WIP Wednesday: December is Here

EEP! It's December! I have absolutely no idea where November - or the rest of this year, for that matter - went. I'm still kind of in denial that it's Decemeber, but I really can't ignore it for now since it's crunch time: I have two weeks to finish my Broad Shoulders sweater, plus I have to do all that holiday gift knitting I've been procrastinating. Luckily, the list of outstanding holiday projects isn't as long as it usually is this time of year, but I am still beginning to panic a bit as the countdown races on....and I am totally ok with indulging a raging bout of startitis, apparently.

To wit: over the weekend, I started knitting some adorable Snowball Buddies by Susan Claudino:

I also cast on for a pair of fingerless mitts using the free Maize pattern from Tin Can Knits and some of my handspun yarn from Spinzilla:

After seeing this granny square Christmas tree idea on Pinterest, I decided to make my own version to hang on our door using some leftover yarn - I just have the first two granny squares crocheted so far:

As I mentioned on Monday, I also started a hat from the new Hunter Hammersen book (click here if you missed my review):

If that's not enough new projects started, I am also nearly finished with this cute crocheted fox hat:

And I spent most of Thanksgiving knitting the first sleeve on my Broad Shoulders sweater, only to rip it all out and start over again - but this time, two-at-a-time, which means it's downright impossible to photograph at this early stage (witness the amorphous blog of knitting below). Thanks to the shenanigans of my cat Tilly, I have a considerable amount of tangled yarn to contend with now. Believe it or not, that's not from the frogging and restarting of the sleeves - rather, it's from Tilly getting tangled in the yarn, then running the full length of the house with it attached to her. I always appreciate such contributions to the process, though they are usually (mercifully) rare.

Whew! That's a lot of WIPs to start out the month!

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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...

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