A Relatively Unproductive Week

I worried about weeks like this when I decided to do a blog.  But I wanted to set the goal to blog once a week anyway in order to keep me knitting.  I did knit this week, but I actually went out and socialized last weekend and then work this week for some reason was more exhausting than it normally is.  Combine this with the fact that the only project I worked on was my blanket, and that leaves me with not much to say.

I have completed four panels since the last time I blogged.  This means that I have completed all of panels C,D and E.  Of course those are really the easiest panels. I can't even move on to panels B or F until I invest in another cable needle, so for now that leaves me with the last two of panel A and my two G panels.  I'm making progress, but it's slow.  I am however so excited to be working on it again.  I'm hoping I can have it done by the end of spring, so when I'm not knitting for my 14 in 14, that will probably be what I'm working on.

Speaking of my 14 in 14 goal, since I've kind of reached a breaking off point in the blanket, I've decided to go ahead and start my second pair a few days early.  Official start date isn't until Monday, but I have the day off, and I'm ready for a change from the blanket.  Love the blanket... but need some variety in color every once in a while.  Sock 2 is a pair of socks that don't come from a sock pattern.  I've decided that if my goal is to really learn to do socks, then I'm going to do every other pair a pair from ravelry or knitty (someone else's sock pattern), and every other pair not.  And, with every pair of socks I want to practice either something I've never done before, or something I'm not very good at.  For example, this set of socks, I think I've decided on a stitch pattern I want to use, and then I'm going to focus on heels and toes that I'm unfamiliar with.  The last several pairs of socks I've knit, I've used a dutch heel because I like the way it looks, and it's super easy.  This time however, I'm planning to do a short-row heel. (I've never done one before).  I haven't decided on a toe yet, but I have a lot of knitting to do before that becomes vital.

 So, My knitting goals for this week:

• Finish one sock
• Learn a short row heel
• Learn a new toe
• Order yarn for baby vest
• Organize my stash so all my Christmas yarn is put away (I know it's a little late for this, but it really does still need to be done. )
• Take pictures so I have something pretty for the blog next week.  After all, what is a knitting blog without pictures?

Till Next week...!

PS.  I wore my OWLS sweater last weekend sledding, and it was so warm and comfortable.  I am pleased with how it turned out. 

1/14

I "finished" my first pair of socks for my 14 in 14 the other day.  "Finished" because I obviously haven't tied in my ends or blocked yet.  I am pretty sure there is even still a darning needle on one of those loose ends.  I'll get to the ends, but I've been sick... like stay home from work, lay in bed and feel miserable kind of sick for almost a week.  I don't like tying ends when I'm healthy; the thought of doing them while I was sick was unbearable.  The pattern is Ribbelmuster and you can't really see in the picture, but I carried the pattern down the heel flap.  It was a nice knit.  I wanted a nice simple sock to start out my 14 in 14, and this was the perfect pattern.  I still need to work on my picture taking skills... the socks are actually a nice forest color of green. 

Since I have a little over a week before I need to start my next pair of socks, I've been working on my priority list.  In other words... I finally, after two years of it sitting in hibernation for no good reason, got out my blanket to work on, and I've been working on it pretty steadily since I've been sick.  The pieces knit up really fast, and I'd forgotten how much I enjoy working on it.  When I started working on it the first time, I knit one of every piece so I'd have a full panel.  This time, I'm focusing on one piece at a time.  I've now knit all of my panel C's and 3/4 of my panel D's.

What I've knit since I got it back out again

I still have a long way to go, but it's so exciting to be making progress on it. Right now I think my biggest obstacle will be figuring out how to piece it together, that is where I got stuck last time. I'd love to someday have an entire closet full of knitted blankets.  MMMM.... I have several blankets already in my ravelry favorites.  But first things first...  at least I'm making progress again. 

Blurry picture of pieces blocking two winters ago.

Also on my list of things to do:
*Baby argyle socks (will be my next project when I need a break from my blanket)
*Baby vest for my best friends baby due any day now.  (I'm going to knit it about a 12mo size so not too much pressure to finish it before the baby comes, I'm still waiting on yarn for it.)
*Figure out what I want to do for my 2nd pair for 14 in '14.  (No, I'm not counting the baby socks.  I thought about it, but since they won't be going into my sock drawer, they can't count).
*Springtime skirt.  (This is a project that I'm really excited and a little nervous about, but it seems to keep getting pushed back.  I have an idea in my head and some really really pretty yarn, and I really hope what I envision will translate well into pattern.  It will be interesting since I don't have a ton of experience with garment making, but it's going to happen.)

That's it for now... at least that's it for the must do projects.  I'm sure it will grow with time though... hopefully my stash will be able to keep up. I guess I could get a second job to fund my knitting habit, but then when would I have time to knit?

Blocking Day and A Trip to my LYS

My goal is to try to post on this thing once a week.  As long as I keep knitting, it shouldn't be too difficult, but busy weeks like this last one will make it difficult.  I have however made some progress since last week.  

I should start by saying: I hate ends! They are by far my least favorite part of knitting.  In fact, I have been known to have projects go into my hibernation stash simply because I'm too lazy to tie in my ends.  (Yes, I have more than one project that would be finished in a matter of minutes, because lets be honest, that is really about the length of time it takes usually.)  Anyway, I'm trying to do better at tying in ends right when I finish something so that it's done and I don't have to go back to it.  I've also been trying to go back and tie in ends on some of the older projects I have sitting around.  So, I'd built up an arsenal of projects that had ends tied in and just needed to be blocked.  (believe me, this has never happened before.), So, last week, I got out the towels, commandeered the dining room table and went to town.

Pictured are: "Owls" by Kate Davies, A DROPS design 125, some slightly altered "Just Right Socks" by Sammie Carraher, two of my own designs, and a pair of gloves that my mom knit.  Not too bad for one blocking time.  I have to say, I LOVE the smell of wet wool.  Maybe I'm crazy, but I really do think it's a wonderful smell.  

I'm one sock into my 14 in 14 goal.  So I'm 1/28th of the way there!  I'll probably start it's mate as soon as I'm done here.  

I had the day off today, and have a project in mind for a pair of argyle socks for a friends baby.  (She herself only wears argyle socks, so it's only appropriate.  I found some really nice cotton yarn that I'm super excited about, and some other yarn.... I made it out with only two extra skeins of sock yarn... as if the 80+ skeins of yarn I've received in the mail in the last month and a half aren't sufficient to feed my addiction. 

I'm pretty sure that this is strong evidence that I need help... fast and soon!   I think I'll go knit while I wait for it. :)

Welcome 2014!

It's a new year, and I'm not usually one for New Years Resolutions.  I try not to wait for the new year to change my habits, but this year I decided I might as well give it a try... at least in some aspects of my life. 

About two months ago, I pulled out my knitting for the first time in quite a while.  I have been knitting pretty consistently since then.  I've finished some old projects, started some new ones, have visions for future projects, and have been working on building my stash in preparation of a great year of knitting. 

I rejoined the world of knitting by knitting a pair of simple socks, and then I was inspired.  Inspired by the joy of knitting socks, by a thread on Ravelry showing picture upon picture of peoples drawers of knitted socks, and by my mom, and I decided to set some knitting goals for 2014.  So, here they are, written out for the world to see.  Hopefully the joy of knitting and a personal sense of accountability will keep me on track and allow me to complete all of these before the end of the year. 

1.  Create and maintain a knitting blog.  (Started this one already.. obviously)

2.  14 in 14.  In order to drastically improve the state of my sock drawer, I am going to knit 14 pairs of socks in 2014.  I started November with 4 pairs, ended 2013 with 7, and hope to have 21 by the end of the year!  Soon my drawer will be comparable to some of those in the Ravelry thread. 

My current sock collection

3.  Learn to take pictures.  I'm horrible at taking pictures of anything... Anything, but if I'm going to maintain a knitting blog, I'd darn well better learn how, or this will be a really boring blog.  I'll start by taking pictures of my current sock collection to put on this post.

4.  Finish projects I've started.  I'm not always a finisher.  I have a ton of projects I love that are just sitting, hibernating... waiting to achieve that finished project status and be useful.  Particularly, I started the Aran Sampler afghan by Melissa Leapman a couple winters ago, and for one reason or another it has sat, unfinished in my closet for the longest time. that will be finished by this time next winter, so that I have something to make my apartment feel like home. 

5.  Become comfortable with color work.  I've always loved fair aisle, and I've knitted a couple of fair aisle projects... a pair of mittens, and just recently a pair of socks, that both turned out.... eh, ok, but notthebestthingsI'veevermade.  I want to be as comfortable with fair aisle as I am with cables (which are probably my first love).

6.  Sell my first pattern.  This is something I hadn't really thought about until recently.  I've always been the loosely follow patterns kind of person... but after I pulled out my knitting in November, I finished one pair of socks, and then was just kind of knitting around, and ended up with a pair of socks that I absolutely love... possibly more than any socks I have made yet.  I also have ideas for things I want to make.  We'll see, it's kind of a half goal I guess.  It'd be nice to have it happen, but it's not a must do. 

Well, there it is.  the post to begin a new and exciting year.  I look forward to the possibilities... and as we all know, with knitting.... the possibilities are endless!

HAPPY KNITTING!  AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!