Decisions, Decisions

I never have more than two projects going at once -- one more complicated and one more mindless (usually a pair of socks).  I keep the mindless project in my bedroom so I can work on it while I'm winding down to go to sleep, and the other I keep in the TV room to work on when I'm awake and with it.  I'm working on a fair isle hat right now which is a KAL with my Tuesday night knitting group (TV Room Project) and a pair of Zauberball socks (Bedroom Project).  I always try to have another two projects in the queue (in my mind anyway) for when the current projects are done.  By the time I'm ready to start, I've thought about them enough to decide what my plan of attack is -- type of yarn, needles, new techniques I need to research and learn, etc.  Right now, I have 4 or 5 projects I am equally excited about, and I really don't know where to start.

One of the projects I'm considering is lace curtains for the TV room.  I have dark plum sheer (linen) curtains up now.  I love the color, and they are great for winter, but I was thinking the other day it would be nice to have something light and lacey for the summer.  That thought led to knitting them myself.  Then I started counting the windows and estimating the knitting-- there are five very large slider windows.  We're talking two probably 60 inch panels for each window -- that's 10 panels or 600 inches in width and about 48 inches in length for each!!  That's 28,800 square inches of knitting!!! After doing the math, I quickly called my mother hoping she would talk me "off the ledge".  She didn't!!  She thought it was a great idea.  Someone please talk some sense into me....I bought 10 balls of Knit Picks Palette in a Cream --- HELP!!

So...

I have been working on a few smaller projects the last few weeks.   I have finished two 3s shawls with one ball of Zauberball Crazy in the Purple and Blue colorway and the other from an old hank of what I think was Knit Picks Stroll.  I don't have the colorway because it was already wound from the hank in my stash.  I love being able to use stash yarn.  It feels like confirmation that it was a good purchase way back when.  I have also finished a pair of boring old black socks for my business partner.  He has some issues with his feet due to an illness and uses the socks I've knit for him at night when he sleeps.  He has to have something on his feet or they tingle as if they were asleep, but it can't be too tight or too hot.  I love when something I knit for someone serves a purpose like this. 

I'm now working on another pair of socks using the rest of the Zauberball Crazy and a mitten with this lovely string Drops Delight.  I found this on Pinterest.  It's inexpensive and I love the colorway.  I also bought it in the purple/green and olive/plum/rust mix - not too expensive and it feels pretty nice knit up.  It has a nice soft hand.  I'm making the Fiddlehead Mittens with it without the fiddlehead part.  I wanted to see how the pattern knits up before I get into the colorwork.  I also thought it would be a good way to see how the yarn drapes, etc.  So far, I like it.  I also learned the I-cord cast on which I have never done before.  I immediately starting thinking about other items I could use this technique for.

Now for my crazy -- insane idea for a new project.  I was sitting in my TV room on Sunday looking at the curtains I have hung.  I like them because they are sheer enough to keep prying eyes out, though I can see the back yard, but they are dark plum.  I was thinking it would be nice to have light linen colored lace panels up for the summer which lead to -- "wait -- I can knit lace now.  Maybe I could knit the curtains.  Wouldn't that be cool."  Then I started counting the large windows -- this room was formally a closed in porch.  Two of the four walls are all windows, and they are pretty large.  I would need 10 panels of about 60 inches each to get the right drape - that is A LOT of lace knitting.  I called my mother hoping she would be the voice of reason and talk me out of it.  Instead she thought it was a great idea!  For the last three days I've been trying to find the right yarn.  Someone please talk some sense into me!!

I Think I'm Hooked

I love the look of lace knitting. I've tried to do it in the past, but got frustrated with making mistakes and having to rip back yarn overs. The last fitted project I did was a bit of a bust so I decided to try lace again -- so far I like it. I've devised a few little tricks to keep me on point. Life lines really help too. I finished this scarf which I used Knit Picks Stroll Handpainted in the Make Believe colorway. The colors are great.

I'm now working on another scarf project - free pattern from Ravelry. I found the checkerboard design unique, and I have a sock yarn which I thought would look good. I would tell you the mfg, name and colorway of the yar, but it was in my stash already wound into a pull ball from a hank and Lord know where the label is. I must be getting old because I do not even remember winding it down. Anyway, I hope there is enough for this scarf otherwise I'm going to be in a world of trouble LOL.

I've been using lots of stash yarn lately which makes me happy because in January of 2010, after I cleaned up and organized the mess that was my knitting room (now my guest room), I vowed I would "cheeze" it on buying new yarn until I used up some of my stash. I have to say considering how much yarn I was buying back then, I'm proud of myself for the last 15 months. I have bought some yarn, but not for the stash. For the most part, I have only bought yarn that I knitted into a project right away. Even my sock yarn is down to the bottom of the bag -- the bag being the size under the largest Zip Lock you can buy - LOL.

Ah Spring...

Even though we lose an hour of precious sleep, I love when we turn the clocks ahead. It feels like I gain a half a day because the sun is still shining when I get home from work. This is particularly useful with my puppy Rocco. Since he is in a crate all day when I'm at work, he needs to run around and go crazy when I get home. Tough to do that in the dark outside, but now -- I let him rip! He really loves it too. I just hope when the cover is removed from the pool, his curiousity doesn't get the best of him. I'm already prepared for a few rescues. He's very nosey. I'm hoping to be able to get him to swim, but we'll see. My Shih-Tzu Oliver hates being outside. He never liked it though I tried to have him outside. He would last about 5 minutes then he was at the door ready to go in. Not Rocky, I think he is going to love being outside with me, and I can't wait. Nothing better than knitting while relaxing outside with some great tunes and a nice drink.

Now for the knitting -- since starting that rainbow-colored wrap, which btw I must have dropped a stitch on because after I washed it, there is a big "ladder" in the middle of it. I don't really know how to fix it so I was thinking I would bring it to Knit Night and see if the ladies had any ideas. Anyway, I've been enthralled with knitting lace. I am currently working on a scarf from a new book I bought, "Wendy Knits Lace" which I really like. I'm using Knit Picks Stroll Handpainted in the Make Believe colorway. I really like this yarn. First, there's a lot of it. The hand is smooth and, I think, a good choice for lace items. The colors are variations of purple (my favorite), a fern green and turquoise. I was not sure I would like the turquoise, but I really do. I'll post a picture in my next blog post after it has been blocked.

I have been a little obsessed with socks lately too -- who am I kidding, I'm always obsessed with socks. They are the perfect warm weather knit. There's something about the small needles and small stitches too -- I can't articulate it but it just makes me feel happy. I'm working on this pair right now. It is Schoppel Wolle Zauberball Crazy sock yarn in the Red, Orange, Green, Blue colorway. I am half way through the second sock, and it looks to me like there is plenty for a second pair. This is good because my hair dresser saw me knitting them and charmed her way into getting them when they are finished. This happens to me a lot.

Socks - Toe Up, Two-at-a-Time, Magic Loop

I LOVE knitting socks. When I first decided to try to knit a sock, I was quite intimidated. I had never used dpns before, and all those needles looked very intimidating. I was lucky enough to see the sock episode of Knitty Gritty with Karen Baumer and then Stephan Pearl-McPhee (aka Yarn Harlot). They made it seem do-able so I tried it. I fiddled with the needles the first few times, taking care not to have the dreaded "ladders" along the side. After a few socks, I GOT IT. It was like sock knitting fused with my soul somehow. (Please forgive my picture quality)

Then I started using smaller and smaller needles. Then I discovered knitting one sock on two circular needles thanks to Cat Bordhi's book, "Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles" and indeed they did. About a year ago, I found Melissa Morgan-Oaks book, "Toe up Two at a Time Socks (Two at Once on One Circular Needle). Truth be told, I had tried to master the Magic Loop before, but I just could not get it with the instructions I had. I love this book. She takes it - literally - step by step - with illustration and instruction that I found very easy to follow. This is probably my 20th pair.

I usually knit socks when I'm still thinking about a larger project - putting together my ideas, trying to imagine it all the different ways in my mind. Sometimes it takes me longer to reach a conclusion than others. I would think everyone does this, but I wonder if that is fact.

It's a balmy 59 degrees here in lovely NJ today. Yesterday I heard the birds when I woke up for the first time since the fall. Can't wait...Spring

Non-Fitted Knitting

It's nice for a change to be working on a non-fitted knitting project. I love the colors in this yarn which is Knit Picks Hand Painted Stroll in County Fair colorway. When I was young, rainbows were a big thing. Everyone had rainbow stickers on their cars. In fact, I remember buying a rainbow sticker and putting it on my first car when I was 18. I loved rainbows so much, I had two different sets of sheets with rainbows on them. The pillow cases made the curve of the rainbow. I thought that was so cool.

I got this stitch from a prayer shawl pattern and made it wide scarf/wrap length. It is a simple 5 row repeat which forms a "V" with yarn overs. It will definitely need to be blocked.

Last night I got up to advance the laundry, and thought I thought I had secured the yarn well, Rocco figured out how to unfold, turn around and open my knitting bag and got to a newly wound cake of this yarn. It was pretty tightly wound, but he managed to pull it all apart in the 5 minutes I was gone from the room -- that little rascal! I spent an hour unraveling and un-knotting his handiwork. About an hour later, I got up to make dinner, moving my knitting to a table he can not reach, I came back to the same yarn all over the room again. I still can't figure out how he got to it that little Houdini. He's so cute when I tell him he was a bad boy, he so excited from just having the thrill of un-doing, he hangs his little head and looks up at me apologetically as if to say, "I know I was bad, and I'll try not to do it again, but you know I can't help myself". Love my little boy.

I'll post another picture when this one is blocked.

Aran Duffle Coat a.k.a. My Nemesis

I have been planning to knit this coat for myself for at least three years. I found the pattern, which was a freebie at the time from Knitting Daily and loved it. I made one for my sister who was pregnant at the time, and she liked it because it was warm and big. She is much, much smaller than I am in height and weight - always has been. I knew I only had one knit of it in me at that time, it was the perfect interim warm-wear for her.

A year later, I thought I would knit it for myself. I bought the yarn. At the time, I was at my heaviest. The thought of all that knitting was just too much. So I decided to wait. Ironically, last year, I was diagnosed with diabetes and a very under active thyroid. Ironic because it forced me to lose weight which I am still working on, but to date I have lost over 100 lbs. I have been planning to knit it since the summer. Much less knitting than it would have been two years ago -- or so I thought.

In my last post about it, I had just the button bands to finish. A few Sundays ago, I did just that. I was so excited about being able to wear it to work the next day. I tried it on and UGH...I hated the hood. It felt way too bulky, and I also realized I needed to make the button & button-hole bands wider. I knit this a little smaller figuring next winter it would fit perfectly. Making the bands wider would allow me to wear it for the remainder of this winter. Anyway, I was aggrivated, but still excited. Last Sunday, I took to it again. I removed and frogged the hood. I knit a nice roll collar. I widened the button bands. I put it on and boom, the bottom of it lays behind my hips because I figured out that there is too much decreasing at the top of the fronts so it sort of "falls" behind my legs at the bottom. I sat down to survey how I could fix this problem, and realized I would have to rip out the sleeves, and the fronts down enough so I could re-knit the front-tops. I was so upset, I threw it into the bottom of my closet and there it sits. So much for the Aran Duffle Coat.

I remembered I had a lacey scarf I started with Knit Picks Stroll but ran out of yarn. So I ordered the yarn and that is now my priority project. No fronts to deal with, no hoods, no aggrivation.

Thinking of all that frogging, I ordered this Simplicity Boye Electric Yarn Ball Winder http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VRF7HQ/ref=oh_o01_s00_i02_details (for some reason Blogger will not let me upload the image where I want to). I have been looking at this for about a year. The price was about $80. I wasn't willing to pay that, but I was willing to pay $55.82 especially after having to wind down 5 hanks of yarn the other night -- my hand and wrist were aching. Guess I'm getting old...

Crochet - Why Did I Ever Leave You?

I mentioned in my last post that I have started looking at crochet projects. I used to crochet a lot. I remember making big boy bed blankets for my nephews who are now 17 and 15. I think the last project I did was a baby blanket for my niece who is now about to turn 7, so it's been a while. Gianna's nana does crochet, so when I found this project on Pinterest, we both fell in love with it. We had a crochet lunch and above are the results.

Couple of issues before I move ahead with this project. Not sure I like the white dc all around -- looks to thick to me -- I may change that to sc. My friend, by mistake, did 7 petals on her first one instead of six. Oddly enough, it looked more like a flower, so I think I'm going to be adding another petal. Happy accident as they say.

Ugh

So, Gianna's little cardigan was coming along swimmingly until the second left over half skein of yarn I thought I had turned out to be a different yarn entirely -- thicking and darker pink. Do I buy another skein of yarn that I think it is which will probably be a different dye lot OR cast on another sweater in the other yarn which I now know I have enough of to finish? Decisions, decisions... As you can see, all I have left to do are the little sleeves and the finish knitting and sewing.

Incidentally, one of the things I really love about this pattern is how big the arm holes are -- very easy for a mom to get their little ones arms into.

As I usually do, I'm already thinking about my next project. I've been spending way too much time on Pinterest and have a few ideas. Surprisingly enough, they are crochet projects. There was a time when all I did was crochet, but that was about 10 years ago now. Once I started knitting more, I never looked back. I found these two projects which would be perfect for my two little nieces http://make-handmade.com/2011/10/02/african-flower-paperweight-granny-free-crochet-patterns/and nephew http://allthingsbrightandbeautifulcrafts.blogspot.com/2012/01/crochet-lego-blanket-tutorial.html. The more I think about how cute they are, the more I am embracing the idea of crochet again. I have to admit, it does move a little faster, and I like doing piecemeal projects where you can knit (or crochet) on the go without having to take the whole thing with you. Also much better for warmer weather work.

The Weekend

On my Ravelry project page, I mention an Aran Duffle Coat project as a WIP. The knitting is finished - has been for a few weeks. The sewing and finish knitting such as the button bands was the hold up. I love to knit -- anytime, anywhere, but sewing not so much. I really have to be in the mood which rarely happens or just so sick of looking at all the knitting that I've got to finish it. This sometimes happens in the middle of the night because I can't sleep thinking about it -- a bit OC I know.

Anyway, my initial intention was to have the whole project done and wearable by the New Year's Day since I had a two week vacation from work, but unavoidable circumstances got in the way. The knitting was done in time, but the first chance I got to start the sewing was a few weeks ago. I spent about 4 hours. There is A LOT of sewing on this coat. Finally, I had a chance yesterday to spend most of the day on it. After about 7 hours of sewing and knitting and taking the dogs out, and playing with my puppy Rocco every once in a while, I have all but one of the button bands done. I ran out of yarn and have to now un-hank a skein. I was not in the mood at 9 pm last night. I hope I'll be wearing it to work tomorrow after all that work. It is definitely my big Winter 2011/2012 project.

In the meantime, I started a sweater for little Gianna which is almost done. I love knitting baby sweaters -- minimal sewing -- HA! I'm using the Debbie Bliss Classic Baby Cardigan pattern (mentioned on my Ravelry Project page). I'm using Cascade 220 in Soft Pink. I love this yarn - perfect for baby things. I was thinking about doing a little curly "G" in duplicate stitch on it and maybe a little flower but "Nana" says Gianna's mommy likes things plain. I can get with that :-) Picture soon.

Hexi-unpuff Triplets

When I first started knitting sweaters, my Mom (the Master Knitter) taught me about knitting the sleeves at the same time. I resisted this idea for two reasons, first my Mom suggested it (you know how that goes), and second I thought wrestling with two balls of yarn would be a pain in the neck. Then came top up, two at a time socks. I couldn't believe the difference this made in how fast I can get two socks done plus avoiding the ever popular second sock-itis. Now I do almost everything two at a time where appropriate, and I love it.

Hopefully this will make things move along a little faster. I may get really crazy and try quads, seps or sextuplets.

My friend Carol is about to become a grandmother again, so somewhere in between all this hexipuff-ing, I have to fit in a little baby girl sweater. I have a "go to" Debbie Bliss pattern that I knit for all babies, but I may get a little funky with the colors this time for baby girl to be Gianna. Love that name.

Hexi-unpuffs!!

I love this idea. I discovered it a few weeks ago, and it's been percolating ever since. The idea of signing up for a project like this is a little daunting for me though. I'm one of those knitters that usually has to finish one project before I can start a new one. Annoying I know. I wasn't always that way. I used to have lots of projects OTN, but I don't like to quit things once I start them, and leaving a project OTN for any extended period of time feels like quitting to me.

My mother has a quilt made by my great grandmother that is little hexagons of different fabric orchestrated into beautiful designs. I've always loved that quilt. The idea that my great grandmother, who died when I was a baby so I never knew her, cut and sewed every little hexagon on the quilt has always been amazing to me.

I love to knit socks. I knit a lot of socks. I have lots of left over sock yarn and didn't know what to do with it. This is the perfect project for that reason.

I have made a couple of alterations OTN and in my mind. My guage is a little tighter so my size 4 hexipuff is a little smaller. That's ok -- it gave me an idea to arrange more of a graphic design when sewing them together. I am not going to stuff them with polyfill. While I think it looks great that way, I want to be able to keep this on the guest bed all year. I think it would be too hot for the spring/summer. I have also thought of a different way to sew them together. It may or may not work, but if it does, it will make the quilt reversible.

Thanks to Tiny Owl Knits for the pattern and the inspiration. You can check my Ravelry page - shihtzuma for updates on this project.

(don't know why I but I couldn't get the image to load right-side-up)

Introduction

I love to read knitting blogs. I have a few favorites that I have been following for years, but I will read just about anyone's knitting blog. I love to see what other people are knitting -- what they are inspired to knit. Sometimes it helps me become inspired in my own knitting. My day job is not the most creative and as I get older I'm finding I have the need to be more creative more often. I feel like there's a big idea hiding in here somewhere, and if I just have the right experience, it will be uncovered. Anyone else every feeling that way?

A little about me, I am in my mid to late 40's -- more late than mid if I'm being totally honest :-). I am what some would call a career gal. I am co-owner of a small to mid sized national consulting company which I co-founded 10 years ago. My career has enveloped my life for the past 25 years. I did, however, manage to get a complete addiction to knitting started about 10 years ago. Knitting keeps me sane. It's my relaxation. It's my escape from what you might guess is a highly stressful job. Knitting is where my creativity lives.

I do have two boys -- furry boys that is -- they are pictured there on the right. They keep me company and as you might imagine, are quite spoiled :)