Tag Archives: knitting

The Art of Mindless and Easy

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Happy Fourth of July to all!! I can hear the fireworks right outside my window as the neighborhood kids blow up weeks worth of their allowances. It all brings back memories to setting off fireworks for hours at my Grandma’s and Grandpa’s ALL day long. Of course we also took a break to have a weenie roast and smores on what was almost the hottest day of the year, lol.

On the knitting front, I can’t wait to start Neon. I already have the new needles I needed and working on my swatch! But it’s a very complicated project for me and I have decided to hibernate the project for while. My theater rehearsals are just taking too much out of me. I Just don’t have the brain power to work on this wonderful pattern by Joji. I really want to enjoy this sweater and also end up with a garment that fits and is knit correctly. So it’s going to the back burner….for now…

Insert mindless and easy….

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Just a simple stockinette baby blanket with a seed stitch border, in lovely peach chenille. You will remember my chenille antics here, lol. So I am going into this with eyes wide open and all my lessons remembered from last time. I just needed a home run project to work on while I am rehearsing my show. So I decided to cast on a cute blanket this morning because I have the day off from my big kid job. There is an art to working a mindless and easy project!

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The puppies agree with me. They are very exhausted with my crazy schedule and needed an extra nap. I can never figure out why my lab, Dex, like to sleep with nose under the edges of couches or beds. Such a weirdo!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th! We are off to enjoy our day off and America’s independence!!

WIP Wednesday: Staircase Spiral Shawl

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Tah Dah!!!! My Spiral Staircase Shawl (Stashbustin’ #20) is coming along….

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I only have 3-4 teeth left to go for the pattern as written. I think I may knit a few extra since I have loads of yarn to spare. I am finding this particular knitting to be very therapeutic. It has been the perfect on-the-go project while I am at rehearsal. Miles and miles of garter stitch while I learn lines and it fits neatly into my bag.

But I can see that I’m going to be done very soon. Can’t wait to see what this looks like when it’s done and has had a good bath and block!!!

Happy Knitting!!!

The Beginning of Neon

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Due to some good advice this past week from another blogger, I decided not to wait to cast on my Stashbustin’ #21, my Neon cardigan!

Being a good knitter, I swatched!

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Two things learned:

1) I need sharp metal needles, bamboo won’t do. This Berroco Pure Pima can be splitty and wood or acrylic exacerbated this.

2) I did not get gauge (need to try again when I get a new set of metal needles)

3) This pattern is incredibly easy to get off and even in my swatch I know I made mistakes

Sigh…I am not deterred. But I admit I might need a glass of wine before I re-swatch. I really love this garment and want something that will fit when I am done. Gauge will not defeat me!!

Happy Monday

FO Friday: Ombré Billow Blanket

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Stashbustin’ #15 is complete! I really kicked this into high gear Wednesday afternoon/evening and cranked out the last two color changes. It has had a bath and was mostly dry Thursday night. I just couldn’t wait to photograph it, I am so incredibly in love with my Ombré Billow Blanket!!

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The pattern is Constant Baby Blanket by Tina Laiho made with Knit Picks Billow in six coordinating shades. Great yarn for a great pattern.

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I made a few alterations from the written pattern:

– I knit with one color until I ran out and then changed to the next color
– I knit the entire blanket in stockinette to show off the thick/thin slubbiness of the yarn

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This blanket is beautifully coordinated to our living room colors and couches. And it’s so wonderfully soft after its wash and block in some gentle wool soap. The thick thin yarn texture really gives the stockinette interest and variety.

The only downside is this yarn did shed quite a bit and pilled as the blanket grew and rubbed on my lap. Most of that I was able to solve during the wash/block. All in all a very fun project! I might save this in my hope chest for our future rug rats….how cute would a nursery in these neutral tones be!?

Happy Knitting!!!!

WIP Wednesday: Stashbustin’ #15

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In the home stretch on my Ombré Billow Blanket! (Stashbustin’ #15)

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I started my second to last color stripe this past weekend! Billow is such a soft and cozy fiber it’s addicting to knit with. I keep finding myself thinking “just one more row” at 10:30 or 11 at night, lol.

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I have noticed that this yarn sheds a bit as my pants are covered in yarny fluff. To be fair this blanket is very large at this point and is a BIG pile on my lap as I work. I have three of my Denise Interchangeables cable strung together to accommodate all my stitches. I still love this yarn and imagine a good soak will get the lions share if the fluff off when I’m done.

I CANNOT wait to show this off when I’m done! Maybe this next week!?!? Too soon to tell…

Happy Knitting!

Stashbustin’ #21: Neon

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I really really really really want to start this sweater!

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(Photo from Joji’s Ravelry page)

It Neon by Joji Locatelli. And I have the most wonderful green Berroco Pure Pima all caked up and ready to go!

Just a couple of problems…

1) Stashbustin’ 15 or my Ombré Billow Blanket is soooo close to being done, but it’s not quite finished.

2) Stashbusting’ 20 or my Spiral Staircase Shawl is only 1/2 done and waiting for me in the bottom of my project bag.

I love both of these projects and I am enjoying working on them, but…..there’s always a but! I know that I could easily become addicted to Neon and forgo working on anything else. Which I normally don’t do! So in the effort to love all my knitted children equally I vow to finish the Billow blanket and get at least 3/4 done on the shawl before working on my Neon.

I feel like its the appropriate carrot on the end of the stick to power me through these two current WIPs!

Happy Tuesday!!

Knitting With Coworkers

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My endless days of knitting at lunch and wearing my FOs to work has taken a toll finally. I have had several coworkers ask if it would be hard to learn to knit. And not being one to stifle the urge to create and craft I have agreed to teach them.

There is another avid knitter that works with me that’s agreed to help me get them started. I’m envisioning a “Stitch N Bitch” or “Knit Night” style weekly gathering with snack and beverages of your choice. Maybe over a 4 to 5 week period depending on schedules in the fall?

My first dilemma is what to teach them? My first instinct was a ruffle scarf. They are easy, compact, and provide instant gratification.

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But I have always wanted to do something for Project Linus. A simple blanket is a great way to learn to knit and giving a child the comfort of a homemade blanket is priceless. I thought the One Row Blanket de la Harlot would be great because its a one row pattern of 4 stitches repeated over and over. Not to mention its big yarn on big needles!

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Not to mention the texture is fantastic on the FO and you look like a nifty knitter!

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Or maybe do both and start with the scarf?

Has anyone else attempted this before? All comments and suggestions are welcome! I plan on picking a plan and doing up some basic instructions and diagrams along side the pattern so they have good visual aids in between meetings.

Oh boy, what have I gotten into?!

FO Friday: More Tutus!

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Seriously I can’t stop making these tutus….they are like Pringles, you can’t have just one!! At this rate I’m going to run out of friends with little girls and be the crazy lady giving them away on the corner!!!

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(This is my fav mostly because I’m in love with this baby and she’s not even 3 months old yet!)

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Another awesome one in tan and gold!

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How about punk princess in dark pink and black?

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This is destined for a wee KState fan!

These are perfect instant gratification projects that keep me sane while I work on my larger Stashbustin’ projects. The pattern author even quipped that I have made more than she has….I may have a problem, lol!

Oh well, the hubs and I are off to the homeland for a friends wedding. Hope to snag some awesome photos to share next week 🙂 TGIF!

2013 De-Stashing Update

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Instead of showing pictures of my marginal progress on my Ombre Billow Blanket (Stashbustin’ #15) or my Spiral Staircase Shawl (Stashbustin’ #20), I thought I’d give an update on my de-stashing efforts!

Late in 2012 as we prepared to start house hunting, I started packing up my yarn stash. I realized how easy it was for me to fall prey to the siren’s call of new yarn. My stash had grown CONSIDERABLY since the last time we moved. While my stash is pretty modest in comparison to some others, it bothered me to see all that gorgeous yarn is just sitting idle for the right project! So I vowed to “de-stash” in 2013. It’s now the middle of June and the year is half gone and here are my stats…
I have:

  • Completed 37 FOs (I don’t count all my FOs in my de-stashing count they were special orders or consignment pieces)
  • 4 current WIPs
  • Knit approximately 11,455 yards or 6.53 miles
  • Eliminated 107 skeins of yarn from my stash

This means I’m knitting a little over a mile a month! Not too shabby considering I have FTJ (full time job), a husband, gym workouts, and theatre volunteer hours. Where I have faltered a little bit is in not adding yarn back to my stash. I have had to order yarn to fulfill custom orders and may or may not have ordered extra “just in case”. I have also fallen victim to yarn promotions and a splurge here and there.

I have added:

  • 8,892 yards of yarn
  • Or 5.05 miles of yarn
  • Or 74 additional skeins

Okay, maybe that more than a couple of splurges. But it was all a really good deal I swear….and I’m still in the black by using more than I’m putting back in! The accountant in me is really excited to be in the black. Not to mention that all my yarn spreadsheets are up to date. I’m a GIANT nerd with mild organizational OCD if you haven’t already noticed lol.

Does anyone else organize their knitting on spreadsheets? Or am I crazy?