Knitterly Resolutions.

I am still working on my full 2012 NY Resolutions.  But I'm ready to share my Knitting category.  It is the second half of January after all.

Projects Wish List (need to still select patterns for each)

• Winter hats for the boys
• Matching mittens
• Charlie's hat
• Charlie's sweaters (at least two)
• Toy knitting!
• At least one knit bag
• At least one pair of slippers
• Three pairs of socks
• Mitts for myself
• Create a handknit gift stash (thinking hats, cowls, coffee cozies, etc.)
• I'm thinking 6 sweaters for myself.  Last year I did 9 but that didn't leave much time to knit sweaters for others.  And by others, I mostly mean Charlie because I keep bumping his sweater off the top of the list.

Get organized:

• Organize my Ravelry queue
• Organize my stash
• Photograph and post stash on Ravelry
• Destash any yarn I do not love

Techniques to conquer in 2012:

Click to read more ...

Fiber fix.

I dearly love the new Wool People 2 collection by Brooklyn Tweed.  And I'm happy that I have some supplies to get me started when I settle on my favorites--two bags of Shelter and several single skeins of Loft acquired during the Black Friday sale at Fibre Space.  Despite the temptation of the sale (30% off!), I remember thinking, just buy what you will knit this year.  You can always get more next year.  But now as I study the collection and realize I want to knit every sweater, I wonder, what was I thinking!?  Restraint is overrated.

To tide me over and delay a yarn binge for a bit, I cast on for a pretty loop scarf with some of my new Loft.  I am using the most stunning heathery blue called Faded Quilt and the design, Pei, is from the Loft Collection.  Fyi, I love everything in there too...so again I ask, what was I thinking!?

The scarf was a quick knit but in my haste, I twisted my round.  I'm dumbfounded because 1) this is the first time I've made that mistake, and 2) I didn't even notice until I was 80% done.  Isn't that crazy?  Obviously, I need to check in with my knitting a bit more.  I still love the yarn and the design but as you can imagine, discovering this error was a major buzz kill.  As in:  Forehead?  Meet my desk.  Again, and again. 

I really wanted to just walk away but I could imagine it mocking me in the WIP basket.  So instead, I finished it up and decided I'd deal with it later.  And yes I know that's not accurate as there is no real "dealing" with a twisted cowl.  You either decide to live with it or not.  What I really mean is I'll wait until later to face the decision of whether I'll only wear it looped (thus twisted anyways) or rip and restart.  Until then, I'll daydream about some of the new designs.  And how I won't mess them up.  So I should probably have some appropriate yarn on hand...

Sandra

I actually sewed something.

It's been forever since I've sewn anything!  And this barely qualifies as a sewing project, but I did fire up my machine so I'm counting it. 

I always try to make the boys Christmas shirts.  This year I went with a stockings theme.  I found some wool sweaters I'd felted that were perfect for appliques.  To personalize the shirts, I went with old school puffy paint.  Fun fun.  Except when Max went to try on his shirt and it was too small.  Because I'd put his applique on the size 6 shirt and Leo's on the size 8.  This made me fairly distraught as it was probably my last year of talking the oldest into a crafty shirt.  I was so disheartened I didn't even take project photos.  But here is one of Will wearing his shirt...it captures his reaction when he realized he got frosting on it.  He really did love his special shirt.  So I'm happy again...I should have a few more years of cutesy-wear for him, right? 

I have more sewing projects and ideas in the works...did I mention I'm redoing my craft space?  It's about 50% done.  Hope to show it off next week.  I'm off to paint.  Happy Friday.

Sandra

Hat-trick.

Wikipedia defines a hat-trick as: the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes.  And although blogging isn't a sport, I nonetheless submit that three project posts in three days qualifies.  Please go with me here.  I once played soccer and dreamt of a hat-trick.

No?  Okay, let's go at it this way:  this hat morphed mid project from one style to another.  Surely a cool trick by any standard.  It is made from leftover Cascade Eco yarn.  It was originally planned as a beanie for my father for Christmas.  But then I found more scrap yarn and decided to stripe it.  I loved the stripes but soon suspected it was adding a feminine flavor to the topper.  Charlie confirmed this with a firm statement of, "no, your dad will not wear that." 

Well, fine.  So I decided to shift the shape to incorporate a bit of slouch.  I was beyond the point where one traditionally adds increases (the row after the ribbing).  Instead, I just switched to larger needles--two sizes up, I believe.  Then, when blocking, I encouraged some slouch by drying it over a pie plate.

Here it is.  And it's for me.  

Ravelry project notes here.  I also want to add that I promise to never wear it with this striped Free People henley again.  I promise I wasn't going for a no make-up, messy hair, "am I a bag lady or an ironic hipster* vibe"--because I'm 40.  I actually lived and liked the 90s.  I was just too lazy to change my shirt.  And, well, I'm always too lazy to put on make-up or brush my hair.

Sandra

*not familiar with the term ironic hipster?  It's one of those "you know it when you see it" looks.  But let's turn to Wikipedia again for a definition, shall we?

Hipsters (also referred to as scenesters) are a subculture of young, recently settled urban middle class adults and older teenagers with musical interests mainly in alternative rock that appeared in the 1990s.

In a Huffington Post article entitled "Who's a Hipster?,"Julia Plevin argues that the "definition of 'hipster' remains opaque to anyone outside this self-proclaiming, highly-selective circle." She claims that the "whole point of hipsters is that they avoid labels and being labeled. However, they all dress the same and act the same and conform in their non-conformity" to an "iconic carefully created sloppy vintage look."

Knit therapy.

Another 2011 FO.  This is TGV (High Speed Knitting) by Susan Ashcroft.  A nifty crescent shaped shawlette.  The stretchy edge + garter ridge combo makes for a squishy hug if worn scarf-like around your neck.  I also liked that it's a modular pattern, allowing you to use whatever yarn weight and yardage you have on hand.  My Ravelry project page is here.  It was the perfect thing during down time, which I grudgingly had aplenty in November. 

I knit this during the height of my never-ending cold.  I was sort of a mess--when I look at the picture below I immediately think, wow, the meds sure made me loopy.  I truly hate taking medicine and try to avoid it.  Besides, the Merino/Cashmere/Silk yarn by Sublime helped the most, I think, as did working it up in soothing stripes.

We crafty-types never underestimate the power of luxury fibers, now do we?

Sandra

2011 Christmas hat.

I am starting the new year with a hefty to-do list.  I am not ready to share it yet as it needs to be scaled back--a lot.  Though a thought just came to me.  Maybe my list needs categories.  Yes, categories!  Headings like "must do" "should do" "would do if I were really a vampire and didn't sleep like Kristin accuses"...mmmm, headings.  This might work.

I'll work on that.  Until then, I'm at least going to finish up something from my last list: post all 2011 knitting FOs so I can make a new sidebar category for 2012. 

Brambles Beret by Amanda Muscha, made for my mother-in-law for Christmas.  I loved knitting this hat.  And can I proudly share that I even hand dyed the yarn myself?  I wanted a true deep red and was quite shocked when I saw the right color emerge from the dye pot--thought it was a great match for the pattern. 

Loved the tone on tone colorway.  Of course did I take notes?  Nope.  But I did make two skeins luckily so I have one stashed. 

Good thing as I will surely knit one for myself, someday.  And when I do, I must remember to go down several needle sizes for the ribbing.  It seemed too loose so I placed a running stitch along the interior to hopefully keep it in shape.

Ravelry project page here.  More FOs coming up.

Sandra

p.s.  how on earth is it 2012?  And why does that still sound all futuristic to me...