Clever Crafty Foxy

So, I am not…and never will be…a monogamous knitter. My attention span just won’t accept thinking about one, and only one, project at a time.  So here’s what’s on the needles right now:

• A lace scarf in delicious Malabrigo lace-weight, Mariposa colorway
• The Mystic Meadows lace stole in delicious hand dyed yarn from Brooklyn Handspun, in the Rusted Root colorway (I’m a little behind in this KAL)
• A Pie Are Square shawl
• 2 bags meant to be felted
• A pair of socks
• A sweater (the first sweater!)

And a week ago I cast on a new project, a blanket.  I can’t feel too bad about this one because it is meant to be a gift for a friend.

And there’s a drawer that’s full of queued-up projects; a hand bag (complete with a pattern *and* handles), a feather and fan shawl from A Gathering of Lace, a triangle shawl that I dreamed about a while ago, socks, socks, socks, and a sweater.  And another lace scarf.  And another scarf of the non-lace variety. And fingerless gloves.  And socks.
I’ve got my work cut out for me!

I knit a little while on the Pie Are Square shawl tonight.  Now I’m at the point where I need to decide on a lace pattern for the border. It’s never been done by my two hands and I’m sure that the right border can be found … it’s turning the corner on the square part of the shawl that’s causing me pause.  I’m sure the answer is out there. Just need to keep looking.

Bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino/modular knitting
Shadow/illusion knitting
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Knitting with your own hand-dyed yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable/aran stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit/crochet
American/English style knitting (throwing)
Continental style knitting
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Felting/fulling
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public
Met knitterati/famous knitters

List plucked from The Knitting Dude’s Guide to Knittng. Thanks, Dude!

I have been knitting on the Pie Are Square shawl since last September.  I’ve suspended work on the First Sweater for the summer. I’m still on the first sock of the Noro I picked up a couple of month’s ago.  There’s a scarf of Malabrigo lace up in the bed room.  2 bags in the drawer that need to be finished up and felted so they can actually be used.  Then there’s a pile of yarn matched up with patterns in the “waiting to be started” drawer.  It’s drving me crazy.  I need to finish up some projects so new projects can be started. I made a promise to myself that I would not start anything new until something is finished. That includes blocking! Through my entire crafty life I’ve had the problem of startitis and I’m determined to break that habit.  I just need to keep stitching!

I’ve been thinking about my inner farm girl ever since I signed up to be a part of the Plurkette Hencircle. I do like to garden, but I prefer to stand back and appreciate the beauty and bounty more than I like to keep on top of the weeds and water and such.  I’d rather make the things that I need myself, but sometimes running to Target to get wrapping for some gift or another seems OK to me. I do like to knit and sew and make pretty jewelry with beads and hot metal, but I don’t have much of a space dedicated to doing the more dangerous or messy things (using hot metal or turpentine or paints, etc.) so I tend to think about doing these things more than I actually do them.  Of course there is the knitting.  I can do that anywhere, any time, and I do.

Part of the problem is, you see, that I think I’m perceived as an anomaly among the people I know.  I’m “that gal who knits” or “the artistic one.” Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE having these labels pinned on me, but these labels have the effect of making a separation, a uniqueness that sets me apart.  This tends to make me feel a little lonely, a little bit separated from those around me.

What I long for is community.  Sisters and brothers who believe the same thing that I do, that idle hands are the devil’s workshop. That is why I am so happy to be a part of the Plurkette Hencircle.  It’s like nearly perfect timing.  I signed up on Plurk, made a few posts, looked for friends and found y’all.  Ah, it’s so nice. Maybe this new community will help me to discover my true, inner farmgirl and revel in her! To love the process and the product equally. Yes. It sounds like an excellent adventure upon which we embark. 

After reading through Jacqueline Fee’s “The Sweater Workshop,” I decided it was time to take the plunge and actually knit a sweater. Sometimes I feel like such a beginner in this craft, but more on that later. Because I wanted to tackle a few “firsts” with this first sweater, it’s also the first cable work and the first dyeing that I’ve ever done - and the first sweater of my own design! It’s also marks the first ball I’ve ever wound with a swift and ball-winder. I love winding balls from hanks.

There’s only one cable up the front. Simple, elegant. There’s a hem at the bottom of the body, and the sleeves will have very long ribbing and then plain stockinette up to the underarm. The construction is raglan sleeves knit in the round, so it’s miles of stockinette stitch. I’ve heard some people speak out against the stockinette stitch sweater. They say it’s boring. I’m not bothered by it. I guess this is my visiting with friends or watching EastEnders project. Besides, the repetitive motion of the knit stitch feels so good.

The yarn is KnitPicks Bare Merino Wool yarn in a DK weight. DK = more stockinette! I like the yarn. It’s soft, and once it’s wound into a center-pull ball, it’s unwinds very nicely, down to the last inch. It splits a little, but let’s blame that on my penchant for looking away from my knitting while working. Still haven’t mastered that, although it’s getting better. Reading while knitting is pretty exhilarating for a multi-tasking chickie like me.

My first swatch was on size 5 needles, and the fabric was just too stiff. The second swatch, on sixes, has a nice drape and the cable still has good definition. Here are some photos that take you from the arrival of the yarn, up to the knitting progress as of today:

Remember the Pie Are Square shawl? Well, I’ve gone beyond the final row of yarn-over increases, beyond the edge of the galaxy into no-knitters-land. It just wasn’t big enough. I think the needles I’m using are too small. At any rate, I still have a skein+ of yarn left, so I decided to add an extra row of yarn-overs beyond what EZ’s pattern calls for. At this point, there are more that 500 stitches on my needles. Ok, I’m feeling good. I may not have enough yarn to make a pretty lace border in the same colorway as the main yarn of the shawl, but I can find a color to contrast/coordinate and it will look great, I’m sure. But wait. What’s that?

A DROPPED STITCH! 13 ridges back!!! Ok. Let’s breathe in. I can drop down, pick up the stitch and bring it back up to the working row. Problem is: the yarn-overs. They will be off. It’s a yarn over, knit one across the row, with an all knit row after that. Where’s that extra stitch going to go? Do I K2tog somewhere? Will anyone notice? I will! Do I un-knit the last knit row, then yarn over, K1 row, then pick up the dropped stitch so my pattern stays even? Guh. I discovered the dropped stitch about a month ago and I just haven’t been able to face it since. If you have any ideas, please leave a comment and let me know what to do. EEEE!

Now for a note on the needles I’m using. I started on regular Addi Turbo circular needles, but now that I’m beyond the edge of the universe with this shawl. I had to get longer circs, so I ran off to my LYS and discovered: Addi Turbo … for LACE! These needles are awesome! A little bit pointier than regular Addis, with just a little grip, so you have a handle on your yarn. I love them. Once I’m over this yarn over hump, I’ll be knitting like mad on this shawl. Heck, I’m going to get me more lace weight yarn just so’s I can use these needles. Now I wish I had enough yarn to turn this shawl into a dang cloak! Mmmm. I’m digging the Addi Turbos for lace.

I cast on for my 2nd pair of socks this past Saturday. I’m using the basic sock instructions from Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd.

The yarn is Felici in Pebble from Knit Picks and I’m using the The Magic Loop method on Knit Picks 40″ circular needles size 2 (3mm). I was a very good knitter and made a gauge swatch and I could swear I counted 8 stitches to the inch, so I cast on and started knitting. Knit knit knit for a while on Saturday night, and then knit knit knit for a while on Sunday while visiting my brother at Hazelden. I get a certain kick out of knitting in public. I tried the sock on and … it was too freaking big. On the way home from Center City, I ripped it out (to which my sister-in-law had this to say “Next time, give it to your big-footed brother!” Not a bad idea!) and made a new gauge swatch. This time I cast on about 60 stitches instead of 30 or 40 the first time and this time around my gauge was at about 7.5 stitches per inch. I thought about going down a needle size, because I can (the needles are right here next to me in my knitting bag) but I thought, naw. Forgetaboutit. If the socks don’t fit me, I’ll find someone else to fit the socks. Wee! So off I go. Again. The first pair of socks I ever knit were toe up, these are top down. The woman at All About Yarn, one of my LYSs seemed impressed that my first pair of socks was toe up. She said “that’s a level or 2 higher than top down.” ? Anyway, I didn’t tell her that I also made up the pattern - sort of.

So now I’m anxious to get through these socks and get on to the 2 skeins of Socks That Rock that I purchased recently, a purchase influenced by the staggering number of episodes of Lime & Violet that I’ve listened to in a very short period of time. I just started listening and I need to catch up so I can go check out the message boards and things. For some reason I need to be caught up with the podcasts before I head over to the message boards - no spoilers, please!

I finished Kendra’s shawl this weekend and gave it to her. She liked it, but my mom LOVED it. Think I know what mom is getting for Christmas? Mother’s Day? We’ll see.

That’s about all for now. I’m heading over to KnitPicks.com to add more things to my cart, save some for later, move them back in to my cart, and hem and haw some more.

Happy Tuesday!!

Oh dear. In the building where I work, there is a big coat room just inside the staff entrance. I live in Minnesota, so in the wintertime everyone hangs their coat in that room. And when you’ve got winter coats, you usually have winter scarves. Because I work in a place with many print, web, and furniture designers, there are many wonderful items of hand-made knit wear that one can find in our coat room on any given day, and I can’t help myself. I must touch the scarves. I must feel the yarn and see the stitches and fondle! Also, I must be careful about getting caught. If someone walks into the room and my back is turned to them, and if they can’t see what I’m doing, it looks a little weird. Maybe it looks weird even if they can see what I’m doing!

The other day there was one scarf in particular that really caught my eye. It was a deep orange, variegated ribbon yarn with a fuzzy orange yarn carried with it, done in a 1X1 rib. Oh, it was so pretty. As I was coveting this scarf, it started to dawn on me that … I MADE THIS SCARF! Yes. I made this scarf a year or 2 ago and gave it to my friend (who works with me) as a present. Guess I forgot all about it. It’s nice to know that I like my own work!

Ah, Elizabeth Zimmerman. I didn’t know anything about this woman ’till the Pie Are Square shawl. I was poking around on the Knit Picks site looking for something to make that would be a bit of a challenge, however I didn’t feel ready for a sweater yet. I was looking through the shawls and saw one in an unusual shape, that of a capitol U. I looked at the details and discovered that the pattern is in the book Knitting Around, by EZ. I had heard her name, but up until this point had not looked at any of her books or videos. I added the book to my cart and then set about choosing yarn. I had never purchased yarn online before, so to be on the safe side, I chose 3 thinking that I would use one for the shawl and return the other 2. Yeah, right!

So, I ordered the book, the yarn and thought to myself that I could get it done for a wedding in Tampa last October. I had romantic notions of my sweet husband and I on a yacht glowing with twinkle lights and my hand-knit, beautiful shaw flowing in the soft ocean breezes. Well, here’s the state of the shawl today:

Still on the needles Tons of garter stitch knitting. What I really like about this project is that I really don’t know what this thing looks like at the moment. The number of stitches keeps growing as you go along and so you can’t really see what the shape is or really what size it is without taking it off the needles, and I’m just not brave enough for that at this point in my knitting life. So, I’m enjoying the mystery factor.

Here’s a detail shot:

I’ve blocked one lace-weight project and so I’m really looking forward to that part of the process. I never knew something like blocking could be so magical. It really puts the finishing touch on a project. But wait. I’m getting ahead of myself. What the heck should I do for the edges of this shawl? A crochet edge would be pretty darn easy - ’cause I can crochet like the wind - but a knitted border would be a good learning experience. I’ll be searching for lace border patterns soon.