#10. Epiphany!

After several weeks of frustrating knitting, I finally realized something.  I don't have to work on something that I am not enjoying knitting.  I don't have to struggle through each stitch wishing it was finished so I could move on to something else.  I don't have to knit round after round; all the time worrying if the intended recipient is even going to like or appreciate it.

I do have quite a number of projects that I am working on.  Some of them I am making just because I fell in love with the pattern or the yarn.  Some of them are from various classes that I have taken and haven't finished the project yet.  Some of them are for me, but a number of them are intended as gifts.  I have to admit that some of those gifts don't even have intended recipients yet.  I just think they would make a nice gift.  Someday.

Because of my epiphany - I am putting away the pink tank top that I have started at least 4 times.  I am going to work on some of the other projects I have on the needles.  Or maybe I will start another project.  I am going to knit something that is more enjoyable.

It's all up to me.  And it is okay.

#9. One Of Many...

I will admit it.  I definitely have Knitting A.D.D.  I get really bored working on the same project for more than an hour or so.  For that reason, I have multiple projects going all the time.  I work on one for a while and then tuck it back into one of my knitting totes and work on another.  The end result is that I hardly ever have an end result.  Nothing ever gets finished.


One of the projects currently on my needles is the Easy Lace Cowl found in the Fall 2010 Accessorize with Style Magazine published by Creative Knitting.

It really is an easy knit - with just a 2 row repeat after the ribbed start.  Lots of YO's and that has always been a problem for me.  (For any non-knitters who are reading - a YO is a yarn over.  That is when you wrap the yarn around the needle before knitting or purling the next stitch.)  Because it is not something I do a lot when knitting, I tend to get on a roll and forget to do them. 

I picked a really pretty denim blue yarn because I think I might be making this for myself.  Since I only wear jeans, it will match everything I own.  The yarn I am using is Swedish - Tropik by Jarbo Garn.  

It is 50% Bamboo, 25% Cotton, 25% Acrylic and really soft.  Kind of splitty - but not so bad that I am hating it.  This picture really doesn't do it justice.  It is a nice rich blue.

At my current rate of knitting, this will not be finished for wearing this winter.  Fortunately, winter will come around again.  

#8. Erica's Sweater

I would be remiss if I didn't add a project that I finished at the end of 2009.  A striped sweater for my then 4 year old granddaughter - a gift for Christmas.

A special knitting project - not just because it was for Erica, but also because it was the first ever "garment" that I had ever knitted.  I know that scarves and socks can be classified as garments per se, but I prefer to think of them as "accessories".  A scarf is more of a one size fits all deal and are ARE supposed to be more fitting.  A sweater is just different.

As soon as I saw the picture in Fons & Porter’s Love of Knitting, Spring 2009 - I quickly scanned the pattern instructions to make sure it didn't contain a lot of knitting terminology that was scary to me.  That would include things like k tbl, MB, p1 f&b. 

I was happily surprised to find what looked to be pretty easy instructions.  Convinced I could handle this - with the aid of my wonderfully patient teacher - I decided it was a go.

I showed the pattern to Marie the next Saturday and she was very enthusiastic - agreeing that this was quite within my meager capabilities. 

(I must add - since that first little disagreement about when I would be ready for sock knitting classes - Marie has said I was ready for anything.  Patient AND an optimist. Or a really good liar?  What more could you ask for in a knitting instructor?)

I immediately began scanning the shelves of yarn for the perfect colors of budget friendly possibilities.  One must also consider the washability of yarns used for garments.  100% wool is nice and warm - but throw it in the washing machine and you get a much smaller version of the sweater - and felted at that.  With the help of my fellow classmates, I decided on the yarn.

Marie's older sister - a 90+ year old avid knitter herself - made the final determination on color sequence and I soon had my bulging bag of yarn and was ready to cast on.

I was surprised at how quickly and easily the sweater knitted up.  Each color stripe was only 4 rows, so I didn't get bored knitting up so much stockinette stitch.  It was fun watching all the colors come together to form the stripes.

I told everyone I was making the sweater (knitting form of “commitment”) so I had to stick with it and finish it.  I didn't make the Christmas deadline as I was still seaming the pieces together.  That was after weaving in 5,267 loose ends.  I might be a few short on that count, but you get the idea.  Holy smokes!  Stripes mean lots of loose ends.

Since I had no previous experience with knitting something that needed to actually fit, and I didn’t have the benefit of being able to try it on her as I was making it - I was a bit anxious to see if it would even go over her head.  The sweater was complete a few days after Christmas.  

I called Erica over to try the sweater on and was mildly heartbroken when she wanted nothing to do with it.  After some coaxing and bribery from Mommy and Daddy, she finally allowed the sweater to be put on her.  I was thrilled that it fit!  It was actually a darn good fit too.  Certainly room to wear it over another shirt and to get another season of cold weather use if she wished.

All together, I was very pleased with my first finished "garment" and look forward to making many more sweaters.  I would even make that same pattern again - perhaps in a nice solid color!

Specifics:

Pattern was printed in Fons & Porter’s Love of Knitting, Spring 2009.

Yarn:  Utopia by Reynolds

Pink #294

Teal #133

Orange #162

Yellow #151

Purple #277

Needles:  Size 8 Circulars – Addi Turbo

Recap:

Best part of the project was the fact the sweater was a good fit when finished.  I know it is probably much easier to knit for a child and get a good fit than to do so for an adult.  Especially when sizes are basically estimations and I don’t do that whole “swatch” thing.  Yet.

Worst part of the project was definitely seaming the pieces.  I need a lot more practice with making seams look less “home-made”.  I have lots of garment projects planned for my needles, so I am sure that practice will come with time.

#7. Summer Revival

I have decided to revive my poor neglected knitting blog. I have been doing a lot more knitting and I really want a place to show off....err....showcase my pitiful projects. I just need to get in the routine of taking more pictures and posting them.

I am going to work on getting pictures of my current knitting endeavours and get them posted here.

I am.

#6. Finally. Pictures.

Madison's Blankie

Finally getting around to posting the pictures of Madison's Pinwheel Blankie. I really need to get this in the mail pronto as the due date has come and gone. I am such a horrible procrastinator.

The pictures really showcase the errors in my knitting. My knitting teacher calls them Character Flaws. I call them Screw Ups.

Someone told me that the Amish purposely make mistakes in their handmade goods - with the tribute to God being the only one able to create something "perfect". I am certainly not in the same league as the Amish - much less God.

Well, it is what it is. And I am a beginner knitter.

#5. Round And Round - Madison's Blankie.

I don't know what it is about updating this blog. I certainly waste enough time during the day, I have plenty of time to type some babble in this little box.

I have been knitting. I just finished a pinwheel baby blanket for a gift. The baby is due in 3 weeks and the fact I got it completed before the birth is nothing short of a miracle. I made lots of mistakes - especially when it was time to do the yarnovers. I finally got the hang of it half way through - so the outer sections of the blanket look much better than the inner ones. It's not perfect - but that's okay too. I wouldn't want to overshadow the beautiful baby girl that will use it. (grin)

Specifics:

I got the pattern from: www.ravelry.com
Link to free pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/round-or-pinwheel-baby-blanket

Yarn - Baby Soft sportweight by Lion Brand in 3 colors - White, Pastel Pink and Pistachio.
Needles - Size 4 Harmony circulars by Knit Picks.

I have to admit that I didn't cast on for this blanket. If I had, I am sure I wouldn't be here talking about a completed project. I tried. And tried. And tried. I took the yarn, needles and pattern with me to Knit Night at Books-a-Million. I pulled the pattern out to see if someone could figure out the cast on and one of the wonderful knitters there said she always wanted to make one. I tossed her the pattern, yarn and needles and asked her if she wanted to practice! Lindsey handed it back and told me I was now on row 8. Awesome! Thanks Lindsey!

The edge is a simple garter ridge to finish it off neatly. I did 2 purl rows, 2 knit rows, 2 purl rows and then 1 knit row. Bound it off knit wise. I really love the simple look of the edge stitches. I wanted to do a more decorative edging, but I was so ready to have this blanket done. It was a GREAT project to carry with me and work on when I had a few minutes here and there. It was easy to stop knitting anywhere and not have to worry about getting to the end of a row before stuffing it into my knitting bag. It is also an awesome project to take to a knit night. Just knit.knit.knit.knit. No counting.

I kinda fudged when I said it was a completed project. As of right now, the yarn ends all have to be woven in. And there are a lot of them. At first, I was going to make it a solid color in Pastel Pink. Then I saw a picture of the nursery and found their colors of choice included my favorite shade of green. That is when I opted to make it striped round with white and green. Every change of color means more loose yarn ends.

My daughter - Jana - has volunteered (cough cough) to weave in the ends for me. I am not very practiced at that little knitting procedure. Yes, that is because I very rarely actually FINISH my projects. I will though. I am going to get better at that.

Recap:

Best part of the project - binding off. Since this was knit on circular needles, as the blanket got larger, it was bunched up around the cables of the circs. It was hard to see exactly how big the finished project was going to be. As I bound off, and the blanket began to fall from the cable - it was so neat to see the actual size of the blanket.

Worst part of the project - casting on. I would love to make another one just to learn how to accomplish that round, tight cast on. Well, maybe I don't want to make a whole blanket - just want to learn the cast on.

Disaster avoided - Gidget gnawed the end off one of the needles. Apparently my lil Yorkie likes Knit Picks Harmony needles also. My bag was sitting right next to me. The needles were poking out the top of the bag. I looked over and caught Gidget chewing on one of the needles. She took the tip completely off one. Fortunately, it was one of the interchangeable ones. I had just received my set of the new Zephyr needles from Knit Picks and was able to switch out one tip. Gidget was allowed to live.

Pictures to be added as soon as the edges are woven in.

#4. New & Improved?

I'm back. OK, I didn't really go anywhere. I have been knitting! I actually finished my first pair of socks. Well, technically, it isn't my FIRST pair of socks. I finished the SECOND pair of socks that I started. Soon, I will finish the FIRST pair of socks that I started. Does that make them my FIRST pair or my SECOND pair? Oh, the dilemma.

Anyway, back to the socks. Whether they are the first pair or the second pair - they are done. And I like them! I used Mountain Colors - Weaver's Wool Quarters - in the Winter Sky colorway. Knitted with Addi Turbo size 5 needles - the size made it much easier for these old eyes to learn to knit socks. They are nice thick socks to wear around house when the weather gets cold again. I think I have a huge foot - size 10 wide - and I almost made the men's size medium. Glad I didn't as they are a tad large. Some would say I should have made a "swatch". mmmm....okay.

I just love my knitting teacher. Marie has the patience of Job and the sweetest spirit to teach knitting. She runs her classes very differently - staying with the pupils as long as they need her. This is where the patience comes into play. Every Saturday morning, I join her for what I call Round Table Teaching. (The table is really rectangle, but Rectangle Table Teaching sounds weird.) Eager students sit around the table - knitting on various projects and all at their own speed. Some are making socks, some scarves, some afghan squares. Marie is there to help anyone with whatever they need. One minute she could be teaching someone how to do a yarn over (YO) and the next, she is ripping out someones mistakes. (Usually mine.) Did I mention she has a LOT of patience?! Some mornings, everyone is knitting away without problems. Other days - Marie is very, very busy. And she always has a smile and a funny little quip to keep us laughing. It's a good group of knitters. I am glad I found them.

Still working on that other FIRST pair of socks. One is finished and I am working the toe decrease on the other. I have also started 2 other pairs! I have also started many other projects. Too many. Must.Finish.Some. Details and pictures soon.