As the year comes to a close I think about all that happened or didn't happen this year. I've felt more close to my family than I have in a long time. Yes, some of them still get on my nerves and we disagree from time to time but there is no doubt in my mind that I love them and they love me.
I didn't succeed at not buying yarn but I didn't purchase nearly as much as I normally do and neither did my mom. This year saw a drastic decrease in the number of items knitted mainly due to health issues and in November the arrival of a new gadget... my Kindle Fire.
I've loaded a bunch of patterns and no longer will be carrying around paper patterns unless absolutely necessary. I've spent most of the time since it arrived on November 28th watching movies, playing games and reading instead of knitting like I should have.
I completed only 10 items this year. When I looked at them on Ravelry yesterday I was surprised. I can't recall a recent year when I've knitted a lesser amount of items. I plan to do much better in the coming year. I'm still planning to knit as much from stash as possible but I also plan to limit my purchase of books, magazines and patterns. I have a very large stash of those also so I need to use them.
I joined a gym in November and up until recently was working out regularly. I'm having issues with my knees again and hope to get that all sorted out the first of January. I've seen changes and I'm really anxious to get back to working out. I've also had problems controlling my blood sugars and I know that getting in shape and getting some of this weight off will go a long way to helping with that issue.
As part of getting back on track I also plan to be more frugal and evaluate the purchases I make. Even though I bought relatively little yarn and had a lot of other purchases such as beading materials and clothing. I really would like to get to the point where I'm purchasing more out of need than want.
Well that's it. A wrap up of how I plan to spend the new year so I'll end with ...
Happy New Year and God Bless!!!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
A Brief Interlude
After a few error laden rows, I decided it was time to take a break from Mermaid and cast-on with some of the Regia Unicolor I recently purchased.
Front
Back
This is Dizzy a free pattern on Ravelry.
I'm not sure who these will fit but they are intended for my mother. I making my first pair of knee-highs! She's always cold so these should fit the bill. I bought the unicolor with colorwork in mind so I've been spending a lot of time looking at patterns for this type of knitting. I'd like to make hats, mittens and/or gloves and socks using this technique. I'm doing these as a prelude to knitting a sweater using the stash of Kauni Effektgarn I purchased a couple of years ago.
The nephews, Jaylon and Isaiah, spent the weekend with us. At the time I asked their parents if they could spend the night I had no idea I would end up with sick children. Needless to say, I ended up with a respiratory infection compounded by asthma. Thank goodness for Z-Packs. I feel tons better compared to yesterday when I saw the doctor and have told their parents not to send their sick kids to our house. I'm home until Thursday and hope to really feel like myself by then.
This is Dizzy a free pattern on Ravelry.
I'm not sure who these will fit but they are intended for my mother. I making my first pair of knee-highs! She's always cold so these should fit the bill. I bought the unicolor with colorwork in mind so I've been spending a lot of time looking at patterns for this type of knitting. I'd like to make hats, mittens and/or gloves and socks using this technique. I'm doing these as a prelude to knitting a sweater using the stash of Kauni Effektgarn I purchased a couple of years ago.
The nephews, Jaylon and Isaiah, spent the weekend with us. At the time I asked their parents if they could spend the night I had no idea I would end up with sick children. Needless to say, I ended up with a respiratory infection compounded by asthma. Thank goodness for Z-Packs. I feel tons better compared to yesterday when I saw the doctor and have told their parents not to send their sick kids to our house. I'm home until Thursday and hope to really feel like myself by then.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Snapdragon Tam
Specs:
Pattern: Snapdragon Tam by Ysolda
Yarn: Madelinetosh tosh DK Candlewick
Needles: 4 US & 6 US
Knitted: September 11, 2011 - September 18, 2011
Perfect! This is the only way to describe this pattern. The only change I made was to knit the band on size a size 4 instead of a size 6. The hat is gorgeous and the Madelinetosh was a dream to work with. I will use this yarn again.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Getting Ready for the Holidays
Slowly but surely progress is being made. I'm trying and mostly succeeding at not knitting for long stretches of time. I've spent all of my knitting time working on my mom's Christmas present Mermaid by Hanne Falkenberg.
I have professed my hatred for garter stitch, but each time I knit a Falkenberg design it vanishes. This particular pattern has so much variation that it never gets boring. I tried it against mom and it looks great. I'm hoping that it doesn't grow during blocking like my Skyline did.
We did our yearly demo at the fair last Wednesday. I checked my entries and I received blue ribbons for my Snapdragon hat, Ziprelaxagon socks and Greenleaves fingerless gloves. My Adamas shawl received a second place. When I got to the socks mother and I burst out laughing so loud that everyone was looking at us. We were laughing because even though I didn't win the sweepstakes this year I won the second highest award which is given by my guild, the Palmetto Purlers. It consists of a ribbon, a membership in the guild and a $30.00 cash award. I paid my dues last month so I guess I'll get a refund at this months meeting.
The hat is Ysolda's Snapdragon tam from Whimsical Little Knits Book 2.
I love everything about this hat. The design is incredible and this picture doesn't do it just. I used the yarn the pattern called for, a rarity for me, and the Madelinetosh is too die for. It is so soft and the color is gorgeous. This was one of my yarn splurges for the year and I'm certain there will be more of this in my future.
This weekend I'm headed to the mountains for SAFF and beading. We're planning to hit SAFF on Friday and the beading store on Saturday. Mom is joining us on this trip. The leaves are starting to show their colors so it should be beautiful up there. I'm going to try very hard not to add to the stash, but I'm not going to prevent mom from doing so!
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Back in the Saddle Again
It feels good to finally be able to knit for periods longer than 15 minutes. Between the nerve problems and the high blood sugars I haven't been able to knit much lately.
I still experience problems from the nerve compression and going 17 months without an injection didn't help the situation. I did pretty well for a while, but as the pain begain to increase I wouldn't heed the signs and schedule an appointment for one. The last 2-3 months have been a hell of intermittent and sometimes debilitating pain. I finally took my mom's advice and scheduled an appointment. I had the injection on Wednesday and I have already experienced a lot of relief. I will never wait this long again.
After years of good control, I have been experiencing high blood sugars fasting and throughout the day. I can always tell when my blood sugar is high because it adversely affects my eyesight. I've been told that this is a good thing because I will know when I don't have good control. I pay close attention this because the relatives on my dad's side including him tend to have diabetes-related blindness. I tried an injectable, Byetta, but was unable to get any control with it. I'm on a morning and evening dose of insulin and this is working. My vision has normalized and my highs have begun to come down.
I had grand ideas of putting a lot of entries in the fair but that didn't work out either. I did manage to enter 4 items which is better than entering nothing. I'm also serving as one of the co-presidents of the Palmetto Purlers knitting guild for the 2011-2012 year along with Boykin Exum. There's much work to be done coming up with a schedule of programs and hopefully a big weekend knitting event. It has been quite a while since I was an officer, but I'm looking forward to serving this year and possibly the next.
I'm not committing my self to making many Christmas gifts but one that I have gotten started on is the Mermaid jacket by Hanne Falkenberg. It is a present for my mom and after a couple of false starts I'm finally on track.
This is my second Hanne Falkenberg design. I have another Mermaid and Pagoda kit to knit after this one. Her instructions can be a little cryptic so you really have to pay close attention. My earlier mistakes were from not reading the entire pattern and misunderstanding what I had read. I've set a personal goal of finishing this by the end of month in case I do decide to make a gift or two or three. Nothing is set in stone for me when it comes to knitting.
I hope to update this blog more often now that my health issues have settled down and I can enjoy the crafts that I love.
I still experience problems from the nerve compression and going 17 months without an injection didn't help the situation. I did pretty well for a while, but as the pain begain to increase I wouldn't heed the signs and schedule an appointment for one. The last 2-3 months have been a hell of intermittent and sometimes debilitating pain. I finally took my mom's advice and scheduled an appointment. I had the injection on Wednesday and I have already experienced a lot of relief. I will never wait this long again.
After years of good control, I have been experiencing high blood sugars fasting and throughout the day. I can always tell when my blood sugar is high because it adversely affects my eyesight. I've been told that this is a good thing because I will know when I don't have good control. I pay close attention this because the relatives on my dad's side including him tend to have diabetes-related blindness. I tried an injectable, Byetta, but was unable to get any control with it. I'm on a morning and evening dose of insulin and this is working. My vision has normalized and my highs have begun to come down.
I had grand ideas of putting a lot of entries in the fair but that didn't work out either. I did manage to enter 4 items which is better than entering nothing. I'm also serving as one of the co-presidents of the Palmetto Purlers knitting guild for the 2011-2012 year along with Boykin Exum. There's much work to be done coming up with a schedule of programs and hopefully a big weekend knitting event. It has been quite a while since I was an officer, but I'm looking forward to serving this year and possibly the next.
I'm not committing my self to making many Christmas gifts but one that I have gotten started on is the Mermaid jacket by Hanne Falkenberg. It is a present for my mom and after a couple of false starts I'm finally on track.
I hope to update this blog more often now that my health issues have settled down and I can enjoy the crafts that I love.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Seeing America
Tomorrow I head back to work after 12 days off. This is the longest I've been off work without being ill and I loved it all except for the part where we had to run from TS Lee.
San Antonio was a hot 110 when we arrived but the temps dropped to the 90's for the first time in months when we were there.
The VFW and Ladies Auxillary convention was in full force. There were approximately 10,000+ in attendance. We fulfilled our delegate obligations and took some time to see more of San Antonio and get in some shopping.
Despite the heat we did some touring and saw some fascinating points of interest. Of course I visited the Alamo again and we stayed at the Marriot Rivercenter on the Riverwalk and took the riverboat tour but this time they are doing a great job promoting other sites. Even though I've visited San Antonio before I saw much more than I did the first time because I was ill during that trip.
We road the Alamo Tours trolley to see some of the selected sites in order to choose those that we wanted to spend more time visting. The next day we used our "hopper pass" to visit the following sites.
The Tower of the Americas
The Museum of Texan Culture
Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, one of five missions in San Antonio and the best-known mission in Texas
Market Square
One thing that really caught my eye in San Antonio is the architecture.
This building was used for the movie Ghost Busters...
and a lot of the older buildings have the "Uglies" or faces believed to drive away bad luck or evil. The Museum of Texan Culture has 26 flags representing the countries or ethnic groups that have infleunced the development of San Antonio and it clearly shows in the architecture.
We left Texas on Friday heading to New Orleans and straight into the path of tropical storm Lee. The bellhops at the hotel were keeping track of the storm and tried to convince us to go around but since we already had reservations we continued as planned. The closer we got to New Orleans the worst the weather became and by the tame we arrived at the hotel that night the winds where high and the rain blinding. We spent the night, cancelled the remaining days when we got up that morning and hightailed it out of there. At that time they were expecting the storm to remain stalled until Monday and even though it didn't turn out that way we were glad we left.
Mother and I were stuck in a hotel in Orlando in 2008 during a TS that stalled and shut down everything and we didn't want to relive that experience.
We had a wonderful trip. Nothing beats driving through and actually experiencing the country you live in. There is a lot still to be done in Biloxi, where we spent our first night of the trip, and New Orleans. There's also a lot of work to be done in Texas with the drought and fires but I love visiting and seeing the USA.
The VFW and Ladies Auxillary convention was in full force. There were approximately 10,000+ in attendance. We fulfilled our delegate obligations and took some time to see more of San Antonio and get in some shopping.
Despite the heat we did some touring and saw some fascinating points of interest. Of course I visited the Alamo again and we stayed at the Marriot Rivercenter on the Riverwalk and took the riverboat tour but this time they are doing a great job promoting other sites. Even though I've visited San Antonio before I saw much more than I did the first time because I was ill during that trip.
We road the Alamo Tours trolley to see some of the selected sites in order to choose those that we wanted to spend more time visting. The next day we used our "hopper pass" to visit the following sites.
The Tower of the Americas
Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, one of five missions in San Antonio and the best-known mission in Texas
We left Texas on Friday heading to New Orleans and straight into the path of tropical storm Lee. The bellhops at the hotel were keeping track of the storm and tried to convince us to go around but since we already had reservations we continued as planned. The closer we got to New Orleans the worst the weather became and by the tame we arrived at the hotel that night the winds where high and the rain blinding. We spent the night, cancelled the remaining days when we got up that morning and hightailed it out of there. At that time they were expecting the storm to remain stalled until Monday and even though it didn't turn out that way we were glad we left.
Mother and I were stuck in a hotel in Orlando in 2008 during a TS that stalled and shut down everything and we didn't want to relive that experience.
We had a wonderful trip. Nothing beats driving through and actually experiencing the country you live in. There is a lot still to be done in Biloxi, where we spent our first night of the trip, and New Orleans. There's also a lot of work to be done in Texas with the drought and fires but I love visiting and seeing the USA.
Monday, August 08, 2011
Picking Up Where I Left Off
I've given up hope of posting regularly here. I'm having trouble with the left hand, arm and shoulder once again so my crafting time has been limited. I've been unable to do much of anything for any significant length of time. The state fair knitting is started and I'm currently working on a women's pullover. It will, along with the other knitting for the fair, remain a stealth project until after the fair in October.
I finally got back to beading this past week and made three bracelets with one or two more to go. The pattern is Bump in the Road from Step by Step Beads which is now Beadwork.
The top one is for my co-worker Tammy's birthday, the second one is for my mom and the third and unfinished one is for my sister. I had to modify the instructions for the toggle loop since it came out way too big on Tammy. I redid that one and finished my sister's Sunday night.
I'm participating in the Westknits Mystery KAL on Ravelry. We are currently knitting clue 2. I finished clue 1 yesterday and will work on clue 2 this evening. The first two clues are quite short but he has promised that the knitting will pick up drasticly with clue 3. This is my first Westknit pattern and so far I'm enjoying it.
I resisted the temptation to purchase yarn for this project and after much searching I came up with a combination I like. The yarn is Dalegarn Tiur in colors I call Mossy Green, Antique Gold and Brick Red.
In keeping with earlier plans I've been working with the knitting machine in hopes of using up some of the sock stash. I've got casting on ribbing and circular knitting down. I'm having some issues with the main bed. The stitches will knit fine for a while and then all of a sudden some of them don't knit anymore. I'll switch out some more needles and play around with the weight to see if that solves the problem. I'm also having problems with the short-row heel. Jan did a refresher for me at our meeting on Saturday some I confident that the more I practice the better I will get.
I still haven't had time to take a spinning class so that has been on the back burner for know. I've got a pretty full plate is it is so I'm going with what's already in the works for the time being.
I finally got back to beading this past week and made three bracelets with one or two more to go. The pattern is Bump in the Road from Step by Step Beads which is now Beadwork.
The top one is for my co-worker Tammy's birthday, the second one is for my mom and the third and unfinished one is for my sister. I had to modify the instructions for the toggle loop since it came out way too big on Tammy. I redid that one and finished my sister's Sunday night.
I'm participating in the Westknits Mystery KAL on Ravelry. We are currently knitting clue 2. I finished clue 1 yesterday and will work on clue 2 this evening. The first two clues are quite short but he has promised that the knitting will pick up drasticly with clue 3. This is my first Westknit pattern and so far I'm enjoying it.
I resisted the temptation to purchase yarn for this project and after much searching I came up with a combination I like. The yarn is Dalegarn Tiur in colors I call Mossy Green, Antique Gold and Brick Red.
In keeping with earlier plans I've been working with the knitting machine in hopes of using up some of the sock stash. I've got casting on ribbing and circular knitting down. I'm having some issues with the main bed. The stitches will knit fine for a while and then all of a sudden some of them don't knit anymore. I'll switch out some more needles and play around with the weight to see if that solves the problem. I'm also having problems with the short-row heel. Jan did a refresher for me at our meeting on Saturday some I confident that the more I practice the better I will get.
I still haven't had time to take a spinning class so that has been on the back burner for know. I've got a pretty full plate is it is so I'm going with what's already in the works for the time being.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Feeling the Family Love
My great-niece turned 1 earlier this month and her birthday party was Sunday. Due to family issues, I hadn't seen her since my birthday party in September. Madison is a sweet, happy and loving little girl. It was a great party and we enjoyed meeting the rest of the family.
Megan (mom) & Madison
Parents, grandparents and great-grandparents
Obviously I'm not cut out for project monogamy. I do really well until I see a project that hits the sweet spot and then all bets are off.
I was sailing right along on Buttercup and making great progress after having to rip out most of the sweater and then I decided to take a look at the "New and Popular" patterns on Ravelry. I'm not sure if it was at the top then as it is now but I couldn't resist Catkin. This gorgeous cape/shawl/poncho has created all kinds of problems. I initially started knitting it with some Miss Babs from the stash but not liking that I lost all resolve and ordered the delicious Madelinetosh Merino Light that the pattern called for. I ended purchasing 5 skeins of yarn instead of the 2 I originally intended. So much for Cold Sheeping.
After I getting over my original feelings of guilt I love the work in progress.
This is for my mom's birthday this month and the plan is to finish it before she leaves for Hawaii at the end of the month.
July 1st is the opening day for submitting your request for the state fair exhibit tags. I was considering not entering this year since I have won the sweepstakes 4 times including the last 3 years in a row. I thought about it and decided that I shouldn't punish myself by not entering because I keep winning. I have worked really hard to improve my skills to get to this point so I don't feel that I am being unjustly rewarded. Each time I win I remember my first entry many, many years ago that didn't qualify for anything because some of the buttons fell off. I may have been in my late teens or early twenties and my main focus at that time was crochet but the failure had such an impact on me that I didn't enter anything else until I was in my early forties.
I compiled my list of categories that I plan to enter and decided on the projects and the yarn. This year I will enter something in the "Infant and Toddler" section. I have two babies, a great niece and a goddaughter, that I'll be able to pass the knits to once the fair is over.
That's it for the update. I keep saying I'm going to do better at blogging but I know if life gets in the way that won't happen so I'll say until the next time.
Obviously I'm not cut out for project monogamy. I do really well until I see a project that hits the sweet spot and then all bets are off.
I was sailing right along on Buttercup and making great progress after having to rip out most of the sweater and then I decided to take a look at the "New and Popular" patterns on Ravelry. I'm not sure if it was at the top then as it is now but I couldn't resist Catkin. This gorgeous cape/shawl/poncho has created all kinds of problems. I initially started knitting it with some Miss Babs from the stash but not liking that I lost all resolve and ordered the delicious Madelinetosh Merino Light that the pattern called for. I ended purchasing 5 skeins of yarn instead of the 2 I originally intended. So much for Cold Sheeping.
After I getting over my original feelings of guilt I love the work in progress.
This is for my mom's birthday this month and the plan is to finish it before she leaves for Hawaii at the end of the month.
July 1st is the opening day for submitting your request for the state fair exhibit tags. I was considering not entering this year since I have won the sweepstakes 4 times including the last 3 years in a row. I thought about it and decided that I shouldn't punish myself by not entering because I keep winning. I have worked really hard to improve my skills to get to this point so I don't feel that I am being unjustly rewarded. Each time I win I remember my first entry many, many years ago that didn't qualify for anything because some of the buttons fell off. I may have been in my late teens or early twenties and my main focus at that time was crochet but the failure had such an impact on me that I didn't enter anything else until I was in my early forties.
I compiled my list of categories that I plan to enter and decided on the projects and the yarn. This year I will enter something in the "Infant and Toddler" section. I have two babies, a great niece and a goddaughter, that I'll be able to pass the knits to once the fair is over.
That's it for the update. I keep saying I'm going to do better at blogging but I know if life gets in the way that won't happen so I'll say until the next time.
Friday, June 03, 2011
Another Test Knit
This past month I had another top-secret test knitting project. It was another sock pattern for Kirsten of Zeks Lite. The pattern, Short Row Shuffle Socks, is now available on Ravelry.
I tested two versions of the pattern. The first is a top-down 4-stitch shuffle with a welted cuff
and the second is a toe-up 5-stitch shuffle with a ribbed cuff.
This pattern is designed for yarns that have defined and regular repeats of color.
I love Kirsten's patterns. They are always challenging and inspired. Each one exposes you to a new techinique or way to look at knitting. I love the short rows used in this pattern.
The family issues have calmed down. They haven't been resolved but we are more back to normal. I must say that I didn't get much done last month. I had to rip out most of the body of Buttercup due to split threads and got started back on it a couple of days ago. It's all stockinette so it is going pretty fast and should be finished soon.
A Raveler was destashing an amazing 14 Hanne Falkenberg kits and after looking at them I couldn't resist buying two of them. This is my first purchase since December so I didn't feel too bad about it plus the price was unbeatable. The Mermaid kit is for my mother and the Pagode for me.
When I opened the box I was surprised to find enclosed enough yarn to knit 4 pairs of socks. Two skeins of Colinette Jitterbug, 2 skeins of Regia Design Line and 2 skeins of Regia 4fadig plus I didn't pay for the shipping or insurance. This is the first purchase I've made from a Raveler and it couldn't have gone better.
I tested two versions of the pattern. The first is a top-down 4-stitch shuffle with a welted cuff
and the second is a toe-up 5-stitch shuffle with a ribbed cuff.
This pattern is designed for yarns that have defined and regular repeats of color.
I love Kirsten's patterns. They are always challenging and inspired. Each one exposes you to a new techinique or way to look at knitting. I love the short rows used in this pattern.
The family issues have calmed down. They haven't been resolved but we are more back to normal. I must say that I didn't get much done last month. I had to rip out most of the body of Buttercup due to split threads and got started back on it a couple of days ago. It's all stockinette so it is going pretty fast and should be finished soon.
A Raveler was destashing an amazing 14 Hanne Falkenberg kits and after looking at them I couldn't resist buying two of them. This is my first purchase since December so I didn't feel too bad about it plus the price was unbeatable. The Mermaid kit is for my mother and the Pagode for me.
When I opened the box I was surprised to find enclosed enough yarn to knit 4 pairs of socks. Two skeins of Colinette Jitterbug, 2 skeins of Regia Design Line and 2 skeins of Regia 4fadig plus I didn't pay for the shipping or insurance. This is the first purchase I've made from a Raveler and it couldn't have gone better.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Adamas Shawl
I didn't mean to take so long between blog post but life has been hectic and demanding. You think that everything is going well in your family life and a bomb drops. I can't go in detail except to say that this has been one of the most devastating events our family has had to endure and we are still trying to recover.
I finished the Adamas shawl the first part of last month but didn't get around to blocking and taking pictures until over a month later. This was our guild kal project that started in January.
Specs:
Pattern: Adamas by mimknits
Yarn: Karabella Lace Merino
Needles: 5 US
Knitted: January 26, 2011 - April 7, 2011
I increased the size in order to use up the full 4 skeins of yarn on hand. I'm glad I did since this made it the perfect size for me. Graciously modeled by my mom.
I finished the Adamas shawl the first part of last month but didn't get around to blocking and taking pictures until over a month later. This was our guild kal project that started in January.
Specs:
Pattern: Adamas by mimknits
Yarn: Karabella Lace Merino
Needles: 5 US
Knitted: January 26, 2011 - April 7, 2011
I increased the size in order to use up the full 4 skeins of yarn on hand. I'm glad I did since this made it the perfect size for me. Graciously modeled by my mom.
Monday, May 02, 2011
A Sweater for Me
I've been searching for the perfect sweater for me for quite a while and finally found it. I'm making Buttercup.
This sweater has been in the top 10 of my queue for a long time. I've been hesitant to cast on given the bad luck I've had the past 2 years making sweaters for me. They either turned out to be not flattering on me or I outgrew them before I was even close to finishing. I've seen this sweater on many different body types on Ravelry and for the most part it was very flattering.
I've finished with the yoke and most of the body and have started on the sleeves.
The first sleeve is finished except for the fan and feather lace trim. I really love the feel of this sweater and since I've knitted with Hempathy I know it will soften up even more when soaked.
I'm still working on beading projects but not so much lately. I've been spending a lot of my time getting my knitting machines up and running again. To that end I attending a knitting machine seminar in Raleigh, NC this past Friday and Saturday. It was hosted by the Carolinas Machine Knitting Guild and Featured four instructors from the US and Canada. I learned a lot, got some things refreshed and met a lot of new people. I really want to learn to knit circular socks on the knitting machine and I now feel more empowered to give it a try. My stash of coned yarns is as large as the handknitting stash so I really need to get busy and put it to use. I also own four electronic machines and they are being wasted so it's time to get my ducks in a row.
Time is at a premium these days. I'm on the Women's Day choir at church and we meet on Monday and Wednesday, I attend exercise classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and most Saturday's I have something going on. I'm also test knitting another pattern so I've replaced my regular knitting with that. I'm always amazed at how things are so slow and calm during the winter time and as soon as spring arises everything picks back up.
This sweater has been in the top 10 of my queue for a long time. I've been hesitant to cast on given the bad luck I've had the past 2 years making sweaters for me. They either turned out to be not flattering on me or I outgrew them before I was even close to finishing. I've seen this sweater on many different body types on Ravelry and for the most part it was very flattering.
I've finished with the yoke and most of the body and have started on the sleeves.
The first sleeve is finished except for the fan and feather lace trim. I really love the feel of this sweater and since I've knitted with Hempathy I know it will soften up even more when soaked.
I'm still working on beading projects but not so much lately. I've been spending a lot of my time getting my knitting machines up and running again. To that end I attending a knitting machine seminar in Raleigh, NC this past Friday and Saturday. It was hosted by the Carolinas Machine Knitting Guild and Featured four instructors from the US and Canada. I learned a lot, got some things refreshed and met a lot of new people. I really want to learn to knit circular socks on the knitting machine and I now feel more empowered to give it a try. My stash of coned yarns is as large as the handknitting stash so I really need to get busy and put it to use. I also own four electronic machines and they are being wasted so it's time to get my ducks in a row.
Time is at a premium these days. I'm on the Women's Day choir at church and we meet on Monday and Wednesday, I attend exercise classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and most Saturday's I have something going on. I'm also test knitting another pattern so I've replaced my regular knitting with that. I'm always amazed at how things are so slow and calm during the winter time and as soon as spring arises everything picks back up.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Beads, Beads Everywhere
Our beading weekend was fantastic!!! We had such a good time that we are already planning the next one. Nancy graciously invited us to her cabin in Chesnee for the weekend. We headed up on Friday after I got off work.
Nancy has been a beader for years as well as an accomplished knitter and painter. She has also been waging a courageous battle against several types of cancer for the past few years. Millie another knitting friend who started beading last year was our driver and co-coordinator of the trip. I rounded out the group of three.
We stopped for dinner and picked up some goodies along the way and once we got to the cabin we settled our things, took over the dining room table and immediately started working on our projects. On Friday we visited Horsefeathers Bead Store in Campobello, SC which is right up the road and dropped some cash. It is off the beaten path but worth visiting. They have an excellent selection of Delica beads.
We also visited North Woods Farm Fiber and Yarn Store in Inman, SC. They have a wonderful selection of yarn, books, needles and bags. In addition to these items they also have an alpaca farm and process their own fiber. I was tempted several times to purchase yarn but managed to stick to the no yarn buying plan. I did purchase some ChiaoGoo needles to test since I have heard such good things about them and this is the first store I've been in that had them. They also sell KnitPicks and Blackthorn needles. I forgot to take my camera with me so I didn't get pictures of either place. I would have loved to get pictures of all of the alpacas especially the babies.
Once we got back and had dinner we began beading in earnest. I started my most time consuming project having found the perfect beads to complete the design at Horsefeathers. I purchased some Rivoli's from Fire Mountain Gems before we left and the colors were not what I expected when light reflected on them so I found some beads that coordinated better at Horsefeathers. This was my first time creating bezels but I was anxious to try the new technique.
We resumed work on our projects Saturday and I finally remembered to get out the camera. The first picture is Nancy, the second Millie and the last me.
I finished two projects and only need to add the button closure and loop on the last.
From bottom to top: Rivoli Square Dance bracelet, Triangle bracelet and Wave Ring
My favorite project is the rivoli bracelet but I learned from all of them. I feel the need to challenge myself with each project and I'm driven to learn all that I can about this new hobby. I'm sure that I'll eventually settle down with some favorite methods but for know I'm having fun trying new ones.
I did manage to get a little knitting done on the way up and back. My Adamas shawl has reached the point where I have to decide if I want to make it bigger or work the final chart. I have two full skeins of yarn remaining so I can easily make it larger. That's it for now. I'm off to put together some beads for some more Wave rings.
Nancy has been a beader for years as well as an accomplished knitter and painter. She has also been waging a courageous battle against several types of cancer for the past few years. Millie another knitting friend who started beading last year was our driver and co-coordinator of the trip. I rounded out the group of three.
We stopped for dinner and picked up some goodies along the way and once we got to the cabin we settled our things, took over the dining room table and immediately started working on our projects. On Friday we visited Horsefeathers Bead Store in Campobello, SC which is right up the road and dropped some cash. It is off the beaten path but worth visiting. They have an excellent selection of Delica beads.
We also visited North Woods Farm Fiber and Yarn Store in Inman, SC. They have a wonderful selection of yarn, books, needles and bags. In addition to these items they also have an alpaca farm and process their own fiber. I was tempted several times to purchase yarn but managed to stick to the no yarn buying plan. I did purchase some ChiaoGoo needles to test since I have heard such good things about them and this is the first store I've been in that had them. They also sell KnitPicks and Blackthorn needles. I forgot to take my camera with me so I didn't get pictures of either place. I would have loved to get pictures of all of the alpacas especially the babies.
Once we got back and had dinner we began beading in earnest. I started my most time consuming project having found the perfect beads to complete the design at Horsefeathers. I purchased some Rivoli's from Fire Mountain Gems before we left and the colors were not what I expected when light reflected on them so I found some beads that coordinated better at Horsefeathers. This was my first time creating bezels but I was anxious to try the new technique.
We resumed work on our projects Saturday and I finally remembered to get out the camera. The first picture is Nancy, the second Millie and the last me.
I finished two projects and only need to add the button closure and loop on the last.
From bottom to top: Rivoli Square Dance bracelet, Triangle bracelet and Wave Ring
My favorite project is the rivoli bracelet but I learned from all of them. I feel the need to challenge myself with each project and I'm driven to learn all that I can about this new hobby. I'm sure that I'll eventually settle down with some favorite methods but for know I'm having fun trying new ones.
I did manage to get a little knitting done on the way up and back. My Adamas shawl has reached the point where I have to decide if I want to make it bigger or work the final chart. I have two full skeins of yarn remaining so I can easily make it larger. That's it for now. I'm off to put together some beads for some more Wave rings.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Finishing
This past week has been all about finishing. For the most part I'm really good about finishing things once they're made but every now and then I hit the wall where it can take me weeks or months to get something completed.
October 2010 was when I had my first beading lesson. Millie wore a fringe bracelet to our knitting guild meeting that month and also brought several other bracelets that she had made for show and share. I asked her if she would teach me how to bead and we've been meeting to bead since then.
Our first beading project was the fringe bracelet I had admired. I used 11/0 emerald silver-lined AB seed beads for the fringe and 8/0 emerald silver-lined seed beads for the core. It's funny but what I just typed made no sense to me at all a few months ago and now I am totally immersed in bead speak.
This weekend three of us are going to Nancy's cabin in the mountains to immerse ourselves in a weekend of beading, good food and friendship. I've been planning my projects and can't wait to get away.
Thursday I finished the first installment of the sock club.
Specs:
Pattern: Split Reed Socks from Think Outside the Sox
Yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot Elderberry
Needles: 1 dpn's
Size: Womens large (10N)
Knitted: February 28- March 18, 2011
I made these for me and they feel fantastic. The only modification I made was to knit these toe-up.
Next up are two hats that had been languishing in the finishing line. First is the Cabled Chapeau which languished while I tried to figure out what to use to shape the brim. I purchased a hat kit at the Greenville Knit-Inn which contained a craft foam visor to use for the brim. I immediately went to AC Moore when I got home, purchased the foam and attached the visor. It then took me over another month to attach the strap and buttons.
Specs:
Pattern: Cabled Chapeau
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted Deep Sea
Needles: 8 US
Knitted: December 1,2010 - March 20, 2011
I made this for my mom's friend Velma. It is part of a set with the Saroyan shawl/scarf made with the same yarn. She has seen it, tried it on and loves it.
Last up is Limpetiole which I originally was going to knit as part of a Wooly Wormhead KAL.
Specs:
Pattern: Limpetiole
Yarn: Wool2dye4 Merino Silk Undyed
Needles: 5 US
Size: 20 (medium)
Knitted: January 2-10,2011
I knitted this for my oldest brother's friend Anne. I was a real slacker on this as I didn't get it blocked until this past Friday. I love the hat. It has wonderful drape and feels luxurious. I'm sure she'll love it even if she has to wait most of a year to wear it.
That's it for the project round. I always feel relieved once I cleaned up some of the loose ends.
October 2010 was when I had my first beading lesson. Millie wore a fringe bracelet to our knitting guild meeting that month and also brought several other bracelets that she had made for show and share. I asked her if she would teach me how to bead and we've been meeting to bead since then.
Our first beading project was the fringe bracelet I had admired. I used 11/0 emerald silver-lined AB seed beads for the fringe and 8/0 emerald silver-lined seed beads for the core. It's funny but what I just typed made no sense to me at all a few months ago and now I am totally immersed in bead speak.
This weekend three of us are going to Nancy's cabin in the mountains to immerse ourselves in a weekend of beading, good food and friendship. I've been planning my projects and can't wait to get away.
Thursday I finished the first installment of the sock club.
Specs:
Pattern: Split Reed Socks from Think Outside the Sox
Yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot Elderberry
Needles: 1 dpn's
Size: Womens large (10N)
Knitted: February 28- March 18, 2011
I made these for me and they feel fantastic. The only modification I made was to knit these toe-up.
Next up are two hats that had been languishing in the finishing line. First is the Cabled Chapeau which languished while I tried to figure out what to use to shape the brim. I purchased a hat kit at the Greenville Knit-Inn which contained a craft foam visor to use for the brim. I immediately went to AC Moore when I got home, purchased the foam and attached the visor. It then took me over another month to attach the strap and buttons.
Specs:
Pattern: Cabled Chapeau
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted Deep Sea
Needles: 8 US
Knitted: December 1,2010 - March 20, 2011
I made this for my mom's friend Velma. It is part of a set with the Saroyan shawl/scarf made with the same yarn. She has seen it, tried it on and loves it.
Last up is Limpetiole which I originally was going to knit as part of a Wooly Wormhead KAL.
Specs:
Pattern: Limpetiole
Yarn: Wool2dye4 Merino Silk Undyed
Needles: 5 US
Size: 20 (medium)
Knitted: January 2-10,2011
I knitted this for my oldest brother's friend Anne. I was a real slacker on this as I didn't get it blocked until this past Friday. I love the hat. It has wonderful drape and feels luxurious. I'm sure she'll love it even if she has to wait most of a year to wear it.
That's it for the project round. I always feel relieved once I cleaned up some of the loose ends.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Practice, Practice, Practice
The only way to become really good at something is to practice. While we all may be born with natural talents or gifts we still need to work at improving or perfecting them.
We try to have a beading get together once a month and each time we work on a new project. I usually finish that project and don't work on anything beading-related until the next get together. Today I decided that I need to work on my beading skills and tackle projects on my own to see if I can understand and interpret the instructions. To that end I started on some new projects.
The first project used the spiral peyote technique I learned last month. It is a pair of turtle earrings. I had some trials during the making of the first turtle but once I ripped it and started over I could clearly see what needed to be done.
For the first time I am making an entire set which will consist of the necklace, bracelet and earrings. This combination is more formal than all of the previous beading I have done. I started with a base of pearls and silver charlotte beads.
Once the base was completed the arches and picots were added in the same pass.
All went well until I put the necklace on and one of the threads broke causing two pearls to fall out. I put it aside until today when I fixed the part that started to come loose from the thread breaking and replaced the missing beads. I can tell that my technique is improving. For a long time I struggled with joining new thread and tying the old threads off. They wouldn't hold and the piece would fall apart. That wasn't my problem this time as it appeared that I'd actually went through the core of the thread more than once and causing it to ravel and break. Now I'm confident enough to go back and finish some incomplete projects I'd put aside for the above reasons.
I would like to thank Monica and Kathy for your responses to my questions. I've decided to use Saturdays and Sundays for sewing and working on the knitting machines especially now that it's March Madness. The beading and knitting projects are portable and I can carry them into the den and work on them while I watch the games. The other two aren't and since there isn't a tv in the craft room I'd rather work on the other two when I have more time in the day. I can bring the sewing machine into the den and set up in there if absolutely necessary so I have more leeway with my sewing projects plus some of them will require hand finishing which means I can bring them into the den.
I'm at a point in my life where I no longer want to sacrifice one hobby for another so it is essential that I find a way to work them all in. The only thing left to find time for is the cross stitch and the spinning or maybe it's time to give something up.
We try to have a beading get together once a month and each time we work on a new project. I usually finish that project and don't work on anything beading-related until the next get together. Today I decided that I need to work on my beading skills and tackle projects on my own to see if I can understand and interpret the instructions. To that end I started on some new projects.
The first project used the spiral peyote technique I learned last month. It is a pair of turtle earrings. I had some trials during the making of the first turtle but once I ripped it and started over I could clearly see what needed to be done.
For the first time I am making an entire set which will consist of the necklace, bracelet and earrings. This combination is more formal than all of the previous beading I have done. I started with a base of pearls and silver charlotte beads.
Once the base was completed the arches and picots were added in the same pass.
All went well until I put the necklace on and one of the threads broke causing two pearls to fall out. I put it aside until today when I fixed the part that started to come loose from the thread breaking and replaced the missing beads. I can tell that my technique is improving. For a long time I struggled with joining new thread and tying the old threads off. They wouldn't hold and the piece would fall apart. That wasn't my problem this time as it appeared that I'd actually went through the core of the thread more than once and causing it to ravel and break. Now I'm confident enough to go back and finish some incomplete projects I'd put aside for the above reasons.
I would like to thank Monica and Kathy for your responses to my questions. I've decided to use Saturdays and Sundays for sewing and working on the knitting machines especially now that it's March Madness. The beading and knitting projects are portable and I can carry them into the den and work on them while I watch the games. The other two aren't and since there isn't a tv in the craft room I'd rather work on the other two when I have more time in the day. I can bring the sewing machine into the den and set up in there if absolutely necessary so I have more leeway with my sewing projects plus some of them will require hand finishing which means I can bring them into the den.
I'm at a point in my life where I no longer want to sacrifice one hobby for another so it is essential that I find a way to work them all in. The only thing left to find time for is the cross stitch and the spinning or maybe it's time to give something up.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Where's the Sock Club?
At the beginning of the year I created my own personal sock club. Last month I got out bag #1 opened it, assembled the pattern and needles and put it on the back burner when I got sidetracked by the Drip Candle socks. I realized that if I continued along this path I wouldn't get any of the socks done so I quickly cast on the Split Reed socks on the last day of February. I finally got things rolling Friday and have made good progress. The colors are much more intense than this washed out flash picture shows.
While knitting these I realized that this is the first pair of socks I've knitted for myself out of Mountain Colors Bearfoot. The other pairs have all gone to mom and I can see why she loves them. I tried on the foot to check the heel placement and it is soooo soft.
My mom is a hoot! She remarked yesterday that I've given up knitting for beading. As Flo used to say, "When donkeys fly!".
I promptly whipped out the sock I had worked on at machine knitting meeting and put it on. As much as I enjoy beading it will never take the place of handknitting. I doubt that I will find anything that replaces the calming meditative effect it has on me.
For those of you who also have multiple interests, how do you find the time to fit them all in? Now that I'm involved in a machine knitting guild once again I really feel the need to plan some time during the week to get on the machines and practice. That is in addition to also needing to practice on the spinning wheel and make bags for my nieces. Do you do them whem the mood strikes or do you have days designated to certain activities?
I've seen on other blogs where a certain day is designated for spinning or some other crafts. Does this really work? Any feedback is greatly appreciated as I try to figure out how to indulge in all of these things I like to do without neglecting something else.
While knitting these I realized that this is the first pair of socks I've knitted for myself out of Mountain Colors Bearfoot. The other pairs have all gone to mom and I can see why she loves them. I tried on the foot to check the heel placement and it is soooo soft.
My mom is a hoot! She remarked yesterday that I've given up knitting for beading. As Flo used to say, "When donkeys fly!".
I promptly whipped out the sock I had worked on at machine knitting meeting and put it on. As much as I enjoy beading it will never take the place of handknitting. I doubt that I will find anything that replaces the calming meditative effect it has on me.
For those of you who also have multiple interests, how do you find the time to fit them all in? Now that I'm involved in a machine knitting guild once again I really feel the need to plan some time during the week to get on the machines and practice. That is in addition to also needing to practice on the spinning wheel and make bags for my nieces. Do you do them whem the mood strikes or do you have days designated to certain activities?
I've seen on other blogs where a certain day is designated for spinning or some other crafts. Does this really work? Any feedback is greatly appreciated as I try to figure out how to indulge in all of these things I like to do without neglecting something else.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Ziprelaxagon
Today I get to post the socks I test knitted. Yippee!!!
Specs:
Pattern: Ziprelaxagon by Kirsten Hall aka Spindleknitter on Ravelry
Yarn: Galesart Sock Moldy Pumpkin
Needles; 1 US and 3 US Knit Picks
Size: Medium
Knitted: January 1 - February 19, 2011
I test knitted these for Kirsten Hall designer of the cover socks on Think Outside the Sox and the Drip Candle Socks I am currently knitting. This is a challenging pattern but well worth the effort and had a lot of fun knitting it. If you're like me the second sock will be a breeze.
I will definitely make these longer the next time. They are the perfect length for my mother who prefers her legs shorter. I have enough left to lengthen them so I will eventually get around to doing that.
Specs:
Pattern: Ziprelaxagon by Kirsten Hall aka Spindleknitter on Ravelry
Yarn: Galesart Sock Moldy Pumpkin
Needles; 1 US and 3 US Knit Picks
Size: Medium
Knitted: January 1 - February 19, 2011
I test knitted these for Kirsten Hall designer of the cover socks on Think Outside the Sox and the Drip Candle Socks I am currently knitting. This is a challenging pattern but well worth the effort and had a lot of fun knitting it. If you're like me the second sock will be a breeze.
I will definitely make these longer the next time. They are the perfect length for my mother who prefers her legs shorter. I have enough left to lengthen them so I will eventually get around to doing that.
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