One Stitch at a Time

November 24th, 2007

First the fun stuff…

I got a heck of a lot done on the cardigan during Thanksgiving, despite some time where I was just too full to knit. I’ve finished the waist decreases and started the bust increases. I just know if I wasn’t avoiding this due to Christmas knitting I’d zoom right through to completion quick quick. I’m loving it.

I took my completed gloves for Mom to a DnD session last week and got a lot of the ends woven in. One is complete and I just need to do 6 or 7 ends for the second glove. Then they’ll just need to be soaked and dried and they’ll be done! A whole year later. These are the Vintage Beaded Gloves from *Handknit Holidays* and I do not recommend that you knit them. I was unfamiliar with glove and mitten knitting when I started these, and didn’t realize they are badly in need of thumb gussets. If you’re familiar with the construction of gloves or mittens (can knit a pair without a pattern) then you should be able to easily alter these so the thumb fits better. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother!

The cabled socks I was knitting for grammy aren’t really going anywhere. I’m frustrated with them as they’re too big, and my idea to provisional cast-on for the toe wasn’t the best. I still haven’t learned that if you have switches between purl and knit on your first provisional row, you won’t be able to pick up and knit down from those stitches easily. I got it to work out without too much wierdness, but am unhappy about it. I’m considering getting some leather soles or painting tread on these for slippers.

I *did* get some fun Christmas knitting in the past week or two, and somehow I just whipped these up in no time. The two yellow ones are the Mason Dixon washcloths with the drawstring, and the other is just a simple garter cloth knit on the bias. I love knitting dish/face cloths, and really need to knit a few more for myself. Come to think of it, that’s what I should knit for Christmas instead of all this other fancy stuff! Heheh.

Apart from having to cast-on 150 stitches, I really enjoyed knitting the Mason Dixon cloths. It’s a great idea, and I’m sure my mother-in-law will love them.

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It’s Alive!

November 19th, 2007

Last night, distracting myself from Christmas knitting with handspun, I plied up a little sample of some lace weight merino. I’ve already finished two spindle-fulls, and was trying to decide if I wanted to finish it all 2-plied or not. I do, of course. For some reason I just can’t not ply my yarns. I had little enough that I thought it would be fun to knit a little lace swatch to see how it worked up. I’ve never done feather and fan, so here goes…

Isn’t it just cute? I wish you could squish it in your hands and feel how incredibly soft it is. I am continuously amazed at how wonderful it is to work with ones own handspun, but I’m sure it is a similar feeling to work with anothers. This yarn has so much spring, and stretch to it I almost think it’s alive. I used a size US 3 needle with this slightly thicker than lace weight, and I think I could have gone to a 4 or 5 and it would have worked as beautifully (with more drape). I can’t wait to decide what color to dye this yarn, figure out the perfect shawl pattern, and actually finish spinning it!

Oh yeah, lesson learned: Looser cast-on for the feather and fan, and tighter bind-off next time.

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Project Fidelity

November 18th, 2007

No photos, not much interesting progress to write about, same ole projects…Why the hell am I posting? I’ve been wanting to write a new post for days, because I *have* been knitting. Then when I think to take photos and go through what I might write, I realize none of it is really interesting. I’m not totally bored knitting my current projects, but I’m not totally excited about any of them either. I can’t pick up my exciting projects until my Christmas knitting is over, so I’ve been taking advantage of a loophole in my rules by *spinning* non-Christmas stuff.

I have got to find a better way to do Christmas knitting. No more involved projects; no more stressing about it the month before. I really should focus on simple projects like socks and dish cloths/towels, coasters, potholders, etc. I started 3 dish/face cloths in the last week or so that I just zoomed through. Those are fun and easy! Alright, here are my resolutions for next year: quick, fun, easy, unique (meaning a new technique or method). I shouldn’t put on hold all of the things that excite me about knitting just to make gifts!

If I was smart, I’d quit stalling and get this stuff done now so I can move on to the stuff I’ve been itching to pick up again! (Ohh evergreen, how I’ve missed thee.  Beauteous sweater of the tangled yoke, I have not forgotten thee!)

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Cheating (only a bit!)

November 11th, 2007

After my post about not being able to comfortably use slippery circular needles, I bought some of Knitpicks harmony options needles hoping that would improve things a bit. I already have two cables, so I got a set of size 4 and 5s. *Finally* they came in yesterday, and I’m telling you I was excited. It’s always exciting to get a new package, but I was also excited about cheating on my no-non-Christmas knitting allowed rule. You wouldn’t expect me to *not* pick the sweater up for at least a day after getting some new needles, would you?

I got a good bit of the garter rib done (in fact, all of it) and I’m now working on the stockinette portion. Don’t worry, after today I’ll make sure to roll it up and put it away. I’ll try at least…I promise! In addition to adding an inch of garter rib at the bottom before starting the decreases (done on purpose), I skipped 8 rows in between decreases that I’m adding into the stockinette portion (done on accident). The instructions were confusing, and I did what at least several people have done in reading them. It said to knit 7 rows, then knit a decrease row every 8th row. I thought the first decrease started after the 7 rows, not knitting **another** 7 rows before decreasing. Whoops!

I have fallen in love with this yarn, and the garter rib is beautiful. I’ve tried it on as best I can for now, and it seems to be fitting fine. It stretches a bit, which I wanted so it would be nice and form fitting. Now I just need to worry if the bust fits. It does according to my measurements, but that’s not always how things work out.

So far my first sweater is turning out wonderfully! *knock on wood*

*Edited to add:* I forgot to mention that I really love the Knitpicks harmony needles, and they did indeed solve my problem of discomfort with the circulars and my sweater. I don’t have to give up on circulars, yay!

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Fun Knitting vs. Christmas Knitting

November 4th, 2007

I was given a choice by my husband, a very easy but frustrating choice. I’m trying very hard to focus on my Christmas knitting, and getting some steady progress. He’s been wanting more winter gear, mittens to be specific. I had to either knit him some mittens soon, or he would buy some. You may not understand the urgency in this, but we don’t have a car so we need to be more cautious about how we dress outside. You *know* which choice I made of course!

The ironic thing is that even though I was frustrated at having to interrupt my tight Christmas knitting schedule (will I do this to myself every year?) I wizzed right through this first mitten far faster than any other project I’m working on. That’s what an interesting knit will do of course. Yesterday, intead of actually getting stuff done, I chose to listen to [Anne of the Island](http://librivox.org/anne-of-the-island-by-lucy-maud-montgomery/) and finish the first mitten. I love it! I gave Corey a choice of yarns, and even though I wouldn’t have chosen this I’m glad he did. It’s thicker which makes for a quicker knit, and looks beautiful. I can’t wait to get the other one done and see him wearing them.

It surprises me sometimes which knits I zoom right through at record speed, and which take me forever to do. I think Christmas knits are generally the latter, which doesn’t help things! Next year, start in January.

Have you started knitting Christmas gifts yet? **Do** you knit Christmas gifts?

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