Monday, June 6, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Coming Soon
Vacation posts coming soon! There is so much to share and lots of pictures to post, but I just haven't had time since I have returned.
I also want to post some information about a new project that I am so excited about.
For the time being, I'm just here to say hello and let you know that there will be posts coming soon but it will be a bit of a wait.
Right now, I'm busy with work, school, helping mom, and looking for a new place.
I also want to post some information about a new project that I am so excited about.
For the time being, I'm just here to say hello and let you know that there will be posts coming soon but it will be a bit of a wait.
Right now, I'm busy with work, school, helping mom, and looking for a new place.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Travel Knitting
Laundry is done (yes ALL of it, with help from mom), car is packed, room is clean, and I'm ready to go.
Tomorrow I am embarking on my Spring Break Getaway Extravaganza 2011.
I will be taking my First Sweater with me. Currently, I have 7 inches of a sleeve and like 15 inches of the body (bottom up). This sweater has given me problem after problem. I cannot tell you how many time I have frogged and ripped back and unknit. I am so ready to get this done since it has been on the needles for a year. It is a really easy pattern too!
Before picture:
Will I have time to complete it on my Spring Break Getaway Extravaganza 2011? No! I wish! But I do have a couple of goals.
1. Break down the process of cabling so I can start on the upper half of the body.
2. Fix whatever I messed up on the sleeve so I can get that done.
That's it! Just 2.
I want to make some progress on some other projects (other, non-knitting projects *gasp*) as well. Plus, the main goal of this getaway is to forget myself for a couple of days by exploring an unfamiliar city in a state I have not spent a whole lot of time in. When I get back I am going to have to bust my ass to stay afloat for the rest of the semester so I am not going to be working too hard on anything. I just want to slow down a bit.
Tomorrow morning I am going to get up super early (for me), hit the shower, gas up the car, load up on bottled water and Arizona Iced Tea and HIT THE ROAD!
I cannot wait to be on the road again. :) I love traveling. Yay!
Tomorrow I am embarking on my Spring Break Getaway Extravaganza 2011.
I will be taking my First Sweater with me. Currently, I have 7 inches of a sleeve and like 15 inches of the body (bottom up). This sweater has given me problem after problem. I cannot tell you how many time I have frogged and ripped back and unknit. I am so ready to get this done since it has been on the needles for a year. It is a really easy pattern too!
Before picture:
Will I have time to complete it on my Spring Break Getaway Extravaganza 2011? No! I wish! But I do have a couple of goals.
1. Break down the process of cabling so I can start on the upper half of the body.
2. Fix whatever I messed up on the sleeve so I can get that done.
That's it! Just 2.
I want to make some progress on some other projects (other, non-knitting projects *gasp*) as well. Plus, the main goal of this getaway is to forget myself for a couple of days by exploring an unfamiliar city in a state I have not spent a whole lot of time in. When I get back I am going to have to bust my ass to stay afloat for the rest of the semester so I am not going to be working too hard on anything. I just want to slow down a bit.
Tomorrow morning I am going to get up super early (for me), hit the shower, gas up the car, load up on bottled water and Arizona Iced Tea and HIT THE ROAD!
I cannot wait to be on the road again. :) I love traveling. Yay!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
I heart Oregon
The weirdest people, the most creative people, and the best chefs in the world live in Portland, Oregon.
Also there are apparently tons of knitters there too!
Okay maybe I am a little bit biased about Oregon and the Portland area and the Pacific Northwest in general, but Portland does have some serious culture. I am not a fan of visiting there, but I might like to live in one of the Burbs. Anyway...
I miss Oregon. I miss the weather, the smell, the evergreen trees, and the food. Not to mention how funky and culture-fide it is.
One of my BFFs Danielle shared this pic and post about a knit covered bike stand she happened across in Portland.
Also there are apparently tons of knitters there too!
Okay maybe I am a little bit biased about Oregon and the Portland area and the Pacific Northwest in general, but Portland does have some serious culture. I am not a fan of visiting there, but I might like to live in one of the Burbs. Anyway...
I miss Oregon. I miss the weather, the smell, the evergreen trees, and the food. Not to mention how funky and culture-fide it is.
One of my BFFs Danielle shared this pic and post about a knit covered bike stand she happened across in Portland.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Swappy Swap
Dear Valry,
The phrase "swappy swap" is still one of the cutest things you have ever said.
In other news, a great idea for a swap is this: a Magic Ball of Yarn.
I saw this blog post and the first thing I thought about was Harry Potter swaps, which I no longer have time for, but I should have some time to work on finding and making swap goodies this summer. Anyway I thought I would pass this awesome idea along!
The phrase "swappy swap" is still one of the cutest things you have ever said.
In other news, a great idea for a swap is this: a Magic Ball of Yarn.
I saw this blog post and the first thing I thought about was Harry Potter swaps, which I no longer have time for, but I should have some time to work on finding and making swap goodies this summer. Anyway I thought I would pass this awesome idea along!
Spring Break, Here I Come!!
Finally, in the last couple of weeks I have made some time here and there to get some knitting done.
Several inches of progress has been made on my Happy Scarf, which I am happy about.Yes, you heard me. I named Happy Scarf as such because it truly makes me happy. It is a fantastic shade of yellow, and the yarn that I found is flecked, and it reminds me of the giant jawbreakers that my brother and I used to sometimes get as a child. It also involves knitting to construct, which automatically makes me happy and relaxes me. Plus, I have knit it while either watching a Harry Potter movie or listening to Dear Reader, Wizard People or Wizard People, Dear Reader (whichever it is called...I always mix it up) or listening to a knitting podcast. All of those things make me happy.
Last night, I tried to knit a bit on the sleeve of my First Sweater, but that did not go well. I am knitting in using the magic loop method on a circular needle. Well since that sleeve has been laying around for so long I lost my place and when I tried to knit a couple of rows of the STOCKINETTE section I knit the wrong way by knitting back the last row completed before I set the sleeve down for months and months. Of all parts of the sweater to screw up I managed to bungle the stockinette section on a circular needle. IT IS ALL THE KNIT STITCH. All I have to do is knit! Grrr. This sweater is now my nemsis project. Granted it is my first sweater ever, but it is still frustrating to have ripped out so much, and done so much unknitting, and left the project laying around for so long that I have hardly anything to show for all of my hard work.
In episode 62: Head's Up, of my favey fave podcast Cast-On (http://cast-on.com/), the host Brenda Dayne talks about travel knitting. So on my spring break getaway next week I am going to take this damn sweater with me and get as close to finishing it as I can. It cannot be this difficult to knit a sweater, but this one has been a pain in my ass. I LOVE knitting it because I am so excited about the thought of having sweater that I made for myself. I love sweater and I own a closet full of sweaters and hoodies so I really want to get this one done so I can start a new collection of sweaters, handknit sweaters. I was of course going to take knitting with me anyway, but I just assumed that I would take Happy Scarf with me since it is knitting up so quickly and it needs to get off of my needles, and then maybe a couple of other small projects.
After listening to Cast-On last night I knew that my travel knitting HAD to be this sweater. It is time to have it out with this sweater!
As if I wasn't excited enough about
It has been a long time since I have a few hours to sit down and dedicate to just one thing without having to worry about all of the reading I have to do for biology, the laundry that needs washing up, family matters, etc. I want to take it slow for a few days and just sit in my hotel room staring at knitting and fondling yarn while listening to my podcasts or a book on tape or something. I am going to forget the world, and remember knitting.
Several inches of progress has been made on my Happy Scarf, which I am happy about.Yes, you heard me. I named Happy Scarf as such because it truly makes me happy. It is a fantastic shade of yellow, and the yarn that I found is flecked, and it reminds me of the giant jawbreakers that my brother and I used to sometimes get as a child. It also involves knitting to construct, which automatically makes me happy and relaxes me. Plus, I have knit it while either watching a Harry Potter movie or listening to Dear Reader, Wizard People or Wizard People, Dear Reader (whichever it is called...I always mix it up) or listening to a knitting podcast. All of those things make me happy.
Last night, I tried to knit a bit on the sleeve of my First Sweater, but that did not go well. I am knitting in using the magic loop method on a circular needle. Well since that sleeve has been laying around for so long I lost my place and when I tried to knit a couple of rows of the STOCKINETTE section I knit the wrong way by knitting back the last row completed before I set the sleeve down for months and months. Of all parts of the sweater to screw up I managed to bungle the stockinette section on a circular needle. IT IS ALL THE KNIT STITCH. All I have to do is knit! Grrr. This sweater is now my nemsis project. Granted it is my first sweater ever, but it is still frustrating to have ripped out so much, and done so much unknitting, and left the project laying around for so long that I have hardly anything to show for all of my hard work.
In episode 62: Head's Up, of my favey fave podcast Cast-On (http://cast-on.com/), the host Brenda Dayne talks about travel knitting. So on my spring break getaway next week I am going to take this damn sweater with me and get as close to finishing it as I can. It cannot be this difficult to knit a sweater, but this one has been a pain in my ass. I LOVE knitting it because I am so excited about the thought of having sweater that I made for myself. I love sweater and I own a closet full of sweaters and hoodies so I really want to get this one done so I can start a new collection of sweaters, handknit sweaters. I was of course going to take knitting with me anyway, but I just assumed that I would take Happy Scarf with me since it is knitting up so quickly and it needs to get off of my needles, and then maybe a couple of other small projects.
After listening to Cast-On last night I knew that my travel knitting HAD to be this sweater. It is time to have it out with this sweater!
As if I wasn't excited enough about
- Getting out of town
- Going on a vacation by myself
- Visiting a yarn shop so I can smell yarn and speak knitting
- Photographing the Botanical Gardens
- Visiting a couple museums
- NOT WORKING
It has been a long time since I have a few hours to sit down and dedicate to just one thing without having to worry about all of the reading I have to do for biology, the laundry that needs washing up, family matters, etc. I want to take it slow for a few days and just sit in my hotel room staring at knitting and fondling yarn while listening to my podcasts or a book on tape or something. I am going to forget the world, and remember knitting.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
FO: Bubba's hat
For the first time this year, I got a knitting project done in a reasonable amount of time!
My brother's Christmas present, which I decided on a hat, is completed. Believe your ears, my friends, this IS an FO post!!
I am so please with how it turned out. I made a couple of mistakes, but nothing disastrous and I think my brother is going to love it!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
(pictures are on the way...my phone is being weird and won't upload them but as soon as they have uploaded then I will post!!)
Yarn: Red Heart Soft Yarn in Black
Needles: Circular US10.5
Modifications: Knit on one circular needle with magic loop method instead of on DPNs.
Who it is for: My bro.
What I learned while knitting this project: That I can totally knit hats! And that hats are totally fun to knit!
What I was doing/Where I was while knitting this project: I sat in my project chair in my room enjoying the fact that I'm almost done with my first semester at Cameron University.
How long: Approximately 6 hours total, over 3 days. I cast on Monday and knit all the way down to the brim; yesterday and today I finished the brim and cast off.
My brother's Christmas present, which I decided on a hat, is completed. Believe your ears, my friends, this IS an FO post!!
I am so please with how it turned out. I made a couple of mistakes, but nothing disastrous and I think my brother is going to love it!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
(pictures are on the way...my phone is being weird and won't upload them but as soon as they have uploaded then I will post!!)
Pattern:
Yarn: Red Heart Soft Yarn in Black
Needles: Circular US10.5
Size: About 7 inches from crown to bottom of brim.
Who it is for: My bro.
What I learned while knitting this project: That I can totally knit hats! And that hats are totally fun to knit!
How long: Approximately 6 hours total, over 3 days. I cast on Monday and knit all the way down to the brim; yesterday and today I finished the brim and cast off.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Happy Scarf
Hey check me out! I took a picture of me knitting. Hey, I had some knitting to take a picture of. Hey, I updated my Ravelry project page and linked it to this blog post that I'm posting.
Since today was my last day of classes for the fall semester I am feel all sorts of motivated. I have accomplished more today than I have in any one day in quite a while. I got some laundry switched over this morning before I even left the house, I left early so I could print some stuff out at the library, I ate breakfast, then I attended classes where I kicked booty, and now all of this knitting stuff. I'm amazing. So are you, Valry.
Fair warning....this scarf will not be completed until next Christmas. So you can expect an FO post in about 2013-ish. ;)
Plus I actually need to take a break from this to cast on my brother's Christmas present, which I have no idea what that might be at this point. Wish me luck.
Anyway I thought I would share a picture and a Ravelry linky link. :)
Since today was my last day of classes for the fall semester I am feel all sorts of motivated. I have accomplished more today than I have in any one day in quite a while. I got some laundry switched over this morning before I even left the house, I left early so I could print some stuff out at the library, I ate breakfast, then I attended classes where I kicked booty, and now all of this knitting stuff. I'm amazing. So are you, Valry.
Fair warning....this scarf will not be completed until next Christmas. So you can expect an FO post in about 2013-ish. ;)
Plus I actually need to take a break from this to cast on my brother's Christmas present, which I have no idea what that might be at this point. Wish me luck.
Anyway I thought I would share a picture and a Ravelry linky link. :)
Monday, November 22, 2010
Seasons Greetings
Thanksgiving is just a few days away. I cannot wait! I am also looking forward to Black Friday, and then finals weeks, and then Christmas, and then my birthday. This time of year is always so awesome. It always takes me a while to get warmed up, but once I do it is game on. Yesterday was when I finally got geared up for the holidays. I have completed my Christmas list of knitting goodness for my people; now all I have to do is start knitting....hahahaha
Personally, since it has gotten colder I cast on a new scarf. I know that I have hundreds of other UFOs, but ya'll know how I am! I literally cannot help myself. Every hobby that I have has tons of UFOs. I go where my inspiration takes me, and most of the time inspiration takes me somewhere new and away from something old. Eventually I finish projects, but sometimes that takes months or years. I'm more than fine with that. Sometimes it is frustrating having so much unfinished business, but most of the time I actually enjoy being so fluid in my decisions on what to create, and when.
Pictures will be posted soon. I always intend on taking pics when I get home from school and while I work on projects, but as you can plainly see that does not happen as often as I plan for it. Then again, that is how my life goes with ALL of my intentions...craft and otherwise. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Anyway I wanted to post SOMETHING to make it known that I am working on things (slowly but surely). Most of my time will be consumed with Christmas projects (knitting and other). Yay! :-)
Personally, since it has gotten colder I cast on a new scarf. I know that I have hundreds of other UFOs, but ya'll know how I am! I literally cannot help myself. Every hobby that I have has tons of UFOs. I go where my inspiration takes me, and most of the time inspiration takes me somewhere new and away from something old. Eventually I finish projects, but sometimes that takes months or years. I'm more than fine with that. Sometimes it is frustrating having so much unfinished business, but most of the time I actually enjoy being so fluid in my decisions on what to create, and when.
Pictures will be posted soon. I always intend on taking pics when I get home from school and while I work on projects, but as you can plainly see that does not happen as often as I plan for it. Then again, that is how my life goes with ALL of my intentions...craft and otherwise. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Anyway I wanted to post SOMETHING to make it known that I am working on things (slowly but surely). Most of my time will be consumed with Christmas projects (knitting and other). Yay! :-)
Friday, November 5, 2010
hello!
I know that it has been forever since I have updated! I still do not have anything to share because I have been so busy with work and school.
The plan is get started with my Christmas list ASAP, but I probably will not be posting much of that list until after the holiday.
For now I am still working on Corona. I have made it all the way up the body to the point just before it Vs open (the cable section). For now, I am taking a break from the body and working on the arms. As always, I have cast on a million times and am still nowhere. There are a lot of kinks to be worked out apparently...and they are all on my end cos the pattern is perfect! Three or four time there has been 4 or more inches of knitting frogged, but I am perfectionist so I am fine with that.
When I get home later this evening I will try and remember to take some pics to post...so at least there is something along the lines of updates.
How are all of you projects going?
The plan is get started with my Christmas list ASAP, but I probably will not be posting much of that list until after the holiday.
For now I am still working on Corona. I have made it all the way up the body to the point just before it Vs open (the cable section). For now, I am taking a break from the body and working on the arms. As always, I have cast on a million times and am still nowhere. There are a lot of kinks to be worked out apparently...and they are all on my end cos the pattern is perfect! Three or four time there has been 4 or more inches of knitting frogged, but I am perfectionist so I am fine with that.
When I get home later this evening I will try and remember to take some pics to post...so at least there is something along the lines of updates.
How are all of you projects going?
Friday, August 6, 2010
This blog needs some serious editing and updating and all sorts of stuff! I have tons of knitting news to share and maybe even a picture or two, but for now I just wanted to say hello! Next week hopefully I will have time to get more in depth on the updates that I want to share. Right now I am going to go to bed! Work and school have been hogging all of my time. Knitting news is down a bit farther on the list than I would like it to be...but that is just how it is right now. Stay tuned...but be patient lol.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Great Wound Balls of Fire
The scarf turned out well. I think that I will need to block it again soon because it is still curling a bit, but for now it is satisfactory. I learned a bit even though I blocked a simple project I still got a bit of a feel for the process.
Not much else is going on in my knitting world besides winding balls, and doing some finishing on various projects. Nothing new will be cast on until after my vacation. As for what I will be taking with me I think I will take my sweater with me, and another small project or two. There won't be much time for knitting, but there is noway I can go anywhere without needles and some yarn.
Not much else is going on in my knitting world besides winding balls, and doing some finishing on various projects. Nothing new will be cast on until after my vacation. As for what I will be taking with me I think I will take my sweater with me, and another small project or two. There won't be much time for knitting, but there is noway I can go anywhere without needles and some yarn.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Expierements in Blocking
So believe it or not I have never officially blocked anything before. Although from what I've heard on some podcasts and read on other people's knitting blogs I am not the only one! Not the only one that worked through quite a few projects before they discovered blocking. I figured out what blocking was after my first handful of projects but I just have never done it.
Well within the last week I got my shipment of goodies from Knit Picks, and in those two wonderful boxes were: a ball winder, blocking mats, lack blocking wires with T-pins, and a new book! More on the book later. I plan to do a review of the book in fact because I am so in love with how wonderful it is!!!
Since receiving so many blocking products I was inspired to finally block the Waffle Scarf that I knit for Mother's Day. Yeah it is a little over due...but at least I am getting it done now! Presumably I will be able to present my mom with a completed scarf, finally! On Mother's Day I actually gifted the darn thing while it was still on the needles. Now it has taken me a couple of months to weave in the ends and block it. But hey we all know that is how I am with my knitting projects...as well as everything else that I have going on in my life.
In other news, the Windmill Blanket has been frogged because the person I was making it for does not deserve anything handmade or anything at all really. No, I don't want to talk about it.
The most exciting news of the day is that since I got my ball winder my stash is so much neater now. All of my HP yarn as well as the yarn that I am using for projects I have on the needles right now is wound into neat little honeycombs. Which may not sounds like a lot, but it is. There was a lot of HP (Harry Potter) colored yarn that needed to be wound and organized, and I have three projects on the needles right now. So anyway about half of my stash is in much better shape now.
Finally, I can't show any pictures of the progress of my knitting projects because I am doing a swap (my first ever!) and not that my partner would check my blog, but just in case I want to keep everything a surprise.
I feel like I have much more control over my knitting now that I have a ball winder to organize things with and blocking mats, et all to finish the projects that I complete. I am a much happier knitter now! If that was even possible. Book review to come shortly (and of course by shortly I mean...eventually).
Ta-ta for now. Happy knitting.
Well within the last week I got my shipment of goodies from Knit Picks, and in those two wonderful boxes were: a ball winder, blocking mats, lack blocking wires with T-pins, and a new book! More on the book later. I plan to do a review of the book in fact because I am so in love with how wonderful it is!!!
Since receiving so many blocking products I was inspired to finally block the Waffle Scarf that I knit for Mother's Day. Yeah it is a little over due...but at least I am getting it done now! Presumably I will be able to present my mom with a completed scarf, finally! On Mother's Day I actually gifted the darn thing while it was still on the needles. Now it has taken me a couple of months to weave in the ends and block it. But hey we all know that is how I am with my knitting projects...as well as everything else that I have going on in my life.
In other news, the Windmill Blanket has been frogged because the person I was making it for does not deserve anything handmade or anything at all really. No, I don't want to talk about it.
The most exciting news of the day is that since I got my ball winder my stash is so much neater now. All of my HP yarn as well as the yarn that I am using for projects I have on the needles right now is wound into neat little honeycombs. Which may not sounds like a lot, but it is. There was a lot of HP (Harry Potter) colored yarn that needed to be wound and organized, and I have three projects on the needles right now. So anyway about half of my stash is in much better shape now.
Finally, I can't show any pictures of the progress of my knitting projects because I am doing a swap (my first ever!) and not that my partner would check my blog, but just in case I want to keep everything a surprise.
I feel like I have much more control over my knitting now that I have a ball winder to organize things with and blocking mats, et all to finish the projects that I complete. I am a much happier knitter now! If that was even possible. Book review to come shortly (and of course by shortly I mean...eventually).
Ta-ta for now. Happy knitting.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Gryffindor!!!
I just bound off the Harry Potter scarf that I have been knitting like a fiend for the past couple of weeks. This is the second HP scarf that I have knit, both were the same pattern.
It took a lot of work, and a lot of work to be completed. So to be nearly done with it is a huge accomplishment. I am even more excited that I it is done in time for me to wear to my upcoming vacation to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter next month.
Before my trip I plan to complete one more scarf, and I would love to knit one of the HP sweaters but I doubt that will happen. You never know. We'll see how it goes. All I can do is try, right?
It took a lot of work, and a lot of work to be completed. So to be nearly done with it is a huge accomplishment. I am even more excited that I it is done in time for me to wear to my upcoming vacation to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter next month.
Before my trip I plan to complete one more scarf, and I would love to knit one of the HP sweaters but I doubt that will happen. You never know. We'll see how it goes. All I can do is try, right?
Saturday, June 12, 2010
update time
First of all I have some good news! My brother is home from Afghanistan. My parents and I picked him up from the airport today! It is WONDERFUL to have him home safe.
So as usual I have made little or no progress on my projects with the exception of my HP scarf. I am about 80% done (less finishing) with the first scarf (out of 2) that I need to finish before I leave for my awesome vacation. Oh yeah, I am going on a vacation next month. For the first week I will be in Vegas, and for the second week I am going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! So naturally I HAVE to have something knitted to take with me. It is going to be miserably hot during the day, but I'm hoping that the temperature drops enough during the nighttime for me to be able to wear my scarf at least once.
So I have been working away on my scarf for the past few days.
My corona sweater is sleeping right now. I have re-knit about seven or eight inches. So I did make some progress, but I haven't worked on it in ages.
The Twilight scarf has been frogged. I will get back to it once I finish the HP scarves, and my sweater. I ripped out because I did not like how wide it is. My gauge was right on and it is as wide as the pattern calls for, but I just don't like how it looks. So when I get around to it I will do some test swatches to find a width that I am happier with.
The windmill blanket is also sleeping. I really need to get to work on it since it is a gift for someone. Especially since they already know I am making it for them.
There is just too much going on for me right now to knit as much as I would like, but I squeeze it in as much as possible. Most of the stuff (paperwork, meetings, tours, etc) that I needed to get ready before I start school again in August is taken care of so I've had a bit more free time in the past couple of weeks.
Anyway that is pretty much it for now! I noticed I hadn't updated the old blogy blog in quite awhile so I thought I would throw something out there. Hopefully there will be an FO post on the way soon...but you know how I am with those so don't hold your breath.
P.S. How do you like the new look of my blog? Google came out with the new blogger template designer and I think it is fabulous. I played around with it for about half and hour before I wrote this post up. Not sure how long I will stick with this specific design, but I am overjoyed that there are more options for the look of my blog now!
So as usual I have made little or no progress on my projects with the exception of my HP scarf. I am about 80% done (less finishing) with the first scarf (out of 2) that I need to finish before I leave for my awesome vacation. Oh yeah, I am going on a vacation next month. For the first week I will be in Vegas, and for the second week I am going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! So naturally I HAVE to have something knitted to take with me. It is going to be miserably hot during the day, but I'm hoping that the temperature drops enough during the nighttime for me to be able to wear my scarf at least once.
So I have been working away on my scarf for the past few days.
My corona sweater is sleeping right now. I have re-knit about seven or eight inches. So I did make some progress, but I haven't worked on it in ages.
The Twilight scarf has been frogged. I will get back to it once I finish the HP scarves, and my sweater. I ripped out because I did not like how wide it is. My gauge was right on and it is as wide as the pattern calls for, but I just don't like how it looks. So when I get around to it I will do some test swatches to find a width that I am happier with.
The windmill blanket is also sleeping. I really need to get to work on it since it is a gift for someone. Especially since they already know I am making it for them.
There is just too much going on for me right now to knit as much as I would like, but I squeeze it in as much as possible. Most of the stuff (paperwork, meetings, tours, etc) that I needed to get ready before I start school again in August is taken care of so I've had a bit more free time in the past couple of weeks.
Anyway that is pretty much it for now! I noticed I hadn't updated the old blogy blog in quite awhile so I thought I would throw something out there. Hopefully there will be an FO post on the way soon...but you know how I am with those so don't hold your breath.
P.S. How do you like the new look of my blog? Google came out with the new blogger template designer and I think it is fabulous. I played around with it for about half and hour before I wrote this post up. Not sure how long I will stick with this specific design, but I am overjoyed that there are more options for the look of my blog now!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
four on
For the first time in over a week I had the pleasure of sitting down and knitting for a couple hours solid. All I did for like 2.5-3 hours was sit still and knit. I worked on my hoodie and made a lot of progress. There was about an inch of the ribbing (which is the bottom of the sweater) at the beginning of the session, and 3 inches when I finished.
All of this was accomplished over at honeybear's house while he watched the NBA playoffs and I listened to knitting podcasts. Overall it was a fantastic day. First of all, I got some housework done, and then I just got to hang out and relax for the rest of the evening.
Now ya'll might be wondering why there is only 3 inches of a hoodie knit up. Well...I made a mistake in my first attempt waaaaay back in the ribbing section and out of shear stubbornness I convinced myself that I would be able to live with it so I just kept on knitting away. After completing 14 inches of the sweater I finally broke down and frogged. There is nothing wrong with that fact, however, because even though it took a lot of work and time to make it that far...in the long run I will be much much happy with the final outcome. This is my first sweater and I want it to be perfect. However many times it takes of me ripping back and correcting mistakes to make it perfect is fine. It will be perfect, durn it!
In other news: There are still four projects on the needles. Harry Potter scarf number two, Twilight scarf, hoodie, and honeybear's blanket. So for the sake of my sanity I currently plan on finishing the ribbing section of the hoodie, and then I am going to put it down for a while so I can get the two scarves off the needles. There comes a time when it is necessary to just finish what I've got going on, and that time has come. Most of the time I prefer to have multiple projects going on, but for now I would like to pare down the list so I feel like there is progress being made in my knitting world.
That is all for now! Tomorrow there is a lot that needs to get done so it is off to dreamland for me. Happy Knitting!
All of this was accomplished over at honeybear's house while he watched the NBA playoffs and I listened to knitting podcasts. Overall it was a fantastic day. First of all, I got some housework done, and then I just got to hang out and relax for the rest of the evening.
Now ya'll might be wondering why there is only 3 inches of a hoodie knit up. Well...I made a mistake in my first attempt waaaaay back in the ribbing section and out of shear stubbornness I convinced myself that I would be able to live with it so I just kept on knitting away. After completing 14 inches of the sweater I finally broke down and frogged. There is nothing wrong with that fact, however, because even though it took a lot of work and time to make it that far...in the long run I will be much much happy with the final outcome. This is my first sweater and I want it to be perfect. However many times it takes of me ripping back and correcting mistakes to make it perfect is fine. It will be perfect, durn it!
In other news: There are still four projects on the needles. Harry Potter scarf number two, Twilight scarf, hoodie, and honeybear's blanket. So for the sake of my sanity I currently plan on finishing the ribbing section of the hoodie, and then I am going to put it down for a while so I can get the two scarves off the needles. There comes a time when it is necessary to just finish what I've got going on, and that time has come. Most of the time I prefer to have multiple projects going on, but for now I would like to pare down the list so I feel like there is progress being made in my knitting world.
That is all for now! Tomorrow there is a lot that needs to get done so it is off to dreamland for me. Happy Knitting!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Knitting Ladies
A wonderful lady that I met at work saw me knitting in the break room one day, and as many other people due commented on my knitting, asked what I was working on, then she told me that she used to crochet a lot.
Apparently she does not crochet anymore (because she is focused on scrapbooking). When she was pregnant with her daughter she crocheted like a mad women, but now she spends her free time on other hobbies. Since she no longer crochets she doesn't need any of her yarn anymore. She asked if I wanted any of it, and I OF COURSE told her yes. I also mentioned that any of it that I did not use I would donate to a charity.
That charity is a charity called Knitting Ladies.
On their blog (http://mcduf.blogspot.com/) they describe their program as such:
"Interim House, Inc. is a 6 month drug and alcohol residential and outpatient program for women. In 2004 Interim House began a knitting program that has been very successful ... Yarn Donations are always welcome, appreciated, and put to good use."
Donating to the Knitting Ladies at the Interim house is the perfect charity for me to donate to. Addiction is something I have a connection with because I have had a lot of personal relationships with people that were addicts. Anyway, that and the fact that it is a place I can donate yarn to really struck me.
Thankfully I heard about this charity around the same time that my fabulous co-worker gave her entire yarn stash to me. I was elated to have the welcome addition to my stash, but I am even more thankful that I get to pay it forward. It is not like I am doing anything grand, but I will do anything that I can to help someone else. So hopefully the yarn and crochet needles, etc that I send to the Knitting Ladies helps them one way or another.
The huge box of yarn that Fabulous Co-Worker brought to me included 30 skeins of yarn, a handful of crochet hooks, and a couple of crochet books. 19 skeins of her yarn was added to my stash, and the rest will be going to the Knitting Ladies along with several skeins of yarn from my stash. There are about 30-35 skeins of yarn being shipped out to the Knitting Ladies.
Below: On the left is the box of yarn that will soon be headed to Philadelphia, and on the right is what my stash now looks like after the new additions from Fabulous Team Mate (where I work we are not employees, we are Team Members). Thankfully I was able to keep my stash about the same size as it was before.
Apparently she does not crochet anymore (because she is focused on scrapbooking). When she was pregnant with her daughter she crocheted like a mad women, but now she spends her free time on other hobbies. Since she no longer crochets she doesn't need any of her yarn anymore. She asked if I wanted any of it, and I OF COURSE told her yes. I also mentioned that any of it that I did not use I would donate to a charity.
That charity is a charity called Knitting Ladies.
On their blog (http://mcduf.blogspot.com/) they describe their program as such:
"Interim House, Inc. is a 6 month drug and alcohol residential and outpatient program for women. In 2004 Interim House began a knitting program that has been very successful ... Yarn Donations are always welcome, appreciated, and put to good use."
Donating to the Knitting Ladies at the Interim house is the perfect charity for me to donate to. Addiction is something I have a connection with because I have had a lot of personal relationships with people that were addicts. Anyway, that and the fact that it is a place I can donate yarn to really struck me.
Thankfully I heard about this charity around the same time that my fabulous co-worker gave her entire yarn stash to me. I was elated to have the welcome addition to my stash, but I am even more thankful that I get to pay it forward. It is not like I am doing anything grand, but I will do anything that I can to help someone else. So hopefully the yarn and crochet needles, etc that I send to the Knitting Ladies helps them one way or another.
Below: On the left is the box of yarn that will soon be headed to Philadelphia, and on the right is what my stash now looks like after the new additions from Fabulous Team Mate (where I work we are not employees, we are Team Members). Thankfully I was able to keep my stash about the same size as it was before.
Friday, April 16, 2010
FO: Waffle Scarf
Mum's birthday was on the 31st of last month. For her birthday I knit her a scarf. My plan was to have it done well before her birthday, but that didn't happen so I was forced to give her the scarf on the needles. The good news, I finished the knitting that day. The bad news, I still haven't blocked it. I have been meaning to do it every single day since I finished it, but obviously haven't gotten around to it. I figure it isn't a big deal because it is spring after all and has been very warm around here so she doesn't need it. On to the pictures and info on the project!!
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Solids & Heathers. Colorway = Brick.
Needles: US9
Modifications: None
Who it is for: Mom
What I learned while knitting this project: Nothing new.
What I was doing/Where I was while knitting this project: Cast on and worked on the project at home. I also took it to work with me, and over to my honeybear's house to work on.
How long: 17 days
As usual these pictures are not the best quality. However, you can get a decent idea of what the scarf looks like. I would recommend checking out the pattern on ravelry and looking at pictures of other people's projects if you want to see any of the detail of this pattern. Eventually I will have the time to take pictures of my projects in much better lighting, but for now this is what I have. :-D
Pattern: Free pattern. Visit the Ravelry page for more info or you can go to the designer's blog if you are not a Ravelry member.
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Solids & Heathers. Colorway = Brick.
Needles: US9
Size: 48'' in length. Which is shorter than the pattern called for, but my mom likes shorter scarves.
Modifications: None
Who it is for: Mom
What I learned while knitting this project: Nothing new.
What I was doing/Where I was while knitting this project: Cast on and worked on the project at home. I also took it to work with me, and over to my honeybear's house to work on.
How long: 17 days
My Knitting Life
I am often curious wondering what other knitter's lives look like. Especially their knitting lives. I am fascinated with the yarn stashes, neat-o accessories, storage ideas, books, etc of other knitters. So to be fair I thought it would be fun to show off what things look like in my day-to-day world. So here is a little peek into the window of my knitting life. So without further adieu, here are some pictures to share with all of you what my knitting world looks like right now.
Here is a what my puny stash looks like right now. The bottom (blue) crate contains my knitting library, various projects that need to be blocked, and random thingymajiggyies. The shoe box contains baby yarns. The crate above that contains Harry Potter yarn. Next up is all of the skeins of yarn for projects I currently have on the needles. Then in the wicker basket are my cotton fibers, and sock yarn. My mom found an awesome piece of furniture that would work perfectly for a yarn stash, but I haven't been able to find that same piece of furniture yet. Perhaps I will post a picture of it when I do the virtual tour of our craft room. 
That handwoven basket is from Africa, and I snagged it at a craft fair that Mum and I went to in December. It is HUGE and perfect to use as my knitting bag. Inside you will find several knitting projects, all of my knitting needles, a knitting book or two, and various accessories needed for finishing and whatever else. This bag will going to my knitting group with me whenever I can make it. Which isn't right now because I currently have to work Monday nights so I haven't been able to go in a couple months. 
However, the beautiful handwoven basket is not practical to carry around everywhere. So I use the black bag that I got from Hot Topic to take my knitting on-the-go. The black bag goes with me to work everyday. Inside it you will find whatever project(s) I have on the needles and are a portable size, a reading book (currently a biography on my fave band Guns N' Roses), my knitting binder with patterns, and probably my mp3 player. 
Aforementioned knitting binder. 
Various knitting gadgets. Included in photo: Two styles of stitch holders, row counter, stitch markers, yarn needles, and folding scissors. 
Knitting needles. On the left: Straight needle holder that mum sewed up for me a few months ago. On the right: Circular and DPN pouch, purchased at www.knitpicks.com 
This is the knitting section of my library. Eventually this collection will grow to an overwhelming size, but for now the hobby budget has to be kept to a minimum! 
These are the magazines that are in my library. As you can tell I am a big fan of Interweave Knits. I would love to have hundreds more magazines in my collection, but I'll just have to be patient for now. 
The only aspect of my knitting life that I did not photograph for this episode was the internet. Trust me when I say that I spend A LOT of time on the internet stalking ravelry and other knitting websites. As you can see from this pic I spend time knitting while sitting at the computer. So I can multi-task doing things like stalking ravelry, reading Aunt Purl's blog, and/or listening to knitting podcasts while knitting. Check out the links on the sidebar to see a complete list of knitting websites, blogs, and podcasts that I frequent.
These pictures are of what it looks like when I am sitting at the computer knitting. As you can see, I was listening to a knitting podcast, taking notes from the podcast, and casting on (for the second time, but more on that later) a hoodie. Plus there is a drink hanging out there too. My favorite drink is Arizona Iced Tea, which actually this was the first time that I have had it in a few months.
Hopefully everyone enjoyed the ride.That's all for now. More posts to come soon. Look forward to some FO posts that are waaaaay overdue, updates on what's on my needles, and information on a new knitting charity.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
I heart knitpicks
Yet another reason I love knit picks: There are TONS of knitting tutorial videos and articles on the knitpicks website. One would assume that since I spend so much time on the knitpicks website that I would have found these resources many, many months ago.
All that matters is that I did find them...not how it took me to find the fantastic videos. All of the "stupid questions" I have been avoiding asking other knitters can now be answered in the knitpicks' Tutorial section on their website. How fabulous is that?!
http://www.knitpicks.com/
http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/
All that matters is that I did find them...not how it took me to find the fantastic videos. All of the "stupid questions" I have been avoiding asking other knitters can now be answered in the knitpicks' Tutorial section on their website. How fabulous is that?!
http://www.knitpicks.com/
http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/
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