All Purpose

So I realized this morning that I never did a wrap up post for March. So here it is.

I finished the Jitterbug socks, the Ovaltine cardigan, the Amelia Earhart hat (same post as Ovaltine), and the Brownie hat which I forgot to do a real FO post for.

So I finished 4 projects (yippee!) and got very close to finishing Ella’s blanket, and I knit through 1167.8 yards of yarn in March (only counts yarn used on FO’s, not WIP’s), and 294 yards of it was from my stash. Not too shabby.

I also cast on for 2 new projects: Monkey socks and the Catherine’s Mini Cardi (Rav link). I really haven’t done anything on the cardi except knit 3 rows and decide I need to frog and CO with smaller needles, but I haven’t frogged it yet. The Monkey socks are close to halfway done.

So all in all a very productive month I’d say. I probably am not going to be nearly as productive in April with everything going on, but I’m hoping if I do stall on my knitting that it will be a short break while I get organized and back into a routine that incorporates all the family stuff going on right now.

No Comments | In: finished object, knitting, life, work in progress | tags: 2008, finished object, march, numbers, stash, work in progress, yards, yarn. | #

So when I was shopping for gift yarn last week I saw this beautiful sock yarn on Etsy and decided to order it. I thought I’d make socks for my step mom or someone else (since socks might be the present de l’annee for xmas this year), but I got it yesterday and I totally want this yarn for myself. I rationalize this by telling myself I also got 2 more sock yarns that are also very yummy that I am totally making into gifts so 2 for gifts 1 for me is not so bad.

The picture is not the best, it was cloudy yesterday. I’ll try again today when I get home.

I also got some more Manos in Bramble yesterday (a Ravelry purchase I mentioned before) so I think I need like 6 more skeins before I can try a basic bottom up (or top down-haven’t decided) cardigan with it. That’s fine, I think I’m going to try to trade for the rest of the yarn as well because I mean for this cardi to be a comfy home/weekend type garment so I’m not worried about the dye lots being exact, etc. Besides it’s edging toward spring here so I should try doing this project in the fall maybe so I can wear it Fall/Winter 2008.

So speaking of the weather…it was in the 80′s this weekend, but now it’s cold again. It’ll get warm again by Wednesday and then cold Thursday. Yes, it’s spring in Austin so we get weather changes of 20+ degrees at least once a week. Me and my allergies and my head hate this time of year.

But what I was thinking was wouldn’t it be cool to have my Ovaltine finished enough to wear by Thursday since the high is only supposed to be in the 50′s and it’s supposed to be really cold (uh, that’s 30′s for us) on Friday morning. I think that is a good goal, I’m not too sure how realistic it is, but I’m going to try for it anyway.

I managed to get the neck issue sorted out, the shoulders reseamed, the collar done and the buttonband done and attached last night. I estimate I have about 4 hours of work left on the sweater (not including another blocking). I have the buttonhole band, the 2 cuffs and the waistband (which I’m modifying so it won’t be such a pain in the ass) and the rest of the seaming and the buttons (which I just ordered today- but I can wear it without buttons). I could totally finish that by Thursday.

It would be nice to finish the sweater because it would free me to finish the hat (another 2-3 hours work) and my socks (2-3 days, not sure how many hours) and maybe even Ella’s blanket and perhaps swatch for the $1.50 Cardigan. That would be so awesome and would help with the March to the Finish (rav link) thing I’m trying to do (ok I guess I’ve signed up for). So must finish sweater.

2 Comments | In: knitting, stash, work in progress | tags: blanket, finishing, hat, march, socks, stash, sweater, work in progress, yarn. | #

Ok, so I looked and I feel a little less bad about having to repurchase the Ovaltine yarn. I realized after looking at my PayPal account today that I actually paid for more than half the new yarn with the $ I got from selling off some of my stash yarn. So that’s good.

I had planned on using that money to pay for the 4 skeins of Manos that I’m buying off a fellow Ravelry-er (uh, how do you say that, Raveler?). So that’s bad. So I decided to closely evaluate my yarn haves vs. my desires and I put some more yarn up for sale/swap. Hopefully to offset the Manos purchase AND to allow me to purchase yarn for some projects I want to work on after I finish Ovaltine.

I didn’t get a damn thing done knitting-wise yesterday but since M. is out of town and it’s Thursday (thank you CSI) I will totally get my 2nd front piece done and maybe start the sleeves tonight. Or I may finish the front of Ovaltine and start a sock. Or I could do Ovaltine and work on the blanket. I’m dizzy with the possibilities. Just me, the dog, the couch and the tv, and the best thing (well not that it’s the best thing that my hubby is out of town on v-day) is that even if tv sucks I have ALL the Stash and Burn podcasts waiting to be caught up on. So I’m set for tonight. Just need to figure out dinner since our fridge is not working.

No Comments | In: fever, knitting, stash, work in progress | tags: csi, money, socks, sweater, tv, work in progress, yarn. | #

So, I’m catching back up on the Sweater Workshop sweater (aka Ovaltine). I’m almost done with the 2nd front piece. I’ll be adding pics later today. Woot. I won’t be able to do my sleeves until the yarn reinforcements come though so they better hurry since I think I need them soon.

I’m trying real hard to restrain myself from starting a new project. I want to start some socks….big time. Maybe I should just start them. I mean I have yarn for 2 pairs now I think so I need to break my sock cherry. The problem is that the lady who is doing my SW (Sweater Workshop) at HCW’s said if I really want to learn I could start coming to the Thursday night knitting class (a free for all) and she’d teach me. I would love to because I sat in with them last week to make up my missed SW class and they are a very fun bunch, and I think I might start doing the Thursday thing AFTER I finish the SW. I’d love to be able to afford to pay for the Thursday thing now, and really $40/month is not bad. But I need to get control of myself with the spending. I did exempt my running class and the SW from my goal though, and I’m going to have to drop my running class. The other negative is the fact that it means missing Lost, but I guess we could catch up later. I’m babbling.

I’m also fighting, sometimes successfully sometimes not, the urge to buy/trade yarn on Ravelry. I did sell some yarn last week though (go me). I found 4 skeins of Manos Wool in Bramble for sale so I’m thinking about doing that and using the other 2 skeins I have with it to make a cardi instead of another stinking scarf. I have like 5 scarves hanging by my front door right now. I don’t need another scarf. I really want to try out the Manos though so I don’t want to put the yarn up for swap either. So hard.

No Comments | In: knitting, ravelry, stash, work in progress | tags: knitting, manos, money, socks, stash, sweater, yarn. | #

Ok, sorry for the lapse (for the like 2 people who might read this). I’m all better now and back on track.

So I finished the hat, finally! It turned out pretty good. I could’ve made it a little longer still, but it turned out nice and it’s very cozy. I do have big hair right now so maybe if I cut my hair it wouldn’t creep up so much…anyway, I’m happy with it.

Chugging along with the blanket, square number 8 is underway:

Disaster strikes on the Sweater Workshop sweater. You know I read yarnharlot‘s blog and she often talks about not mocking the knitting gods. I laugh at these posts because they are well written and funny, but damn she has a point. So I was getting all smug last weekend about being way ahead of the game with the sweater. I had the back and 2 sides of the front done and I was well underway with the sleeves. Then it happened. I decided to block the pieces I’d finished and in a fit of complete laziness and utter stupidity I put the pieces in the washing machine. Hey, in my defense, I tried to felt some stuff in there before and it never worked since it’s a front-loading energy saver. AND I did run it on cold/gentle cycle. It was total carnage. I ruined my finished pieces. They are all felted and shrunk and ALL the weaving in came undone. A total nightmare. Pictures of the horror to come soon. *sigh*

So I reordered some more yarn (that really hurt), and started again with the back. I’m over the initial trauma I guess, though the cost of having to buy more of that pricey yarn is smarting a bit. I’ll post some pics later…

In stash news…

Yeah, I know I am supposed to not be buying things. But I rationalized that if I paid cash for something I’d be allowed. I know. But here’s what I’ve got…

More sock yarn:

More just everyday wool:

And the extra balls of Rowan Biggy Print, which I don’t really have a pic of. Really that’s not too bad. I need to exert more self control. I did get very tempted by some Mountain Colors Mountain Goat in some beautiful colorway, but I did not go back and get it. I was good.

And one last thing…in honor of having discovered Stash and Burn. I knit through 1744.5 yards of yarn in January, but only 1261 yards were truly from my stash. The rest was ordered for the project they went into.

No Comments | In: fever, finished object, knitting, stash, work in progress | tags: finished object, hat, socks, stash, stash burning, sweater, work in progress, yardage, yarn. | #

I finished my little glovettes. They came out a little big even though I did the small size, but then again I can barely grasp gauge in knitting, much less crochet.

I finished another blanket square and started a sixth one…

I bought my yarn for the upcoming sweater workshop:

In other news my neck is hurting a lot, not sure if it’s all the knitting, the data entry at work or what but it’s putting a bit of a damper on my knitting fever.

I <3 Ravelry. I’ve found so many cool patterns, forums, blogs, yarn on there that it’s not even funny. Please never leave me Ravelry.

No Comments | In: crochet, finished object, knitting, ravelry, work in progress | tags: crochet, fingerless gloves, finished object, knit, ravlery, work in progress, yarn. | #

Here’s number three:

I am a wee bit behind on the xmas crochet. I need to finish scarf 4 today and I haven’t started it yet. Good times. I have a vision of myself at like 10 pm tonight (it may not seem late to you, but for me it’s the time to be getting into bed) furiously crocheting while baking bread and trying to create and burn a gift DVD of my wedding for my dad and stepmom. We’re going to their house tomorrow for a little xmas celebration since we won’t be with them on xmas this year, but in the holy land of malls: Dallas.

I did also get some nice things for myself in the mail yesterday. Check it:

Some lovely Malabrigo yarn in Velvet Grapes and the Fern Wrap Sweater pattern from Glampyre Knits. Do you think the sweater will work with the Malabrigo? Ravelry, I need you please hurry!

Not the best pic, but it’s Tilli Tomas Pure and Simple in Moroccan Blue. Oh how I wish I had bought enough to make the Fern Wrap in this, but alas I could not afford it. Maybe next time.

I also popped by my LYS yesterday to get some more Patagonia (scarf #4) and I signed up for a Sweater Workshop that starts in January. Yippee! I’m hoping to really take my knitting to the next level and actually learn how to finish properly.

No Comments | In: crochet, finished object | tags: crochet, finished object, malabrigo, patagonia, queue, scarf, stash, tilli tomas, yarn. | #

So I didn’t get a chance to take any pics yesterday, but hopefully today when I get home before I run to pilates.

I have 7 xmas gifts that I’m crocheting this year (2 are down, 5 to go). I’m doing a really basic scarf in double crochet (it’s a variation on the One Skien Scarf in Debbie Stoller’s Stitch n’ Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker). I’m doing a chain of 163 instead of 203 and I’m doing about 6 rows and no edging. I’m using Araucania Patagonia Nature Cotton for the yarn and I’m using almost 3 skeins on a size N hook.

I seriously love Araucania yarn. I made this scarf for myself using
#210 207 last year (I did mine the full length, but wider and no border) and I love the colors, texture of the yarn. I also picked up some Limari (#505 I think) a month ago when I was in Charleston and made a scarf of that. That is some sweet ass wool right there. It is so freaking soft and again the colors are wonderful. I will get pics of all these up soon. I think I might actually re-knit the Limari scarf only because I made it a bit too wide, we’ll see when the xmas crocheting is done.

Anyway, I’ve really enjoyed trying to pick out the perfect color combo for each person, and I bought a bonus skien of each color I got so that I can add them to my magic yarn ball which I hope to use to make something cool from either AlterKnits or Simple Knits with a Twist.

I really wish I was home crocheting and watching Weeds right now. Really.

No Comments | In: crochet, work in progress | tags: Araucania, crocheting, magic yarn ball, xmas, yarn. | #

So I have finally shaken loose some of the distractions and obligations that were keeping me so busy this last year. I am ready to knit. I’m ready to crochet. I haven’t picked up sticks or hook for 9 months, that damn wedding planning ate up all my time. But I’m back to it, yay, and wow have I missed a lot the last 9 months.

I can’t believe that I am the last to hear about Ravelry. Almost every knit/crochet blog I read has signed up and received their invite, and most of my stitching friends have too. Where the hell have a I been? I guess my explanation for this is that I not only wasn’t knitting I also wasn’t reading any knitting blogs while I planned the wedding. So I finally heard about it last week and promptly signed up. Only 6000+ people to go before I get my invite (down from 8000+ so there is progress).

I am really fired up about this whole ravelry thing, let me tell you why. Like 2 years ago I was wanting to really get my yarn, wip’s, wish projects, etc. all organized. I am a computer geek so of course I turned to technology to help me and found that not only was there not anything out there for us mac people, but that the pc software for crafting sucked. I really, really wanted to team up with my then boyfriend (M, aka the Italian) to design and build software that would allow knitter’s to list all their stash, wip’s, patterns, etc and then link everything together. Of course, I am lazy so this never happened. That’s ok though because the fine, wonderful people at Ravelry have done it all for me and they had the brains to realize this would be better as a web app with networking/community features. I am so, so excited about this and I really hope I get my invite soon because I’d like to spend my xmas break playing on ravelry.

So enough about ravelry, for now. I’m also pretty fired up to be knitting and crocheting again. I’ve gone on a yarn buying spree and I’ve decided to crochet all the females on my xmas list a scarf (more details later). I have 7 scarves total to make, and I’m 2 down. I’ve ordered yarn for all but one of them, and hopefully I’ll be getting some yarn today so I can start another scarf and stay on schedule. I’ll have pics later today or tomorrow, I need to get some good light for photo taking.

No Comments | In: crochet, fever, knitting, ravelry | tags: crochet, knit, ravelry, work in progress, xmas knitting, yarn. | #