Stash Down Buffet

I've got my work cut out for me this year:  Two large afghans for the nieces, another blanket, and the Spirit Trail Fiberworks* Stash Down projects.

I'm hoping giving myself these marching orders will cut down on my crafting distractibility. Oh, call it what it is, outright attention deficit disorder.  It's what led to a closet and a half full of yarn, a slew of unfinished projects, and a general sense of chaos.

I've winnowed the huge pile of Spirit Trail Fiberworks down to this:

Which I hope to turn into this:

1.  Finish the (unpictured) unfinished:

Hidden Gusset Mitts
Glasgow Rose Shawl
Caissa Sweater

2.  Start and finish the unstated (clockwise from upper left):

Brigantia (Sweater Club 2014 blue)  Laurie pullover  Worked at a loose gauge, this should be a quick knit, and be a great sweater to wear with jeans.  It is knit without seams, but I may add faux seams after the fact because I like the structure, and I am too lazy to work out how to knit it in pieces.

Verdande (Sweater Club 2014 red) Adventurous cardigan.  A more ambitious project, but the yarn has excellent stitch definition and will do justice to the cables.  This is a very long coat sweater.  Since I may be a little short of yarn, the fact that it is knit from the top down is a plus.

Birte (Inkheart, Saffron, Glencoe, Graphite, Rosewood) Oslo Shawl.  After much procrastination:  color work.  One knitter commented that this was a good beginning colorwork project.

Sunna (Knitting Club yarn crimson and green) Faberge.  I have loved this pattern since the minute I saw it, and have dithered for years about what yarns to use.  This one is knit from the ruffled edging up, which will be fun, and for although I am someone whose wardrobe resemble's that of a yoga-pant- wearing nun's, I do love a bit of beaded bling.

3.  I'll be throwing in a design project or too, yarn to be announced.

Wish me luck.



*The auto-correct wants to substitute "Fireworks" for "Fiberworks" which is appropriate when you look at the intense, luminous colors of the yarn.

Blocked Blocks

Block is one of those great old words that sounds like what it means:  like a stump, like a chunk, like a stop.  But in spite of all that solidity,  my blocks are progressing.

I've completed three for Molly's Afghan and have decided to think ahead, beyond the blocks, to the point a few months from now when I am faced with 63 individual squares and the task of putting them all together.



From the Learn to Knit Afghan Book: Basketweave (#3) and Garter
Stripe (#1) and a wild card square--
Letter "M".

I'll do what finishing I can as I go:  weave in the ends,  wet block,  and edge with the contrasting color.  Today I merely steam blocked to see what the dimension of the square would be:  8.5 X 8.5 inches.  A bit larger than my estimate, but not so much as to radically alter the size of the finished item.  As long as I keep to my gauge, I should have plenty of yarn.

I've assembled granny square afghans before, and the sewing or crocheting together isn't all that onerous, particularly in the presence of some bingeworthy television.

So I am looking forward to how righteously smug I'm going to feel when it comes time to put it all together.   Here's hoping that smugness doesn't go before a stumble.

Toolsday: Substituting Made Easy

I know I'm not the only one who falls in love with a pattern which calls for a hard-to-get yarn or calls out to me in a period of needing to shop the stash, not the store. I also find myself designing patterns with well-aged stashlings that have been discontinued.

In the process of writing what I thought would be today's post, I came across a newish website that takes some of the headache out of substituting yarns:  YarnSub

Run by Wendy Petersen of the muddy sheep blog, this is an extremely easy-to-use resource.  You enter the name of the yarn you want to substitute for and up pops a detailed description of the yarn (fiber, gauge, yardage, etc.) and list of possible subs.  The substitute candidates are listed in the order of how closely they match, and this is spelled out in detail.  If you don't like arithmetic or can't find your calculator, the listing includes the per ball equivalence.

The interface of YarnSub is very clean and features a soothing blue color scheme. As someone with horrible eyesight I appreciate those elements and the large clear font and the lots-of-white space format in which information is displayed.

The big-name yarns are there, but so are a lot of the independent dyers and smaller producers.  In some cases, a link is provided for buying the yarn, particularly useful for some of the less widely available brands.

The site also includes articles on substituting in general, watching, and yarn characteristics.

The science of yarn substitution.

I've bookmarked it for myself, and I know that it will be well-clicked.

I Heart Ravelry

I have been a member of ravelry since it was in Beta, now almost eight years ago.  I've made friends, published patterns, planned my knitting and crocheting, kept track of my projects, discussed books, spent hours admiring the extraordinary handwork of others, and picked up any number of tips.

On Monday I was reminded of why I love ravelry so much.  Before blogging about it, I posted the afghan project to my ravelry notebook.  In a flash, I had a message from a rav friend who gave me some friendly advice about the Cascade 220 Superwash:  the dark green runs when you wash it.  She had knit something with two of the very colors I had chosen and had that experience, with the off-white becoming a dingy gray.  She took the time to send me a message. We've never met, aren't in regular correspondence, just friends who happen to see what each other is up to, and who are willing to share experience. How angelic is that?

katrog hearts teresa2t

Crafty Resolutions for 2013

No, I haven't parted ways with consensual reality.  No, it's not a typo.

Back at the end of 2012 I listed some goals for 2013.  One of them was to learn Brioche Knitting.  I bought Nancy Marchant's book.  I enrolled in a Craftsy course.  But no Brioche. Not in 2013.  Not in 2014. Oh, sorry, you mean I actually have to pick up needles and yarn and do something?

It's a pattern.  My shelves are heaped with instructional materials.  My devices are stuffed with educational apps. Let's not talk about the oddball devices I've stockpiled:  the pom-pom maker, the tiny loom, the I-cord spool, the jewelry pliers.  I could start a  craft store with the supplies in my closet.

When it came time to think about what I wanted  to learn in 2015,  I didn't have to waste an iota of brain power. I had all these perfectly good resolutions left over from previous year-end dreaming, and  recycling is  a good idea, right?

So I looked up my Craftsy password, grabbed yarn and needles, and gave it a go.  Progress to date: a bit more than halfway through the sample swatch in Lesson 1.  That wasn't so hard now, was it?  Anyone else with a recycled resolution?

Beating the Rush

I may be guilty of rushing the retrospective season, but I'm going to take a look back at my crafting year. There's a lot not to like, so I want to get it over sooner rather than later.  Then I can get on to the much more entrancing project of Pie in the Sky, or, Plans for Next Year.

2014: My Year in Crafting or The Little Engine That Couldn't

But before the pie, the penance, and so to the examination of a crafter's conscience:

Did I learn the new skills I planned to this year?

Brioche knitting? Stranded knitting? Nope, not a bit of either.  I signed up for a Craftsy course, bought a book or two, but that's as far as my education went.  Not only did I not learn something new, but I think I lost a few skills I thought I had, like counting.

Did I improve my picture-taking?

Some of my photos look better, but not because I really started focusing on composition or the quality of light.  What I did was use a microfiber rag to clean off the camera aperture on my phone.  Amazing  what a little housekeeping can do.

Did I make this the Year of the Sweater and the Sock?

Oh, dear, seduced by the quick and the colorful once again.  I did complete one sweater for myself, with a second about 85 percent finished which has slightly more than a snowball's chance in hell of completion by year end.  I knit four pairs of socks. Do the Frankenmitts count? They should, there's as much knitting as a sock, but without the complication of Kitchener Stitch.  So, I'll just count them in: five sock or sock equivalents, with one more pair of each on the needles.

Actually, I did complete one other top for myself, (I hesitate to call it a sweater, it's more of a lacy muuu-muu), but I think it is headed to the compost heap.  It's too dire for the donation bin, and I just can't bear the thought of frogging all those yards of fuzzy silk-linen.

Anything positive to report?

Stash accumulation diminished quite a bit, although de-stash foundered.  I did haul my sewing machine from the back of the closet and completed some minor home-sewing and clothing alterations.

I don't want to make any excuse except to say that 2014 has been a stressy year, with a lot of distractions.  This year, the knitting and crocheting took the place of the comfort food I couldn't eat.

Comfort crafting, like comfort food,  is more soporific than stimulating.  It doesn't engender much of a feeling of accomplishment, just a sense of time spent.  It can be soothing until it becomes just plain boring. There is a place for it, of course, just like there's a place for mac and cheese or a soft blankie, but I'm hoping for something a bit more adventurous in 2015.  Colorwork, here I come.

Square Interlude

Still working on the Hell Train Socks, which feel like they have been knit twice over what with all the pulling out and reknitting. Still haunted by the unknit sleeves of the green cardigan which are  two lumps of  yarn yet to be cast on. It's not been a good year for the crafting team, but I am thinking about how to make next year better.  Yeah, me and the Red Sox.

The bright spot was completing two afghan squares for a group project.  Pure pleasure. I swatched, determined the number of stitches I needed, cast on, knit, washed, blocked, and smiled.

Both stitch patterns are from the Learn-to-Knit Afghan Book by Barbara G. Walker.  The cabled square is knit in Cascade 220 Superwash in Sky Blue, the other in Classic Elite Liberty Wool in Smoky Bonfires.  Both patterns look good on the front and the back. Both were quick and fun to knit. Both washable yarns were a pleasure to work with.

I think I know where to find my  2015 knitting, what with two nieces graduating high school and all, and my own need to go back to elementary knitting school.

Greetings from Planet Narcissus

It's been a long few months but autumn is a time for new beginnings and though I've been gone from this space, I haven't forgotten about it.  And, I am shocked to discover, people still come over and take a look.  Thank you.

It's WIP Wednesday, so here's a couple of the many, many unfinished items lurking about.

For the crocheters:  Treasures in the Sand wrap.  It's worked lengthwise in four main colors with one contrasting color.  I'm using Brooklyn Tweed Loft in Soot, Sap, Sweatshirt, (which are pictured from bottom to top) and in Woodsmoke and Fossil (which a ways from joining the party--those rows are lo-o-o-ng). It's fun to work because the stitches are varied every few rows.

For the knitters, and procrastinators:  Caissa cardigan.  I began this in February of 2013.  For shame! I have completed the back and the two fronts.  The sleeves remain to be seen.

Autumn is the time of old (very old) beginnings as well, and in the spirit of blogger narcissism, I will celebrate my birthday with a giveaway.



Wish me a happy birthday in the comments and then I will pluck the magic twanger and generate a random number and send that person a surprise.  Okay, this is a knit and crochet blog, I think you can guess that the surprise is going to be yarn.

Visit Tami's Amis to see what others are up to in the craft-o-sphere.

A Storm of Finishing

Many things have come off the hooks and needles in the last couple of weeks in a holiday frenzy.  Here are some of them:

1.  Vertiginous (San Juan Bautista Shawl KAL)

Interesting construction and a nice birthday gift for my sister.

2.  Erica (Woolly Wormhead Mystery KAL Hat)

This is a wonderful hat; be sure to check out the many finished hats on ravelry to see how cute the version with the peaked brim is.


4.  Beetle Hill (Infinity Scarf)

Gift for my niece, it is a chunky version of the Fisher Hill Cowl I made for myself. I used two yarns held together, a worsted weight plus a sock yarn.

Now go on over to Tami's Amis and see what else has come off the hooks and needles this week.

The FIre Is Quenched FO

Finished the Rosie's Firestarter Socks. There was a bit of pooling over the instep and gusset, but what's a little pooling when the socks are so fiery. This picture was taken on a very overcast day and you can see how bright they are. Not in focus, but bright:)

I love the fit of these socks, and will surely knit them again, most likely with a more subdued color. They feature a simple lace pattern down the outer side of each sock, a Welsh heel, and a fitted arch. Enough to be interesting but not so complicated that you have to focus on directions or charts every moment.

I've already started the next socks from Novel Socks, Izzy's Bouncing Blues. Heather Ordover had the clever idea to supplement her book Grounded with an e-book of sock patterns inspired by the seven main characters. One pattern is released every two or three weeks.

To be inspired by other finished items, take a look at Tami's Amis. It's not just knitting and crocheting. One of my favorite projects didn't involve yarn at all, only found objects. See it here.

KAL-WIP

November means another Woolly Wormhead Mystery Hat Knitalong. This is one of the best KAL's around: Woolly's hat patterns are unmatched for clarity, detail, and sizing flexibility; the ravelry group is very supportive; the hats are always flattering and beautiful. And since it's a hat it isn't a huge commitment of time or materials.

Mystery KAL Details

The official start is November 1, and although I've chosen the yarn, I haven't knit a swatch.

Fearless Fibers Merino-Cashmere-Nylon

Be sure to visit Tami's Amis to see what others have in the works.

This WIP's On Fire

Watch out for your eyes again. This time it's the yarn, not the needles.

Rosie's Firestarter Socks from Novel Knits, socks inspired by the characters in Grounded The Seven, Book 1. There's a KAL over on ravelry.

Fun to knit. Lots of stockinette, but it's never boring because there is a simple stitch pattern over ten of the stitches, a Welsh heel, and a fitted arch.

I've finished the heel gussets and am ready to move on to the foot. I've been knitting them in tandem over two sets of DPN's.

My feet feel warm just looking at this yarn, and I'll be wearing them under my boots this winter.

You can see what others have in the works by following the links at Tami's Amis. 

Toolsday: Watch Out for Your Eyes

I've been using my new double-pointed needles this week. Made by Kollage, they are square with pointy tips that could take your eye out.

Kollage 5-inch DPN's US 0/2.0mm

On the plus size they are made of aluminum, so light you'll feel like the sly tailors in The Emperor's New Clothes sewing with invisible needles. They are easy to grip, and as promised, stitches are more even. In a pinch you could jam a couple of olives on them and use them as cocktail picks.

However, combined with the yarn I am using(sock yarn with high nylon content)the knitting is a real slipfest. I use DPN's frequently and prefer to put the stitches on three needles, but had to switch to four. I now wish I had bought the 6-inch size.
They are also extremely easy to misplace, in spite of the red color.

The Goad of Boredom FO

Never underestimate the power of boredom as a motivator. I wanted this to be finished before October and it was, but what got me through the last few reps was my sheer boredom. Lovely pattern(Longshadows by Anne Hanson of knitspot) lovely yarn,(Nona from Spirit Trail Fiberworks) but I just wanted to never see it again in my knitting bag, on my lap being worked on, or in my WIP list.

So long, Longshadows! See you around my shoulders.

Now go see some more finished projects at Tami's.

Cruise WIP

Feel like I'm cruising on the Good Ship Lollipop--easy stitch pattern--good progress--to the armhole and beyond! Hope to finish the back in the next day or two.

Blocking will smooth it out.

Caissa sweater designed by Anne Hanson of knitspot. Interesting interview with her on Patternfish in which she discusses how she has grown her design business.

Hope everyone else is making good progress as the season winds down. Take a look: Tami's Amis.

Danger to Everyone...and Socks!

Take a teenaged girl with dangerous abilities and an unusual family history, send her to a psychic boot camp run by her aunt, add a meeting with a new boy--and include some knitting! How can I resist? 

Heather Ordover, host of the Craftlit podcast and editor of the What Would Madame Defarge Knit? books, has written her first novel, Grounded: The Seven (Book 1), a Young Adult title.



You can pre-order now for delivery in the first week of October. 
Grounded is available in various formats, both print and digital, and an audiobook is in the works. I ordered an autographed paperback and a Kindle copy. Sign up for the mailing list for updates and offers and to find out about patterns inspired by the characters and KAL's. 

I'm hoping for some tips that will give my pointy sticks some super knitty powers, but, if not, I know the book will be a blast and the ravelry group will be a fun place to hang out.

F is for Finished

Pattern now available.
Free on ravelry.

One thing that is finished is the pattern for the scarf I posted in FOF a couple of weeks ago.  Absaroka is available as a free pdf download on ravelry. The stitch pattern is easy but yields an interesting texture that looks good on both sides and is appropriate for both men and women. It's a nice one-skein project for 180-200 yards(165-185m)of a heavy worsted or aran weight yarn. The sample was knit in Berocco Lustra, a 50-50 Wool-Tencel blend.

Note to self: remember to hit the Activate key on ravelry once the pdf is loaded otherwise the download link won't be there. Duh! The link is there now. Can I blame my mental lapse on the Blue Moon or was it just a shortage of 
caffeine?






Second thing that is finished this week is the Wild Iris cowl. Another winner from The Book of Cowls by Sivia Harding. I bought this e-book on faith on the strength of the first pattern (Sublimity). I rarely knit more than one item from any book, and I have cast-on for the first three as soon as each pattern was released--and have completed them all.

My wardrobe runs to earth-toned solid colors in extremely simple shapes, so I enjoy having a lot of cowls and scarves to choose from so that I don't disappear into the treescape  So far the cowls have involved interesting textures with Sivia's signature beading. Two have used Moebius construction.

For this one I used red beads with gold metallic luster, which give just a bit of sparkle. The button is one of a set of four I bought a couple of years ago which never found a good use until now. Good thing I never got into stockpiling buttons the way I stockpiled yarn. Then again, they would take up lots less space.

If you've made this far, jump on over to Tami's Amis to see what the others have completed this week.

Can't Get FO Satisfaction

Two small finished items this week: prototypes for a neck warmer/scarf pattern. Two sizes, both are one-skein projects.

When something is as simple as this, every detail counts, and there is one more go around until I'm satisfied with the border.

Not exactly rocket science, but taxing enough for my ever-dwindling brain cells.

Look for one more version, plus pattern in a week or two.

Look for many more finished projects at Tami's Amis FO Friday.

Double WIP'd

Doesn't look like much, but it's twice what it was a couple of days ago.

Playing with the Over app is a lot quicker than knitting.

Weather has taken a turn for the cooler so it's time to get going on this cozy, relaxed sweater. Caissa, a knitspot design. Haven't had much time to work on my various projects this week, but hope to get some traction on this one because I really want to be wearing it.

Thank you for not asking about the stranded mittens. Maybe not the best choice for learning the technique. Right now I'm baffled by options for holding the two colors of yarn. Way too many videos and tutorials out there:) From what I've tried, it's like the old game of trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time.

To see lots better progress, visit Tami's Amis WIP Wednesday and click through to participants blogs. You'll be impressed.

Color Me Nervous KAL

That's not the name of the KAL, that's just me with some trepidation over stranded color work. It's really Meg Warren's KAL for Counting Crows mittens from What (Else) Would Madame Defarge Knit starting today in the WWMDFK ravelry group.
The pattern is so beautiful that I am motivated to move way out of my comfort zone in terms of technique if not of color. Seem to be working with a lot of gray and other muted colors lately.

The March Hare hand dyed
70% merino/30%silk
Raven's Wing & Sterling

Wish me luck with the strands. I would like to get through this without either cursing or crying, but those knitting deities, they love to laugh at poor mortals so I am not optimistic.