Well... Sort of.
After a nice discussion with one of my partners in crime today, I have decided to start scheming again. Felted recycled sweaters? Check. A plethora of cigar boxes? Check. A bag full of wine corks and a frightening amount of buttons? Hell yeah. I feel another plan for Christmas gifts about to go hideously awry. The train derails every year, so why should 2008 be any different? As per my usual custom, I will take my trusted associate down with me. I usually keep copious amounts of wine on-hand to keep the rats from deserting the sinking ship. Trust me, it works. (About as well as the gratuitous use of the time-honored cliché.)
The bad man came to town recently and bore gifts of Japanese erasers and a t-shirt. This means that I now have enough food-shaped erasers to complete another shadowbox for the kitchen. When I decide to get less lazy with the camera, I will post a photo of the version currently adorning my wall.
One of my oldest friends dropped in from Boston last week with his baby boy in tow. Jacob is incredibly endearing and I can't help but wonder what he thought of daddy's chicken hat. Considering Brian wore a rat hat when he met my mother, this is considered "classy" and a step up.
Since the magic of knitting seems to have dissipated briefly, I am going to see if my new idea gets me going again. Seriously, I need a bit of a kick-start in order to finish the scarves I have promised, while properly torturing my other friends with wildly inappropriate handmade gifts.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Blah Lately
I am feeling completely burned out these days, so not much has gone on with my knitting. A vacation is definitely in order if I can manage to leave work for a week.
The blanket is nearly 40% finished and will make a nice throw for the couch. The bouclé texture is driving me crazy and I can't wait to work on a project where the yarn doesn't attempt to hook itself on my needles.
A ribbed sock is close to completion, but I think I need to go back to the rpm's for a while. My impending Christmas knitting is leaving me worried about time. Once I move, a yarn hunt is in order for the perfect colors to make the crazy number of scarves that people have requested. One would think that I would be able to make use of the huge stash. Unfortunately, people asked for the only colors that I don't have. Neutrals. Perhaps some Cascade Ecological Wool will do the trick.
Again, feeling so... blah. Perhaps tending to the yarn babies this weekend for my friend's store will help with the inspiration problems.
The blanket is nearly 40% finished and will make a nice throw for the couch. The bouclé texture is driving me crazy and I can't wait to work on a project where the yarn doesn't attempt to hook itself on my needles.
A ribbed sock is close to completion, but I think I need to go back to the rpm's for a while. My impending Christmas knitting is leaving me worried about time. Once I move, a yarn hunt is in order for the perfect colors to make the crazy number of scarves that people have requested. One would think that I would be able to make use of the huge stash. Unfortunately, people asked for the only colors that I don't have. Neutrals. Perhaps some Cascade Ecological Wool will do the trick.
Again, feeling so... blah. Perhaps tending to the yarn babies this weekend for my friend's store will help with the inspiration problems.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Rogue Knitting
The beanie I made for a coworker has been completed. I have also made some progress on the ribbed sock from the fist skein of sock yarn I purchased. The colorway is Chocolate Covered Kisses from Hill Country Yarns Sweet Feet. Although the base yarn initially felt a little rough, the knitted fabric feels incredibly soft.
After searching around, I decided on a pattern for the Mooncake yarn purchased in Minnesota. Always late to the game, I plan on making the Rogue Hoodie. The subtle color changes within the yarn should compliment the pattern nicely. Once I finally complete my Central Park Hoodie, I will allow myself to start this project. I am racking up UFOs like it's going out of style. Hopefully, a few new photos tonight will clear up some lingering WIPs on my Ravelry list.
Once I move to a new location, the toilet paper pattern should be a good decoration for the bathroom. If all goes well, I can decorate the place with all manner of knitted stuffs. Among plans to complete Christmas knitting on time, making my new nest look and feel cozy is one of the top priorities. The Hemlock Ring Blanket and a number of overstuffed pillows should do the trick. Perhaps some kitchen items are in order, although I loathe knitting dishcloths for some reason.
Another enabling friend gave me five skeins of Lion Brand Color Waves that she found at a garage sale. During episodes of Doctor Who, I will start a mindless, easy-care blanket for overnight guests. It won't be a thing of great beauty, but it promises to be damn comfy.
After searching around, I decided on a pattern for the Mooncake yarn purchased in Minnesota. Always late to the game, I plan on making the Rogue Hoodie. The subtle color changes within the yarn should compliment the pattern nicely. Once I finally complete my Central Park Hoodie, I will allow myself to start this project. I am racking up UFOs like it's going out of style. Hopefully, a few new photos tonight will clear up some lingering WIPs on my Ravelry list.
Once I move to a new location, the toilet paper pattern should be a good decoration for the bathroom. If all goes well, I can decorate the place with all manner of knitted stuffs. Among plans to complete Christmas knitting on time, making my new nest look and feel cozy is one of the top priorities. The Hemlock Ring Blanket and a number of overstuffed pillows should do the trick. Perhaps some kitchen items are in order, although I loathe knitting dishcloths for some reason.
Another enabling friend gave me five skeins of Lion Brand Color Waves that she found at a garage sale. During episodes of Doctor Who, I will start a mindless, easy-care blanket for overnight guests. It won't be a thing of great beauty, but it promises to be damn comfy.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Crafty? Not So Much...
I have been horribly remiss in my productivity these days, hence the photo of something I made a few years ago. There will be no egg-charging in my household, thank you very much.
Work has kept me very busy and I have spent my precious knitting minutes trolling Ravelry (It's a disgusting addiction, I know.) and voyeuristically peering at Dee's store to see what she has sold. Stalking takes many forms.
I am very pleased to say that I mistakenly lied about the total for the charity auction at Anime Detour this past weekend. As it turns out, I was given an incorrect total. Instead of $10,171, we managed to raise $10,221 for the Twin Cities Red Cross! This completely obliterated last year's total, which was a little over $6,000. As always, the staff and attendees were amazing. All of us felt so welcome and the outpouring of support was something to behold. I attempted to keep the look of shock from my face, and I fear I failed. The auctioneers included my partner in charity crime, Carrie Savage and Chris Ayres, Chris Bevins, Jamie Marchi and Kristofer McCormic. Staffers Christina and Jayson deserve a lot of appreciation for their tireless hours making sure everything went smoothly. And of course, the entire guest relations staff spoiled us for most other conventions. I seriously think Jamie is ruint!
Despite the schedules and hectic charity auction business, I managed to get in some yarn-related time. A coworker who lives in the area took me to the Yarn Cafe. They have their own brand of 100% wool yarn (Minnesota, go figure) that is to DIE FOR. I stashed some by accident, mind you.
I also hung out with a few other egregious enablers. Linda (lovely guest relations coordinator) gave me three skeins of Caron Simply Soft and Daniel (Seoul Man) handed me a Mashimaro doll in traditional Korean dress. To top off this gratuitous bribery, all guests received a gift bag with Pocky, first-aid kits and handmade Umbrella Corporation pins. I had so much stuff that I sat on my suitcase to zip the sides. Thankfully, Jamie was kind enough to smuggle my bunny back to Texas safely...
Work has kept me very busy and I have spent my precious knitting minutes trolling Ravelry (It's a disgusting addiction, I know.) and voyeuristically peering at Dee's store to see what she has sold. Stalking takes many forms.
I am very pleased to say that I mistakenly lied about the total for the charity auction at Anime Detour this past weekend. As it turns out, I was given an incorrect total. Instead of $10,171, we managed to raise $10,221 for the Twin Cities Red Cross! This completely obliterated last year's total, which was a little over $6,000. As always, the staff and attendees were amazing. All of us felt so welcome and the outpouring of support was something to behold. I attempted to keep the look of shock from my face, and I fear I failed. The auctioneers included my partner in charity crime, Carrie Savage and Chris Ayres, Chris Bevins, Jamie Marchi and Kristofer McCormic. Staffers Christina and Jayson deserve a lot of appreciation for their tireless hours making sure everything went smoothly. And of course, the entire guest relations staff spoiled us for most other conventions. I seriously think Jamie is ruint!
Despite the schedules and hectic charity auction business, I managed to get in some yarn-related time. A coworker who lives in the area took me to the Yarn Cafe. They have their own brand of 100% wool yarn (Minnesota, go figure) that is to DIE FOR. I stashed some by accident, mind you.
I also hung out with a few other egregious enablers. Linda (lovely guest relations coordinator) gave me three skeins of Caron Simply Soft and Daniel (Seoul Man) handed me a Mashimaro doll in traditional Korean dress. To top off this gratuitous bribery, all guests received a gift bag with Pocky, first-aid kits and handmade Umbrella Corporation pins. I had so much stuff that I sat on my suitcase to zip the sides. Thankfully, Jamie was kind enough to smuggle my bunny back to Texas safely...
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Travel Knitting Dilemmas
Being the forward-thinking person that I am, the Hemlock Ring Blanket is in full swing. Yeah, right. Of course, I am going to be in Minnesota in a week and a half. This means I have been caught with my pants down as far as travel knitting is concerned.
When I go out of town, a relatively easy sock project usually joins me. Not only are socks super portable, but TSA has never batted a suspicious eye when they have seen bamboo sock needles in my carry-on bag. This may happen one day, but it hasn't... yet. The blanket needs a little more attention than I can provide while talking at a panel. I have at least three scarves to knit by next Christmas, but I don't want to take anything that won't fit into a medium-sized purse. Perhaps now is the time to start on the plain black beanie for someone who recently did me a favor. Or I could finally knit that brown watch cap I promised my stepfather a while back...
Now that I am writing and thinking about all of the simple projects that have never been started, I realize I am way too easily distracted. I want to work on things that excite me and consider anything else a chore. The best explanation I can come up with is the fact that my day job consumes my thoughts most of the time. When I have a few hours to myself, I only want to do things that make me feel happy and distracted.
There are also two patterns in my head that badly need to be written down and tested. I suppose now is the time to buckle down and get my gift knitting and pattern writing out of the way. I don't want to feel the stress of last Christmas when I ran past the deadline to make presents. I have the yarn stash. I have the tools. I even have most of the patterns already picked and allocated to certain people. After I complete my next charity auction, I will be free and clear to stop procrastinating and start doing something constructive.
When I go out of town, a relatively easy sock project usually joins me. Not only are socks super portable, but TSA has never batted a suspicious eye when they have seen bamboo sock needles in my carry-on bag. This may happen one day, but it hasn't... yet. The blanket needs a little more attention than I can provide while talking at a panel. I have at least three scarves to knit by next Christmas, but I don't want to take anything that won't fit into a medium-sized purse. Perhaps now is the time to start on the plain black beanie for someone who recently did me a favor. Or I could finally knit that brown watch cap I promised my stepfather a while back...
Now that I am writing and thinking about all of the simple projects that have never been started, I realize I am way too easily distracted. I want to work on things that excite me and consider anything else a chore. The best explanation I can come up with is the fact that my day job consumes my thoughts most of the time. When I have a few hours to myself, I only want to do things that make me feel happy and distracted.
There are also two patterns in my head that badly need to be written down and tested. I suppose now is the time to buckle down and get my gift knitting and pattern writing out of the way. I don't want to feel the stress of last Christmas when I ran past the deadline to make presents. I have the yarn stash. I have the tools. I even have most of the patterns already picked and allocated to certain people. After I complete my next charity auction, I will be free and clear to stop procrastinating and start doing something constructive.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
No Rest For the Wicked
Social obligations and work have really taken their toll on my not-so-secret knitting life these days. Despite the stress, I am pretty happy with the way things are turning out. Today, I indulged in some necessary house cleaning. There is a long way to go, but the kitchen is finally under control.
Despite the lack of personal time, I have managed to sneak in some project progress while recording in the booth and during car rides. There is something deliciously furtive about knitting in the dark.
My striped socks are nearly complete and I have sewn the second seam on my Skully sweater. It looks and fits as it should. As soon as I can put the final touches on a few projects, I will re-start the Hemlock Ring Blanket. The Ready, Set, Knit! podcast has posted some instructions for enlarging the blanket. I know I can figure this out on my own, but a working girl needs a break every now and then.
Despite the lack of personal time, I have managed to sneak in some project progress while recording in the booth and during car rides. There is something deliciously furtive about knitting in the dark.
My striped socks are nearly complete and I have sewn the second seam on my Skully sweater. It looks and fits as it should. As soon as I can put the final touches on a few projects, I will re-start the Hemlock Ring Blanket. The Ready, Set, Knit! podcast has posted some instructions for enlarging the blanket. I know I can figure this out on my own, but a working girl needs a break every now and then.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Mindless Projects
I finally finished my first sweater. There is technically one more seam to sew and some blocking, but the Skully sweater is finally complete. Once it is fully wearable, I will photograph and post here. I am incredibly excited to wear it in Minnesota in a few weeks. For once, I adhered to a set deadline and completed a project on time.
But... There is one tiny problem. My skin is sensitive to mohair. The yarn I used contains 15% mohair and it is an itch factory. I think I will be OK as long as I have a long-sleeved shirt to wear underneath.
Since the sweater got too large to carry around and my rpm socks require a pattern, I started a pair of stockinette socks using self-striping yarn. I know how chintzy this looks, but I need to be able to pay attention if I insist on knitting during social functions (which I most certainly do).
What does shame feel like?
But... There is one tiny problem. My skin is sensitive to mohair. The yarn I used contains 15% mohair and it is an itch factory. I think I will be OK as long as I have a long-sleeved shirt to wear underneath.
Since the sweater got too large to carry around and my rpm socks require a pattern, I started a pair of stockinette socks using self-striping yarn. I know how chintzy this looks, but I need to be able to pay attention if I insist on knitting during social functions (which I most certainly do).
What does shame feel like?
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