Knitting For Sanity

I really had forgotten how satisfying baby knits are! I finished my Blueberry Pie Helena yesterday, blocked it last night, and sewed the buttons on today! I decided to omit the ties in the pattern and instead use buttonholes. It's just too much fun to pick out buttons for a finished knitted garment, and I prefer the look of them over the ties in the pattern. I dashed out to Joann's this morning to pick out the buttons and was thrilled to find the perfect ones. I think they look like little candies. I almost chose the same buttons in a blue-purple color but decided to go with the more matchy-matchy buttons. I like that these let the yarn really shine on its own. Normally I'm not thrilled with the look of variegated yarn with a lace pattern, but this lace pattern is simple enough to support the slight variations in color. This is an adorable baby pattern, and it knit up super fast - even in the sock yarn I used!

While all signs pointed to me casting on for a Textured Shawl, I've become completely won over by the Baby Sophisticate. I've got more than enough yarn leftover from the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan, and the idea of a "matching" baby sweater is just irresistible. I picked up some more of the buttons I used on that sweater to use on the baby version. A baby sweater in worsted weight should take no time to knit up. There's just nothing like a baby dressed up like a little grown-up. Adorable! I'll probably cast on for this sweater tonight.

I've been taking some time to watch the Elizabeth Zimmermann DVDs I purchased in Atlanta, and there isn't a better adjective than charming to describe them. I've spent the majority of my watching time on the Knitting Around DVD. It's just amazing how the DVDs can make the projects come to life, causing my own personal interest to rise exponentially in projects I'd previously dismissed. I love the raw home movie feel about the way they are shot - Meg talks intermittently to her husband who is running the video camera, Meg and Elizabeth make jokes and tease each other, and they both engage in unscripted dialog that makes you feel as though you are sitting with them in a yarn shop chatting. They are just delightful! If you have the opportunity to check them out from your local library, run - don't walk. They are marvelous for giving today's knitter a glimpse into the amazing mind of EZ.

I'm off to cast on for my next project. Last week was a rough one, and I'm not looking forward to the next starting so soon. Thank God for my knitting!

Blue

It seems that my purple possession has given way for a bluer-hued preoccupation! As I gathered all the things I wanted to blog about together for photos, I realized that I've inadvertently created another color theme. I honestly don't think I could do this intentionally if I tried!

Okay, buckle your seat belt. It's been a while since I last posted so I have a lot to talk about in one short blog post. Ready? Off we go...

I succumbed to the temptation of the Knit Picks Summer Book Sale when I realized that a couple of books I'd already planned to buy were included. I also took the opportunity to get a couple of fixed circulars I've needed. Then of course I found myself close to the $50 requirement for the free shipping, so I threw in 5 skeins of Gloss Lace. I've been wanting to try this yarn for some time now, and this was the perfect opportunity. In my recent Pi Shawl obsession, I really found myself drawn more to the Pi Are Square shawl, but I didn't have enough of one yarn in my stash for it. Problem solved! The colorway is Bluebird, and it is absolutely gorgeous. It'll be a joy to knit with. As you can see, I scored copies of Spin Control and Teach Yourself Visually Hand-Dyeing. Yay!

Over the holiday weekend, my mom and I decided to take a road trip to Atlanta for some shopping and play. Of course I had to do a mini-yarn crawl! We actually passed by a yarn shop I didn't know about while driving around town, and I was able to go by there before we headed home. What a treasure trove! The Needle Nook was smallish but full of beautiful yarn and very friendly faces. I was over the moon to find a copy of Barbara Abbey's Knitting Lace! In dreaming up my Pi (or Pi Are Square) Shawl, I've been envisioning a fairly simple shawl body with a stunning, intricate border, and I've had a terrible time finding just the right lace border pattern. I have a feeling that this book will end my search. What an incredible reference book! They also had a few of Elizabeth Zimmermann's DVDs, and I just couldn't leave them behind. I've not yet had time to watch them, as I want to be able to sit and enjoy them uninterrupted. So excited!

In knitting news, I've been working sporadically on the Helena I'm knitting from sock yarn. It's going really fast actually. I've got one more sleeve to knit, and then I'll get to work on the neck/button bands. I've really been motivated to get this adorable little sweater completed because I have another project calling to me. It all started when I read Soulemama's post about her beautiful Textured Shawl. So simple, so elegant! There is just nothing that moves me like the harmony between gorgeous yarn and the perfect stitch pattern. It didn't take me long to remember the 7 skeins of Malabrigo that have been marinating in my stash for nearly 3 years now. I've been waiting for just the right, most deserving project. I believe this shawl is it! I've literally been carrying around the pattern, the yarn, and the needles (my new Addi Clicks!) for over a week now. I'm trying to refrain from casting on until after Helena is finished. Isn't that yarn yummy and SO tempting?! Must, must, MUST finish Helena!!

Shades of Purple

Today's post is brought to you by the color purple. I didn't realize how purply preoccupied I currently am with my knitting until I started to snap the photos for this post! I do love me some purple though. From light fresh lavenders to deep rich plums and violets, purple always appeals to me. That's probably what drew me to the hand-dyed yarn I'm using for the baby cardigan I'm currently knitting. I have to be careful about my yarn purchases. I think it would be pretty easy to end up with a stash full of variations of the same thing. Good thing I'm keeping to a yarn diet!

Speaking of yarn diet, I was thinking the other day about the last time I made a significant yarn purchase. The last I can remember was way back in late September or early October 2008 when I ordered the yarn from Webs to make the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan. That was a long time ago! I really feel lately like I've rediscovered my stash. I've been discovering new patterns on Ravelry that have me really excited to knit up what I already own, rather than running out to the yarn shop for new yarn. If you've been listening to Brenda Dayne's podcast, Cast On, then you already have heard her talk in this series about the "Make Do and Mend" movement, which originated during World War II and encouraged families to reuse and refashion clothes and household items. It has significance and meaning today in light of our economic and environmental concerns, and I am particularly inspired by it. I've been interested in making old things new again for some time because I find it thrilling to move toward more self-sufficiency and world-wellness mindfulness. I've been trying for the last couple of years to decrease my own personal consumerism, so the "Make Do and Mend" philosophy suits me. That certainly doesn't mean that I've stopped shopping/spending altogether. Rather I'm finding that I have curbed the instant gratification, impulse buying and instead make more thoughtful purchases with vendors that I believe it. I'd much rather spend a little more on shoes I know will be comfortable and last for a long time than buy the jazzy numbers on sale for only a little more than a drive-through meal might cost me. Yarn is the same way. I'd rather spend my money on beautiful, natural-fiber yarn that will push me ever closer to a stunning finished object than pinch a few pennies on yarn that even the most perfect technique couldn't save. Something about a sow's ear and a silk purse comes to mind.

Well, I certainly didn't mean to turn this post into some sort of political statement! Let's change gears, shall we?

This morning I found myself wide awake before 7am, so I decided to use the opportunity to get all my housework done. In doing so, I unearthed the yarn I received in my May shipment from the Rockin' Sock Club and realized I'd not yet photographed it yet. Another gorgeous colorway! I've also put it into my stash on Ravelry, so you may go there to read details about it, if you like.

Yesterday I spent most of the day resting and knitting on Helena. Somehow I managed to knit all the way through the top portion and into the first repeat of the lace on the skirt before going to bed last night. I'd forgotten how satisfying baby garments are to knit! I believe that I only have four or five more lace repeats to go on the skirt before it's done. I'm really happy with the way this yarn is working out for this sweet little cardigan. I may have just solved my problem of stashed sock yarn and a knitter (me) who doesn't really want to knit socks! I think I'm going to forgo the ties on the cardigan and instead knit in buttonholes. This yarn really wants to be accented with sweet little buttons!

I'm off to relax with my knitting for the afternoon. I'm determined to get every second of enjoyment out of this weekend!

Short-Term Goals

I don't know if it's the unbearable heat of summer that is mercilessly upon us or my recent completion of a large woolen knitting project that has me in my current state. Either way, I'm craving small projects right now. I'm finding myself in need of easily obtainable, short-term knitting goals. It's been a while since I knitted a baby garment. I love knitting baby garments because they are quick to knit and, for the most part, gauge isn't quite as much an issue. Thank goodness babies come in all sizes!

The yarn pictured is a hand-dyed skein of sock yarn I picked up in Minnesota last year while I was visiting for a job interview. I really loved the colors and the hand of the yarn, and I was thrilled when I discovered that the colorway was aptly named "Blueberry Pie." I've recently accepted that I'm not much of a sock knitter as I don't particularly enjoy wearing handknit socks, so I've been looking for creative ways to knit up my sock yarn stash in nonsock projects. I've always loved the Helena pattern from Knitty's Summer 2008 issue, and I poked around Ravelry a bit to see if anyone else had knit the pattern in sockweight yarn. I wasn't too surprised to see they had - and with beautiful results. So I think I'm going to give the pattern a try. I hope to cast on tonight or tomorrow, so I'll keep you posted.

I had to make an emergency run for needles to start Helena as US size 3 circs are apparently the only size I don't own, and in the process I came across Issue 6 of The Knitter magazine. I've not allowed myself to get too sucked into this UK publication as it is terribly expensive (for a magazine) and the designs don't always appeal to me. This issue, however, was irresistible. The pattern for Honeysuckle was the one that really sold me. It's a circular shrug/cardigan knit in laceweight, and it is absolutely breathtaking. So elegant and so wearable! I'll be tucking this issue away for later knitting.

In the meantime, I've been knitting away on the third (and final!) Kicking Bag for Baby I cast on last January. This pattern was perfect in helping me use up the wool yarn I dyed during a dyeing class I took in the Spring of 2008. As with the other two I knit, I'm alternating the yarn from each ball every other row so it makes for a cohesive color transition. Now that I've finally made it past the ribbing, it's nice to just knit around and around and around. It's also exciting to get this yarn out of my stash! It's been a while since I made a yarn purchase, and the urge to bust my stash to smithereens is getting stronger and stronger, especially with my recent dive into spinning. I'm finding myself thinking in terms of my available yarn rather than in patterns that catch my eye when considering what my knitting future holds. It would be so incredibly liberating to be stashless! What fun to choose a pattern based only on the pattern itself and then be able to trot off to the yarn store to buy the yarn for that specific project. I wonder if I could crank out projects at a faster clip that way. By just allowing my creativity and inspiration to guide me and carry me through? It sounds promising to me!

The Lid is Off

It's been another blog lull around here. This time it is not because I had nothing to say, but instead it was that I was working too hard to stop and blog about what I was working on! I started this cardigan WAAAAY back in October and found that it was too difficult to knit on-the-go (as much of my life is lived nowadays). So it lingered around my knitting basket only getting attention every so often. Suddenly (so it felt) I was coming very close to a deadline on it and absolutely had to get it finished. I set little daily knitting goals for myself and gave up many hours of cumulative sleep to meet them. I'm happy to report that all my efforts were well worth it as the cardigan was finished and ready for the recipient at the right time. And I must say that I am thrilled beyond belief with the way this sweater turned out. There was SO much finishing to do on it, even given that I'd knit the body in one piece to avoid having to seam the fronts to the back. I sewed and sewed and sewed! I really feel that it was worth all my meticulous work as the finished sweater exudes a casual elegance and sleek style (at least in my humble opinion). The button and neck bands are knit with a slipped stitch facing that it folded toward in the wrong side and stitched down then the garment is complete, and I have to admit that I really like the look of it. I've never been too happy with the more traditionally used ribbed button bands that must be picked up and knit after the garment is put together. I really like the clean look of the faced button bands, though there were a bit of sweat and teeth gnashing that went on while I was easing in the neckband. Still, it went together with amazing ease and without any huge catastrophes. I'm very, very pleased with it.

For more details on this cardigan, please head over to my Ravelry project page.

After finishing the cardigan, I wanted to reward myself with a fresh new project, and I toyed around a bit with some hand-dyed laceweight I got in Minnesota and the Pinwheel blanket pattern. I think my nerves and patience were a bit too affected by the recently finished cardigan to get me smoothly through the cast-on and initial awkward rows, so I put it away for a bit. I've picked up the third Kicking Bag for Baby I started some months ago and have been knitting away on it. It's a nice no-brainer pattern that I think will allow me some time to contemplate my next big project. I have a lace stole in hibernation that I'd love to get finished, but I'm just not sure that I'm up for something so complex right now. I have some beautiful Cobalt Heather Cascade 220 in my stash that I'd like to knit up into a simple v-neck pullover, but I hesitate to start that now with the heat of summer raging now and for the next several months. I crocheted a few rows on my Candy Store Afghan and found quite a bit of enjoyment there, so perhaps I'll return to that for a while. It'd be wonderful to have it finished when the cool Fall weather returns (hopefully sooner rather than later!). After the rush to finish the cardigan, I think it might be good to have a more laissez-faire attitude toward my yarn crafting for a while. No rules, no expectations, no deadlines. It only all of life could be that way.

Well, tomorrow marks the first day of my returning to my regular routine after a week's vacation. It's been absolutely divine to have some time off, and I'm reluctant to return to what I'm sure is going to be a pile of work waiting for me. Hopefully I'll have some time to return to regular blogging again. I do miss it.

Off to catch up on laundry and prepare for the work week! Thanks for reading!

Top Secret

It's been quiet around here because I'm working like a fiend on some top secret projects! I'll be back soon!

Mixed Media Post

While it's been quite a while since I posted, blogging hasn't been far from my mind. Work has been particularly demanding lately, and I really needed to vacate some of my usual (however self-imposed) deadlines to regroup and refresh myself. My mini-vacation was wonderful, and it was difficult to leave it behind to return to my everyday life. I attended a spinning class at a modest local fiber festival and emerged with my first handspun yarn! It's rather ugly and painfully inconsistent, but it's the first step toward my becoming an honest-to-goodness spinner. The class instructor gave us lots of different types of fiber to spin during the class, and I had plenty leftover to do some more practicing at home. It's been a lot of fun, though I must admit that I've not yet moved into the"Wow, this is so relaxing!" part of spinning. I still have quite a mountain of things to learn about spinning, but it certainly has provided me another creative outlet when I'm not in the mood to knit. I've got some gorgeous fiber in my stash now, which makes me very motivated to continue to practice so that my skills can be worthy of spinning it up!

Last Sunday I had the sudden urge to do some more sewing, so I seized the moment and raided my stash. I'd purchased everything I needed to make one of the baby quilts in the book Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts months ago when the book first came out, but I'd just never gotten around the executing the project. Now that I have my new sewing machine(s) and some time during my mini-vacation, I jumped right in. It was a great way to introduce myself to machine quilting on my Janome 6600. The quilt is designed to look tied, but it's all done with an embroidery stitch on your sewing machine. It look me a bit longer than the book suggested, largely because the batting I used required stitches no more than 3 inches apart (the book's author's batting allowed for up to 8 inches between quilting stitches), meaning that I had many more stitched places than the book's example. Still, I was thrilled with the result. I even had a lady at work as me if I'd make one for her to give as a baby gift (for pay!). I used 100% cotton fabric and batting, so this would be perfect for a summer baby. I'll be tucking this one away in my theoretical hope chest for myself.

I've been waiting for some time now for Debbie Bliss' new book, Design It, Knit It: Secrets from the Designer's Studio, to come out, and so I popped into Barnes & Noble yesterday after work to take a peek at it. I was really hoping it'd be a textbook of sorts on knitwear design, and at first I was a bit disappointed that it was really more pattern book, less instruction book. Then I allowed myself to accept what it was and to see what was really there. Debbie Bliss has always had an aesthetic that appeals to me - beautiful classic designs with elegant details and shaping. However, I find that many of her books have similar silhouettes and patterns that make collecting them a bit of a deja vu experience. I found that this book has a freshness about it, and I was intrigued by the way it's organized to include a written monologue of sorts of Debbie's inspirations and design processes with a handful of patterns that demonstrate her ideas. When I came to the Garter Stitch Coat, I knew I had to take the book home with me. I love the swingy, casual feel about it, and of course, the glorious garter stitch sold it. I can really see myself knitting and wearing this. I never tire of garter stitch! I might even have yarn in my stash for this one!

Just in case you thought I'd given up completely on the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan, here's proof that I am actually still working on it. It is slow going as the cable is rather laborious. I wish I could wave my magic knitting needle and have it all finished! I've got so many other knitting projects that are tempting me! I'm trying desperately to focus on this project and only this project, but the cable requires so much of my attention to knit it properly that it really isn't practical for it to be my To Go project. And oftentimes I find that when I finally sit down in the evenings, I'm just too fatigued to concentrate on it as much as I need to. Surely if I can make it through all that ribbing on my Margaret sweater, I can make it through these sleeves, right? Send me any of your extra or leftover knitting mojo, would you? I really need to get this sweater finished!