Friday, October 29, 2010

Especially blue yarn....

So... again... I've been making itty bitty side projects and have not worked on my big stuff.... I'm currently working on ANOTHER (Number 4!) Lavalette... this one is going to be donated to my friend Michelle's Daughter's School for a silent auction.  I'm hoping to finish it by this Sunday... but don't hold your breath!

So I've been doing A LOT of work on teaching workshops at AKAN (Abuelita's Knitting and Needlepoint).  Will be putting together a magic loop workshop to make some uber cute pumpkins (Pictures to follow!)  As well as an introduction to fair-isle (EEEK!) as a supplementary course for our less experienced knitters in our Seasonal Knitalong.  I've never taught a colorwork class yet... as my double-knitting class was kind of a bust (nobody signed up...).  I'm hoping the fair-isle class will change that and maybe it'll drum up more interest!  I think I'm going to make a double knitted scarf to get more people excited about it.

Great... another project to distract me....

Alas... my Clapotis... is STILL in the increasing portion.... I haven't dropped a single stitch yet!  Hopefully soon.  I havn't started either of my sweaters... and the long queue of vests, and other projects have gone un-touched yet another month.  I need to get my act together.  I've barely touched my lankakomero mystery knitalong (I still have not finished chart 4!) 

I've been really distracted lately... hopefull I can get out of my knitting funk... I guess I'm having a lot of trouble really just focusing on one project.  I've also started knitting a pair of striped wrist warmers as part of the transitional knitalong for the shop.  These I don't feel so bad about.  I've been wearing the shop samples so much... I've stretched them out a little... LOL...

I've also noticed that all of my projects lately have been BLUE... or have a lot of blue shades in it.   I've become a freakin' monochromatic knitter!  WTF?!  So I've decided that I am no longer allowed to buy yarn in ANY shades of Blue... none... well... at least until I've finished a few of my Queue projects or WIPs.    I'm not allowed to buy any more yarn, period.  ESPECIALLY blue yarn.

Monday, October 18, 2010

All quiet on the knitting front... for now!

So it took me a while to post photos... but photos are up on my flickr pool of the classic socks... I love them! 

Classic Socks off FeetThese took FOREVER to make, but I'm happy with the way they turned out.  It was the first time that I ever made a pair of socks on one long circular needle and I  have to admit... it's WAY easier than it looks... and feels far less complicated than the 2 socks on 2 circulars...   I think I just like the way  Melissa Morgan Oakes wrote the instructions.

The Pattern is Classic Socks from her 2 at a Time Socks book (GREAT BOOK!), I'm debating about buying here Toe-up sequel as I've come to conclusion that socks are not something I like to knit on a regular basis.  It feels like a lot of effort for such little payout... albeit... my hand knit socks last WAY longer than any of my store bought ones!

Cozy SlippersI've also finished the Cozy Slipper Knitalong from the shop... I LOVE the knitalongs... it brings people working on a common project together... and I must say... the slippers are quite cute!

Still plugging away on my Clapotis... not really picking it up all that often, but I know it's there waiting for me to work on it.

I lost SOOOOOO much steam on the lankakomero 22 Leaves Knitalong!  I'm about halfway through clue 4... and I haven't picked it up since!  I'll definitely have to finish by the end of the month... it's just ridiculous how I've let it fall to the wayside (I haven't picked it up since September!)

I started on the feet eaters slippers... those are driving me CRAZY!  My gauge has been off off off with project and now that I'm making things completely to gauge, the parts are turning out too big or too small!  I might just frog this project and make a felted bag... we'll see.

I've also started Needlepointing... I chose a 13 mesh canvas portraying a Scottish Terrier and a Tiffany Box...   I feel so domestic when I work on it... I'll post pictures when I have time!

The sweaters are currently on standby... along with the rest of the projects I wanted to start this month.... we'll see how things go.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

So much for destashing...

So, I finished my socks last Friday... and what's the first thing I do?  Go into the shop and buy yarn for my cobblestone... along with the yarn for a V-Neck Cardigan... and the yarn for some Feet-Eaters Slippers... Well to be honest... I bought the Feet-Eaters yarn with Betty the weekend before... but that's beside the freakin' point!  here I am destashing... and what do I do the first chance I get?  Build up my stash!

I've been really lax in the taking pictures department... I promise to edit this post to add pics at the bottom when I can.

So I finally got my madelinetosh vintage in Ink... but being the scaredy cat that I am I decided to work on another project before diving into the good stuff.  So I'll also be starting the V Neck cardigan from Boy Meets Purl... using Berroco Vintage (LOL We'll see how she goes!) 

Still working on that Clapotis... I actually havn't picked it up in over a week... sometimes it feels like all I've been doing is knitting... it's weird... and crazy... and fun... all at once.  I've also joined a knitalong sponsored by the shop... We're making these cute little pompom slippers from "The Knitter's Year" book by Debbie Bliss.  I'm beginning to think I've bitten off more than I can chew with all of these projects!

So things I want to Start/Finish this month:
  • V-Neck Cardigan
  • Cobblestone Sweater
  • Feet-Eaters Slippers
  • Bridgewater Wrap
  • Knitter's Year Slippers
  • Clapotis
So that's it... no more buying yarn for the rest of the year... unless it's on sale... LOL

I like choosing these big projects... they take longer to make, but they're so much more rewarding in the end.  As for my monthly goal... I think playing it by ear should be more my speed right now... I have far too much yarn and far too many projects to be thinking about finishing them up by a deadline...  I will of course be documenting everything a little better....

Friday, October 1, 2010

Sooooo... Yeah... didn't make it...

I've been lax in my goal... I totally died last night and past out in the middle of my socks.

Alas... I did not make my goal.... I plan to finish the socks soon- and will be buying the yarn for the Cobblestone Sweater as soon as I do... so I'm totally bummed I didn't make it... I have about an inch left for the feet and then I begin the toe decreases. I'm hoping to be done by Sunday... so I can buy the yarn already... (If I do finish by then, it's still pretty close to my goal... so we'll see!)

Other things I'm working on- the Magic Yarn Ball Swap... It's the 3rd time I'll be participating and I've had such a blast each time.  My partner is definitely going to LOVE the yummy yarn I chose for her!  I started Lankakomero's knitalong but lost steam after the weekend it started (I was toe to toe with those Finnish knitters!)... I have yet to finish.  My Clapotis is still in it's infant stages as I picked up the Lavalette for Emily.  So I have quite a few projects in the works.  We'll see how everything turns out, eh?


Also doing a bit more stash-busting as I found a fair bit of cheap cotton yarn hiding with the good stuff... Totally planning on making an Everlasting Bagstopper Bag from Knitty It'll be the Frankenstein monster equivalent... as I have like 5 different colored yarns... but we'll see. Upcoming this month, I'll also be starting the Bridgewater wrap by Jared Flood- using some yummy yummy madelinetosh prairie yarn!  I ended up having to hunt down an additional skein online to make sure I had enough yarn. for it... It's going to be one of my most formidable projects so far!

I think I'm ging to keep trying to stick to my goal of 4 projects a month... it keeps me focused pretty well.  I'm going to have to make up some rules of course... I like the idea of  actually counting how many yards of yarn I end up using instead... this way... all of the little side projects don't end up hindering me (like it did this month!)  A goal of say 1600 yards a month?  Or would that be pushing it - it's equivalent to about 4 skeins of sock yarn so it's fairly close to 4 projects...  We'll see... I'll cobble together some rules and work it out soon...

On a non-yarn related note... I'll be going to Knott's Halloween Haunt tomorrow night with my buddies... I'm definitely not going to wear any of my hand-knit stuff... especially with my penchant for losing things... I plan on not being able to talk on Sunday... I'm a screamer... LOL