no, I am not done yet.

One of the things I think is funny about knitting in public, which is what I've been doing lately with this purple shrug, is the comments you get.

I've been asked:
If I was done yet. (no)
How do you do that (by an 8 year old)
What is it going to be (a shrug, followed by a short explanation)
How long does it take you on average? (have no idea--depends)

And no, I'm still working on the back. I had an issue in which I worked on it in the car, and about half-way through the trip I realized the lace wasn't coming out right and ripping was needed.  I didn't want to rip back in the car, so ended up making the return drive with no knitting (boo hiss) and the next night ripping out 12 rows.  But on the plus side, I made a side trip to a yarn store that everyone around here raves about and bought some new yarn. For some reason my graph isn't helping me a bunch, so almost every row I have to stop and think about how to get started--then it is off and running.

But I only have about an inch left on the back. 



Maybe I should start a sock.

I love ravelry shrug

I must confess that when I was a new knitter, nothing scared me.  In fact, I think I mentioned I knit some sweaters for my then toddlers right after having mastered dishcloths.  But why not?  sweaters are basically big rectangles and triangles.  While my results weren't perfect I learned some things that stick with me today.

And yet, lately I find myself afraid to take chances on things that I *really* want to make.  I'm finding I'm afraid. So that's the real reason I don't have a dollar and a half cardigan. It is also the reason that I don't yet have a shrug to go with my purple, green and black dress.  Ok, I have one that I whipped off, but I wanted a lacy purple one.

So, I picked out a pattern that I liked, which is more jacket than shrug from Ce Ce knits and hiked off to my yarn store, with the dress in hand to find DK weight yarn in this specific purple.

I love purple, but purples are hard to match.

The yarn store had two choices: Tahki Charles cotton classic and Debbie Bliss Baby cashmerino. There wasn't enough of either at the store, but she thought she had enough Debbie Bliss at the other store. I like cotton classic, I made a sweater in it once, and as cotton goes it is pretty good, but I didn't want to have to special order it (because of the weight! ha I bought this in MAY).  So the owner brought down the Debbie bliss from her other location, and 3 days later I had the yarn.

Now, Debbie Bliss Baby cashmerino is not DK weight.  But I thought... oh heck I do not know what I thought, I've seen too much Tim Gunn proclaiming Make it work! that I thought I could... well make it work.

After 3 swatches it was clear that either I'd need to do some major math, or find a new pattern.  And I tried the math and learned that "just making a bigger size" was only going to work if I made one size larger than the largest size listed on that pattern and that seemed to me just asking for trouble.

So off to Ravelry I went searching for a new pattern. And I found one.  Only is isn't a shrug, it is a whole sweater called Henley perfected.  It was in the Interweave knits magazine a while ago and I had the issue.  I guess I never thought of it as anything else until I saw all the variations people had done on it in ravelry.  I saw variants with all lace, no lace, short sleeves, all lace sleeves and then it hit me, I could do a short sleeve short sweater variant.  In other words, a lacy jacket like coverup that I'd call a shrug.

But of course there has to be adjustments made to pull this off. The first was that the directions for the hem were just whack. Basically it had you sew the hem in. Which is funny because Interweave knits online shows a better way. Then my hem rolled so I pulled out out and made it longer.

Actually that wasn't the first--First I had to figure out how many to cast on because the stitch count changes several times for shaping. Combine that with deciding how long to make it, and you see why I have only part of the back done.

Now I am busy doing the decreases for the sleeves into the back lace pattern--which by the way is not something I do well naturally. I am reasonably good at reading my knitting which is what you pretty much have to do at this point. But since I like to knit while I watch tv, I need to write it all out. So my knitting time today has been taken up by graphing out the lace repeats and blocking out the decreases. A tedious task, but it should make the lace come out right.

No pictures, but perhaps when I have a bit more to show.

Updates

I have some longer stuff to write, but am in the middle of a bunch of other projects and need to sit down and focus to really get this right. SO instead here are some quick updates.

First a picture of the completed jam socks--made from yarn that I swapped for making some strawberry jam.  I have swedish runner legs...


Second, all the tests have come back negative on my wrist (so it is not broken, or sprained and all my blood work came back normal, so probably not RA) and I have figured out some stuff.  First aleve makes it feel better.  My wrist brace does not.  Also, knitting does not seem to effect it either way.  However biking makes it worse (as does housework but I might be making that up).  So right now the plan is take aleve and hope it goes away in 4 weeks.

Third, a while back I was thinking about making a skirt for summer and then I got frustrated at the sizing and the pattern. Then my Mother-in -law brought back this cute already elasticized for sundress fabric to make sundresses for my girls and I thought--wow that would make a really cute skirt.  $8 and a few hours later I had:



I didn't make pockets because I was lazy. But I wore the skirt all day and feel very very flirty and summery, which was the goal to begin with.

More later.

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.

vacation!

We went on vacation! We drove a grand total of 22 hours and so of course I needed some car knitting. I know Elizabeth Zimmerman recommends lace knitting for summer because it is light and portable for the car. Obviously Mrs. Zimmerman did not fulfill the same car role as I do (book on cd changer, fight referee, video set-up artist, navigator, and toll change counter). I usually make socks in the car because they really are small tuck anywhere projects. I've done patterned socks in the past, but I've also lost row counters in the car, only to find them months later. This time, fate was on my side. I had no projects on the needles and none of the fancy patterns for socks were coming out to my liking.

I was also in the midst of jam making. I love strawberry freezer jam (well and peach and cherry too) and we were afraid given the warm spring we've had here that if I didn't get the jam done before we left we'd miss strawberry season. Turned out to be a good thing too. I made my three batches of jam and still had enthusiasm left over, so I posted on facebook that I loved making jam so much IU'd probably make some for you. And Cinnamonamon took me up on it. In exchange for the strawberries, sugar, containers and sock yarn, I made her a lovely batch of Strawberry jam. And suddenly I had sock yarn that I was excited about. Because you know--i don't have enough sock yarn of my own? Of course, but mine is boring. behold:



Just a plain toe up pattern, started a few nights before we left just to make sure I was happy with the tension/fabric combo. After we'd crossed our 4th state line I had the idea to take the sock's picture with the state signs so you could see my progress. Sadly, I didn't. But I did finish the first sock on the road and started the second. I had the heel all turned by the time we pulled into the driveway. I probably could have had more but the stars had all aligned. Good movie for the kids, familiar navigation and no tolls for the driver and so I whipped up some lace! Naw just kidding, I had a good book and I read.

We also got home in time to hit the very very short sour cherry season. So The day after I got home, I tackled 7 loads of laundry and 2 quarts of sour cherries. I ended up with a batch of jam, 2 freezer containers of pitted cherries for (small--read serves 2) crisps and a chocolate cherry crisp that was divine! We also ate 2 quarts of sweet cherries, which have a slightly longer season. Although my favorite farm at farmer's market is done with all cherries, so the ones we have this week are kinda eh.

I'm feeling better about knitting and have an idea for a new project. I need to work out the details sometime when I am awake and yet not busy--but given that we've entered the great toy purge season as well as fresh produce that needs to be dealt with regularly season, usually it is all I can do to knit a few rounds of socks before falling asleep. It is lace though.....

I'm feeellllting.

There is just something magical about felting. About how you can take a pile like this:


Throw it in the washer. And have it come out like this:





The purse is a simple cast on however many stitches--in this case 64, but it is a little wide and short--knit in the round until you are almost out of yarn and bind off and sew together--or you can get fancy and three needle bind off. The cord is just 3 stitch icord.

The flowers were perhaps my favorites--the sea anemones are cute, but the flowers... Well the purple is cascade 220 and the pink are Ultra Alpaca and I think the ultra alpaca with the pebbly way it felts up just looks almost like I bought them at a craft store.

We don't know what were going to do with them yet, but I have this terrible urge to knit more.

felting (and jam notes)

Last summer I whipped up a few things out of a skein of Paton's SWS.


But I didn't felt them because it seemed like a waste to felt so little. So I set them aside.

In my latest eh what to knit phase I had a chance to knit at a playground while my kids ran around with gobs of other first graders and I did not have a sock started. In fact I had nothing started, so I grabbed a skein of Noro Kureyon and some needles. In less than a week I had:



Also not felted because after I finished that, I realized I still had some scraps of purple wool (cascade 220, I think and only realized because I used some to finish the strap) that I could maybe make another flower from. But I couldn't remember where I got this pattern... and I found another felted flower pattern (from 101 one skein wonders which is where I thought the sea urchins had come from.) and started one in purple. THEN I realized I needed one in pink and realized that I happen to have some leftover ultra alpaca in pink. SO I think it will be a while before I start felting.

On another note, I'd like to say that this blog has saved me! Last year I noted that I had made 3 batches of Strawberry jam (and one peach and 1 sour cherry). Well the jam came out perfectly in terms of amounts and this year Strawberry season is here a few weeks early. So after making 2 batches of jam which came out to this much:


I wondered--how much had I made last year because I have 2 containers left and that's about perfect (I like to give away jam too to pet sitters, teachers, etc). I looked in the archives and lo and behold last July I mentioned I had made three batches. So future self--I'll be making batch #3 of Strawberry sometime this afternoon.

socks socks socks

I finally finished a pair of striped socks.


I love this yarn, which is Felici by Knit picks, and the pattern which is a plain jane toe up sock pattern I found in an issue of Interweave knits.



However, I'm a little bummed on socks right now. But I do have quite a bit of opportunity to knit in places where I need to be focused on something OTHER than the pattern. So I started a felted purse in a very simple, knit this puppy in the round until you are almost out of yarn, sew it up and add an i-cord strap and felt that puppy. Use a Noro yarn and whoo whee you've got a sweet small purse.

But, I think I'm going to be using my concentrate on the knitting and pattern time to work on this shrug from CECE knits. Short sleeve version in a yarn that is the same purple as in my dress. I know because I brought my dress to the yarn store. I'm just not sure how it will work because the yarn I bought (Debbie Bliss Baby cashmerino) is a bit thinner than the DK yarn called for. But that is what the swatch is for, I guess.

blah

I'm feeling like I'm in a knitting ... well rut isn't the right word. I want to knit something, but all that I have yarn for is socks... well and a sweater or two. So I knit a sock:


The yarn is Felici from Knit picks. The pattern is a basic toe up from interweave knits. The second one is on the needles now, but it suddenly got hot here in the North and so now if I wear socks it looks more like this:


Which honestly isn't making me wanting to crank out the socks. I have some laceweight yarn and Elizabeth Zimmerman claims shawls are the perfect summer knit. I love lace, but I'm not sure I'm a shawl wearer. Which is also making me less likely to want to knit a shawl.

I did however finish the Retro Redux shrug from Lace style:



And I really like it--especially with my new dress.



Right now the only thing I want to knit is another shrug or lace jacket or something in the purple of the dress. I have no yarn in that purple right now, and no way to get any until late next week. Plus I don't exactly have a pattern picked out. I'm kinda in a rotten mood about it too. I know I'd feel better if I knit, but I don't feel like knitting (well except for that imaginary perfect purple shrug-like thing). Kind of a catch-22.
I'm sure I'll snap out of it, just as I'm sure I'll be knitting socks all summer long.

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).

knitting blahs

I'm in a knitting rut. And a knitting slump

I think it started with the ill fated skirt. Then it moved onto a pair of socks that I was knitting that seem a bit snug. Then I thought why am I always knitting socks?

Well, I can save you many days of soul searching and tell you that I am always knitting socks for these reasons:
1) I wear socks almost every day
2) I have a ton of sock yarn
3) socks are portable
4) I have a ton of sock yarn
5) Socks are easy to do while watching TV
6) I have a ton of sock yarn.

You get the picture.
Seriously I spent 2 days trying to figure out something non-sock to knit. And I realized, I don't wear that many scarves or shawls, and I can't knit lace or anything complicated while I watch TV (looking at you dollar and a half cardigan). I don't have a lot of yarn for mid-sized projects--either socks or one-skein things or sweaters.

I have three balls of Muench Touch me, and toyed with a velvety scarf. And I could not for the life of me think about where I might wear such a thing in MAY. And of course I *could* save it for winter, but please, I want something I can appreciate NOW, not 5 months from now (oy, really 5 months from now I'll be wearing a scarf--yeah probably). I also have some leftover yarn--Briar rose Sonoma I think--that I have mittens and scarf from, but was thinking I had enough for some sort of hat-like thing. Again, 5 months.

Then it hit me. I have 2 skeins of Malbrigio silky wool In a beautiful purple. Surely I could get a small shrug out of it and certainly it would match the bits of purple flowers in the dress I bought to replace the ill-fated skirt. Well, yes and no. Yes, I probably had enough to make a small shrug. Like the small one in Lace Style which is not pictured in that link... But the purple wasn't quite the right purple. The purple bits in the dress are more red. And if I could tell that before I pulled the dress out of the bedroom (and into the sunny living room) then you know it was off. But I also noticed that there was some olive green in it too (and black and white--mostly black and white with a few purple flowers with olive leaves) and I have some olive yarn.

The yarn is Elle Aran gold and it is acrylic. I've knit with it before though and find it to be a lot sproingyier than most acrylics. In fact I made a whole sweater from it, which I actually still like and wear on a regular basis (wore it this week even). Of course it was a dead match for the olive in the dress, how could it not be. How could my expensive really want to create something lovely from it yarn be so far off as to be funny, and my cheap (purchased at a LYS closeout sale) acrylic match perfect? Well that's the way of things. Plus I had enough for the retro redux shrug pictured in the link above.

I was intrigued. I was interested. I swatched. I started dreaming of how I would look the NEXT time I wore that dress (which is in 10 days most likely). And I cast on, more excited about this project than I have been since I messed up the toe on that last sock and it the wall with my sewing.

Although, if anyone has a non scarf option for the lovely purple Malbrigio silky wool--I have 2 skeins which makes about 300 yards (274m) of a dk weight yarn, leave it in the comments. Oh heck, if you have a scarf pattern that I can wear in early fall--say September let me know about that too.

two things I learned.

This is probably the space I should be telling you about the fabulous and cute skirt I made and then wore to a banquet and got a tremendous amount of compliments. And in fact I did wear something new to said banquet and got a ton of compliments.

First though I should say that as in knitting, in sewing I am learning all the time. In fact for this project I learned two very helpful things.

1) the grain lines on the pattern pieces should be straight and parallel to the selvedge edge. "otherwise your clothes will never hang right" so says the video I watched the clip out of. And as it turns out I always tried to get them straight but when I followed the video's helpful instructions: measure from the top of the arrow to the selvedge edge, pin, then measure the bottom of the arrow to the selvedge edge, I learned I can't eyeball straight. In fact my "eyeballing" was a good 2 inches out of whack. And indeed, this skirt went together so much easier than any halloween costume I've ever made.
Which makes it really too bad that I also learned:

2) Simplicity is on crack with sizing.
I usually wear a size--oh let's say 14. And I realize that sizes are different, look at the measurements blah blah. I did this and actually it looked like the simplicity 14 would be way too big int he waist, but ok in the hips. Well, my skirt doesn't fit. It is too short (which I could fix) and too small--which I maybe can fix. But seriously, I think I'd need an 18 in Simplicity and 14 in regular clothes, how is this not in anyway not messed up?
But it very well could be that I messed up. Perhaps I always thought I wore a certain size, say 14 because even though practically every other size 14 out there in the whole world fits me, I've been tricked by vanity sizing and I really wear an 18. But I must say... in vanity size (aka Liz Claiborne) I wear nearly an 8.

So, I slipped the skirt on when I was ready to put in the zipper and discovered that no way was it ever going to fit me. At least not unless I found a way to expand it somehow. Which was really too bad because up to that point things were going super smooth. I think I have a way to fix it. I think I can throw in another panel of skirt and then figure out how to expand the waistband and then I'll have a really short skirt that fits and I'll have to wear leggings under.

But I've learned my lesson for skirt #2.

And I also managed to find a dress for the banquet. By all accounts it looks good on me.

tap tap is this thing on?

Whoops, I didn't mean to not update for almost a whole month. Being sick really put me behind on lots of other stuff around the house and I guess I've been a little off my game because until this month, I don't think I could have said that I didn't knit anything for more than a day. Coincidently, I also didn't watch much tv....

But I did finish (again) some socks:


They don't match and it bothers me just a little, but that's what happens when you get a knot! in your self striping yarn.


Also, if you have been reading for any length of time, you'll know I am terribly indecisive about ... well everything. So, you know some serious time has passed when I can announce with great decisiveness a new project.

After tons of looking through stores for just the right skirt, I finally caved to the four or five people who said--just make one. And so tomorrow, I'll be cutting into this:


To make view E of this: skirt. Although it shouldn't surprise you that I went on a day patterns were 99 cents and I bought another one, which I'll show later if I actually decide to make it.

I'm not all decisions decisions, I also bought material to make a second skirt because I couldn't decide at the fabric store!



This is also a big thing for me because I don't think of myself as an accomplished sewer. Sure, I quilt and make halloween costumes (and pjs) but real clothes that people wear? nope. But I think I can handle this. If I can't I have more shopping ahead of me.

Oh and I'm back on the knitting horse, knitting some socks (of course) and obsessing about the next knit project.

oops

I don't consider myself a sock knitter. But I knit a lot of socks. I think this is because I like to wear hand-knitted socks and the only person in my life making them for me is, um me.

I also tend to make a lot of plain socks in fun sock yarns. In a way this is because I tend to buy fun sock yarns. Really, I know of few other projects that I would use a lot that take only one or two skeins (I actually have three one skein project books in hopes that someday I might use up all the other one skein things I have bought over the years). So I tend to buy a lot of sock yarn.

I've recently become quite taken with toe up socks. Nothing fancy, just double pointed needs, one at a time, with a heel done the way Ann Budd told me too in Interweave knits (the one issue that is very much used at my house). I think I've knit well I've lost count, I'm sure ravelry would tell me, but lets say more than 6 pairs of socks from this pattern. And always I dutifully follow the directions and designate which stitches are for the heel and which are the instep. Until now.

I've been working on this pair of socks since November. I've stopped along the way and made Christmas gifts and panda sweaters and bee sweaters and olympic projects, but I've always had these socks going. And Wednesday night I finished them. I prepared to wear them to work on Thursday. There's a smart knitter out there who knows where this is headed.



Yep, somehow I managed to knit one of them crooked. So when I put the sock on my heel the toe goes across my foot instead of across my toes. That morning I was convinced I had to rip the entire thing out and start over. Thankfully I had to go to work. After I had woken up a bit--ok after lunch--I remembered that I only had to rip out to just past the heel--I only had to re-work half the sock! I is smart.

Olympics

So, the knitting olympics. Well, when I picked my project and decided I'd participate, I was just getting over a really bad cold. I figured I'd finish the bee sweater, make the repairs on the panda sweater and still have time for the project (pretty thing by the Yarn harlot). In fact I remember thinking, and if I finish this early I'll attempt to finish these socks I started.

Pardon me while I laugh.

First, let me say that I had what might be called an unforeseen injury. Two days after the olympics began, I broke out in the worst case of hives I have ever had. EVER. I itched, I swelled, I hurt. The culprit turned out to be one of the antibiotics I had taken for my secondary infection (brought on by the cold).
I lost 4 days to those hives.

At any rate, I soldiered on. I made an error that set me back a day. I made several more that set me back several hours. I thought about trying cheese since it seemed to work for Lindsey Vonn.

In the end, the closing ceremonies were on my birthday (and my daughters') and though I was a mere 7 rows from the end, I opted instead to talk with my mom and brother on the phone, eat dinner with my family AND have ice cream afterwards.
It was a tactical decision and made it so I did not finish until about 11am this morning. And that's only if you don't count blocking.

I bought a special 16 inch us 3 addi turbo circular for this project and used Buckingham which is a alpaca silk blend. I only used half the skein, but I think it might be cutting close to attempt another out of it. Maybe if I cut it down a few rows. At any rate, I had what Bob Costas might call the "agony of defeat" when after binding it off, it barely went over my head. But barely is the word and it went.

bee sweater

I'm glad I set my Knitting Olympic bar low. Here it is day four and I've barely cast on my designated project. Instead I spent the part of the opening ceremony finishing up the bee sweater.



I am very pleased with how it turned out. I did have to learn a new technique, for the color changes so they wouldn't have jogs. I chose the technique that has you slip the first stitch of the new color (on what would be the second round of that color) and for the most part it worked. I can only see one place where it doesn't look seamless.



My daughter was also pleased and she wore it immediately to a birthday party, then wanted to know if it was out of the laundry yet for school Monday. She also decide that her 100 day collection of 100 things was going to be 100 pieces of yellow and black yarn leftover from her sweater.

But all is not real happy... we had an incident with the panda sweater in which the white yarn felted slightly. And as a result, it is now too short. I was very surprised because a) the yarn is superwash wool (knit picks swish worsted) and b) it was only the white--a color that is notorious for NOT felting. So, since I have extra white, I decided that I'll put off my knitting olympic project and take out the bind off and maybe the ribbing and extend the length of the panda sweater. I know that the yarn won't look the same, and I'm ok with that. I haven't decided if I want to rip back the 1.5 inches of ribbing or just start more ribbing until I get the length I need. I'm leaning toward ripping. It is not too badly felted at the ribbing, and I have enough length to add (would you believe at least 2 inches) that I think that might be best.

Knitting Olympics!

I so much want to participate in the knitting olympics. I've been struggling for the last 2 days about what my project should be. What will be a sufficient challenge for me to knit in the next 17 days, but won't make me crazy.
I doubt I could pull off a pair of socks. I think I could make another bee or panda sweater--although I'll be finishing the neck on the bee sweater tonight as everyone else is casting on for the olympics. So really I'll be knitting 16 days.
I also didn't want to make it too easy, which is why I didn't just want to finish a pair of socks that I've already started.

In the end, I decided, because this is a fun thing and not a SERIOUS thing, that I would attempt to knit "pretty thing" and should it prove too easy--I'll attempt to also finish that sock I've got languishing.

Let the games begin!

the bee sweater

Cinnamonamon once told me she was too sick to knit. I mocked her terribly. How could you be too sick to knit? And then in the middle of the bee sweater I was felled by some germs. Some evil germs.
I have gotten some knitting in, but not like what you would expect of someone who has spent the last 3 days on the couch. Part of it is that I am so tired, that basically I read for an hour and then sleep for an hour.



I have apologized to her. I am trying to eek out a couple of rows every day. And I'm starting, very slowly to feel better.

Knitting fast and furious

On Friday, as predicted, I finished the panda sweater


And Saturday I started the bee sweater


must.
knit.
fast.

Back to it.....

panda sweater progress

I've been working away on the panda sweater and have made quite good progress.



And most importantly--it fits her! I wish I'd had the camera out when I tried it on her (for length mostly, but I was glad it fit everywhere). I was kind of nervous given that I am working with a "homemade pattern." Which is funny because I often have better luck with the more organic patterns.

Since I took that picture, I've knit even more and finished both sleeves and am starting on the collar. I'm hoping to have it finished tonight, so I can start the "bee" sweater.

I realized, that I've never explained this sweater, although it feels like I have because of the "lost" post.
The pattern:
I had wanted to buy a pattern, but I couldn't find a top down raglan that was for kids. At the LYS, I talked to Martel who suggested that I could use the woolworks pattern. I don't know why I always think I'm going to mess up some math thing, I have a calculator and I know how to use it. But for some reason I do. But this time, I just took a deep breath and swatched. Now that I know that it fits, I'll feel more confident starting the next sweater--because it will be roughly the same size.

The Yarn:
I'm using knit picks swish worsted which is 100% superwash merino and it washes up soooo soft. (Size 7 needles if anyone cares) I underestimated how much black I'd need for this sweater--which turned out to be 3.5 skeins. So the other day, I bought some more, so I can do the bee sweater. I hated to spend the money for the shipping, but I have both girls pushing me along (knit faster mama!) and so waiting for any reason just wasn't going to work.

The Plan:
Finish the panda sweater tonight and start the bee sweater tomorrow and knit like crazy.

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.

holiday decompress

Time to decompress from the holidays! And time to show off the socks I made for my MIL. She's been hinting for a while that she'd like some handmade socks, but has been hesitant because most of the sock yarn I buy is wool. I understand that she probably has this wool=itchy thing going, but in my opinion superwash wool is a whole different thing. Plus all you have to do is feel some lopi and some super soft merino and you'll be wondering how two different things can both be called wool. Anyway, I found some cascade fixation in some nice bright colors and viola!


Also nice that she didn't balk at my photographing her feet.

I showed you all the scarf I made for the first grade teacher. I made it from silky wool on US size 4 needles. I was mighty sick of it by the time I finished. I ended up using 2.5 skeins, but could have used more and made it longer, if I hadn't run out of time. I was going to knit until Friday of that week and block Saturday and give on Monday. However, I ended up with so much other stuff to do that I quit knitting earlier in the week and blocking Friday. I blocked it at MIL's house since she was away and didn't need her kitchen floor. The pictures I took were all while it was blocking. My blocking board that several people liked is actually a set of Sesame Street foam puzzle blocks that my girls got for Christmas when they were two. They were headed for Goodwill when I spotted something similar in the knit picks catalog. Now they live in my knitting corner and every once in a while the ladies will get all bent out of shape that I'm using THEIR toy.

Anyway, there are already projects on the horizon. I got a ton of yarn for Christmas and the panda and bee sweaters are the next order of business.

done

I finished the scarf. It did not turn out the be 80 inches. I got busy so it turned out to be 76 inches. She seemed to like it. Details later:






I had to block it at my MIL's because it turns out that I don't have 70+ inches of long space that won't get run over 20 times a day.

72 inches

72 inches. That's how long "the scarf" is. The pattern says, repeat pattern until scarf is 80 inches long or you get very very tired of it has reached desired length. I did end up needing that third skein of silky wool, so I was glad I worried enough about that to buy it. I have decided that I am going to 80 inches or Friday night whichever comes first. I'm binding that puppy off on Friday, and blocking it Saturday so I can gift it Monday afternoon.

After that, I guess it is back to socks.

I don't consider myself a sock knitter, but I do happen to have a LOT of socks in my journal at Ravelry and just generally. I like wearing handknit wool socks in the winter, and now that I have 6 or 7 pairs I'm pretty happy. I also like having a sock going just for traveling and for fun. In fact I have one now that I started and got the heel turned before I started in on the Scarf. It may be just the intermediate project between the scarf and the next big project.

For Christmas, I asked for yarn to make both of my girls' sweaters, and I'd like to start those as soon after as I can (how can I be sure I'm getting the yarn? Oh come on, I put yarn on my Christmas list and I get it because my family KNOWs that I love yarn. They don't understand it exactly, but they do know it. Plus if I don't, well I'll buy it.)
I've had this idea in my head for one of my daughters, she loves pandas. I thought wouldn't it be fabulous to knit a colorwork panda into her sweater! I mentioned to my husband a panda sweater and his idea was different, he thought make the arms and top black and the main body white and actually that sounded easier and cuter. I have in mind a top down raglan, but I don't have a pattern. I'm pretty sure such a thing exists though.

It did present a problem, about what to do with her sister, who doesn't really care for pandas. So I asked her, since it wasn't going to be a surprise or anything and she immediately said she wanted a bee sweater. I'm not sure what style that will be, but right now I'm thinking just a plain set in sleeve would work great. They both want hats to match. I suppose if I left it up to them, they'd both want socks to match too, but we won't go there.

That's where things stand, 72 inches, very tired of the lace pattern, finishing on Friday regardless, and working on socks until I open my Christmas yarn.

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.

in a holding pattern

Whenever I finish something I get a little stalled. Well either that or I cast on a bunch of stuff. Well this time, I'm a little stalled. I think it is because I know that I need to get started with some gift knitting. And as you might have figured out by now, I am not a snap decision maker. (By the way, the send the denise set in for a replacement won--it got two votes. You could still vote by going here.)

Most of the time I knit for me. But I do like to knit for other people, I just don't get much opportunity (although my daughters would probably both like a sweater this winter--so maybe after the gifts are done). This year though I am making a family member a gift and since one of them might read here, I won't say much more. I will though tell you about the teacher gifts because while I might reasonably expect my family to read, I'm pretty sure the teacher doesn't.

Last year I made both the teacher and the teacher's aide scarves. Scarves are good because it wasn't much of an investment in time or materials and yet still were lovely. This year I only have one teacher but two kids in the class so I was thinking I'd still make 2 gifts. I usually save the food gifts until the end of the year because by then they know me well enough that food might get eaten and people don't overload teachers with food in June like they do in December (last year I baked a loaf of bread and stuck in some homeade jam--the kindergarten teacher ate it THAT day). So, I'm starting to think about knitted gifts.

Of course I've only gotten through the thinking stage. I know that drop stitch scarves are both attractive and easy. I know the teacher's favorite color is puprle, as is mine, so stash might come into play here. Both girls and MIL have all suggested socks as one present. I hesitate with the socks though because I'd have to subtly size her feet and not everyone likes handknit socks--especially if they've never worn them. Although I did think felted slippers might be fun. I've searched on ravelry and come up with a couple of scarves and cowls (including the yarn harlot's pretty thing) that I want to make for ME. And I had a funny thing happen.
I saw that someone had made Lace Ribbon out of Lorna's laces in the lakeview colorway which has a beautiful mix of purple and teal, and it was lovely. I recalled I had some and got a little sad about making a teacher's gift from it because I knew I had bought it because I wanted socks made from it. Well a quick look at my sock yarn stash shows me that I already made socks from that yarn. OOPS.

I also bought the Interweave knits holiday gifts issue--which was $14.99! Thank goodness for Joann's coupons. (and as an aside, I think that this $14.99 crap is really going to force more people to buy this mag someplace where they can get a hefty discount--which makes me sad for the lys) I don't know if I would make he same decision again, but there is a nice lacy scarf in there.

So here's where I am at. I'd like to make 2 gifts--felted (or not) slippers and a scarf of some sort. I'd like to make them all in purple (although not matching cause that's weird). I'd like to use some stash yarn--although I'm finding it hard to part with a lot of the purple because I LURVE it so much. What this means is that ironically--I probably won't use any stash yarn as most of what I'm willing to part with isn't purple. Although I do have some silky wool in purple that I might be able to let go. And I don't think I have anything purple that will felt--at least not in quantities sufficient for slippers.

So that's where I am, knitting something secret, planning the teacher gifts.

Oh PS in the last entry I was asked a question about finishing (sewing seams), I should work up a post on that because unlike a lot of knitters, I actually like finishing.

Hoodie and halloween!

I was going to spread these out a bit so I'd have more blog fodder, but I am too excited.
I finished a bunch of stuff!
First, I finally finished my Central Park Hoodie. I put off writing about it because I had to take the pictures myself and they didn't come out all that great.

It is a little snugger than I'd like--but I tend to like my clothes big and baggy. It does fit, it would close if it had some closure type thing on it. I did buy buttons, but I wanted to wear it so I decided to wait on the buttons and I think I like it button less. We'll see.
For the record: The yarn is Wool of the Andes from knit picks, in sapphire heather. I used size 6 needles and made a size 40. Have I mentioned that I LOVE it. I actually have to stop myself from wearing it every day. Maybe someday I'll even put the buttons on (obviously I opted to go with the crochet chain button loops). I do think it would also look good with a zipper. Ok, I'd love to make this again, but I might make the next size up next time.

Then came Halloween and of course I had the costumes done. Even though when I was making the giant tie that the clown had requested, I broke a needle and it went flying at my EYE. A small piece hit my glasses and I think another tiny piece got in my eye which was all watery and irritated for a day. They were so cute, and ultimately very happy with their costumes.
(masks for Internet privacy)
They were totally thrilled, and most people recognized what they were supposed to be. In my opinion this is win win for costumes. I love trick or treating with them because people will tell them how much they like their costumes and they both proudly say--mom made them!. Warms my heart.
We did go through a little bit of angst about perhaps clown wasn't the first choice (she waffled between that and penguin) but in the end everyone loved her costume, primarily for the wig.

And for some reason I lost this part of my post where I said I had some gifts I was working on. I suppose that will be a post for another day.

harry potter and a POLL

It has been a long day today--actually a long week. But I had some finished socks and going to test a poll.

I finished My Harry Potter socks.

That's Opal's Harry Und Ron colorway

One is just pulled up farther on my leg--they really are the same size.

Other projects are moving along too. With 9 days left to go I have completed most of the clown outfit. The pattern said--easy 2 hour pattern and I think I might actually have two hours in on it now and only have the neck casing and elastic to do, plus whatever "collar" gets decided upon. Actually I only have 8 days. EEP!

I'm also seaming up my central park hoodie and I think it might actually fit me. I bought buttons, but have no idea if they'll work. Details later.
While I was knitting the border of the hoodie (308 stitches OY), something happened to me that was simply horrifying. the 19" cable on my Denise set (which was hooked to some other one so I could have cable long enough for 308 stitches) broke. as in the little connector thing snapped off. So, here's my decision: I could buy a new 19" cable for $5 total (and pick pink or blue--my set is blue) or I could for the cost of a padded envelope and one way shipping plus $1 send it in for a replacement via Denise's lifetime warranty. I figure both options will cost me close to the same. So--which should I do:


Feel opinionated beyond this--leave me a comment! But please, I love my Denise set and so no anti-denise sentiments.

waxy leaves

This weekend the ladies and I did two things I've never ever done before.
First we found something in a parenting magazine we wanted to try and second, we tried it. The project was waxing leaves.

Now, the magazine article touted it as fun to do with your kids AND a great way to make fall decorations. Well.... I decided after doing it that it was one of those OR statements rather than an AND. What I mean is, you could either have fun with your kids or make something to decorate your home. But unless your kids are way more talented than mine, or you are way more controlling about art projects than I am, you probably won't end up with something you'd want to decorate with. Oh that sounded negative--it was FUN!

So here's what we did:
First I bought some Paraffin wax. The website I had to consult because the magazine we read this in was in a doctor's waiting room, said that you could find it in the canning aisle of your supermarket and whoa, they were right.
(please excuse my messy counter)

We collected a bunch of leaves on Friday on the way home from school and pressed them under a few knitting books.

The directions all said, use a tin can on a double boiler, but my MIL who uses the same wax in peanut butter balls (all I can say about that is eww, I knew there was a reason I didn't like those--I always thought it was the peanut butter.) melts hers in the microwave. I started with a tin can on a double boiler, but found the microwave (in a glass dish to work easier--but it was harder to clean up. Also the directions online said to add water tot he paraffin, which I forgot to do.


Then it was only a matter of dipping the leaves in

Of course the girls were a little heavier with the wax than I would have been, and we probably should have added the water and re-heated the wax more often.
But I think the results weren't bad. And as I said we had a lot of fun.

not done yet.

The last time I wrote I had a bunch of stuff I had deadlines for and I was feeling a trifle overwhelmed. I actually haven't finished anything.

I've finished all the pieces for my Central Park Hoodie, and they are all blocked. But it took me 2 days worth of knitting to pick up the 308 stitches for the button band. I haven't even finished knitting a single row of that one, but we'll see the weekend is almost here.

I started my second Harry potter sock in time to take it to book club. I like having a sock going all the time, and I think after I finish this one, I'd like to start another pair. I may have you guys help me decide what to do.

I also got a big chunk of the first halloween costume (kimono) done. I had this big mental block on sewing the lining, but I got it sorted out. Then I had this epiphany on cutting out the sleeve lining that was supposed to save me a bunch of fabric. And it did! A whole sleeves worth. Of course I only managed to cut out one sleeve lining instead of two. The sleeves are on the agenda for today. I can't remember if I had bought the fabric for costume #2 (clown) when I last wrote (and am too lazy to go back and read) but it is now purchased and washed and pressed. I'd like to start on it this weekend.

I feel like everything is going so much slower than it should. I had a girl stay home one day this week and I got NOTHING done that day. Next week there is a field trip one afternoon, and an online training one morning, both of which will kill about a day of my time "off."

Well I'd best get back to it.

Projects, goals oh my

All last week I kept thinking I would write about my goals. Then I got worried about what maybe it said about me that I had goals for my hobbies, then I decided they weren't goals per se they were projects.
Then I thought I should just knit or sew instead of writing about the things I wanted to knit and sew. You can see now why I've not updated in a while.

Anyway, it feels like I have a lot on my "crafting" plate. Perhaps in part because I always forget how busy fall is, with school starting and halloween and my family's annual visit north. Sometimes it makes me feel better to list things I have going especially things with deadlines. But sometimes it doesn't. Let's see how this one turns out.

I really only have deadlines on the halloween costumes. I am on tap to create a "china girl" costume--which is actually a kimono (although I have looked it up--if you google china girl kimono you end up with Mulan) and a clown costume. Those must be done by the school halloween party which I think is on the 30th. I'm still waiting for the school to send out the calendar of "important dates"

I have purchased most of the fabric I'll need for the kimono, and in fact have cut out the top fabric. I still need to cut out the lining and the trim. I may (or may not we'll see) need a bit more fabric. I've looked at the instructions and it might actually go together easily. I also need to look and see if I have enough fusible interfacing. And since my craft area is moderately cleaned out, I actually think I know where my fusible interfacing is!

I have not purchased material for the clown costume, and I'm sort of counting on the fact that the pattern says--2 hours! on it. Not that I'll be there 2 hours before she needs it sewing, if I can help it, but it is nice to know the pattern company thinks it is quick and easy.

I guess I kind of have a deadline on my central park hoodie. I picked it back up again and am soldering on. I have the back and both sides done, and should block them this weekend. I'd like to be wearing it when the weather turns fallish. Which given Michigan, could be next week or could be November.

I kind of have a deadline for the Harry Potter socks I started when I was fussing about the CPH. I'd like to have the second one cast on before the next book club meeting in October. (so I can bring it and knit) It is getting to be wool sock weather and I'm loving that I have 2 new pair to wear--two that I almost completely forgot about.

Of course then there are all the other things. The things I want to do. the things I've started to do. I started a set of potholders, I want to start finishing the works in progress, I want to knit the dollar and a half cardigan, I have a shrug's worth of Blue sky Alpacas silk/alpaca I'd like to do something with. In the meantime, the house needs to be clean--including the dumping ground we sometimes call the guest room. There just aren't enough hours.

Adam's quilt

A while back ago I finished, rather spectacularly, a baby quilt. Because the recipient is my cousin, and I knew she watched my flickr and my facebook pages I couldn't really post progress pictures there, or say much of anything for my facebook status, but one day I wrote: Just had a whoo hoo moment. Because when I finished this puppy I actually hollered WHOO HOO!


The pattern is from M'lss Rae Hawley's book Scrappy Quilts. The cover pattern. One of the things I like about Hawley's books is that she always includes a "gallery" of quilts in the book done in other color combos. I've passed by patterns in the book only to discover something cool in the gallery and realize that the colors were what made the quilt seem special. In this case, one of the gallery quilts was in all pinks, which had a cool effect.
I did blues because she knew the baby was going to be a boy and thought blues would look like the pinks, but no dice. I threw in the yellows because blue by itself was really kind of dull.
I had a horrible time with the blocks and ended up turning hem all over to my MIL to get them to lie flat.


The trick it seems is that two triangles need to make a 90 degree angle. So MIL cheated on those--cutting them if they weren't. All in all I was very happy even if this pattern was a bit beyond my skills. I only purchased border fabric and the yellow on the corners. And seriously it should not be so hard to find a decent non-gold bright but not dark yellow.

My cousin called the other day to let me know she loves it, and also to let me know that now her oldest son was glad that they each had their own quilts. (this one is mine mine mine, were his exact words.)

snag

I actually have a finished object, but as far as I know it is still in transit to its recipient. So until it gets there, I guess I'll have to confess something.

I stopped knitting on my central park hoodie.

See, I finished the back and started on one of the sides, and did it ever look small. Like really small. So I checked guage and huh, I was getting 16.5 stitches to 4 inches instead of the 17.5 asked for, which theoretically if my math is correct means it should be bigger. But I do most of my math as I'm falling asleep--I think it soothes me. I checked the schematics and found that the sides were supposed to be 10 inches wide. I measured and realized that my sides *might* block out to eight and if the button band were on that would be 9.5 and that all sounded like way too skinny. So I ripped the side out. Here's what can't figure out, I pinned out the back and measured it and I can get it to the required 20 inches, pretty easily.


I went back to ravelry and checked to make sure I was using the same needle size and everything! I've heard it runs small but, really should I have to make something eight inches larger than my measurement to get a few inches of positive ease? This would mean either making the sides a size (or two) larger than the back and fiddling with the sleeves OR ripping out the back and starting over.

I can't decide which to do so I started a sock.

WIPS

I know that the topic of WIPs or Works in progress is one fraught with drama and espionage. You know people hide them, pretend they don't exist.

I don't have many WIPs in my knitting life (right now). And depending on your definition of a WIP, I may never. See I always defined them as Works in progress, that is works you started but have not finished for some reason. You could still be working on it, you could have encountered a problem and set it aside for a while or perhaps you just lost interest in it. But then I saw on Knitting Daily that they were defining a WIP as a piece you had set aside for a while, perhaps never to finish.

By my definition--just a project you've started and isn't finished yet--really no value judgment implied about why--perhaps it is the active project--perhaps it isn't, I have 2 knitting WIPS. I'm not counting the socks I have a swatch for but have not cast on. The two I have are--the central park Hoodie I'm working on and a doll sweater I made that doesn't fit the doll and I need to make a decision about (of course it has been more than a year that I made this, but eh).

Up until last month I would have said something similar about sewing. Then we cleaned out the basement. I discovered in that process that I'm really much worse at the WIPS in my sewing than in my knitting. I not only have the "active project" going but at least three four five six (that I've found so far) that are in various stages.
1) Turtle wall hanging that I started Oh who knows how long ago. This one was complicated because all the shells were hexagons, but now I know the secret to making flat hexagons (give them to MIL to do--ha ha) maybe I'll get to this.

2) turtle wall hanging #2--this was actually turtle fabric as the main fabric and was supposed to hang in my kitchen--at the last house, nine years ago. I have a table cloth that matches--which is done BTW. The problem with this is that it is paper pieced and I get tired of that after a while.

3) Crazy quilt from reproduction fabrics. This is also paper pieced but I have a ton of scraps for it--I was thinking bed sized, but all the squares are 4 inches so it might take a while.

4)A skirt. I actually started this so long ago, I can't remember what the entire plan was. I out grew it then shrunk back to its size.

5) a denim quilt. All the pieces cut, just needs to be sewn together--not even quilted!

6) doll dress--the doll thing waxes and wanes so much here that I'm not sure I will finish this.

I was sure there were more, but that's all that comes to mind. I'm sure that as I continue to clean I'll run across more. Of course that doesn't count everything I have fabric purchased for or that I'd like to make (because then I'd have to confess the 40000 knitting projects of the same ilk).

I also wanted to comment about Tricia's comment on the post about the central park hoodie--and I can't figure out how Blogger will let me comment directly. Tricia wants to know why I suspect that the sweater won't fit me--this is a great question especially considering that I have only knit part of the back (now I'm nearly finished with the back but then I only had about 10 inches). Well, I do the really scientific thing of holding it up to me and saying, man this looks so small! I go through this every time and let me tell you I have only been right once.

New space

I haven't written in ten days, so you'd think that I have gotten gobs knitted, but really I've been working on my space.

You see when we bought our house, we turned the partially finished basement into my sewing room--or design studio. I didn't knit then, I didn't have children then. Now, I do both and the poor basement got neglected until it resembled something from the messiest home in America. So a few weeks ago we decided to clean it out, rip out the ugly carpet and start over, creating a full on craft room that all of us could enjoy. So for the past few weeks we've hauled tons of stuff to Goodwill, thrown away several bags of trash and are slowly putting back what's left (and still finding things we neither want nor need). My daughters have moved down there and are itching to start "crafting"--although the new carpet is so pretty we need to find someway to make it stay pretty and still be able to use ink (for rubber stamps), glitter, and glue. We're thinking plastic sheeting.

Tthe first project to get sewn in there, if I ever can get my space cleared up is the quilt I'm working on for my cousin. It has borders and is pin basted and ready to quilt. My MIL is letting me borrow her sewing machine, that comes with the portable table (because I stepped on mine--the room was that messy) and it is all set up and ready to go. Now I just need to use it.

I also swatched and started on the central park hoodie. I can't believe how easy this pattern is--and yet with a nice elegant cable. I'm about halfway up the back and already starting to worry that it won't fit AND that I'll run out of yarn--both of which are par for the course with me.

I don't have any pictures, and really not much more to add to that.

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