Grab your knitting needles and come relax with me.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Not So Crazy
I am feeling less overwhelmed today. I now think it IS conceivable to accomplish all the knitting I set for myself this month and the next--EVEN with NaNoWriMo.
Yesterday I finished Granny's Shawl.
Woot!
Anne helped me crochet the top stablising border, while I tried to perform lace surgery on her Tussah Silk leaf wrap.
Lesson to all knitters knitting with silk, especially Tussah Silk: life lines! I could not for the life of me fix the mistake in Anne's project. The silk was too sticky and too inflexible to ladder down and repair. Because of the stickiness, Anne didn't realise that she didn't catch a stitch...until 10 rows or so. And then it just exploded.
So I left her to tink it back.
I have started the felted slippers that are also for Granny. Slipper one is half done and it's only taken me less than an hour! See there is LIGHT!! I also am nearly done with Elly Phant! I just need to graft one ear and knit the second!!
The Shawl, you'll want particulars.
Pattern: Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl (Rav Page and my Ravelry Project Page). Yarn: Marble Chunky, a little under two skeins. Needles: US size 13 Denise Interchangeables. Finished Size: Fits a size 65 inch woman. Modifications: Some. I didn't garter stitch the center double row of eyelets.
It even feeeels like fall! The temps this week have been in the mid-60s. It's wonderous knitting weather. I had planned to start Fall Cleaning, but yesterday I tore the nail nearly clean off my big toe. So that put my plans on hold, as standing, squatting, moving objects, and scrubbing do not work well with a very painful throbbing toe. Gee, knitting--knitting I can do.
Right now I am working on Granny's Shawl. Christmas is less than 3 months away and I still need to knit her slippers. The shawl I think is nearly done...each row is taking FOREVER!! I might watch Wolverine to help take my mind off the EXTREME boredom.
I also need to work on my Super Secret Projects--there are still two. Hmmm and ya know what they are also blue. I am on a blue kick. Can not wait for RED. or Gold. Or Multi coloured!!!
I've been knitting...but it's nearly all entirely super secret knitting. The only thing I am knitting that I can share in it's entirety is my Granny's Christmas present (I can share it because she doesn't read the blog, although her son does-I think he'd like to see what I am working on for his mum.) Right now it looks like a blob, but it WILL be a shawl someday.
I switched to my biggest cords--52 inches and I started the second ball of Marble Chunky. I think I will need to use every bit of that yarn. I am hoping it will be a full sized shawl. Big enough that she can keep cuddly warm in it this winter.
I am working on two new lace scarf* patterns...both of which I can't show you. The wildflower themed scarf is giving me a headache--and I may frog half of it. (I must be brave!!) The Lorelei scarf-I started it, but I paused so I could learn Orenburg Shawl construction (I am using that technique in the scarf). Basically it's how to knit the pretty edging on the scarf with out too many picked up stitches or sewing. The edging is knitted at the same time as the body, so when you finish you are FINISHED!!
I am only knitting a swatch--because I am using some left over lace weight and dude I do not have time to be knitting a another full sized scarf right now. I am thinking about putting it in a shadow box once I'm done with it. I am thinking it'll be the size of a handkerchief. But I as I knit this, I am wondering that after my current batch of projects if this type of scarf or stole should be next on my list. (Dontcha love how fast these knitting bunnies pop out?)
I am thinking soon, maybe tomorrow?? or next week??? I will see about repairing the Swan Lake stole that I blogged about last month. (And yes I know I promised a lace surgery video...editing still being done!)
*I am wondering if I ought to explain the scarves. Why do I just knit and or design scarves? Well, for one I LOVE scarves. I love how they can transform your look. Second, I live in S. Texas: I can get more mileage out of a scarf that I can a sweater or mittens or hats. C: I knit slow. I can knit scarves faster than a stole or a sweater. Fourthly: I also LOVE expensive yarns...so I can usually only afford to buy one hank...so I try to make one skein projects for those like me that are drawn to expensive yarns. Now I do have stoles/shawls on the way for the yarns I bought (still expensive) that have some serious yardage to them.
This post written under the influence of Jason Mraz. My own official song of Summer 2009.
Right now I am hating socks and all I want to do is throw all the socks in progress in the bin. Grr...argh! I admit it is rather extreme (I am blaming hormones), as it's only one sock that is giving me fits...the others are blameless and are behaving themselves. I am just very aggravated.
The heel will not fit over my heel.
Sigh. It's not the sock's fault. It's MY foot. I have a high instep and I neglected to take that into account. It's easier though to be mad at socks than my own feet. I can change/fix my socks...my feet those are unfixable. AND really I do like my feet, a lot actually. And so the sock (all the socks actually) will suffer.
It's so sad. I have to tear out SO much. The entire heel and the inch I already knitted PAST the heel. I was so excited about being able to knit this up to my knee, with that band swirling up my leg. Well, at least I discovered it now and NOT after I was done knitting that knee sock.
That would have sucked.
In other knitting news: I finished the Isobel a few days ago...but it still needs blocking. I bought new pins on Monday, but was in no mood to block it Tuesday (mad about the socks and other things). Tomorrow, I think I'll squeeze in some time to block it. It's fabulous and I miss knitting on it. Knitting with silk is just wonderous during the summer when the weather is so hot and swarmy.
Granny's Shawl is coming along great as well, but it's ceasing to be a good carry along project.
So I have been looking at my project page and stash pages on Ravelry...trying to find some inspiration. Nothing on the needles seems to please me. I have some nice cool type yarn, but I feel worn and stretched and designing just doesn't appeal. But I think I need to force myself out of this rut. I do have several designs that need to be started and just because I am not feeling super duper creative doesn't mean I should slack off.
You know what I mean?
Being an artists does take a lot of discipline. You gotta go hunting for that spark of genius.
I started Granny's Shawl yesterday. There really is nothing like the thrill of starting a new knitting project. It's almost as thrilling as finishing a project. Which is why I chose to start the shawl rather than finish the Isobel scarf. Grin.
But, I am feeling guilty...so after a few more rows of the shawl I think I will attend to finishing up Isobel. And if I do that, I can totally kill two birds with one stone, as I need to block that Super Secret Project of mine.
Stats for the shawl. The pattern is entitled: Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl and it's on Knitting-And.com, by Sarah Bradberry. I am of course using that new Marble Chunky I got for the purpose...and I am really loving this yarn. It's very soft and very pretty.
On another (and completely un-related) note, July is National Ice Cream month. I thought you needed to know. I am pestering my husband to buy me some chocolate ice cream.
This post written under the influence of 
