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.

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.