Weekend Wrap-Up: Old Spinning Wheel Yarn Shop

The newest additions to my stash

Remember number 4 on Friday’s list?

4. Try not to buy anymore yarn.

Ha!

In Defense of Swatches

The former sock

I tend to disregard swatches. In fact, I think I’ve made one swatch ever. I’m not a huge fan of knitting stockinette flat, so it’s just not something I do. I learned yesterday just how important this particular knitting technique really is.

Weekend Wrap-Up: Designing Knits

Starting to sketch

When I first started knitting, I had no desire to design anything. I figured, the pros have done a great job, and I can just use what they have made. This has worked quite well for me, as there a ton of really talented designers out there. The past couple of weeks, though, I have been itching to try my hand at it as well.

Knitting Complications: When You’ve Made a Mistake

Mistakes always happen. Well, that might be too broad of a statement. With my knitting, mistakes always happen. The question is this: What do you do when you realise you have made a mistake?

WIP: Top Secret Chadwick

I love the tangerine colour!

Well I did it. I made progress. It would seem smoothing out some of the chaotic parts of my life has helped me refocus my energies a bit more. I’ve been completely stressing out over a lot of small things and a couple of really big things. I developed a system that’ll work at work yesterday, managed to pull together ingredients to make chicken broth in the slow-cooker, and even cleaned the house (a little). After that, I knitted. Something must’ve clicked back!

What Knitting Has Taught Me

From the title, you’d think I’ve been knitting for a long time. In a way, I have been. I was first taught by my Grandmother when I was about 8, along with the piano. I quit both of those very early on. Then, when I was a senior in high school, I learned from a woman at the Lutheran Youth Gathering in San Antonio. I made the scarf she taught me to make and didn’t pick up the needles again. I tried again in 2010, making half a cabled blanket, a bracelet, and a couple small odds and ends. I guess it wasn’t until last Christmas, though, that I needed knitting rather than just thought it would be fun. I haven’t really put the needles down since.

The Joy of Tiny Knits

Drinking in the morning sun

I think I got turned around on my projects. I was so tired of big knots that I made something very small last night. To be honest, I kind of want to do it again. The pattern I used was Tiny Baby Bunnies by Anna Hrachovec.

Busy weekend: On the Needles

Coming along just fine!

I had an extremely productive weekend. That’s not to say I finished any of my WIPs, but I did get a lot of work done on a couple of them. Okay, mostly I got a lot done on my shawl, which I absolutely love.

WIP: Hemlock Shawl

Shawl in progress

I really thought I was going to make more progress on my shawl last night than I actually did. I started at row 14 and finished last night at only row 30.  I don’t think the pattern was too difficult, though I did have to look up psso (if I read right, it’s the same as skp, so all that fuss for something I already knew).  I was just mentally exhausted. This has been a really long week.

WIPs: Socks, Shawls, and Sweaters, Oh my!

The puckering in the middle is finally going away!

My projects finally seem to be moving forward, despite a few hiccups along the way this week. The big project is going a bit slower. The  sweater is nearing 7 inches long, which is about the halfway point of the body. However, finding the time and motivation to sit down to simple stockinette is proving more challenging than I anticipated.