OWL Knits

Daisy Mae Memorial Inverness Cape

2012-02-21T23:02:00.005-05:00

I just lost my 18-1/2 year old Burmese cat, Daisy Mae, to old age. I was there when she was born and I stayed with her until the end. When I called my sister, who has been with me on other, similar occasions, I told her that I just wanted to knit myself into oblivion.

I found the perfect project in "Simply Shetland 4 at Tomales Bay." It's the Inverness Cape, a lovely, simple design with a slight ruffle around the neck, a warm collar, and 21 inches of ever-increasing seed stitch, ending in a 544 stitch, 6-inch seed stitch ruffle.

I even had the yarn - 19 skeins of a defunct Knit Picks yarn called Shamrock, a heavier 4-ply yarn, in a green/blue color called McNamara. The yarn is slightly over-dyed. It leaves a blue line on the finger I use to tension the yarn, and I've found that my fingernails have a blue tinge, too - thankfully, it washes off.

So far I've put about 35 hours of knitting into it. I figure that the cape will take roughly sixty to sixty-five hours to complete.

The collar fits closely aroud the neck and needs three buttons to close it. Finding the right three buttons may be a challenge.

Back to my knitting.

UFO's and Yarn

2011-05-15T23:00:00.005-05:00

I've been trying to get my yarn organized. It would go faster if I didn't constantly procrastinate, but I see all the yarn and all the UFO's and have to go and sit down.

The first task was to get all the yarn and projects into one area. My small living room off my kitchen is now unaccessible, except for a passageway from the front hall to the kitchen.

I had "organized" some of my yarn by color awhile back, but realized that such a system wouldn't work for me. I don't look for yarn by color, but by type or weight. So after some delibertions, I started by putting a lot of the worsted weight yarn on a set of rolling dispay shelves, except for the giant sized zip-lock bag for Cascade yarn. Then there was a bag for all sorts of Knit Picks yarn, one bag for both Noro yarn and bamboo and bamboo-blends, 2 bags of not-worsted-weight yarn, and three (!!!) bags of Unfinished Projects. This does not include 7 very large glass jars full of sock and lace-weight yarn (I like to look at all the colors). There's still yarn lurking here and there, but not enough to worry about.

As I gathered unfinished projects and stuffed them into bags, I did realize that there were some I wasn't ever going to finish, so I could frog them and re-use the yarn; many were near completion; and I could decide what to do with the remainder at another time.

Tonight I started actually separating out some of the bags and putting the yarn into stackable plastic pails with covers (kitty litter bins - I have 11 of them. I've had cats for a long time).

Eventually, this task will be completed, and by the time the yarn is all sorted and put away, I might also have finished some of the UFO's.

One can only hope.

Ah-Ha Moment

2011-01-26T17:50:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday I showed up at Anova again to have a follow-up knitting class. I wanted to ensure that the kids could cast on and, possibly, move on to the knit stitch.

There was an interesting mix of knitters. Some of the students were comfortable with the long-tail cast on and went smoothly on to the knit stitch. A couple of them needed a little more help, and one or two were still at the beginning of the learning curve and I worked with them further.

After I got home and had a chance to think about the class and how to present the knit stitch, I had an "ah-ha" moment. I realized that knitting a stitch used the same moves I had taught for the long-tail cast on.

So today, at our second 'official' class, I presented that concept, and the students understood what I was telling them. Even though they were still 'knit-stitch-challenged,' there were proper knit stitches appearing on their needles! I was as pleased as they were!

I am insistent that they all knit continental-style, at least in class, since it will make other knitting skills easier to perform - like the purl stitch and stranded knitting. So there was a support group of knitters, sitting together working on their 'picking,' rather than 'throwing' knitting skills.

Next week we're starting on our first class project - knitting 3 small squares. Each student will put their initials on each square and have a little banner that they will add to as other projects get swatched.

Stay tuned, pictures to come.

A New Class

2011-01-19T20:19:00.002-05:00

Today I started teaching a knitting class at the Anova School...this is going to be fun! The class consists of 5th & 6th graders, some of whom are already familiar with knitting.

Of course I had to start out with the most difficult move - long-tail cast-on, but by the end of our first class, most of the students had picked it up. I asked them to cast on about 25 stitches, and then, as they used up the tail end of the yarn, I taught them two more new things: Knitter's slang - "frogging" - and how to slide stitches off the needle and pull them out. This gave me a chance to talk a bit about how knitters often had to undo their knitting to correct mistakes or to make changes if they didn't like how things were turning out.

Rhinebeck Bingo

2010-10-02T13:37:00.003-05:00

I'm pretty sure I signed up to play Rhinebeck Bingo. I'll be there both days. Most of Saturday I'll be helping out at the Bijou Basin Ranch (Yak yarn) booth - the benefits of being a yarn rep...otherwise you might find me wandering through the animal barns giving out samples of Unicorn Fibre Wash and Fibre Rinse (another benefit of being a yarn rep). If not there, then fondling fiber and yarn!

See you at Rhinebeck!

Fiber Revival 2010

2010-08-28T21:40:00.005-05:00

There is an historical working farm in Newbury, Mass., where this year's Fiber Revival was held. There is also an alpaca farm down the road that brought over a couple of alpacas for people to view - no touching or climbing on the fence!

But the horse didn't mind getting some attention, and there was this turkey wandering around, as well as some chickens. It's a farm!

It was also a gorgeous day. The vendors provided thoughtful opportunities to enhance your stash...

There were classes throughout the day - I took a class for spinners on the difference between woolen and worsted spinning, with lots of interesting tidbits thrown in for good measure. Barbara, the instructor, brought many bags of fleece, and showed us the differences in the fleeces from different breeds, and how these differences resulted in different types of yarn. Several of us were caught sniffing the fleeces, and had to admit that we really liked the scent of the lanolin in the unwashed fleece...

I don't have pictures of the class because I was too busy spinning and sniffing.

There was a shady area where spinners set up their wheels...

Notice the custom-made cup holders on each wheel!

After all, it's summer, and spinning is thirsty work.

Summer of Lace

2010-08-08T12:54:00.004-05:00

My Icelandic Shawl languished on the needles for over two years. Now all it needs is blocking, but all the knitting is done. I like shawls that will actually keep me warm, and this one will be put to good use!

I changed the browns in the original pattern to purples and teal. The yarn was orderd from Sarah's Yarns - she offered to put up a kit of the necessary yardages for knitters - and there is enough yarn left for several other projects. I'm actually using the white and greys on another scarf/shawl - Clover Fields Scarf, which is part of a knit-along on Ravelry.

I used a skein of lovely silk yarn from Yarn Sonnets to knit 198-yards of Heaven, a small shawlette/kerchief that I've been wearing as an accent piece, and pinned in place at the shoulders to cover a neckline that plunged a bit too much!

This is a picture of the Dancing Cranes Stole actually blocking! It's done! I used two skeins of Jojoland Cashmere for this stole, which was also a Ravelry knit-along. I seem to do better at finishing if I'm part of some sort of group. The stole was knit along its length, which made for long rows, but the repetition of knitting the pattern repeat made it easier to remember. I could just keep knitting the row. I find that knitting lace requires more concentration to keep the pattern in mind, but that patterns with multiple repeats go relatively quickly. Especially since I seem to make fewer mistakes, thereby avoiding the frustrations of tinking or ripping back.

Most of my knitting this summer has been on lace patterns. It's like something clicked on in my brain that said, "Lace, lace, lace!" I'm fine with that. I've finished several projects and am almost finished with my Clover Fields Scarf, and there is something very satisfying about finishing a project!

Must Have, Had

2010-02-28T22:05:00.004-05:00

Here it is - my Knitting Olympics entry - done. Finished by 9:30 pm EST on Feb. 28, 2010.

Patons "Must Have Cardigan."

Technical stuff:

I used just under 5 balls of Patons Classic Wool (475 gm to be exact) - I weighed the amount left on the fifth ball.

I didn't use a smaller size needle on the waist ribbing, since I don't need a blouson look.

I did go down one size (US#7 from US #8) for the button band ribbing.

I knit the size that would fit most of me and added bust darts to make it fit the rest of me.

I love the cushy feel of the wool.

The color in this picture is not very accurate, it should be greyer, but my photo editing skills weren't up to the challenge.

I made an excel spreadsheet to keep track of the pattern changes, increases and decreases. This made it very easy to make the back match the fronts. I'd also like to extend my personal thanks to the person who invented post-it notes.

First I knit both sleeves at the same time, then both fronts at the same time, then the back.

Although I knit continental (pick), I listened English - I completed all 17 disks of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", plus 10 disks of Dorothy Sayer's "Murder Must Advertise."

That's it for now...

Knitting Olympics - the Sleeves

2010-02-21T19:12:00.003-05:00

This time around, I'm participating. Last time around I didn't and then wished that I had.

So, when the Yarn Harlot announced on her blog that she was sponsoring the 2010 Knitting Olympics, I signed on.

I'd had the yarn, pattern, and even the buttons for Patons Must Have Cardigan for over 2 years, so this seemed the appropriate venue for this sweater (for those of you who are not Yarn Harlot fans, she knit this sweater and posted about it on her blog).

I "planned" two days for the sleeves, two days for the fronts, two days for the back, and one day to finish. Hah!

After eight days, I finally finished the sleeves.

A Tale of Two Sweaters

2009-10-16T12:51:00.006-05:00

At just about the same time last year (2008), I was putting the finishing touches on my 'Rhinebeck' sweater - the fabulous "Wisteria" designed by Kate Gilbert and available at http://www.twistcollective.com/

I love, love, love this sweater. It fits. It's comfortable. It knit up so quickly that I was amazed. The yarn I used, Steadfast Fibers Wonderful Wool in 'Columbine,' is an Aran weight, so the sweater is a little denser, which made all the difference between warm and cold at Rhinebeck, because it was a chilly, windy weekend. I also fell in love with what I considered the opalescent qualities of the color, and kept going back to Windsor Button Shop in Boston and buying a skein or two at a time, until I saw Wisteria on the Twist Collective website, and I knew immediately, what I had been buying the yarn for!

I must admit that I enjoyed all the nice comments about the sweater that I got, and I was thrilled to run into Kate Gilbert wearing her Wisteria, not once, but twice!

Now it's 2009, and I have a new 'Rhinebeck' sweater. This one is a stranded pattern based on Andean motifs, and knit in Plymouth Paca Tweed. It is a sample knit for Donna Druchunas' upcoming book, "Ethnic Knitting Discoveries." She provides the ethnic motifs and worksheets and then the reader gets to design their own sweater! It works! Really well. The sweater is steeked at the neck and armholes. I was a little concerned about alpaca being a little more slippery than wool, so before I sewed and cut the steeks, I hand-felted them a little. I had no problem with the steeks or with picking up stitches for the armhole and around the neck.

Once again I happily report that the sweater fits nicely (I am very short-waisted), is extremely comfortable, and since the weather report for the weekend sounds like it will be even colder, and perhaps wetter, than last year, I'll let you know how well a double layer of alpaca works.

From Cradle...

2009-09-20T22:24:00.002-05:00

Sequelle, ma belle...

I used to breed and show Bombay cats. Sequelle was born in 1991 to Danielle - her second litter. She achieved kitty fame as a TICA Supreme Grand Champion, had two litters, and was a sweet cat who liked to sit in my lap and sleep drapped over my head (not always so sweet). She was also a great mom, and when Daisy Mae decided she was an emancipated female, Sequelle stepped in to take care of her kitten, Poke. Bombays are 'contact kitties,' and Sequelle loved to hang out in my lap. I'd be sitting, reading, and suddenly realize that I was too warm, look down, and lo-and-behold! there was at least one cat on my lap!

At the beginning of the summer Sequelle had a stroke, or something, she lost her hearing and sight, but could still find her litterbox and food, and drape herself across my head at night, so I hung on and waited. Finally, it was time to say 'good-bye' after she had a bad seizure late Wednesday night. I sat with her on my bed, and Daisy Mae and Fiona lay nearby, and Thursday morning my sister drove me to the vet. She gave me hugs and kleenex while we were there - both of which were badly needed and appreciated.

I was there for Sequelle when she was born and when she died. I miss her alot.

New Places

2009-09-15T22:51:00.003-05:00

I've decided to tell you about my adventures as a Yarn Sales Rep - at least a few tidbits about the yarn shops I visit. The one thing I do really enjoy is visiting yarn shops. The way each owner has set up their shop makes each one unique, and can give you a quick insight into their aesthetic. What sort of yarns are displayed and how, what colors catch you eye first, what's on shelves...yum!!

Well, today I drove into Rhode Island to visit Mermaid's Purl in North Kingston. It's a great name for a gem of a store. It used to be "And the Beadz Go On" but the new owner, Lizzy, is having her Grand Opening soon - the store is open now and full of great yarns. It's a small store in a gathering of small, artistic stores with a small town, comfortable ambiance. If I wasn't 'working,' I would have loved to cruise through the yarn, the buttons, and beads. There were neighboring stores that would be fun to explore, too.

Of course I must remember that if I have to drive south, through Boston to go to Rhode Islalnd, and Google Maps tells me the trip will take 1 hr 36 min, that I had better keep in mind the volume of rush hour traffic and make myself leave at least 1/2 hour earlier. Checking the gas guage is a good thing, too.

I didn't print out reverse directions - and, no, I don't have a GPS device...yet, so, of course there were a few circles and wrong turns until I got myself pointed in the right direction (I do ask for directions!).

If I keep posting about yarn stores, I'll try to remember to pack my camera so maybe I can get some pictures to post.

Oh, and I've started what I hope will be my Rhinebeck sweater - Farmer's Market Cardigan from Fall 2009 Interweave Knits - using yarn from stash, pictures to follow.

Still Knitting...

2009-09-03T21:35:00.006-05:00

These are not flowers from my grave...

I've been knitting, spending time, lots of time, on Ravelry, and most recently, starting up my new business - A Touch of Fiber - as a yarn sales rep. It's all been very engrossing, and I'm enjoying the process!!!

This is the longest project I've knit in awhile - a pair of 17th Century Stockings with clocks (pattern from Plimouth Plantation) - that I knit for the Sock Summit 2009 Sock Museum! They are huge, long, and itchy, but they are definitely warm! I used Harrisville yarn, and loved working with it. It has a 'crunchy' feel and there is still lanolin in the yarn, so I felt like I was knitting with 'real' yarn that hadn't lost its identity through over-processing.

Then there is my washcloth collection. It's a way for me to knit mindlessly and prepare simple gifts. I pair the washcloths with really nice soap from Frost Fish Cove Soaps.

To finish up, if you're an indie dyer who wants a larger market, contact me.

I haz need hatz

2009-02-07T20:22:00.005-05:00

Sometimes life creates needs. I need hats.

It all started when I decided on a whim to get my hair trimmed (this already should give you some idea where this is going). I turned into the hairdressing school I was walking past. I told the student that I wanted my hair really short, but polished and professional, because I had hopes on going on job interviews. Things were going pretty well until the clippers came out. With three electric zooms most of the hair on my head was practically gone. I left with NOT ONE HAIR ON MY HEAD LONGER THAN 1/4-INCH.

Now, my head is cold all the time. I look like I've just finished a round of chemo. My head looks very small in relation to my body.

I've been knitting hats:

This is the one I wear the most - at home, even when I'm sleeping.

This one is knit with warm, bulky wool, so I wear it outdoors.

This moebius cowl has been warm when I want a little neck and shoulder coverage.

This one is cute, but doesn't provide enough coverage. I've got another version with heavier wool on the needles.

We all have lapses in judgement.

The Letter C

2008-12-12T01:02:00.003-05:00

I've jumped on the 10-things-you-like-that-start-with-the-letter-"*". You get assigned the letter. I got "C" from CRMA, so here goes:

1. Cats. I love cats. I'd better after all, I have 4. They are endlessly amusing, comforting, and annoying.
2. Cheese. Especially melted, or on crackers. Yum (and I'm lactose intolerant!).
3. Cashmere. Soft, warm, light weight, expensive. I have a fantasy about someday being able to afford to knit a cashmere sweater. The closest I've come, to date, is 2 oz. of cashmere top to spin that I bought at Rhinebeck.
4. Chocolate. I have had a lifetime love-hate relationship with chocolate, mainly love.
5. Coffee. I don't drink a lot of coffee, but one good cup of coffee in the morning sets me up for the day. Coffee ice cream is also good anytime and gives you a lot of options for toppings.
6. Christmas. The sense of anticipation, family gatherings, Christmas lights, the planning and consulting that goes on. It's all fun!
7. Cookies. You do get a sense of pattern here? If it's sweet and starts with a 'C', I like it.
8. Clean. On the rare occasion that I get a room, or my whole apartment clean, I revel in the sensation of accomplishment.
9. Cowls. I have been collecting knitting patterns for cowls. They keep you warm, they are comfortable, and they don't take forever to complete.
10. Cameras. Especially digital cameras that let you take lots of pictures and then download them, print them, e-mail them, and edit them. A whole new world of remembering has opened up.

My "C"s.

I've been having fun

2008-12-10T03:23:00.005-05:00

I've wrenched myself away from Ravelry temporarily and have been reading blogs again. I 've come to the realization that while Ravelry is a great way to immerse yourself in knitting or crocheting, blogs let you share more of what's going on.

So, what's been happening? Well, I continue to be unemployed, which has allowed me to spend a lot of time looking at knitting on Ravelry, do a fair amount of knitting of my own, and fall into a more natural sleep cycle for me. Unfortunately, since I'm a nightowl, I tend to wake up late in the day and go to bed around dawn. This can sometimes limit my activities, since the rest of the world is on a more 'do stuff during the day' schedule. Banks and the Post Office, especially.

So, if Blogger will allow me to post some pictures, here are a few...

This is a sock that I test knit. The yarn, from Fearless Fibers, was the first skein that I ever bought online. I only had to knit one sock for the test knit, and haven't yet knit the 2nd sock, but I will. I enjoy wearing handknit socks too much to have only one sock to wear.

Now this pair of socks was knit from a KnitPicks sock blank dyed by FiberJewels as part of a Ravelry swap. I knit them up as an entry in the "Sock Put" category in the Ravelympics. The nice thing about knitting both socks at the same time from a sock blank is that the color changes will match.

This is 'Ziggy' from Knitty.com. The pattern was also one of the five that I knit up for the Sock Pentathlon on Ravelry. I told you that I spend a lot of time on Ravelry. I love joining groups, especially for knitting challenges and for swaps. It's a weakness. For this pattern, I didn't use the Noro sock yarn recommended, since I didn't have any, but drew from my rather large stash of Lamb's Pride Sport. I changed colors for the ankle because I thought the turquoise and pink was getting a little too day-glo on its own.

Here is my version of the Noro Striped Scarf. It was a great deal of fun to knit, and, as you can see, I love bright colors. I call this my gypsy scarf.

Shawl-itis

2008-07-26T21:32:00.005-05:00

Unfinished projects tend to wait on the edge of my consciousness, poking at my awareness. I enthusiastically jump into starting something and then just as enthusiastically move onto something else. It's annoying, and guilt-inducing.

Today I'm feeling guilty about the shawls that I have started. To list a few:

The faroese shawl for my friend's birthday for June, 2007 - about half-done.

Mystic Lights - about half done.

Spiral Shawl - I love spirals, have 'redesigned' this shawl to make it bigger and rectangle, and am only on the second spiral.

Icelandic Shawl - this was very popular, and Knitting Daily actually reprinted the pattern for the KAL group. I like the shawl, but it is 2/3's done.

Large Rectangular Shawl from "Victorian Lace Today" - another favorite, not a difficult knit, but I've only done a couple on inches.

To justify myself, somewhat, knitting for others, especially for gifts and for display items for Fabric Place, jumped to the front of my queue and displaced these projects. But I am also ADD when it comes to knitting. I start thinking about a project or a technique and I MUST start it.

That means there are similar posts to come on other UFOs.

In Quest of "Finished!"

2008-07-24T21:25:00.005-05:00

I am a serial knitter. I bounce from one project to the next. They all need to be finished, but they're not...yet.

There's the baby blanket for a niece, who's due in August - knit on the diagonal in five colors using Berroco Touche - a soft cotton/modal mix;

the kimono jacket from "Knit Kimonos" that I'm knitting in Sugar 'n Cream white cotton because I could get 1400 yds for $10;

the second sock of a pattern I test knit (Deaton Sock - check it out on Ravelry);

the second mitten of a mitten pattern I also test knit (Bubbles, also on Ravelry);

the pinwheel sweater in Lara cotton for my niece in New Mexico;

and the purse that I started as a Christmas present for her mother...

just to name a few.

Knitting Again (sung to the tune of "Drinking again...)

2008-07-06T21:43:00.004-05:00

Well, you can't keep an addict away from her drug of choice, so I've started knitting again, but trying for a little less intensity...

So what was my first finished project? The third sock in the Sock Knitters Pentathlon 2008 on Ravelry - Rattlesnake Creek Socks:

There's nothing like a few cables to make you pay attention to what you're doing. Unfortunately, while I was paying attention to the knitting, I didn't read the instructions thoroughly, until I started the second sock. It was then that I discovered that there were supposed to be 1-1/2 pattern repeats on the cuff, not one - like I had done. I only thought about frogging the first sock for a nano-second, then I knew I had to come up with something else: Cut off the ribbing, pick back the stitches and knit the required repeat and ribbing.

So after the second sock was done, that's just what I did, and it worked beautifully, only took about 2 hours, and then I was done. I'd read about using this technique for adding length or making changes, but this was the first time I'd actually used it. It was a bit fiddly picking out the stitches back to the start of the cabling, and picking up the stitches was also a trial (partly because my eyesight isn't what it used to be, these were very small stitches, and I was tired.

Nothing like success to jump start your enthusiasm.

I Can't Knit

2008-05-22T22:09:00.003-05:00

I'm dying, here. Not with pretty colors and wool, but of absolute frustration. I can't knit. I overdid it big time with the heavy duty knitting, and now the carpal tunnel in my left arm has kicked in. Bummer.

On the brighter, not physically knitting side, I taped two really interesting podcasts for Knit-A-Yarn. Saturday, the crew drove out to WEBS to tape Cat Brodhi. We sat down to talk after she had been teaching all day. People, her energy is boundless. she was funny, concise, and extremely interesting. I was so inspired that I went home and worked up an idea for a sock, using her techniques (I had read New Pathways for Sock Knitters and knit up two of her try-it socks).

Then, today I met Pat Ashforth and Steve Plummer (Woolly Thoughts, No Pattern Knitting, and Toilet Roll Covers). These tapings are so interesting that the non-knitting film crew at Knit-A-Yarn is being insidiously recruited into the knitting camp. Pat and Steve tell a great story, and bring a sense of humor and whimsy to knitting, but also their ability to take mathematical concepts and clarify them with knitting is just amazing.

Got to go take more Ibuprofen for the carpal tunnel.

Okay, so I've been busy...

2008-05-04T14:13:00.006-05:00

I just finished these socks. I knit them for the Knitted Sock Pentathlon 2008. It took me a little over 24-almost-sleepless-hours (I grabbed about 4-hrs of sleep when the pattern started to get blurry). I am not normally a competitive person, but there is something about a time-trial that brings my competitive instincts to the fore. The plus is that I really like the way the lacy pattern looks (sock pattern is called Berlin). This was my first attempt at 'cotton' socks. Actually, they're made out of Panda Cotton, a bamboo, cotton, elastic blend. I don't yet know how they feel on, but I do know that they're drying more slowly than my wool socks.

Then there was the road trip to WEBS with my SnB buddies for the appearance of the Yarn Harlot. Road trip is definitely the way to go. We had a great time going and returning, yakking at 65 mph. Had two great meals in Northampton, and to top it all, got to listen to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, along with about 1000 other knitters at the Calvin Theatre. Stephanie is always funny, philosophical, and real. I am amazed at her composure. She signed hundreds of books at WEBS, before and after her talk, and she never appeared cranky or bored. Of course, I got a signed book! She even 'remembered' me as a 'repeat offender' at book signings. As you can see, I got to hold the Sock.

Lest you think I'm having too much fun, I also knit this toilet roll cover with gauge issues for the Fun Fur Smackdown on Ravelry. It looked even funnier when I put it over a jar full of tiny Christmas lights...

A Few Finished Objects

2008-03-17T13:42:00.008-05:00

I haven't been posting much, but I have been knitting:

Rover had this lovely walking jacket kit for him for the "Teeny Runway Project" hosted by Mason Dixon Knitting. Although he was not a finalist, both he and I enjoyed our participation immensely. It just goes to show that if you offer knitters and interesting challenge, they rise magnificently to the occasion!

I also accepted the challenge of the 2008 Sock Knitter Pentathlon on Raverly. The first sock (Jacobean Sock) was knit in under 5 hours, and it sure wasn't by me. I pushed myself and finished the pair in 2-1/2 days. Finishing a pair of socks this quickly gave me a whole new perspective on sock knitting - they don't have to drag on forever, and the sooner you finish, the sooner you have a new pair of socks to wear.

I'm only showing one sock because this picture was closest to the color of the yarn (Aussie Wool in Faded Valentine). I've also worn them inside-out to see if the knit side felt more comfortable against the bottom of my foot - it did.

Then there was the Melon Stitch Shawl from Victorian Lace Today. I used Malabrigo Lace in Orchid. The yarn was great to work with, and the shawl is very soft. I will get it back eventually, but now it is at Fabric Place in Woburn, MA, for their display.

I wore it for their Knitters Breakfast and I know that several people decided to make one after seeing it. The nice thing about this shawl is that although there is a lot of knitting, it is not difficult to do. This broke the "I can't knit a shawl because it's too complicated" mindset that I had.

I off-loaded lingering guilt and finally finished the Brioche Socks for my Hogwarts Sock Swap 2 (they were due in August). Fortunately, my pal hasn't finished mine yet, either, and we have been in communication. This sock pattern is in brioche stitch, which allowed me to knit in two colors and make each color the dominant rib on each side - which means that the socks are reversible! The short-row heel was a challenge, I think I knit and frogged on heel at least three times. But I love the socks and they are very cushy - they're an indoor, house sock, and I know I'm going to knit myself a pair because my feet have been freezing in my old, New England house this winter.

They are Gryffindor socks, and this is the yellow side...

and this is the red side. I hope my swap pal likes them!

Big and Little

2008-03-05T19:27:00.005-05:00

I just finshed this pair of socks in three days. This is the fastest I have ever knit socks, and it changed my perception about the amount of effort needed to knit socks. These are the Jacobean socks that are sock #1 for the 2008 Sock Knitters Pentathlon on Ravelry.

On the other hand, I am just about to finish the Melon Shawl from Victorian Lace Today. I've been working on it steadily since January.

The body of the shawl is a 6-row pattern, repeated 62 times. The border is an 8-row pattern knit all around the body of the shawl, with extra repeats at the corners.

I thought knitting this shawl was going to be difficult. It wasn't. And, despite all the repetition, it wasn't tedious either. It was very relaxing. I just kept going, keeping track of which row I was on, enjoying the process of knitting with nice needles (KnitPicks Harmony) and nice yarn (Malabrigo Lace).

It was the contrast of the pace that these two projects had that struck me. The socks were done in a concerted, focused rush. The shawl proceeded at an even, relaxing pace. They complemented each other, and highlighted, for me, the very different moods of knitting.

One BIG WIP

2008-03-02T10:58:00.007-05:00

I joined the Organized Knitting Club. This didn't mean that I was organized, but that I wanted to be organized. So February was devoted to organizing my stash.

I had some great "before" pictures, but managed to accidently delete them (note to self: 'format' on a digital camera does not apply to the picture). I do have one for you to see:

I had started the process of clearing this rack and hanging my WIPs on it in clear plastic bags. The proceses continued and involved moving the rack to the other side of the room (after moving the microwave cabinet that was there) so I had access to both sides.

Top shelf has WIPs.

The lower shelf has designated yarn for WIP-to-be. I haven't figured out what's going on the lowest shelves yet.

All my free range yarn is will be in or on this sliding-glass-door cabinet, arranged by color.

Larger lots of yarn, mostly bought for a specific project, like a sweater, are still in labeled bins.

So that's what I've been doing. Still to come organizing the following: needles; patterns; books; computer area; and sewing area.

Buckle up. This may be a long, bumpy flight!

Space, Time, and Project Management

2008-02-27T23:21:00.005-05:00

Change isn't easy. I've been 'unventing' this simple truth ever since I signed up for the February 30-day Challenge as part of the Organized Knitting Group on Ravelry. My goal - to organize my stash.

I got inspiration from many of the posts to this group. What I came up against was that I couldn't simply reshuffle all my yarn into a new set of containers or buy another set of shelves. I had to work with what I had, which meant I had to rethink how I wanted to access my yarn, and the best set-up for doing this.

I approached this on two fronts: the yarn front, and the space front.

I decided to separate my stash into 3 groups: the Works In Progress; the Designated Yarn for a specific project-to-be; and Free Range Yarn. First, I unearthed almost all my WIPs and piled them in my bedroom; then I identified Designated Yarn and moved that into the dining room; which left the Free Range Yarn in the Front Room (used to be the living room). While the rest of my apartment was in shambles, I now had room to look more critically at the space in the Front Room and could now try to come up with a plan for arranging "the stash."

It was important to me to keep everything as visible as possible, so I could see what was waiting to be knit up, and also see what I still had to play with. I told myself to think outside the box, and came up with the idea of hanging WIPs in plastic bags from a metal shelving unit I have. Ideally I should be able to walk around both sides of the shelving, so I will have to relocate it (thankfully, it's on wheels!). The cabinet for Free Range Yarn wasn't on wheels, and I first had to dismantle the shelf unit that was on top of it (for which I have plans in the dining-room-about-to-become-office/reading area). I emptied the cabinet (which is 6-feet long and about 3-feet high), removed the sliding glass doors, maneuvered sliders under each corner, and dragged it across the room to the outside wall where there are no plugs. The small computer desk was relocated where the cabinet had been, because both the telephone jack and an electrical outlet are on that wall.

I know this is not the most interesting chain of events, but in order to reorganize my stash, I needed to reorganize my space. And in order to reorganize my space, I needed a step-by-step plan. Even though I started working toward my goal of Organizing Stash at the beginning of the month, it took me almost 3 weeks to work out what needed to be done, and in what order things needed to be done, before I actually started the work.

This is the basis of Project Management - figure out what you have to do in fairly granular detail, and then do it. Don't leap in and start what you don't know how to finish. Always have a back-up plan for each step, in case what you thought would work doesn't (if it isn't obvious, I'm a Professional Project Manager, I can get points towards maintaining my certification for this project, if I wanted to).

I know there are no pictures, but it's embarassing to post pictures of messy chaos. I will post before and after pictures when this part of the paroject is done.

(Note: cross posted on Organized Knitting Club)