may end up being gifted so I'm not showing them off) to come to the conclusion that I need to set the dollar and a half cardigan aside and start on the next big project.

So I'm back to swatch land, this time I'll be swatching for the Central park hoodie

trust and obey--the lace version

It probably won't surprise anyone that on the sliding scale of product knitter to process knitter, that I fall closer to the product side. What that means to me is that while I enjoy the actual knitting and the click click click of needles sliding together does do a lot to calm me, I knit primarily to make stuff. You won't find me making a project with a ton of stockinet stitch just so I can feel calmed by the knit and purl of it all. I would do a project like that, but only if I wanted the result.

All this big lead up just to talk about lace.

I love lacy things. I love the idea of shawls, I love lacy scarfs, lacy socks, sweaters with bits of lace. One of my favorite designs is actually the Oriel lace blouse. I even don't mind the knitting of lace, fiddly though it can be.
But while I love looking at those things, I'm not so much for the wearing. Take the Oriel Lace blouse for example. I love it. I have the skill to knit it. I would never wear it. Well I might, but honestly if it were in my closet right now, I think I'd have a hard time figuring out where I'd wear it. Maybe because it is so cold right now--maybe I'd be more apt to wear it in the spring. But take shawls, I love them I think they are beautiful, but I have a hard time wearing them. I only have one though--Cozy. And I don't look like the model wearing it either.

So it would seem that a knitter like me would not knit lace. Clearly I think it is pretty, but impractical. However, for the last few weeks, I've been ever-so slowly working on a Swallowtail shawl that appeared in Interweave knits fall 2006. I can't find a link outside of ravelry. I'm not far into it and I'm realizing that my product is not matching very well with the finished picture. Which is leading me to believe that one of two thinks is going on a) there was a correction to the pattern (nope) or b) I need to relax and knit (yes). I keep thinking that knitting lace is a little bit like the hymn--Trust and Obey (go here if you want the music too). I need to trust the pattern, obey the pattern and it will all come out right. this is as hard for me in knitting as it sometimes is in life.

I have no idea when I'll finish it, I'm only working on it when I feel I can pay attention to the pattern--although perhaps I'll try it as tv knitting this week because the section I'm working on is very repetitive.
No pictures yet because unblocked lace is not that attractive.

Other plans

First of all I want to say a big wow and a big thanks to people that commented both here and to me in chat about finding ways to get that elusive Laurel Burch fabric.
I'm slowly making peace with the idea that perhaps the idea I had is not the actual quilt that will get made. There is a reason i like to know about babies well before their due dates after all. I kind of plod along at this.
I did get asked what the "plan" was and thought I'd share with you what it was. See, I'm a big fan of M'Liss Rae Hawley and her fat quarter books and my mother in law has one that I don't seem to have (although how I missed it as I have all the others and whoo looks like she's got a purse book coming out soon--well I'll never know) and in it there is a quilt that is perfect for showcasing a print in a fabric. You can see M'Liss's version on her flickr page. I was going to put those butterflies in the center block. To do that I'd need at least twice what I have and probably more if I "fussy cut." There was already debate in the house about fussy cutting, as I'm a better "fussy sewer" than cutter.
It isn't to say that that won't eventually be the quilt. Laurel Burch has a fabric line out now called the secret jungle and the animals there are really cute. I didn't want to buy a lot of fabric--instead I wanted to use up some stash--but we'll see. I seem to have used up a good deal of my really bright fabric.
I also have a huge number of Aunt grace 1930s fat quarters, and while they look more babyish than I usually like to do for a baby quilt, I do think they are sweet.
Then again, I see something like this by M'Liss and I think--hmm maybe this one. So you just never know, and at least II'll still have my butterflies to look at (or wow sell on ebay because man--they are going for twice what I paid for this.)

I'm getting close to being done knitting my hooded sweater too. I forgot just how much knitting is involved in the hood. I've used up all the yarn from the old project, so I guess my sweater will be a little stripey as I incorporate the "extra" yarn I had from that project. Or maybe after 2 or 3 washings you won't be able to tell. I guess we'll just see.
We have a big cold front moving in here in Michigan and just this morning I was saying--I think I need a wider scarf. And I started a sock to carry around. I better hurry and get that hood finished, or I'll be putting it aside until spring to work on all the other things that catch my attention.

Oooh shiny!

how does one start?

Anytime I think about making a baby quilt, I'm reminded of the conundrum that I always have with sewing projects. Which comes first, the pattern or the material?
For some reason, I don't really agonize over this as much with knitting. I see a pattern I like and I look for a yarn that will work or I see a yarn I like and I search for a pattern. But with sewing, well... let's just say that getting started is often the hardest part for me.

When I made the first quilt for my cousin, I saw a pattern in a book and knew that I needed to make it. Both my cousin and her husband are artists and art teachers, and I thought they needed something that screamed ART. And this fit the bill. I went through my fabric stash and found about 1/2 of what I needed. (Let's just say that my fabric stash has some of the same problems my yarn stash does--it lacks reds). The end result was:


It was a lot more fiddly than any quilt I've made since my kids were born. In fact, I completely shut down when it came time to arrange the blocks, there were so many pieces that I turned it over to my husband.

This time, I want to do something that is artistic and colorful but I don't think I want to do something with 40 gazillion pieces.

So, I dug out my trusty fat quarter quilt books. I've done almost every quilt in the first book. And nothing is really screaming out at me to repeat.

I've made two from the second book, and there are others I'd like to make, but nothing is jumping out at me.

And I'm really feeling uninspired by the final book that I own. I can't explain why, but even the cover quilt, that I originally wanted to make so badly that I bought the book, is not interesting me.

I thought maybe that I needed to start with fabrics, and work that way. I guess I'm just feeling unmotivated because even my stash is not inspiring me. In fact, I opened one box that I know isn't full of Christmas fabrics, but that's all that was on top and I got disgusted with the idea of digging through the box, and so I gave up. I think what I need to do is get everything out and play with the fabrics, and perhaps that will lend itself to a pattern. But maybe not, because I'm being a bit picky on this because I really feel like I outdid myself on her first quilt.

More later on this I'm sure.

Pictures!

I have pictures!
here is the noro scarf all done and blocked

And here is the closeup view of the colinette scarf--not blocked.


There was a knot in my colinette and I was a little irritated because it is superwash wool, so no spit felting. Still I have close to three feet done on it, and I'm thinking ending size will be close to six feet--I'll have to discreetly measure the teacher's aide tomorrow at school. (don't worry I'll just stand next to her so something).

I almost took a break from the drop stitch scarf this week, but to tell you why involves a story.
See, my dishwasher broke on Sunday. And on Monday when my best fixit guy ever came out and looked at it, he was sure he could fix it with a part. One I had to order it turns out. The estimated ship time was NEXT Monday, so I figured, we need to do dishes by hand for a while. I am so totally a spoiled dishwasher gal. And when I use the dishwasher, I also use a kitchen sponge. When the thing gets dirty or I've cleaned something gross, into the dishwasher it goes.
My mother swears by dishcloths, the kind you can make with kitchen cotton. She thinks they are more sanitary. And I'm sure if you change it every day, it probably is, since my sponge makes it in perhaps once a week. So anyway, after about a day of washing with the sponge, I decided well hey, I should go find my dishcloths. Because of course I have knit some.

When I learned to knit we made two. Because I was and overachiever obsessed, I made four for me and two for my mom. Now remember, I don't use them. So why would I need four? Well, I have two daughters and I thought I'd make a set for each of them for their hope chests. They were two at the time and I guess I figured I'd never ever knit for them again (Ha!). I don't really care for making dishcloths, so maybe this is all the dishcloths they'll ever get. Anyway, I dislike making dishcloths, although I could probably crank them out much quicker now.

So this, I figured was the perfect opportunity to actually use the ones I have! I can make more when they get married (for their husbands!), it isn't like kitchen cotton is suddenly going to become rare. Well, I went looking and I came up with two and a fairly large swatch I made in prep for a baby afghan square. I also came up with enough kitchen cotton to make another one. Well, I thought I'd need another one, so I could you know WASH them. So I actually considered, for more than 5 minutes, making a third one.
I KNOW! Not only am I washing dishes which I detest, I actually considered knitting something I detest to go with it!

I don't get it either, best to stick to the scarf.

felting

There is something deeply satisfying, to me at least, about felting something I've knitted. Take something big, perhaps unevenly knitted, perhaps with small holes where the color join didn't go smooth and toss it in the washer with hot water, a pair of old jeans and a bit of soap. Take it out and it has been transformed into something smooth and dense and completely unlike what went in.
I like to try new techniques on felted items, as I once told a group of new knitters, all the mistakes come out in the wash. To that end, I did my first colorwork on felted backpacks. I did my first attempts at continental style knitting on my felted yoga mat bag. And I suppose I probably should have done my first socks that way. Then I would have had, before now, this warm and cozy pair of slippers.

(yes, I know they don't match, I ran out of yarn)
I finally finished and felted yesterday, a pair of slippers from Knit one Felt too. Today, I am wearing them thanks to the fact that my house is incredibly dry. I've gotten very casual about the felting process and so now I'm not hovering over the washer waiting and sniffing wet wool. Instead, I throw them in, wander around cleaning things until I notice the washer is stopped, and then I run a rinse cycle, spinning out the rinse cycle really aids the drying process. I used to hang out, pulling the items out every 5 minutes checking progress. I like this new relaxed style better.
Just for comparison, here is the before:


Since finishing these, I've had a really bad burst of starteritis (in knitting, I added lest my family think I would be starting things for them like starting to do dishes or mop floors or clean the bathrooms). I re-started my kindergarten scarf, on size seven needles (as opposed to size five). I don't think it will be nearly lacy enough, but I'm going to just deal with it. I wanted to start a drop stitch scarf with some noro silk garden I have hanging around. I actually carted three projects to my MIL's house for 90 minutes of free time. At that point, I decided I wasn't starting ANYTHING else until I had the purple striped socks done--and I only have another 2 inches of ribbing. I'm glad I set a goal or I would have started a bunch of stuff last night.

Instead, I have a plan: finish the striped socks, buy yarn tomorrow for at least one teacher gift (possibly two depending on what I find, if I don't find what I need, I'll use the silk garden), then start teacher gifts and a swatch for the sweater I'm hoping to make from my frogged sweater.

I also think I want to make another pair of these slippers. Although I'll use leftovers and they may look even more motley.

unmotivated

I'm having trouble staying motivated in a lot of areas of my life right now. And my knitting is being symptomatic of that. I feel as if I've been knitting this same lace pattern forEVER for the Lacey Hug me tight. I even dared to bring it to knit night although I added a lifeline (or two) and had to use one. If you've never used a lifeline when knitting lace, it is a godsend. Basically you use a cotton yarn (like sugar and cream) and you run it under your needles at a certain point. If you have to rip out, the cotton will hold that row of stitches. So if you remember at what point you put in the lifeline, you can rip back to that point and start again. When you finish you can pull the lifeline out.

Now, I have done a bit more on it and have decided it is done. Now to block it. I also need to knit some small versions for around the armholes then start sewing. Ironically, now that is is almost done, I don't want to work on it, I want to put it away for a long time.

I want to start another big project, but part of me doesn't want to until I finish the lace. I'd like it to be a little simpler--for optimal TV knitting, but not something all stockinette stitch. I was thinking about the dollar and a half cardigan from Interweave Knits. I have grey yarn in a wool acrylic blend that might work, but I must swatch to be sure. I'm not feeling motivated to swatch. Not at all. But I know if I do swatch it, I can finish the lace while I'm letting the swatch dry (not blocked exactly, more like washed like I'll wash the sweater).

Sometimes when I am unmotivated in other areas of my life, learning something new or challenging myself will help me kick it into gear. I've also been thinking about my stash as of late. I should do an entry on my stash. Anyway, I have a ton of sock yarn, because sock yarn is easy to buy a skein or two and do something useful with it. Up to this point, I've only ever knit socks from the top down on double pointed needles. But there are a ton of ways to knit socks: top down, toe up, on DPNs or magic loop or two at a time on circular needles or even a tiny circular needle. So it makes sense to try to break out of my unmotivated rut by attempting one of these techniques. Since I need this NOW NOW NOW, I can't wait for a class. Enter the stash of knitting magazines--and so using an Interweave knits article I have taught myself a new cast on and have started some socks from the toe up:


Still it remains to be seen if the motivation will come back.

TV knitting

Most of the time, I only knit when I watch tv. In part because that's mostly when I have the time--the girls are in bed, the house is quiet and most of the daily chores are done and I'm too tired to do things that aren't. It works, in that I get a little time every day and it helps me unwind a bit, Plus I can't eat and knit at the same time, so I don't mindlessly snack. It doesn't work in that usually by that time, I'm tired and my attention is split between the tv and knitting. Sometimes, the split isn't a big deal--I can do garter or stockinette with out paying close attention. I can even do a simple pattern repeat if it makes sense to me. Sometimes the show that's on doesn't require I stare at the screen.

We also only have basic cable, meaning we don't get Disney or Bravo or Food TV or anything like that. We do get Netflix, mostly TV shows, but by and large we don't watch a great quantity of tv. My daughters get an hour every day, which we'll probably revisit when school starts up in earnest (like when they start going all day instead of mornings). They watch whatever PBS show is on at 4pm or if they've asked for me to tape something else. Sometimes I watch with them, but more likely I make dinner.

I say all this, really just to say that lately I've noticed that if we aren't really watching anything or if we're watching one of the shows we occasionally tune in for, I can knit on the lace for Lacey hug me tight. If we are watching our netflix offering or some "must watch tv" I'll mess the lace up every time. BUT, I can do the Monkey socks while something exciting is on.

Initially, I thought I needed a "plain" project for the "keep your eyes on the screen" tv, but I think I just need something less random than the lace. Which is really too bad, because I'm finding myself wanting to do more and more lace projects. I guess I'll just have to figure out how to find some non-tv knitting time.

stress relief

I knit, a lot. In fact at the book club, there were three people who professed to be knitters (one I knew from having taken a how to knit sock class with her), but I was the only one knitting. I knit nearly every night after my girls are asleep, and sometimes I even get in a bit while I watch tv with them. I do this to get rid of the tension that builds up every day. The click click click of the needles, the row upon row of stitches soothes me.

Except for the big stress.
No, for the big stress (death, illness, hard decisions) I need sewing. The wiggita wiggita of the machine as it stitches along is the only thing for a big crisis. When my grandmother was very ill and my mother was calling every day to tell me if grandma had made it through the night, I sewed. I quilted a large quilt for the guest room bed and I worked on a baby quilt for my cousin. I cried over both of these quilts, as the machine chugged along. I swore when needles broke, when thread tangled and when I put together the pieces wrong. But mostly I let my brain take in the rhythmic ka-chunking that seems to help me achieve a sense of peace.

I have no large sewing projects looming, no baby quilts to make, no unfinished objects demanding my attention. But I have the sort of big stress that requires sewing right now. My answer is this: Last fall, I was given 2 large boxes of fabric, pulled from an aunt's stash. In those boxes, were enough "milk paint" colored fabric to make quite a splendid quilt using color gradations. All of it had never been washed. I usually prewash all my fabric, but first I like to serge the edges to keep the fraying to a minimum. The serger wiggita wiggitas with the best of them. So, this is my plan--serge the fabrics until the stress melts away. Then start planning something wonderful.