Skip to main content

Faster than the speed of blog

Things are happening faster than I can craft blog posts for them!  Since I'm going to TNNA this week (which I imagine will be a few blog posts unto themselves!), I will have to fill you in on the bullet points:

1.  Mustachio May:  I made a total of 5 nosewarmers from a single ball of Knit Picks Comfy Sport - and I still have yarn left over!  I'm guessing I'll be able to make two or three more.  I did create two new mustachio options, which I'll be including on a more official PDF version of the pattern, to be typed up whenever next I get a chance - hopefully sooner than later...
2.  Last week I finished a project that's been on the needles since JANUARY 15 (sorry for the all-caps, but that is just madness) - the languishing Stalagmite Socks (by Cookie A) are at last languishing no more.   It's a great pattern, and though the cable pattern is a little daunting when you look at it, it's not too difficult once you get into it.  However, it does happen to be a pay-attention project and therefore isn't suitable for working on outside of home - and as previously mentioned in several blog entries, my at-home knitting time has been drastically reduced of late.  It's still pretty ridiculous that I spent four and half months knitting these, but I'd say it was worth it! 

3.  Figure this - I spend nearly half a year knitting a pair of socks, but bust out the Pogona Shawl by Stephen West in a week! I have no real explanation, except that this pattern was extremely addictive - it was easy to memorize (I used color-coded stitch markers to help me keep track of my increases) but still interesting to knit.  I started this project a few days before I had to fly to Louisville, KY for a wedding, and it ended up being the perfect flying companion.  I made some major progress whilst in Kentucky, mostly due to the fact that everything I wanted to do (check out yarn stores, visit the craft museum) was closed the entire time we were in town (which was a sum total of two days - Sunday and Memorial Day).  I got so into the pattern, I forgot to start the garter edging when I was supposed to - I ended up omitting the last two rows of garter for fear I'd run out of yarn on my bind off.  Unfortunately, I did run out of yarn with only 40 stitches left to bind off!   However, I was able to find some similar-colored sock yarn in my stash to fudge the remaining stitches.  I have to look good and hard to find the place where I ran out of yarn.

4.  I got a great deal on some Malabrigo Rasta for the first project in the Summer of Toys KAL - our favorite trouble-maker Mr. Nubbins is about to have some new friends (compatriots?).  Lady Nubbins, as I've dubbed this one I'm knitting out of Oxido, would have been finished in a day if I hadn't gotten sleepy - I knit the legs and body in under two hours.  Gotta love big yarn!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b
Post a Comment
Read more

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a
1 comment
Read more

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n
3 comments
Read more