WIP Wednesday: The start of a shawl (plus a million other things)

In the wake of finishing several WIPs over the weekend, I was on the prowl for a new project I could start in addition to the MANY top-secret projects which are currently on my needles. Yes, there are exciting things afoot (pun intended), and I can't wait til I get to share them with you! Alas, that won't be for a while...next month at the earliest, to be exact. Until then, I'll be ever-so-slowly knitting on my new WIP, the Spindleberry Shawl by Joanna Johnson.

I'm using a skein of Skein Merino Cashmere Fingering in the Ochiba colorway; I realized that I didn't have a single grey shawl, and this just happened to be in my stash!

I was able to snag the pattern for free when it was first published thanks to my Ravulous Hot Right Now widget that I have on my phone (click here to read my review). I've never made anything with fringe, and it's not something I would normally be into....but for some reason I like it in this design. Bonus: the fringe is created as you knit!

I haven't had much time to spin as I thought I would this month, as I've been working 50-60 hour work weeks in preparation for the trade show next month. I am getting rather close to the halfway point with this pound of Dorper for Spinning Spring Training, which I suppose is pretty good given the circumstances. If i am finished with this project by April 30, I will be quite pleased!

Also, for everyone who made it out to the Windy City Knitting Guild meeting last night to see my presentation - THANK YOU! I'll be sharing some of the blogs, podcasts and other information I spoke about in a special upcoming blog post so since I wasn't able to do the powerpoint at the meeting due to a technological snafu since so many people asked if I would make that information available after the meeting.

Everyone got to try out some new yarns (including an exciting new hand-dyed yarn that will be making its TNNA debut) during the needle tasting; it was a ton of fun! I hope everyone enjoys their Knitter's Pride goodies!

Many thanks to my husband Tyler for being a good sport and taking lots of photos last night!

If you're just joining me, I am hosting a Virtual Thirty-One Party for the next two weeks (click here for all the details). Since I've already shared a few posts about Thirty-One this week, I will be unveiling my next product pick this coming Friday when I also share my finished #HKKAL project, the Cute Girl Squares top!

Thanks for joining me this week! For more WIP Wednesday inspiration, visit the Tami's Amis 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

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

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

handmade by stefanie

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