Yarn Over - Get Over It!

So things are going well except for you know what…I just need to get over it.

I just joined Ravelry.com - A really fantastic site for yarn-using types.  It wasn’t what I expected either.  Yes, it had all the basic elements I thought I’d see like other knitters, pictures and discussions of projects, patterns, etc.  Nice forums pages, too.  It also has a personal Notebook that each person can use to organize projects, inventory needles and hooks, a library for your books and patterns and best of all, a queue list for projects you want to do later.  Sound like somebody knows me (us).  I am very impressed and I cannot wait to dig into this site (after the birthday dinner).  There is more but you really have to just go there and look around.

The real mess for me will be inventory on the needles and hooks.  I have duplicates like nobody’s business.  I crocheted and knitted as a child so I have stuff my grammy and aunts gave me.  I have been able to cast-on for knitting and crochet a chain since childhood.  I have (somewhere) a knitted baby blanket that I made probably 20 years ago.  The stitching looks pretty good but the yarn was some kind of acrylic blend and I don’t think I would lay a baby on it.  I’m sure that was all that was available to me at the time—small town, no internet or mail order.  I really only vaguely remember making this thing.  I think I made it for a friend but I don’t know why I didn’t give it to her.  Maybe I made her a baby quilt instead.  That seems very likely.  I need to dig that thing out and make pictures of it.

I tried again in my twenties and then again in my thirties but I wanted something “made” and was not interested in the process.  That makes me impatient.  I just never really finished much because I didn’t know much and I have always had too much on my plate.  Of course, after looking at some of the notebooks on Ravelry I see that I am really not as unusual as I thought.  There are some over-achievers there for sure.  They make me look pretty lethargic.  I have to laugh because I can really identify.

I am still considering the many projects I’ve started lately to be practice.  I have learned so much about yarns, needles, technique, etc.  For example, I tried to knit a ribbed watch cap out of superwash wool on plastic circular needles.  I thought I was going to pull my hair out.  The creaking of the yarn along the needles alone was enough to make me insane. So I ordered a pair of the nickel plated ones.  I thought, “OMG!”  The difference was amazing.  So there it is -- confessions of a noob.

Catastrophe Averted

I was thinking that the YO problem I had in the socks was the worst and technically it still is.  It’s been a lingering pain in the perfectionist side of my brain.  Shortly after whining about the YO in my last blog entry, I started back on my socks to realize that the sock side on the other side of the needles had the working yarn coming out of stitch 25.  There are 26 stitches on a side.  I wasn’t at the beginning. No, I was in the middle…[deleted].  So I pushed those stitches back to the end of the needle and, one by one, slipped them off until I met up with the rogue stitch and knitted it.  One by one, I slipped the slipped stitches back on.  Catastrophe averted.  I wasn’t sure if I should be proud of myself that I fixed the problem or if I should feel lucky that I didn’t ruin the socks completely, so I meditated for a couple minutes.  My mind returned to the YO, so I guess the un-knitted-now-knitted-stitch really just becomes a subordinated non-issue.  Fortunately, I am a “try, try again” kinda gal and I will continue to mess with the YO gnarl until it’s a non-issue as well.

Inc 1 in next st.  I am also starting some dish clothes for my uncle.  He lives alone and just had heart surgery.  My grammy is there taking care of him.  I found some taupe colored variegated cotton and I think it would work out to make him something for Christmas, too.  The pattern I was thinking of working this in says, Inc 1 in next st. What the heck? Directions say to knit into the front AND the back of the next stitch which increases by one stitch.  The picture the pattern provides is pretty good and, yes, I think I did it.  Cool Beans!

So the current Project list (which really needs to start getting shorter not longer):

A’s shawl -- Done

B’s hat – Done

Grammy’s dish clothes (2) – Done

Dad’s Socks – In progress

Bind D’s Quilt – tbd

Bind L’s Quilt – tbd

Mom’s shawl – In progress (barely)

Bind M’s Quilt – tbd

Bind Lx’s Quilt – tbd

T’s Shawl or Quilt – tbd

H’s sweater – tbd

G’s dishcloths (2) – In progress

My poncho – In progress (slide to back burner)

There are a couple other items started but they don’t count.  I should hide the poncho from myself, too.  Whenever I see it, I want to work on it.  None of the above includes the 15 items I have in my wish list on PatternWorks.  Sigh.  The confessions of an over-achiever…but I’ll save that for another day.  Besides, I have a daughter who needs a birthday dinner party this weekend.  I must turn my mind to cleaning my house and shopping for food.  I must, I must….

Socks Two at a Time

I finished several of my christmas presents:  The hat for my BIL and the dishclothes for my grammy.  I should have taken pictures.  I'll add them tomorrow.

So now I'm working steadily on my Dad's socks:

For now this needs to be a priority since it will take me a while to get done.  I really like this method for making socks but I did make a big, beginner mistake on one side-I accidentally did a YO.  Once I discovered it, I had to pull the "extra" stitches out.  Although I've messed with it plently, its still a little gnarly at the initial site of the error (sniff, cry).  But that aside, I also have the problem that my dad's birthday and Christmas are on the same day.  So what to make him to go along with his socks?  More socks? In Green?  Eeep!

I received this really great catalog in the mail from Patternworks.  Its great and the layout is really easy to follow as a beginner.  The first couple of pages of "Fall" and "what's new,"  then patterns and yarns organized by yarn size.  Essentially:  Super Bulky (1-1/2 to 2-1/2 sts = 1").  How handy is that? I know, "what a noob." I just love it when "organizing" goes right!  So I went to the site and placed about 15 things on the wish page. As it turns out, I already had an account with them... O.o?  So I typed in my e-mail and requested my password...yes, that is one that I use.  Ok...so I go to "my account" and see that I have a previous order there. Its for Quilt stuff.  Ahh, I should have know, this is one of my favorite online quilt stores.  They already know me!!!!  They quilt and knit, just like me.  Nice.

www.patternworks.com



I am still undecided on what to make my sister and my mom for christmas.  I know my mother wants a shawl so that may be next on the agenda.  I will make mom the shawl but I really want to make my sister a quilt.  I don't think I have time.  Even if I do get the top done, when will I ever get time to quilt it along with binding 5 others before Christmas. 

What's on your work table?

Charmed Knits

Ever since I saw the Molly Weasley sweater, I have wanted it:

I don't know why.  Its obviously meant to be a mass of left over yarn crocheted violently into sleeves that were meant to be used to dust with or something... 

I looked around on the Internet and found various patterns none of which I think captures the true essence of this thing.  I heard about a book, Charmed Knits-projects for fans of Harry potter that contains a pattern.  I received the book yesterday and the pattern is, um, not what I expected.  So I think I will, like many others, embark on my own cheap copy of this incredibly ridiculous sweater.

If I really cared about end results, the question would be:  will I wear it out in public or just use it to dust my house.  I think I'll just make it to make it...as (nearly) always.  If you'd like to talk about this crazy sweater, let me know.  I think I'll need a few extra brains in the thinking part.

This Week's Projects

I have accomplished so much this week. So have the Rangers with their 5 game win streak!  Yay!

I finished several projects that I found lying around the sewing room while reorganizing this past weekend.  Below is a picture of the hat and shoes I made for a friends new niece. The color in the picture of the shoes looks orange but its that same red as the hat.

InnerHooker Design with Mon Petit Flower

Mon Petit design

The sewing room did get a major overhaul this weekend.  Not only can I see the floor in there but its been vacuumed and the walls and windows dusted and cleaned.  I put a larger, sturdier table in and removed the plastic tables and put in an Ikea cabinet.  The cabinet has 18 cubby holes that are the same size as the bins I use for projects and yarn.  Looks pretty good.  I put pictures of the kids on top!  So now I just need a new TV in there.  One that isn't a boat anchor! 

I'll just save more money!  Right, not with all the yarn I've bought lately.  My laundry money is now going to the little blue box for my church so I can't save that way anymore. 

So I have several projects to get moving on since its only 102 days until christmas, eep!  I bought some red and black superwash wool to make my BIL a GA Bulldawgs watch cap, yarn to make my sister a sweater (although it may change since I couldn't get enough of the same dye lot), and then some nice navy blue yarn to make my husband a sweater.

I need a really good design for my husband's sweater, think bulky yarn (5)!!!  I hope to hear from you and what you're working on.

What's Done

Love long weekends when I can get some things accomplished.  I did finish the two quilt tops for my nieces and I started to tie one for a friend of mine that I grew up with.  Sewing room is all clean and ready for the next project!  Sewed together 5 backings (linings) for 5 quilt tops that I've had finished for a while.  But of course, I didn't get the shawl or the sweater finished.  I did put lots of row on them though.

Josh Hamilton is out with bruised ribs.  I hope he gets well soon, we sure need him.  So muddling through with the three weekend losses in Minnesota leaving the Rangers four and a half games behind the Twins for the second-best record among AL division leaders. The Yankees and the Rays finish1-2 in the East, which will match the Rangers and Yankees in the first round of the playoffs. Can't wait!

I guess along with all the sewing and knitting this weekend I did get to play a little Final Fantasy with my friends.  Managed to level my NIN to 33 while taking my youngest son along. We had a great time.  One of my in-game friends is from Canada and we had a laugh over the Labor Day/Labour day spellings.  She's great and incredibly witty.  I wish we lived closer together!  Her youngest daughter was on the game and expressed a "D'awwe" over something cute and I have adopted this.  I am planning to use it often.

And to top off the weekend a nice dinner with our neighbors.  I made homemade applesauce to go with pork roast and scalloped potatoes.  Turned out nice and we finished the evening watching Boise State vs. Virginia Tech.  Incredible game.  Congratulations to Boise State for a hard-won victory!

Hope to hear how your weekend went and what projects you've finished up.

Friday Extras

The Rangers are 10 games ahead of everybody else in the division.  Braves are doing well, which I like.  So playoffs this year will be great!  Ok enough of baseball.

I added a link to the MSN science page.  They've got a video of a Supernova in full bloom.  Really spectacular. I am lucky, my husband finds all these science goodies and shares them with me. 

So last 2 quilt tops are nearly finished, should be done today.  I have 30 rows to put on the garter stitch shawl and my dad's christmas sock are about an inch long (2 socks at a time). Then my sewing room is going to need an overhaul.  I used to clean it up after each large project but I've been lax.  Time to dig into it again and clear away the wreckage of the past. It would be great if I could finish that garter sweater this weekend.  It's only 80 rows away from being put together. 

If you get a chance, click on the blog link below the postings for Yarn Harlot, she just displayed some beautiful "rogue rose" socks that she just finished. I think they are more art than craft.

So have a good weekend, I'm sure I'll add two more projects to my list this weekend since several will drop off the list.  What are you working on?

The Project List

So I have numerous projects started.  I can't concentrate on one for very long.  I usually do finish though.  I am a good finisher.  I am an even better starter.  Some people will become interested in something like quilting, buy all the stuff for it and then let it sit in the closet.  Not me, I run home and dive in.  I've been called some interesting names like "over-achiever" and "kamakazi quilter."  I like these names, they do describe me.

Can I be over the top with it? sure.  I have fabric and yarn coming out my ears.  I should add fabric and yarn collector to my list.  I think its because I like to touch stuff.  I am a toucher.

So what is on the active list this week:
Crochet afghan
Garter stitch shawls
Garter stitch sweater nearly done
Socks for my dad for Christmas (Antje Cunningham's method which is way cool)
Two quilts mostly done for my nieces for Christmas. 
I have a toddler sweater mostly done but I think I want to redo it in another color.  Brown, Red and Cream.

I have started a knitted watch cap several times but I can't seem to get out of the gate.  Keep casting on and pulling it out.  Hmmm.  Maybe I need lessons or something.  I've looked on U-tube thinking there must be someone with a demo that will resolve my trouble.  I guess I'll knit a gauge even though its against my religion. My second choice is to use two circular needles.  So the what is the problem, you ask? I cast on 56 stitches onto a 16" circular US8 but once I join the two ends I can't bring the points around to each other to knit. So knitting in the round has alluded me...

Next I have 5 three yard pieces of Cotton Batik to make my husband shirts with.  then I'd like to make a king size quilt for my room.  I really need to make a quilt for my sister.  Oh and I need to bind the two quilts that I already have done and rebind the quilt I gave my stepmom that the cat tried to eat. Eeep, I better get to work.

What's on your project list?