Month: March 2017

The Thing About Big Projects

I have a lot of big projects that I’m working on: A blanket, 2 shawls (both of which have been on the needles for months), my 2nd foray into cables, and I just finished socks. A lot of knitters don’t consider fingering weight socks to be a “big” project (after all, they go on your feet), but I do. And the thing about big projects is that they are hard to take pictures of. Pictures on the needles are bunched up and awkward and inside lighting is usually rubbish. And then it’s hard to show progress in photos without it looking like 20 of the same picture.

So here is me trying. Wish me luck!

lap blanketblanket squares

A Tale of Two Socks

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us….”

~Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

These socks. They have been in progress for almost a year now. They have been through Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and now into Spring again. They are finally done!

Fraternal Slytherin Socks

Yarn: 1/2 ball each of Knit Picks Stroll in Rainforest Heather and Deborah Norville Serenity Sock in Charcoal

Needles: US 1/2.25 mm

Method: 4-row stripes. Started toe-up on magic loop. I didn’t like this method, so I switched to DPNs. Fish Lips Kiss Heel. A bit of trial and error was necessary to ensure good cuff fit (meaning that some ripping and reknitting were involved).

Tadah!

Dream, Grow, Knit

Once upon a time I taught myself to knit.

I knew so little them, and had such room to grow,

And as I looped each stitch I began to dream.

 

At first the things I knit were not the “stuff of dreams,”

But still I soldiered on as row and round I knit,

And as I practiced more my skills began to grow.

 

Now as I add each stitch my love for knitting grows.

My hands become so wise, and I knit in a dream.

I love to grow and dream: this is why I knit.

 

Knitting helps me grow into my dreams.

knitting

In Progress

It turns out that if you actually work on your projects, they get done (I know I say that a lot, but it’s embarrassing how often I forget it). I started these socks almost a year ago, pulled them out in September when my feet started to get cold, and found them again earlier this month. I am determined to finish them by the end of the month. I’m about to start the second heel, so it seems a realistic goal.

socks

I also plan to finish spinning this electric blue soy silk by the end of the month. It should end up as a sport or light worsted weight. What should I make out of it?

spinning

This shamrock wasn’t long in the making. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

shamrock

I Fell Down…

I like to keep my stash on the small side. My husband and I live in a 1 bedroom apartment and we share a closet. We would like to be minimalists (or at least not maximalists). So my yarn lives in a cedar chest my grandfather made for my grandmother. I also have a set budget within which to make my yarny purchases. So when my LYS announced a sale I was not about to pass up a chance for a *small* stash enhancement. I was only supposed to buy a few things….

oops

Oops. I may have accidentally bought All The Yarn.

In my defense, I’ve wanted to spin a Rainbow Roll for quite some time and they are now discontinued. And I’ve been thinking about making a Portage cardigan, and this 50/50 Merino Cotton blend will keep me warm without broiling me.

I have no excuse for the 2 fingering weight yarns I bought on impulse. They are both from The Fiber Seed on the Sprout base, colours Polar Vortex and Rainbow in the Dark. I don’t really think they need an excuse.

tealrainbow

Bits and Bobs

When I was a little girl I loved to play dress up with my dolls. Somehow or other I acquired 2 doll tea sets – one made by my grandmother. I’m becoming a bit of a collector!

tea sets

I’ve mentioned before that I come from a crafty family – here are some tiny animals my youngest sister made (there are also a few polymer clay animals made by my middle sister).

pom pomsknits

And since we’re on the topic of family, here is a picture of my great-grandfather that I just saw for the first time.

great grandfather

He looks so old and wise.

 

Vacation Yarn

You didn’t seriously think I could manage to go on vacation without acquiring more yarn, did you? 2 Christmases my husband (then boyfriend) and I went to Arizona and I meant to go to a certain yarn shop while we were there. Regrettably, this did not happen, so this year when we were in the area I made double sure that we went. The shop is called Sedona Knit Wits, and it is delightful! They carry a range of beautiful commercial yarns as well as some yarns that are locally dyed. Those are what I ended up buying, since you just can’t get them anywhere else.

I bought a kit for watermelon socks (Eeeeeee!!!) and a gradient ball. It’s a good thing I’ve decided to make more socks. Although, now that I think of it a watermelon shawl sounds amazing! Which would you choose?

I am a Designer!

I have been interested in designing since I started knitting 5 years ago. I have recently started dipping my toes into the design pool, but I would never quite finish a pattern. I got scared: What if I’m not doing it right? What if no one likes my patterns? What if  I make a horrible error in the pattern and screw up some poor unsuspecting knitter for life?? Doubts and fears can be good things, but at some point you have to grab life by the horns and just do something. So that’s what I’ve done. Here is my first published knitting pattern. It is a simple lace headband – bold enough to stand on its own, but light enough to wear even on a hot summer day.

Chevron Lace Headband – available for free on Ravelry