Knitting away

I have been knitting away. So far this year I have gone through 1870 yards (1.0625 miles) of yarn knitting.  That is not including the projects started and not finished yet.  There are 17 projects done.  Three of which are crocheted (small).  Those were another (81.5 yards).

One project is up for frogging consideration, with another pattern in mind, but not sure yet.  One project (Wingspan) I'll definitely be making again and again.  Good thing I like the pattern. 

A Christmas gift is done already. I made something, discovered it's too small and didn't want to frog.  Decided it could be a Christmas gift and I could do it again modified.  That spurred the idea to make another pair (3rd) for another person.  The 3rd pair still had to be done.  A second Christmas gift could have been done, but I decided to give it to it's recipient.     

So at the moment I have a Faberge cowl, Handspun Diagonal Lace scarf, lava lace scarf, and pair of socks on the needles.  The cowl is being done without beads.  I'm liking it without at least for this color and yarn.  Will do this one again too.  It's good as I paid for the pattern as well as Wingspan.  I hate buying a pattern and not wanting to do it again. 

I now want to find a vintage pattern.  Hoping for no older than a certain age.  To set to work on a special little project.  At least that's my idea at the moment. 

The quilt hasn't had much work done recently.  The top is about 1/2 the size I want it to be.

Wingspan









Eventually I will get other photos up.

Think I'm done with Christmas Knitting

Well, I think the Christmas knitting for the family is definitely done.  Once a sock (naturally the second in the pair) is done that I was commissioned to do all the Christmas knitting is done.  This has opened up time to work on other projects that I have wanted to work on.

I got some beautiful 100% Mink yarn at Driftwood Yarns in Mystic.  Let me say that this Lotus Yarns Mimi is divine to work with.  It is smooth, soft, and if you have to tink or frog, it doesn't make a tangled mess.   I am not one that works with thinner than sock weight yarn much, but this is one yarn that I would be more than happy to work with.  The pattern I am doing is lace so I have put in lifelines with some waste sock yarn. 

Driftwood Yarns is also an absolutely wonderful LYS.  The owner is very friendly, always willing to help, and has a great sense of humor. It is always a pleasure to go and shop or visit.

When I'm not knitting, I am sewing.  The crazy quilt is growing, slowly, but surely.  Today it was pot holders.  I got some material called Insul-Bright and decided it was time to replace the pot holders that are here at home.  Now I'm on a kick of making more.  I'll have to get some photos in the daytime and post them.  Just have to remember.

Knitting & Sewing Away

Yep, I've been knitting & sewing away.  Since the beginning of the month I've made 4 pillowcases for my Grandma for Christmas.   One of which I need to fix as looking back at, I'm not happy with part of it.

I've done the scarf for my Dad for Christmas also.  I'm working on a dishcloth set for my DAR Chapter's gift exchange next month.  Also working on a shawl and scarf that I just like as well as a Crazy Quilt.  The quilt is my first ever quilt and have decided to make it Twin sized.  I was just looking and realized I have gone through 8,491 yards of yarn just for knitting this year.  That translates into 4.82443 miles.  Wow!  And I still have things to do.  Makes me wonder what I am going through for thread in sewing.  Off to humorously ponder that little fact. :P

Dishcloths Done!!!!

Phew!!!  Way ahead of deadline too!  Yep the dishcloths are done all 12 of them.  Well actually 15 because I already gave my recipient one and made 2 extras as I don't know if they will get used.  They are all a different pattern and color.  They all have a corresponding Tribble (scrubbie) to go with  it too.

I just have a scarf to make for my dad and I think my Christmas knitting is done.  This is way ahead of my schedule which is odd for me.  I'm doing something wrong right!  Must figure out what it is.  Now I can work on those baby socks I was asked to make a while ago yet life got in the way.

I'm off to work on a shawl that went into hibernation.  That and a crazy quilt that I am sewing.  Yep I don't just knit... I sew too (and more).  I'll take photos of the quilt sometime and post it.  My sewing machine has been getting a workout.  That sewing workshop gave me the kick in the pants to get me sewing more. 

Cotton Mania

I have been on a cotton knitting spree.  I family member has requested a dozen knit dishcloths for Christmas.  Yes they are dead serious regarding this gift, and they will be more than happy with this gift.  I'm making accompanying scrubbies to go with them too.  Two of the patterns I picked out they may not want to use so I am making them 14 dishcloths.  Well actually 15 once you add in the one they got the other weekend.  I don't mind doing that many though.  Each dishcloth is a different color and pattern.  I just checked and with the nine cloths and eight scrubbies I have done so far, I have gone through 0.62 miles of yarn.  This year I have gone through just over 3.3 miles worth of yarn.  Now to do the other six cloths and scrubbies.

Missing Spinning

I miss my handspinning.  Nothing is wrong with the wheel (knocking on wood).  It's me.  I sprained my ankle 3 weeks ago.  I'm in a walking cast and of course it's my dominant foot.  It's also my treadling foot. 

I've tried using my other foot before, but that just doesn't work for me.  When I do that the wheel travels across the floor no matter what.  I could get the wheel switched around, but that doesn't make sense for a short term problem.

I'm just cranky as what I want to do and am really in the mood for, I am unable to do at the moment.   Grrrr. 

With 4 cats around a dropspindle doesn't work for me.  Never could master the blasted thing anyways.  Oh, well.  Que sera, sera.  It's short herm and when I the ankle is up for it, I will most definitely be doing it.  Just needed to gripe.

Still having trouble with this yarn

Well once I got knitting with the Baby Ull things went well.  Then came stringing the beads for the second half.  This time plies didn't break.  The whole yarn broke!!  Not once, but at least 3 times.  The blasted wool yarn also wouldn't spit splice.  It doesn't say anything about being superwash so I have no clue what that is about.  I know that it's not from moving too many beads at once as I made sure to do small amounts of beads at a time.  Also when I started to move beads I checked for broken ones and removed them, thinking that was a contributing factor.  The yarn started breaking further after that.  One thing is for sure, I will not be getting and using this yarn again when done.

At least it is coming along nicely.

Dale of Norway's Baby Ull

Maybe I got a bad skein, but so far I am not humored with this yarn.  I'm using it for another iridescent beaded scarf from Knit One Bead Too.  I got the 2 skeins of the yarn on Thursday.  Yesterday I strung the beads for the first half on one skein.  One of the plies kept breaking and had to discard a bit. Annoying when you have the beads already on it.

One time while spacing beads out between the spacing between the 13 and 14th repeat and ended up having the yarn break due to plies breaking again! Finally, after that yarn did not break again and was able to do spacing for the rest of the first half of scarf. By the looks of it all 65 repeats and edging will fit on what is left after the yarn broke. If not I have the yarn with the first 13 repeats spaced on it.
In case you are wondering how I know the proper spacing, it is because I learned with the first one of these scarves I did that one of my arm spans is the right amount of space between repeats.  I also got this brainstorm to do all the spacing before starting knitting so I don't have to keep stopping to move beads down.  I am glad I did that since I discovered this problem.  Just wondering what to do about the next skein.

Christmas Knitting Planning....Yes Already

Yes it's July (well almost) and I'm already planning Christmas presents.  Go figure.
Green = Done

Red = Not Done
Green = Done
Orange - In progress

Dad -- Soft Scarf
Nancy -- Beaded Scarf (felted Scarf for Birthday)
Mom -- Beaded Scarf 
             Dishcloths and scrubbies
             Truffles
Pauly -- Wine
Nanny -- Felted Scarf 
Pop-Pop --  Gift Card
Ashley -- Cowl
Christopher -- Candy
Lelsey -- Cowl
Robbyn -- Nymphidaliea
Linda --

Spinning List

Let's see what I've done and not done.  There's been a knitting list kicking around for a while in some way, shape or form.  The general idea for that is that you put in bold is what you've done and  in italics what you plan or want to do. I'm going to do the same for this.  If anyone has anything to add feel free to comment.

From the fold
Woolen
Worsted
Inchworm
Long Draw
Carding with Hand-Cards (need to get better though)
Card with Drum Carder
Combing
Flicker
Use a Diz
Make 2 ply
Make 3 ply
Make 4 ply
Cabled plying
Navajo Plying
Turkish Knot
Spin Boucle
Ply in Locks
Spin Garnetted
Spin Encased
Spin Textured
Use Alpaca, Silk, Camel, Flax, Wool, Quivut, Angora, Mohair, Cotton, Hemp, Llama (of course not all at once).
Use Roving
Use Batts
Use Caps
Use Hankies
Use McMorran Balance
Dye with Food Coloring
Dye with Natural Items
Use Chakra
Use Single Drive
Use Double Drive
Use Drop Spindle Top Whorl
Use Drop Spindle Bottom Whorl
Use Navajo Spindle
Use Turkish Spindle
Use Distaff
Use Nostepinde
Use WPI Tool