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Free range fresh start

“Wow. Its been a long time since I picked up the needles and started a project. IMG_0335I hope I remember how to cast on. Its simple, right?” were my thoughts this afternoon, though I’m sure I’ll remember. I noticed that at least two of the last three posts on this blog have “long time” in the title so I took it out of this title. I’ve kept this blog alive and paid for, because it was always my intention to come back to knitting, its just been a lot harder than I anticipated.

The last project I completed was my Pinkerton Shawl that I started back in the early part of 2011. Half was stockinette, the other half was lace. It was a project I started as part of a class at the local yarn store. I’d never knit anything that called for so much increasing or so much lace work. I finished the stockinette half, and went back to the lys to get started on the lace half. I went the afternoon of May 25, 2011. Getting the lace half started was a bit tricky for me, and a bit frustrating. The worst part, though, was that my mom died that night. She’d been sick, but I was expecting her to come home. Her death really shook me to the core (obviously). I went on and finished the shawl, very poorly. Mostly I worked on it while my dad was having treatments for cancer, or while waiting for his doctors. Needless to say, my heart wasn’t in it. I think I mention feeling kind of tethered to the shawl, in a way. It took me months to finish it. After it was blocked, I just shoved it in a drawer and never wore it. I actually ended up donating it earlier this year because it was just a reminder of such a painful time in my life that I didn’t want it any more.

At the same time I was working on the shawl, I had Amelia on needles. I was working it up in this gorgeous burgundy worsted from Squoosh Fiberarts. I kept frogging it because I kept goofing, and I wanted it to be perfect, and I think I kept changing the size. Anyway, it was much more soothing than Pinkerton was, and I thought I would finish it. I was going to the lys on knitting night, working on it, so it spent a bit of time in a bag. When I took it out of my bag one evening, I noticed little black specks, which I thought was weird, but not much more. I tossed the partial sweater in my basket that had most of my yarn and a couple of projects that I was working on. The holidays rolled around, and it sat for a couple months. I went back to start again one day the following year, and that’s when I first discovered the moths.

The god damn moths. Oh, I hate moths. Fucking MOTHS!

They were casing moths, which eat animal products, like wool and other animal hair (I have a semi-long haired cat, so as you can imagine, they’ve had a lot to eat). They destroyed hundreds of dollars worth of yarn, a blanket, several already knit projects, a couple of sweaters, etc. I eventually had to go through everything in my room and do a seriously thorough cleaning, including moving all of the rather heavy furniture, to finally (knock on wood) get rid of them. The loss of yarn and completed projects was difficult, but the worst has to be the small hole in my Guernsey Wrap that I can’t fix or have fixed because the moths ate through what little I had left over of the yarn!!! Its small enough I could just patch it with some from a new skein, but still! Its the principle. I worked hard on that. Its flawless except for that one. damn. hole. Ahem.

Needless to say, I haven’t knit anything in quite a while, I started a pretty basic ribbed scarf a couple of years ago, but I still had moths and they got to the yarn. I’ve been getting emails from Eat Sleep Knit, Jimmy Beans Wool, catalogs from Knit Picks, so I’ve had a longing feeling, but I just didn’t feel right starting a new project. I’ve been afraid it would reopen the wound I got when I lost my mom. A wound that will probably never heal. But I have a need to create things. I need an outlet, and knitting has been so good to me in the past, so I’m coming back.

Last month I got an email from Jimmy Beans Wool about a limited edition color from Madelintosh. I adore Madelintosh yarn. I almost cried when I had to get rid of skeins of yarn they no longer make. IMG_0259The color is called Free Range Egg. I don’t usually go for variegated yarn, but something about this one spoke to me. The colors were so soft, yet saturated. I excitedly ordered two skeins of Tosh DK, figuring I could make a scarf with that much yarn, and it would be light weight enough to actually use in Florida. A pattern was available on Ravelry, the Free Range Cowl that was just MADE for this yarn. I got the pattern with plans of converting it to a knit flat scarf. Scarfs are safe, comfort projects for me, so how can it go wrong? I’ve had a couple of false starts, almost went to a knit night to start it, but ultimately chickened out (HA! like a free range chicken? ok, you’re not laughing). Today, though, I asked for pattern changing help on twitter (Thank you, Laurie), wound the yarn, and I’m ready to go. I’ve never knit a chevron pattern before, but I’m hopeful I can make this work.

As soon as I decide what size needles to use.

Give me some time. I’ll get there.

 

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A long time

I’m surprised people still pop over here. I didn’t post at all last year. That’s because I didn’t knit anything that I can remember. I think I’ve had such a hard time getting back into because in the middle of my last project, my mom died. I think that created a negative association in my mind. With my dad being sick with cancer, I didn’t want to chance anything.

I started working on a scarf in October. I knit about six inches one day but I haven’t picked it back up since. Not sure what the deal is there. I just get distracted by the tv and internet.

I’ve also had a major moth problem. Some larvae must have come on some yarn I ordered because I’ve been dealing with the things for a while now. I had to throw away several skeins of yarn that had been eaten into pieces. Some of it was for a sweater I was working on and kept restarting. Now I have to get new yarn if I want to knit it.

Hopefully I’ll have some projects to report on this year. I’d really like to get back into knitting.

slaving away

I’m still working on the shawl. I mostly work on it when I’m waiting for my dad at doctors appointments, so its coming along, but not as well as it would be if I’d work on it at home. Its fairly close to finished, and I’m looking forward to finishing it. I feel tied to it.

I have an urge to knit a sweater. Its 90+ degrees and I’m thinking about sweaters. Of course, I’m always thinking about sweaters. Deep down I want to be a sweater knitter, but I don’t have a lot of people to knit sweaters for, and a limited time to use them myself. Plus I like near instant gratification that things like hats provide. I’d like to knit socks, too, but I get impatient with that weight yarn.

So, nothing new to report really. Just wanted to check in and keep the blog running. Will be back with my next project.

long time

I’ve neglected this blog. I know I have. Life has been so crazy and knitting has not been on my mind so much lately. My mom passed away last month, and before that she was really. Along with that my dad is fighting cancer. Yeah, knitting is not at the forefront lately.

I’ve been toiling away on the Pinkerton Shawl from the spring issue of Interweave Knits. It feels like its taking me forever,especially since I’ve gotten to the lace half of it. I’ve always wanted to learn to knit lace but now I’m beginning to wonder if I have the patience for it. The sock weight yarn is so thin and slow to work with, an the lace is just k2tog yo. It gets tedious after a while. I started the lace almost a month ago and have barely made a dent. Maybe other lace projects would be more interesting. I went with this one for ease, and the fact that the lys had a class/knit along for it.

I think I need to do a bit more on pinkerton and maybe do something like a hat soon. Something that reminds me that I can finish projects. It obviously wouldn’t be anything I can wear now, but I think it would help my knitting mojo, and my self esteem.

Knit and crochet on, people.

 

I just read about this on iknit2purl2’s blog. It starts today, so I thought I might as well try it. Maybe breathe some life back into this place.

I’ve got two pieces to get done in the next month and a half- Elijah the Elephant for a friends little girl, and pine forest baby blanket for someone who is expecting a little girl. I had a difficult time deciding which baby blanket pattern I wanted to knit, and finally settled on this one because I think I can knit it up quickly enough, and probably do a hat or two on the side. The problem is getting started. I’ve cast on the baby blanket, but that’s all the further I’ve gotten. Totally lacking motivation. Today should be a perfect day for knitting since its rainy and cool. Its supposed to be rainy all week. Maybe I’ll get something done.

oops

I’ve let this go for nearly a month without an update. Shame on me! And no picture for this one.

I guess there just hasn’t been much exciting going on in my knitting life. I restarted Amelia but I keep making stupid mistakes. I’ve got a couple of projects for other people due within the next month and a half. I should get started on those.

The decreasing rib caplet is still on needles. That’s such a simple project I should have finished it ages ago, but my knitting mojo has been interrupted by life. Soon it will be hot weather that slows me down. Maybe that will be a good time to learn socks.

Its Malabrigo March and I haven’t done a thing in Malabrigo. I’ve got a sweater pattern that I’ve knit before and I know is fairly easy. I should consider starting that before the month is over. Or the Malabrigo weave scarf that I started in one color an then changed my mind about. Last March all I knit was Malabrigo. I almost got tired of it.

I should get off of my butt and start reading more knitting blogs for inspiration.

yarn diet, yeah

So I’ve been trying. I am working on projects that will deflate my numbers, just not fast enough. And the not buying new yarn? Lasted until this month.

I got my first skein of The Sanguine Gryphon! Now I just need to buckle down and learn to knit socks.

I have plenty of sock patterns I would love to try, I’m just hesitant.

Right now I need to finish the decreasing rib caplet, and I restarted Amelia. I’ll try to finish the caplet in the next couple of days if I have time. I have a lot on my plate right now (I save that for the other blog), and finding time to knit is limited. Just as long as I keep plodding along and don’t overwhelm myself, I think I’ll get several things done this year. I’m not going to have  nearly as productive a Malabrigo March as last year, I’m afraid. I’m just doing the best with the time I have.

Happy knitting and crocheting to you all!

I knit myself another slouch hat, this time in cream so it will go with pretty much anything. Its so easy to knit! I started it last Friday while my dad was undergoing chemo, and didn’t quite have time to  finish it that day so I finished it over a sleepless Saturday night.

I have wool moths. I don’t think they’re that common in Florida, so I have a feeling they might have come with some wool I ordered from somewhere. I have no idea what to do to control them. I haven’t noticed any yarn damage either, but a moth did fly out of one of my yarn baskets. I should be keeping it in sealed containers. If anyone has any tricks to turn off wool moths, please let me know.

I started work last night on this decreasing ribbed caplet. I’m making mine in chocolate brown Valley Yarn Berkshire Bulky. I like the way its knitting up so far. But its a safe project, almost like a hat except you don’t close the top. I want to start other things like shawls and cardigans, but I seem to be lacking the confidence to take them on. Maybe its just the way things are going in my life right now that’s dragging me down. I’m taking on so many big problems and dealing with a lot of stress, maybe I just don’t want a big project on my shoulders right now.

How about you? What do you work on when you’re stressed?

 

finally finished

I finished Cinder.

Its long, soft, and cozy. I’m happy with how it turned out, i just didn’t enjoy knitting it as much as I might have because of the yarn. Sure its soft but it would split and break too easily.

I added a stash bust counter (sort of) to the side of the page. I don’t know if that’s my correct yarn count, but its what I counted in my ravelry stash. I need to count my actual stash.

I went to my LYS yesterday for needles and some extra loops for my interchangeables. I did buy one ball of yarn but I’m planning on using it up right away. I was proud for avoiding temptation.

Next project? Hat and mittens!

poof it’s a hat

Last night, to take a break from the scarf (the yarn is driving me nuts) I decided to knit a hat. I was looking for a basic slouch hat, which I found in Kendall. Once I got started I just didn’t stop. Perfect tv knitting, sinceI was watching tennis at the time. finished up in a few hours.

Its perfectly slouchy and comfy. I used Ella Rae Classic superwash. I want to knit it in every color now! I think I may go against my no new yarn rule and pick up a skein of a nice cream so I have one that goes with everything. As much as I love purple, it won’t go everywhere. It used close to the entire skein, which I believe is 210-220 yards. If you happen to be looking for a nice, simple, slouchy hat, this is the way to go.

The reason the yarn is driving me crazy on Cinder is because it is so , well, loose. It splits and sheds. Its making a soft, gorgeous product, but sometimes I just want to scream. Its almost done though, about a skein and a half and it will be gone! Six skeins destashed! As for Bella’s mittens, I frogged the one I started, but I’m going to start them over. The only way to get good at knitting something is to practice.