#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.

#3. 90 Days Then & Now

Wow, I have been gone a long time. It wasn't lazy-ness or busy-ness that kept me away from all my readers. Not at all. It was all just a test. A simple little exam. Just to see if my devoted followers really cared about my painful attempt at learning to knit. Obviously you do. You are still here. Both of you. Thanks. Your patience is overwhelming.

Anyway, it's good to be back.

What has changed in the last three months? Let's see. I learned what PSSO and K2TOG mean (and I can even do them!). I became an orphan. Spring sprung. I signed up for my first (and second) sock class. I completed my first sock class. I finished my first sock. (note singular) I finished a couple more squares for my Learn to Knit Sampler Afghan. I started a Log Cabin Blanket. I got a new truck. I inherited a newer truck. I discovered free shipping on KnitPicks website. I took advantage of free shipping on KnitPicks website entirely too often. I got a new compact camera. I started my Spring cleaning.

What hasn't changed in the last three months? Well, I still don't know how to pick up gusset stitches. I don't even know what a freaking gusset is! I haven't completed a knitting project. (Because I possess two feet, I don't believe sock (singular) counts as a completed project.) I haven't used that new camera to document my projects in progress. I haven't adjusted to being an orphan. I haven't seen the Grand Canyon. I haven't finished my Spring cleaning.

What is planned for the next three months? I am going to take pictures of my knitting projects and post them on my fantastic, reader inspired blog. I am going to start entirely too many new knitting projects. I am going to take advantage of more free shipping offers. I am going to organize my stash of yarn. I am going to own several pairs of completed hand knit socks. I am going to finish some knitting projects. I am going to blog more often. I am going to learn how to SSP and pick up gusset stitches. I am going to finish my Spring cleaning.

Let's get started...

#2. Idleness

I will never get any readers if I don't post anything. I needed one more post for December so my archives for 2008 don't look at pitiful as my knitting.

Speaking of knitting since this is supposed to be a knitting blog, this is how my journey began:

I have wanted to learn to knit for many, many years. The whole concept of taking some pretty yarn and turning it into something useful (or something other than a skein of yarn) was an exciting proposition. The desire was there - the knowledge was missing.

My Grandmother crocheted. My Mother crocheted. Both were very good. Impressive. Grandma tried teaching me. My only accomplishment was a cast on chain that extended about 12 miles. I ripped it out and did it again. I did finally learn to the single crochet and the double crochet. Even made a plain ole "afghan" that consisted of strictly double crochet stitches, uneven sides, and measured about 2 feet long. Never got too much past that.

Neither knew how to knit and I didn't know anyone who could knit - so lessons were hard to come by. As a young adult, I found a class listed in an adult education brochure. The class was tauted as beginning crochet/knit classes. I sent in my $10 and anxiously awaited my first class. I was the youngest student by about 40 years. All the other students wanted to learn to crochet, so the teacher focused on that. I think I might have managed to learn how to make a slip knot, but that was about all I learned from that class.

Fast forward several years. I am now the mother of two toddlers and I have a mother in law that knits beautiful blankets, booties and sweaters. Unfortunately, she lived many states away and lessons were not possible. Instead, I began a long term love affair with counted cross stitch. I was already fairly good with a sewing machine - making almost all the clothes for the kids and myself. Counted cross stitch was my surrogate knitting. I was able to create a multitude of designs with a needle and thread. Not quite knitting, but it satisfied my desire to make something from woven materials.

I never got over the "I wanna learn to knit" phase though. A few years ago, I once again decided to take up the yarn and needles and see if I could teach myself to knit. I bought all the "Teach Yourself to Knit In a Day" books I could find. No luck. I couldn't even figure out how to cast on. I stared at pictures, I watched videos online - nothing clicked. I mentioned to a friend at work that I wanted to learn to knit but my bumble brain was too dense to figure out how to even start. She immediately took my needles and yarn and within 5 minutes, I had mastered the "Slingshot Method" and was beside myself! I spent hours casting on, uncasting on and then casting on again.

I guess I thought the rest would just fall into place once the knitting brain cells were activated. It took some practice, but I finally mastered the knit stitch. I started collecting my yarn stash at that very moment. I bought skeins and skeins of bulky weight yarn and started my first mission. I was going to knit scarves for all the women at work. Part way through the first scarf, I decided it wasn't nice enough to give as a gift. It wasn't even worthy of using to mop the floor. It was hideous. Uneven tension. Crooked rows. Bleah! I couldn't begin to pass this off as a handmade gift with "character".

So, I did what any good crafter would do. I improvised. I went back to the big box craft store and bought some furry yarn. I discovered that knitting some of that furry yarn with the multi-colored bulky yarn produced a decent looking scarf. And that furry stuff hid almost all the imperfections. I knitted up a ton of those furry, fuzzy scarves and passed them out at Christmas. Everyone smiled politely. I am sure they were wondering what on earth they were going to do with this shaggy gift. I didn't care. I was knitting!

I bought a "Teach Yourself to Knit" kit. It came with some yarn, some needles, and some instructions to make a hat and a scarf. I had already mastered the scarf, so I thought I would whip up my first hat. I knitted that hat up within a few days. It was just a panel like the scarves I had been making. I was the Queen of Rectangles! After knitting, I sewed up the seam and proudly displayed my new hat. My daughter and her friends promptly pointed out that the top looked like cow udders. Okay, so maybe it did. But was it really necessary to pass the hat around, taking turns putting it on and Mooooo-ing like a freaking bovine?! I think not!

I continued making scarves. Tons of them. All colors. All sizes. All with just the garter stitch. It was the only one I knew. I still have a bag of them somewhere.

To be continued......

#1. It's Official

I am a Blogger.

I have my own little spot on the World Wide Web.

A place where I can write about anything I choose.

I have picked my topic.

Knitting.

Not that I am an expert on that subject. Far from it.

Really, really far from it.

But I have learned you don't have to know a thing about a subject in order to write about it.

And I am going to prove it.

Right here.

I think I will label myself a Novice Knitter. A brand new Knitter.

I know nothing about Knitting.

But I want to learn.

I want to learn it all.

I want to know all about such things as PSSO's and SSK's.

I want to be a pro at P2TOG's and YO's and DPN's and KTBL and....well, you get the idea.

I have to decided to document my journey of learning.

Right here.

At my own little spot on the World Wide Web.

Welcome.