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Monthly Archives: January 2012

FO: Split It

28 Jan

First, I must feel that I need to apologize for my lack of blogging.  It has gone hand-in-hand with my lack of knitting as well.  I have a very good reason, of which I plan to discuss with everyone very soon.  Just hang in there and bear with me.

As I’ve said before, my Mother is my biggest fan when it comes to my knitting.  She loves to see what I’m working on, what I’m planing to make next, and – most importantly – what her next pair of socks is going to look like.

When I heard that the Sanguine Gryphon was splitting up, I ordered a skein of yarn for myself and one for her. Then she also requested a pair of gray socks.  So, I pull out my iPhone and start picking out patterns, but in truth, all she wanted was a plain, simple pair of gray socks.  No ribbing, no lace, no pattern accents.  Just plain.  So, I agreed, making it clear that the Sanguine Gryphon yarn would be transformed into a Cookie A pattern.  Mom was cool with that.

 

Simple socks

 

  • Project : “50/50 Socks”
  • Pattern : Improvised; toe-up, short row heel, k2/p2 rib at the cuff
  • Yarn : Knit Picks Stroll Solids

 

I’ve coined these the “50/50″ socks because there are roughly fifty rows between the toe and heel, and fifty rows between the heel and the cuff.  I love it when things work out that way.  That, and I’m a bit OCD – I want the amount of rows to match up, even on plain socks, to make everything even.  But, quirks aside, they were a fun ‘take and go’ knitting project, one that required little thought and could be worked on in small doses.  And Mom loves them, so everyone wins!

 

A perfect fit!

 

 

 
4 Comments

Posted by on January 28, 2012 in FO, Friends and Family, Knitting

 

I’m Still Here

17 Jan

I apologize for not blogging as often as I normally do.  I’ve been rather busy, and slightly stressed, with work, so I’ve been taking a lot of time for myself.  I’ve also been lost in the land of the UFO; trying to finish Mom’s plain ’50/50′ socks from last year and Tory’s wedding shawl.

So, while I’m slack on photos, I’ll give you my answers to this week’s ‘Ten On Tuesday’.

‘Ten Things To Do When It’s Too Cold To Go Outside’

  1. Knit!  At least, that’s what I do when it is cold outside.  Of course, this is what I do no matter the weather.
  2. Spin!  If I had a fire-place, I’d spin more than I do.  But it is a more pleasant hobby to perform inside when its cold.
  3. Watch some tele.  There are some great shows on right now (Being Human, Alcatraz, Face Off,) so there is always an excuse to cuddle under a blanket on the couch.
  4. Bake some bread.  My husband has been doing this one.  He’s perfecting a sourdough starter, and the finished project is delicious!
  5. Read a book.  I’m currently hooked on the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson (Case Histories, etc.)
  6. Play a board game.  Yahtzee is my all time favorite (and I should buy the table top version at some point, rather than just playing on my iPhone,) but we also love Monopoly.
  7. Practice some yoga.  I took my first yoga class last night with Amanda,(or should I say, the first one in almost ten years.)  It was a great experience and I think we had a lot of fun.  And while yoga can practiced in the cold, I find it more comfortable in the warmth of a studio or a home.
  8. Have a cuppa.  Be it tea, coffee, or hot cocoa, nothing warms me up on a cold day like a hot cuppa.
  9. Snuggle with a furry friend.  That is one of my nice things about the cold weather.  My cats actually want to snuggle with me and John more often.  When the weather is really cold out (even though my cats are indoor dwellers and we have heat,) I always wake up with at least one – if not both – of them curled up against me.
  10. Turn up the ‘Otis Redding’ station on Pandora Radio, and just relax.

 

Stay warm, and enjoy the rest of the week!

 
3 Comments

Posted by on January 17, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

FO : Twice As Nice

08 Jan

I had promising, high hopes for the new year.  I always do; what isn’t there to love about a fresh new year?  A clean slate, in a way.  Or a new canvas in which to paint new memories.

All of that was shattered when someone let the air out of my new tires, right here in front of my house.  I have no idea who did it (probably some stupid teenagers playing a prank,) but needless to say, it left me feeling slightly vulnerable and a little bit violated.  Top that off with an uncommonly stressful week at work.  All I can say is, this year had better get movin’ and improve, soon.

In good news, my husband starts a new job this Monday!  I’m so happy for him.  He will still be doing the same type of work, but in a better environment that is a little closer to home, and is a little more money.  I just hope that his mood is elevated and he’s not as stressed as he has been.  One of the worst things in the world is seeing the man you love suffer in some way, and there is nothing you can do but be supportive.

 

Happy Hubby!

 

John’s parents stayed for dinner last night, after helping us install the new light fixture they gave us for Christmas.  We celebrated with cheesecake and a bottle of ‘Life and Limb’.

But, while this has been a week of ups and downs, I’ve still managed to accomplish a few things in the newness of the year.

 

I'm still spinning

 

  • Project : ‘The Crown Jewels’
  • Fiber : ‘Creatively Dyed’, 50% merino / 50% tencel, 4 oz
  • Ply : standard 2-ply
  • Weight / Yardage : DK/Worsted, 140 yds

I was drawn to the color of this roving, and the shine, at the Fall Fiber Festival last year.  Chan talked me into buying it, even thought I was feeling cautious.  I was happy staying in my ‘spinning comfort zone’; merino, BFL, etc.  Never had I tried to attempt something like this.  I was afraid that it wouldn’t spin up well, that I wouldn’t have as much control over the fibers as I did with 100% wool.  Well, I can safely say ‘Thank you, CHAN!’  This was a true pleasure to spin.

Next, I have a knitting project that I kept putting off, but why I have no idea.  Cowls are so easy to knit; they take me one afternoon, or two evenings of tele, to make.  My mother’s hairdresser had requested one and I was more than happy to comply.  My mother has had the same hairdresser for years, ever since Amy B was right out of beauty school.  She’s seen me grow up, she styled my hair for my wedding.  She’s a great lady and I know that she’ll love the cowl.

 

Mmmm ... Manos del Uruguay

 

  • Project : ‘Purple Seaweed Cowl’
  • Pattern : ‘Seaweed Cowl’ by Elizabeth Blake
  • Yarn : Manos del Uruguay, ‘Wool Clasica’

 

This is one of my all time favorite cowl patterns.  The ribbing is simply enough to memorize, and really give the yarn the texture that it needs, and compliments the yarn.  This yarn is warm and squishy, not to mention soft!

 

 

 

I hope that your year if off to a great start, and that you are enjoying your weekend!  What have you been crafting so far ?

 
5 Comments

Posted by on January 8, 2012 in FO, Knitting, Spinning

 

January Swap Q&A

03 Jan

For all of the knitters and crocheters out there, the Swap Stop (the Ravelry swap group that I co-host with Karen,) is now taking sign-ups for the new swap.  For the first swap of the year, our theme is ‘Learn A New Skill’.  If you are on Ravelry, you can check out the details HERE.

Learn A New Skill – Q&A

Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft?

I knit, and have been doing so for about seven or eight years now.

What are your favorite yarns/fibers? Are there any that you want to try but haven’t?

I am a huge fan of Indie dyed sock yarns, but also love Cascade 220 Wool, Knit Picks WOTA, Manos del Uraguay, Madeline Tosh, and Spud & Chloe.  I’ve been wanting to try more yarns from Knit Picks, like their City Tweed and Sugarbunny lines.

Are there any yarns/fibers that you don’t like?

I do not like acrylic (I don’t mind a yarn that has a little bit of acrylic in it, but not too much.)  I’m not a huge fan of cotton either.

What colors do you like/dislike?

I love any and all colors, except for neon or pastel shades.  I’m trying to branch out of my ‘safety zone’ with colors (mainly purple.)

Are there any skills that you have been wanting to learn, but were afraid to try?

Extreme lace.  I mean, one of those shawls that requires nupps and more than 2000 yards of lace yarn.

What would be the number one ‘skill’ you want to try this year?

I really want to learn to crochet.  It has been on my list for a while now.

Do you have a yarn winder and/or a swift?

Yes, both.

Do you have a blog?

Well, you’re reading right now, aren’t you? :-)

Do you collect anything?

Not so much anymore, but I do love to gather new recipes for soups and stews (crock pot, especially!)

Do you like sweets? What are your favorites?

I’m trying to cut back on sweets, but I’ll never truly turn them away.

What is your living situation like? Any pets? Children?

I live with my hubby, John, and our two cats – Mavey and Cooley.

Are you allergic to anything?

Just certain medications, so nothing to worry about.

Is there anything else that you want your pal to know?

I’m not a fan of strong scents for lotions or candles.  Other than that, I know that I’ll love anything that you send!

 
1 Comment

Posted by on January 3, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

02 Jan

(First, I want to apologize for some formatting issues in this post.  I have done both visual and HTML edits, and nothing is working.  I am confident it is a glitch with WordPress and not me, but none the less, I get very OCD when my posts look messy and made by a five year old.)

I keep reading articles about the world ending this year, due to the Mayan predicton for 2012.  I like to think of it as the possibility of a mass change for the better, not the end of the world.  Because an ending isn’t always terrible; sometimes it can be the beginning of something wonderful.

But as 2012 starts, giving us a new, shiny, fresh out of the box year, I want to take a moment to reflect on my crafty accomplishments for the year that has just passed.  Taking a cue from Chan, I really enjoyed her post and I thought that I would do one of my own.

In 2011, I completed sixty plus projects, in the following categories :

  • Eighteen pairs of socks
  • Twelve hats
  • Six cowls
  • Nine shawls
  • One sweater
  • Nine baby items (sweaters, hats, booties, etc.)
  • One scarf
  • One dishcloth
  • Six pairs of mittens/fingerless mitts
  • Two bags
I also have a few UFOs that I need to finish from 2011 (Tory’s Wedding shawl being the most important,) but I’m happy that I didn’t have too many to groan over.  I hate to have too many projects going at the same time, but then again, I like to jump around and prevent boredom.
I didn’t think that I had knit that much until I saw the list, and now I fear that my readers may think that I’m showing off.  That truly isn’t the case; I love to knit, and I just happen to knit fast.  I can’t help it.  I live to knit, making time for it every single day, from waiting to clock in at work, to sitting in the car in the morning waiting for my car to warm up, to just relaxing on the couch watching tele.
As far as knitting goals, I want to make more things for myself.  I love to knit for other people.  There is nothing more special to me than putting my time and my energy into making something for the people that I care about.  But I have a list of items that I want to make for me.
  • Watershed by Amy Swenson
  • Lorna Suzanne by Ellen Mason (Rav link)
  • A pretty, cabled Cookie A pattern to use with the skein of yarn I purchased from The Sanguine Gryphon
  • Marianne Dashwood Stockings by Ann Kingstone (Rav link)  (I want to make these for re-enactment, and I already have the red yarn.)
  • Petronia by Alison Green

I also tried to spin more last year, with the arrival of a new spinning wheel last March.  Not only did I improve my skills, but I also won 2nd Place for a skein of single-ply yarn.  A total high moment, and one that made me truly believe that I wasn’t too bad at the whole spinning thing.  This year I want to take a class, to improve my skills at plying, because I know that is where I need to most help.

Finally, I also managed to get some sewing done.  Now, it was pretty much all for CW re-enactments, but I did make a dress and several petite coats last year.  And now that I’ve lost 25 + pounds, I need to make them all over again.  Happy and stressed at the same time, I’m glad to know that I don’t really have a re-enactment that I can attend until April or May (as much as I want to attend the event in March, I know that I won’t get my time off request at work for that weekend.)  In addition to new petite coats, I’m thinking a new dress in blue or green.  I love plaids, but I don’t have the patience to match up the pattern of the fabric in that much fabric (8 or more yards.)

I also want to work on my sewing skills in 2012, trying my hand at more modern patterns.  Here are a few that I have my eye on :

I know …. I know.  That is a lot to do this year.  I don’t know if it will all get done, but I’d like to think that I’m going to give it my best try, and work as hard as I can.  I think part of the reason that I accomplish so much is that I can never turn myself off.  Even when falling asleep, I am thinking about projects – knitting, sewing, spinning, and even writing.  I have so much that I want to do, and I like to keep myself as busy as possible!

 
3 Comments

Posted by on January 2, 2012 in Uncategorized

 
 
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