Prevent Defense?

I've been playing around with some projects lately, and I'm still working on the yoke for my TLC Ribby. I really wanted something "New!". So here's a new project (sorta):


This is actually a restart. I've always loved this Jean Frost cardigan (it's called "Bobbly-pointed edges" and it can be found in the Best of Knitters: Jackets).

I originally started it in Cotton Ease. I loved it, but I kept screwing up the lace pattern (what? I have to pay attention on the wrong size???? eeks). After some thinking, I also realized that the Cotton Ease might not block well for the lace (of course I could "swatch and block" uh. huh.). Instead, I decided to just simply start over. A fresh start.

I also decided to start with a sleeve. I really should do this more often, as I find it really helps with the second sleeve syndrom later.

I'm making a few changes. The sleeve is going to have to be a little wider and much much shorter (the sleeves are too long on the tall model from the book... imagine them on me!).

My first version, I just didn't do the bobbles, but I do think it looked odd without. So I did them, but I made a smaller bobble. I think it's just enough.

I'm also using a great yarn. Kathmandu DK, so it's going to be very light and soft. At first I wasn't sure the pattern stitch would show up, but I'm happy with it. (btw: the color is Hot Pink!!, not as mulberry as the photo shows. I tried to color correct it in photoshop, but gave up).

So when I feel like concentrating, (did I mention that the lace pattern is worked on BOTH sides??), this is the project right now. When I need mindless, it's the TLC Ribby. Of course that's when I'm not playing Fallout: New Vegas.

Re-booting

Fallout: New Vegas is a little... buggy. Okay, it's super buggy with lots of crashes and weird happenings. I lost about 4 hours of game play due to a corrupted file save, so I'm now rebooting often (and anytime the load screens start to take too long to load). I'm well over 80 hours of saved game play (not including crashes and corrupted files). It's been a decent game, but very frustrating (for obvious reasons).

So, while my Xbox takes a little rest, I thought I would do a quickie blog post. I'm still slowly plugging along on the TLC Cotton Plus Ribby Pullover (man, that's a mouthful! TLC-CP-RP? hmmm, not much better). I'm really glad I decided to frog the yoke back and do a mock 2X2 ribbed neck. Much more my taste, and I know I'll get a lot of wear from it once it's done.

Those first couple of rows of yoke are always tight on the circular needles, but after about 8 rows, I'm in a good rhythm. Hopefully I can get it done during the World Series.

Meanwhile, I'm still looking for inspiration. I'm finding lots of projects on Ravelry that I love, and I've even pulled out some yarn/needles and cast on a project or two, but I can't quite find that passion for a project. I feel a bit like I'm slugging thru projects rather than enjoying them. I know that magic project is out there, so I'll keep looking (and swatching/casting on) until I find it! I mean, I'm not even BUYING yarn (what's up with that??? think I've actually hit max. capacity?).

In the meantime, the Xbox is ready for a reboot, the coffee cup is refilled and I'm ready to head back to the Mojave Wasteland!

Eight Years Later...

... and I'm still blogging. Granted, no longer daily (and this year we'll even say "rarely"), but I'm trying to be more consistant again. I find that it really helps for me to keep track of what I'm working on.

I started blogging back in 2002 as a way to keep track of my knitting progress. The idea was to help me stay focused on projects. It certainly has helped on some levels, and I'm so glad that I've been journalling projects for the last 8 years.

I've gone back thru a lot of my blogs (mostly since I switched to blogger a few years ago, the pre-blogger blogs are basically gone). It's fun to read what I thought of projects as I was working on them. It's scary how many projects were started and stalled (or were frogged). It's also amazing how totally krappy some of my photographs were (still not great, but a HUGE improvement, that's for sure!)

This was the project I was working on when I first started blogging:


Cornwall by Alice Starmore knit in Cascade 220

The photo is more recent (it's dated 2008), as I re-photographed it before I changed the neckband. Matt never liked the open neckband, so it was frogged and after many attempts, a ribbed neckband was put back on (which I don't have a photograph of anywhere. Hmmmm, need to fix that! Where's my model????)

So, while blogging isn't quite the "thing" anymore (let's face it, most twitter or facebook now, plus there's Ravelry), I plan on continuing to blog. I love having a reference for my projects! So thanks for all the page hits over the years, I hope you keep stopping by occassionally!

Rainy days are for frogging!

Even tho' Fallout: New Vegas arrived this morning, I hope to spend some time with my TLC Ribby today. (If I can stop playing Mass Effect. I have issues).


I love everything about this top... except the neckline. The photo is one of many attempts to try to do a double layer insert. It's not working.

I finally realized that the biggest issue is the scoop. It's too scoopy (it's waaaaaay too low for me) and it's not what I actually want. I realized that I'm going to be happier with a traditional 2x2 rib neckband.

So I'll frog it back to the start of the neckline (which is basically the entire yoke) and re-do it. This pullover is perfect for this time of year and I love the colors. The TLC Cotton Plus is soft and easy care.

Meanwhile, the mitered crochet afghan is done and waiting for me to switch laundry so I can wash and dry it. Matt and I have decided that it's perfect for Project Linus (good size and kid friendly colors), so I'll drop it off later this week. I'll have finished photos/project stats probably tomorrow!

On The Border!

The mitered crochet throw is getting close to being finished. I'm at the border, which always takes longer than I think it's going to take!

I did end up doing an extra 5 squares. The afghan is written for 5 blocks by 6 blocks, making the finished size 48" X 57". Even as vertically challenged as Matt and I are, that's not a comfy length for us. 5 extra blocks, and it's now 5 blocks by 7. Fortunately, I had some of the light periwinkle in my stash so I didn't need to buy any extra yarn for it.

Have I mentioned how much I love these colors? I hope to have it done today, then I think I'm going to tackle a knitting project that I've been ignoring for a bit. Winter is coming!

Mitered Squares

My mitered blocks crochet afghan is moving along quickly. I have about half of it sewn together:


I have to say, I LOVE the colors!

This has been a fast project so far and I think I've learned some valuable things about myself.

I learned that I prefer to do individual blocks, even if they do need to be sewn together. My hexagon afghan is annoying to work on, as I'm attaching as I go. I just can't get into a groove with it.

I learned that I prefer to do my blocks in the round blocks rather than do the mitered blocks. They are easier to seam up (even tho' I'm actually crocheting these blocks together).

I found out that color is my first priority (after washability for afghans). While I love the colors of this afghan, let's face it: Red Heart Super Saver is not a real "snuggly" yarn. The cornmeal is actually quite harsh (there's a huge descrepency between colors on softness, that's for sure). However, the colors totally make this afghan for me, so I can live with the texture of the yarn.

I also learned that weaving in ends after completing a block is prudent (yes, I've learned that lesson before, but I guess I needed a refresher on that one!).

So I should have this baby done by the end of the week. I already have an other afghan ready to go when this one is done (and yes, I'm still working on three others at the same time. Yay for short attentions spans!)

Still Knitting! Really!

I know that I've been showing more crochet projects than knitting projects of late (mainly, as I have been working on more crochet than knitting). However, that does not mean that I'm not knitting. I'm just not knitting as much as usual (yes, we can blame Bioware for some of that too).

Meanwhile, I am still trying to knit all the sweaters from A Fine Fleece. Here's some progress updates:


Corduroy, this simple gansey has been perfect for my current attention span knitting. Simple and mindless. Great to pick up and knit a few stitches during cutscenes or long load screens. I'm loving how the Knitpicks City Tweed DK is knitting up. Yes, it's going to pill like crazy, but oh how soft and warm is this sweater going to be!


Since I love the City Tweed DK so much, I decided that to use the aran weight for Amanda. I originally started this one in Brooks Fiber Farm Rialto, but reality hit and I knew I wasn't going to have enough yarn (which is too bad, as it was turning out beautifully). I'm thrilled with the pattern stitch/drape/color of this so far. This is an other great just pick up and knit project!


Meanwhile, I decided that I loved Matt's Staghorn so much, I needed to knit one for myself. In yummy Black Water Abbey (the yarn color, Iris, doesn't photograph real well. It's either too purple or too blue. The real color is somewhere in between). This is a great cabled project for me. The cables are easily worked (not only do I have the patterns memorized, I don't need a cable needle to work them). So it's an other just pick up and knit project.

So lots of projects being worked on (as usual) with out a lot of finishing (as usual). Eh. Things get done when I get them done!

Crochet Squared

I'm really digging the colors Matt helped me pick out for the mitered crochet throw. I've got the pattern down, but I am having some gauge issues:



My gauge relaxes as I go, so my squares aren't very square.

It has gotten better (my first two squares are unusable), but I have to really watch how loose I get, especially on the last two colors. I'm hoping that sewing the blocks together will help them square up. However, I'm avoiding weaving in ends, just in case I need to go back and rework these blocks (ya, has NOTHING to do with me procrastinating on the weaving in ends thing).

I'm actually debating if I should do the last color in a smaller hook just to help tighten up the last two rows?

More on afghans

I admit I was going to do an actual knitting update today, as I do have a few knitting projects underway. However, the afghan phase is still in full effect.

Matt and I had a few errands to run, so I picked up a couple of skeins of yarn to do a mitered square afghan. I've been playing with the colors and this is what I've decided on:


Now all I have to do is figure out how to keep my squares "square" (my gauge relaxes as I go, so I really need to concentrate).

For some reason, my knitting has a bad case of startitis. I can't seem to stay focused on a single project. The afghan projects are getting much more attention (depending on where in the house I'm sitting).

Maybe the afghan phase is due to the dreary weather... or maybe the still fresh memories of last winter? Maybe I'm more into crochet right now (I like my sweaters knitted and my afghans crocheted). Or maybe it's not having to worry about fit?

Afghans!!!!

Let's give a shout out to fall! Now that October is here, the temp has dropped to cool and comfortable and the leaves are definitely turning (and falling, but don't tell Matt. Raking season is one of the drawbacks this time of year), it's time to dust off some snuggly soon to be winter projects:

I'm a fan of afghans, especially sampler afghans. and green (I will say that in real life these greens are not as close in color as they would appear in the photos. Really. Well, mostly.)

This is a sampler crochet afghan I've been working on for a few years, but had to rip a bunch of it back (I was losing stitches as I went, and I prefer a retangular afghan. Just sayin'):


This is an afghan from a Leisure Arts book (doing it in Woolease, which I'm finding I don't love to crochet. It's very splitty, especially with the FPS):


Here's an other samper square afghan. This one has been around for a while. I'm actually using two different booklets and using which squares I like. I'm hoping I took good notes as to which ones I've already done:


Now this one doesn't quite fit in with the rest. First, it's not green and second, It's Done! Woo!


Just a quick summery on this one. It's small. I only had enough yarn to make 16 squares, and I just used the A-Z Sampler pattern that I used for this one. It's a soft, cozy, lapghan and I'm very happy with it. Ya, I like making afghan squares. Bring on some more!