Falling behind

Whoops. It's the end of February, and I've actually finished a grand total of 2 projects for the 52 in 52 in 2011 group. Between being tired and being an ADD knitter, not much is getting done. I have to be in trainings every day next week, so I'm putting together yarn, needles, and patterns and gearing up to get several small projects going so that I can get caught up.

I've had several single skeins of Malabrigo worsted and chunky sitting around for quite some time now. I've gotten them over the years when I needed one more skein to get free shipping, saw a color I really liked but didn't have much money to spend on multiple skeins, or had some vague idea of what I would do with x-and-so colorway but never wrote it down. I pulled all of those out the other night and started pairing up patterns with yarns, knowing that I have a week of training coming up. I've heard from others who have been to this training that the trainers provide Play-Doh, pipe cleaners, crayons, and such for everyone since they figure you have to have some form of ADD in order to work in social services. (If you've met me, you know it's true!) I figure I'll take my knitting, since it's my way of keeping my hands busy. If they're going to let folks play with Play-Doh or color, I should be able to knit, right? Plans are for hats, fingerless mitts, and cowls over the course of this week, so I'm hoping that I'll have at least 3-4 new FOs by next weekend! Maybe I'll actually get around to posting some photos on this blog! SHOCKER!

Better get back to pairing, winding yarn, and getting cast on rows done. I figure I can knit simple patterns to my heart's content, but worrying about casting on the proper number of stitches should be done when I don't also need to be paying attention to my trainers. :)

Better get moving...

Ha, as is typical for me, I started something new and quickly fizzled out. I do have several projects to work on, I just don't seem to be getting stuff done.

I did go and visit a yarn shop that opened last fall. It's over an hour from where I live, so I doubt I'll visit often, but I wanted to see what it was all about. I haven't really found an LYS that I feel a connection with since leaving North Carolina. There's something about finding a yarn shop where I feel comfortable and connected that helps keep my knitting mojo in high gear. The new shop is cute and I did enjoy chatting with the owner, but once again it's not the kind of shop that makes me desperate to go back and visit again. At this rate, I'm going to have to visit every yarn shop in Iowa in order to find one! *sigh*

I did find a skein of Kauni Effektgarn in a colorway that's incredible, and I can't wait to start a new shawl with it. The shop had a shawl on display made with a different colorway and I can just envision it in my colorway. Alas, the pattern calls for the same needle size I blogged about earlier. I may have screamed and swore a little. UGH. Here's hoping I can finish the blasted Citron and free up those needles to get started on new wonderful things!

The plight of the knitter...

Second week of the year and I'm already on my third project cast on. I'm definitely an "ooh, shiny!" kind of knitter, which means I go through some serious fits of cast on-itis. Deciding to be a part of the 52 in 52 in 2011 group means I have even more excuse to indulge my inner ADKD (attention deficit knitting disorder).

This weekend the plan was to indulge the desire to cast on and start a lace project. I haven't done any large lace projects in a while and it's high time I start another. My first choice wasn't really a "lace" project, but it is knit with lace yarn. It's a lovely little shawl and I knew I had the perfect yarn for it. I pulled out my yarn, patiently wound all 1400 yards of it, looked up the necessary needle size, pulled out my needle case... and discovered that I don't have the correct size circular needle in the right length. Funny thing, since I have an interchangeable needle set. The reason I don't have what I need is that my needles are currently tied up in other projects. Oh, the pain of being a multiple projects at once knitter. Theoretically, I could take the interchangeable tips off of the current project, but I know me and I know I'd NEVER finish if I do that.

Feeling a little annoyed, I worked a few rows on the offending project already in progress, remembered why it was still in progress and not finished, and put it back in the box it came from. I was a good knitter and pulled out the baby sweater for a while, and then did some other things around the house. So now I have a nicely prepped ball of yarn and pattern, but no needles. Strike 1.

Later in the day, I found an INCREDIBLE lace pattern that I have to cast on as soon as humanly possible. It's beautiful, it's amazing, it's complex and intricate, in a nutshell, everything I've been looking for in a lace pattern. I have a gorgeous cone of dark green, merino/silk blend lace yarn and I just know it will be the perfect yarn for the pattern. Look up the needle size... and... CRAP. It's the same size required as the first non-started one. Dang, dang, dang. Stuck again.

Knit a few more rows on the offending project already in progress, which is now taking up the needles I need for TWO projects I REALLY want to start. Was reminded even more forcibly why that project is a pain in the butt (even though I know it will be lovely once complete).

Today, I didn't bother with lace, didn't bother with patterns that would have anything whatsoever to do with lace or those confounded needles, and looked for a quick project that will easily be finished in a couple of days.

I'm knitting a hat with Malabrigo Chunky yarn and big honkin' needles. I feel (mostly) better.

I did it!

On New Year's Day, I started a hat because working with the cotton for the baby sweater was driving me bonkers. Oh, how I love Malabrigo yarns- gorgeous colorways, SUPER soft, and comes in several different weights. It's wonderful stuff. I decided to make the Thorpe hat (Ravelry link) with some Malabrigo Chunky in the Purple Mystery colorway. It's knit from the top down, which is a bit different than most hat patterns, so getting it started was a bit of an adventure. Once I got through the first few increases, the hat flew off the needles and was finished rather quickly.

Well, almost.

See, to finish the hat, I needed to do a crochet border. Previous attempts at crochet have resulted in me strangling my crochet hooks with the yarn and being extremely frustrated that I just couldn't figure it out. I knew the hat just wouldn't look complete without the border, so I pulled up You Tube and watched a couple of videos of the crochet stitch I needed to perform.

After a couple of viewings, I pulled out a swatch and started working. Somehow, my hands figured it out and I was working the half double crochet on the swatch. When I picked up the hat tonight to attempt to finish the actual project, I somehow remembered what I needed to do and managed to not put too much tension on the yarn!

I still need to weave in a few ends, add the braids (and possibly a tassel if I feel like it), but the hard part is over and I'm really happy with how it turned out. Keep an eye out here for photos of the finished hat!

52 in 52 in 2011

This year, one of my goals is to knit more- more gifts, more fun stuff, and more things to show off. I adore knitting, but sometimes I need some motivation to pick up the needles and string. Even though I know it calms my troubled spirit, some days I just don't pick up the projects when I really should.

Through a friend (Thanks, Ria!), I found a group on Ravelry that's all about getting projects done. The idea behind the group is to start and finish 52 projects in 52 weeks, or about one project per week. There's no specific type of project that has to be done, so it's entirely up to the knitter's whim. Theoretically, small projects which can be completed quickly make up for larger projects which may take several weeks. Also, if I decide to learn a new type of fiber art (i.e. crocheting or spinning), I believe completing these projects count as well.

I have several ideas for gifts throughout the year, so this will be a good motivation for me. I pulled out my entire stash today and matched up some yarn with patterns, so I've got several things ready to start. I don't have anywhere near 52 projects specifically planned, but I fear that may overwhelm me, so I'll just pair up 5-6 projects at a time.

Today I started the first of the projects, Plymouth Yarn's Baby Placket Pullover, a baby sweater for my niece who is due in April. It's a kit I purchased a couple of years ago and comes complete with yarn (Plymouth Yarns Cotton Kisses), pattern, and buttons. The pattern has two versions, one a pullover and the other a traditional cardigan style. I chose to go with the pullover style since I liked the styling better in the photos. I'm doing the 6-9 month size, that way it will be big enough for the baby to wear for a while and there's less risk that it will forever be too small for her. This project has already reminded me that I'm not a fan of cotton yarns, because they naturally have less stretch than wool and can be much harder on the hands. I'm glad this is a baby project, because it will be done faster and then I can go back to my beloved wool and wool blends!

Whoa...

Wow, it's been a good long time since I last posted. Guess I really didn't have much to say about things and don't know that I do even now.

Still knitting as much as possible, but most nights I'm too tired to do anything other than stare at the computer or TV. I hope I can get all of my holiday knitting done and not lose my mind!

DONE

I'm done. I'm tired of it, I'm over it, I'm done. There's just no point in putting myself through this crap. I didn't do anything wrong, I busted my ass to try and make everyone happy, I keep slogging along with it because they say they appreciate it, but I really feel like no one gives a crap. I'm barely hanging on by a thread, and no one notices. I've given all I can give, and I feel like no one's giving in return.

Why do I care?

Eye Pillow pattern

I created this for a friend. It's a simple knit, and only takes a few hours. (Photo tutorial coming soon!)

EYE PILLOW

Materials:

Yarn- Malabrigo Silky Merino, 1 skein (150 yds) or yarn of your choice

Needles- US4 DPNs (3.50mm), set of 5

1.5-2 cups rice or filling of your choice

1 knee high nylon stocking (preferably new :) )

sewing needle and length of sewing thread to close stocking

tapestry needle

Method:

CO 24 sts.

Row 1: kfb each st Row 2: *sl 1 wyif, k1*, repeat * to * across row

Repeat row 1 until piece is 1 inch long.

Separate sides of piece using 2 DPNs.---Holding the 2 DPNs side by side in one hand (like an equals sign), slip the first stitch onto the back DPN, the second stitch onto the front DPN, the third stitch onto the back DPN, the fourth stitch onto the front DPN, and so on. You should find yourself with a tube of knitting that is now open at the working end.

Begin knitting in the round (knit every stitch), dividing the stitches on each single DPN onto 2 DPNS, so that you have 4 DPNs with 12 sts each at the end of this round.

Continue knitting all stitches in the round until piece measures 8 inches long.

DO NOT BIND OFF, LEAVE ALL STS ON THE NEEDLES!!

FILLING- I used a knee high nylon and rice to fill my eye pillow. Fill the foot of a knee high stocking with approx. 1.5-2 cups of rice. Check your fit by shaping rice to just smaller than the dimensions of your knitted tube. When you have a sufficient amount of rice, carefully fold nylon in half at the point where the rice-filled nylon fits the dimensions of the knitted tube, and sew the fold closed (try to keep the nylon from bunching as you stitch, it will fit more comfortably into the knitted tube when it's complete). Turn open end of nylon inside out around rice-stuffed foot to help keep the nylon from stretching too wide. Slide nylon filling between DPNs and into knitted tube.

FINISHING- You now need to get the stitches on your DPNs back onto two needles, so continuing where you left off in the round, slip the stitches from the first 2 DPNs onto a single DPN and the stitches from the last 2 DPNs of the round onto a single DPN. Be sure that your DPNs are parallel to the seam at the beginning of your work, so that the shape doesn't end up wonky. Now, starting at your working yarn and using a 3rd DPN, knit the first stitch on the front needle together with the first stitch on the back needle, then the second stitch on the front needle together with the second stitch on the back needle, and so on across the row to close the end of your work. Bind off on the following row (I used the sewn bind off method). Enjoy!

Post edited 6/29/2009 for pattern clarity. Photos to come.

Google Reader

This whole Google Reader thing is a lot easier and more fun than I thought it would be.  Huh, guess I should have joined the bandwagon sooner!

A disconcerting dream...

I don't generally remember my dreams, so let me start by saying it's odd I even remember this dream.  To remember it so vividly as well, this is what disconcerts me the most.  

I dreamed that I was sitting at the kitchen table in my parents' home (the way it looked before they remodeling).  Mom and I were sitting at the table with a pastor that I know from a church I've visited a couple of times in my travels.  I'm not sure where Dad was, but he was somewhere in another room.  Anyway, either Mom or the pastor said something, and my response, though not actual swear words, was something impertinent and taken to be the equivalent of swearing.  The pastor looked at me and said "That's not a very faithful thing to say."  I sat up in my chair, got in his face, and said "I'm struggling with my faith right now and I'm trying to find my way and it's hard.  When you say something like that to me, it makes me want to quit trying and walk away. "  I was quite brusque in my tone, and Dad came into the room and told me that I was being rude to our guest (my parents have never met this pastor, to my knowledge).  I looked at my dad and told him what the pastor had said to me, then told him of my response, and then said, "In fact, I've lost my appetite, so I'm going to leave now.", and left the room.  

Then I woke up with my thoughts and words swirling around in my head.  Truth be told, I am struggling with my faith a little.  I look around me and see difficult times and poor decisions flying every which way in my own life and the lives of my friends, and I wonder where God is in all of this mess.  My religious background tells me that God is here with me, with each and every one of us, as we seek a way forward to better days.  My heart tells me that I'm not dealing with this all alone.  My head tells me to move on, move forward, and forget about it.  I see people using God as an excuse and explanation all the time, but I don't see God at work.  I see selfish desires, fear of loneliness, fear of being forgotten and overlooked, and greed driving so many things around me.  In my own heart, I see jealousness, loneliness, hurt, confusion, anger, frustration, loss, and apathy.  I don't believe those who say that if I pray hard enough and do enough good that God will grant my heart's desires.  My religious background has taught me that I can do nothing to earn God's grace and mercy, it is a free gift.  With that, however, it means there's no contract, I do these things and help these people and say these things and God will do what I want.  God has control, and sometimes God, like any good parent, says no.  My head and my heart know these things, but they're having trouble following along and trusting the path that God has set before me.  Why does it matter what I say or what I do, if at the end of my days God forgives my transgressions and sets me free yet again?  

These are the things I struggle with.  Why does it matter?  Why does what I see in daily life not match with the promises God makes?  Why should I believe?  What do I believe, and what do I reject?

I just witnessed history

Not only did I witness history, I participated in history.  This election would have been unheard of 10 years ago when I had my first opportunity to vote.  Heck, this election would have been unheard of 5 years ago.  An African American man was elected the next President of the United States of America.  I'm sitting here on my couch listening to the news reports, watching Jesse Jackson cry on the TV screen, and realizing that this hope was not even considered possible 4 years ago.  I was lucky to hear Mr. Jackson speak live a few years ago, and I know he thought he'd never see this day in his lifetime.  To be honest, I never thought I would see this day in my lifetime.  Our country has issues, problems, and faults that will take at least my entire lifetime to resolve.  But today, I feel a rare joy in being an American citizen.  Today, I am honored and would shout it from the rooftops.  I witnessed and participated in history.  Congratulations, Senator Obama, I look forward to the day you take your post as President.

So, the plan to blog on a regular basis obviously didn't work out so well, as this is the first post since April.  Oops.  Funny thing is, the link sits in my bookmarks toolbar, mocking me on a daily basis.  Such is life.

I'm finding that my knitting passion waxes and wanes on an almost weekly basis.  When I have new projects or test knits, I'm a knitting fiend, without regard to the state of my hand, arm, and back muscles.  When I'm solely facing down the ever growing pile of WIPs, I find myself playing on Ravelry instead of knitting.  

I've finished 2 hats in the past couple of days, one a request from a friend and one a test knit. The first of the 2 hats was for my friend.  She's a knitting Muggle, so I hope she realizes I'm not going to just start over if she doesn't like what I made.  I picked a few patterns I thought she'd like and told her that she could either pick one or I'd set her up with the Ravelry pattern browser.  She chose the Eyelet Hat from Knit Simple magazine, Holiday 2008.  We discussed colors in depth (she wanted IA State red), and whether or not it should be washable (yes).  So I went with Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Superwash worsted in Shane's Red.  Being that she's in IA and I'm in NC, it's not like I can easily show her a picture.  The color on their website is WAY off on my monitor, so who knows how it might look to her.  Lord help her if she doesn't like the finished product, there's only so much I can do when one wants a unique color of red in superwash.  

The test knit was for a Ravelry friend, and a Malabrigo project.  Now, get used to the word Malabrigo in this blog.  I seriously think it's one of those words that needs to become so much more than just a company name.  Malabrigo, if you've never held it in your hands, is far and away the softest wool I have ever touched.  I love the stuff, and will knit with it until my fingers fall off (and my stash reflects my love for this yarn).  It's heaven to knit with and heaven to wear.  I also adore the kettle-dyed nature of the colorways.  The colorways of this yarn speak to my spirit in a way that few other things do.  The semi-solids create such interesting visual texture, and the variegated yarns have bursts of color to match my every mood.  It's beautiful stuff.  

Enough with the blithering on about Malabrigo, the test knit.  It's an interesting piece, definitely not a hat I would have made of my own accord, but it is growing on me.  I think I'm going to loop down the little point at the top, but otherwise I think it's not such an odd thing to wear.  At this point I'm just hoping to block it enough that it will fit my head comfortably.  I seem to have become a much tighter knitter than when I started long ago.  I hope I can get my gauge loosened up a bit though, it's easier on my hands and it's more in line with the way my Nana taught me to knit.  

One of these days I'll start adding photos and whatnot, but for now I think I'll just try and get myself to the point where I'm blogging regularly.  

short note

It's been a couple of days, but not much has happened.
Visited a massage therapist today, as my back muscles decided to form a knot around a nerve and squeeze the heck out of it. I love massage therapy. Would be even better if health insurance companies recognized the health benefits and were willing to pay.
Haven't been knitting much, mostly looking for new patterns. For some reason, I'm on a toy kick, pattern-wise. Who knows whether or not I'll actually knit them up, but it's fun to see the different constructions.
Still on the countdown to moving back to home-land again. Time seems to be ticking by really slowly. Ugh.

short rambling

Not much to say today. Last night after posting I finished a couple more repeats of the Clapotis scarf that's been on the needles for a while. It's really working up beautifully in the Mirasol Hacho I'm using. It's going to be narrower than the pattern calls for, as I want it to be more of a scarf width than a shawl or wrap. I may or may not post work-in-progress pictures at some point.
I enjoy seeing my knitting as it evolves into something more than a long string, watching one strand of yarn that's however thin or thick transform into fabric. A wrap or garment that's intended to keep someone warm, provide comfort in times of distress, or even just make someone feel appreciated. Knitting reminds me of times with family and friends, putting pieces of life together, and watching something new and wonderful come out of something thin and delicate.
On the flip side, I don't really want to look back at where something was when it was half finished. There's something sad to me about unfinished things, unfinished issues, an unfinished life. I know that someday I'll probably be halfway through a project that I'll not be around to finish, but I hope that there will be people who will pick up what's there and somehow make it into something complete. Maybe that's the beauty of it all, there are always people around to pick things up and continue what we've done with them. It's how we continue and stay close to the people who mean the most to us.

I've spent a lot of time on the Ravelry boards today, checking in on people's projects, ideas, and the multitude of ways people connect with one another. I think the groups tab is probably one of my favorite places on the site, because it seems like there's something for everybody. There are a bazillion ways to connect with others, to find people who share the same interests, cares, concerns, and interests. Granted, there's nothing like face-to-face interaction with another human being, but I think it's pretty dang awesome that it's almost impossible to feel alone in cyber-land.

My ramblings aren't as short as I intended, but I am going to stop now. G'night.

Fresh Start

I decided I needed a fresh start, a new way to organize my life and adventures. What better way to do that then to begin an entirely new blog, one (mostly) devoted to knitting and what it does for my life and psyche.
Knitting. Yep, that's what I do. It's how I fill my quiet times, destress, and often how I connect with other people. I feel like the people I know the best down here in my 2nd life land are fellow knitters. There's something satisfying and yet sad about realizing that the proprietors of the local yarn shops (LYS, for the knitting muggles), people I barely know, are the people that feel the most familiar to me. I have more fulfilling conversations with people in online knitting communities than I do with people at work or in the community. It's a little frightening to realize that if I didn't have knitting to get me out of the house looking for yarn, I'd probably never leave my house except for work.
Don't get me wrong, folks. I have friends, in fact I have a lot of wonderful friends. Problem is they're all back in home-land. Why do I live in 2nd life land? Well, I moved here for graduate school. Was in a program for a year and realized I wanted to be a researcher/professor about as much as I wanted to gouge my eyes out. :) I dropped out of the program, but moving wasn't really an option, because I felt like there were still things I needed to learn about myself, and I didn't see the point of continuing a nomadic life when I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my future. So I stayed here, in 2nd life land. I'm a 2-day drive from home-land, and of course as the cost of fuel rises, the mere mention of making a trip home makes my credit cards cry.
So here I stand. I can do no other. I'm learning about myself and my life, and knitting carries me through. There's a lot more to me and how I got here, but that will all come out in time. Until then, I'll be wrapping fiber around needles, and learning about me in the process.