Crafts

Let’s see, I guess we’ll go oldest to newest…

So, the first thing on the list is another finished afghan square for my Aran afghan. Bet you thought this project was doomed to sit on the needles forever! Actually, there’s even yet another finished square, but it’s two pieces that need to be sewn together, and I haven’t found a good amount of floor space to do the blocking that needs to be done first. (Yes, my house is a disaster area. Oh, well.)

Next up, the finished sweater (and hat) for my cousin’s baby Benjamin. This was a very quick knit – under two weeks for both items – so I will definitely be re-using the pattern. I can see it with sheep on a green background instead of duckies on blue, can’t you?

Finally, my new project is going to be Rosebud from the spring Knitty. Except, it’s really going to be a maternity top. I’m still planning a bit, which is why I only have a swatch to show off, but I will definitely have to cast on soon!

Currently, I’m working away at the perforated paper project I’ve mentioned a couple of times. No pictures to show off for that, but I’ve made some fantastic progress on it – I guess I just had to get used to the new medium, although I won’t be willingly picking up another kit like this again…

I think that’s all…well, if you don’t count the three different pairs of socks I have on the needles, or the projects that are on hold until the pumpkin baby comes!

I’m finishing up mystery knit 2. All I have left to do is to finish sewing it together (and hiding the ends – which I left until the end so I could bury them in the seams) and sewing in a zipper. The attached i-cord took me way longer than I expected, so it did not end up being a finished object over the weekend. Maybe next weekend?

And then, since I’m really, really, really tired of charcoal gray wool, I think I’ll knit a quick, bright felted tote to carry on the plane with me to Italy. I’ll probably add a lining and have it (the lining) zip close at the top. Do you think that’s too ambitious? I did knit this same bag in just a couple of days at Christmas time, but then again, that included a several hour car ride…

Anyway, all of this is causing Rogue delays. The knit-along start date was Feb. 15th, but I can’t realistically see starting it until we get home from Italy. Oh, well. It’s definitely not going to be worn before next fall/winter anyway!

Twenty skeins of this gorgeous green wool came in the mail today! The yarn is from Ireland, aran weight, and as it says on the label “natural feeling”…in other words, it’s 100% wool, and not really soft enough for next-to-the-skin wear. But it is surprisingly soft. I can’t wait to see how it knits up!

I’m going to try to resist the temptation to do anything more than swatch for Rogue, though, since I’m trying to finish mystery knit 2…

There aren’t enough hours in a weekend, even when you take Friday off and make it a three-day weekend. But at least I managed to get some travel shopping done today — just a couple more things to find, and a couple of pairs of pants to shorten (yay) and I can start packing for Italy!

Do you ever wish you were still two and could have a tantrum when something really upset you?

Sometimes I do.

I guess that’s kind of silly. Especially since we’re not talking about some earth-shattering event here…just a mistake in the way a pattern was written, causing me to have to rip and re-do part of mystery knit 2. In the end, it was only an hour of my time, but I spent a lot longer than that dwelling on it. Isn’t knitting supposed to be enjoyed?

Thankfully, my yarn from Ireland for Rogue hasn’t turned up on my doorstep yet, so I had no distractions from ripping and re-doing. I’m hoping for a finished project by the end of the weekend, although it involves a lot of attached i-cord (which I’ve never done), and a zipper (which I don’t have yet). So, maybe there will be a mostly finished project by the end of the weekend…

You knew it had to happen, right?

Given my current level of dissatisfaction with the projects I’m working on, you knew there would have to be something new…

I went ahead and joined the Rogue-Along! Of course, I don’t have the yarn yet, only the pattern…the yarn is (knock wood) winging its way here from Ireland as I type.

In the meantime, I’m being very, very good, and making fantastic progress on mystery knit 2. Yeah, I know, I started it more than 5 months ago. It was going to be a Christmas gift, then a birthday gift, then a Valentine’s day gift. Now we’re looking at…what…a Mardi Gras gift? Maybe. Especially if that new yarn takes a few more days to arrive!

I won an ebay auction for some yarn I really, desperately wanted…and I got to buy some wool roving that I lost the auction for but the high bidder didn’t pay…

And that’s enough ebaying for me for now. As if I didn’t before, I now have enough yarn and wool to keep me busy for the foreseeable future! (Although I still need to buy more bobbins for my spinning wheel…)

I’ll post pictures when I get it all!

Alright, I have to be cryptic because it’s a gift item. I’m working on a cross-stitch on perforated paper. As this was my first project on perforated paper, I didn’t realize until I’d already started it that I absolutely hate working with perforated paper. I can’t find a good way to hold it, I’m worried that the paper is going to rip when the needle gets stuck and I have to force it through, and I can’t get any sort of rhythm going because the needle keeps getting stuck. (And I can’t use a smaller needle, because I still have to fit three strands of thread through it.) A section that (on fabric) should have taken a couple of days, tops, has taken me more than a month to get through.

It really seems – with a few exceptions, of course – that all of my projects lately have either been frustrating or have been things that I feel “obligated” to make. Maybe I need to start something new…or start buying gifts instead of making them for a while…or just admit that every gift I’m going to make this year is going to be several months late. (There’s a huge backlog already, and it’s only February!)

OK, OK, I promise I won’t post anything more until I can post without whining. :)

You are Merino Wool.
You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to
keep you close because you are so softhearted.
You love to be comfortable and warm from your
head to your toes.

What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I just spent all of my free time over the past 36 hours devouring the new Monica Ferris Needlecraft Mystery novel. Don’t be too impressed, they’re not difficult reads. But when I read a mystery, I have to practically sit on my hands to not flip to the end to check my guess about who did it, so I read them fast. I actually had this one right about half-way through, and spent the rest of the book trying to figure out why the rest of the characters didn’t see it.

Silly, I know.

Anyway, that’s why the only knitting I’ve done in the past couple of days was last night at Sit & Knit. I’m a little panicked, because I think my new cardie is going to be smaller than the gauge swatch indicated. My gauge swatch gave me 19 stitches to 4″. The recommended gauge was 20 stitches to 4″. Around the body of the sweater, that would give me an extra 2″, which made the medium size perfectly match my favorite cardigan. Now that I’m several inches into it, however, I’m measuring 20 stitches to 4″. One blasted little stitch off. I suppose I could always knit the front bands a little wider if it really works out to be a little snug, especially since it uses clasps instead of buttons. Then again, maybe blocking it will do the trick. Or maybe I should (gasp) rip it and start over with a bigger needle…? That really doesn’t sound like too much fun. Did I mention that I’ve done several 3-color rows? On 215 stitches?

I think I’d better sleep on that one.