Crafts

The gift knitting I’ve been grousing about for weeks now is so close to being done, I can’t stand it. Just buttons left, which I purchased on my way to Sit & Knit tonight. And then I’m going to spill the beans, since I know for sure that the recipients don’t read my blog, and the recipients’ parents can just not read that entry if they manage to stumble on this page before next Saturday. :)

I know you’re all waiting with bated breath, but you’ll just have to wait until the buttons are sewn on before I take pictures…

Just in case you thought I’d forgotten my craft projects, I haven’t…it’s just that at the moment I’m making gifts for people, and I can’t really post any details. Soon. Very soon. :)

The gift knitting that I was having such a hard time working on actually sped up a bit after I blogged about it a couple of weeks ago, so it’s almost done. I also started a cross-stitch gift kind of late – it may not be done in time for the event, and most certainly won’t be framed, but I guess it’s the thought that counts, right?

The very nice owner of the needlework shop I go to was teasing me about never making stuff for myself, since every time I go in there I’m looking for things to make as gifts. I suppose that’s true, but if all of my crafting efforts were spent on things for me, I’d need a bigger house. :)

Last night at Sit & Knit, we had a brand-new knitter. While looking for an online reference for her to use until our next meeting, I found StitchGuide.com. There are some really nice, clear illustrations and QuickTime videos for all kinds of crafts, including knitting. Neat! (Even when you’ve been knitting for longer than you can remember, it’s always nice to have a reference!)

So, where’s all the knitting? What happened to those lovely blue yarns? I swear I’m in a knitting slump right now. My blue yarn really knit up wonderfully. Really, it did…except that despite everything – swatching, adjusting the pattern, etc – the stole I made with it came out so long a giantess could wear it. I actually knitted it almost twice – the first time it was obviously coming out much too short, so I ripped it out and started over. I wish I’d just left well enough alone. I think that maybe this pattern just isn’t for me, and I’ll have to find something else to do with the yarn. Meaning I’ve got to rip it again. I don’t have the heart to do that now, so I’m just going to let it sit for a bit.

I’m also working on a knitted gift, which is the most tediously boring pattern I’ve ever done, on itty bitty size 2 needles. Let’s just put it this way: I started this in October. It’s now April. But I’m refusing to start anything new (buying supplies doesn’t count!) until I’ve finished this. Heaven help me. I can hear the sock yarn I’ve bought calling me – after all, if I’m going to work on tiny needles, I could at least be knitting socks!

OK, so I have, um, several unfinished projects that I really should be working on…

But I needed to do something with lots of texture. Look what I came home with:

What will this become? I don’t really know yet – I’m only loosely following a pattern. Mostly because the pattern called for yarns that my LYS hadn’t even heard of, let alone stuff they carried, so I substituted all of them.

My name is Sarah, and I am a book-aholic. There, I said it. See, I just can’t resist buying interesting looking books – especially when they’re about crafty things, like knitting. The other night I found a book called “The Knitting Goddess”. I can’t believe I’ve never seen it before – it’s been out for three years, and I’m someone who generally pores through the entire craft section of Borders and Barnes and Noble on a regular basis.

There are stories about knitting, as well as some interesting-looking patterns. There’s also a website for the book, although it doesn’t appear to have been updated anytime recently. So far, I’ve only read the first two chapters; however, if the book continues the way it started, I would recommend it. It appears to be fairly beginner-knitter-friendly, too.

I finished my first pair of socks…finally! I suppose if I hadn’t kept starting other things, they would have been done much sooner. They fit pretty well, although the tops are a bit loose. I guess I forgot to allow for the stretchiness of the wool… The only problem is, I wanted to wear them today. Now, my closet is full of green things – every shade of green you can think of – except any shade of green in the socks. Everything I tried clashed. I think I need to go clothes shopping. At least it’s close to St. Patrick’s Day, so there ought to be lots of green in the stores now. :)

I finished the back and front of my purple/pink sweater:

The sleeves are on the needles…and it’s taking all of my willpower to not start a new project. I have a ball of lovely green thread to make a shawl, and I just found another sweater pattern I’d like to order.

(Plus, I’m still working on sock number 2.)

While browsing the web for the perfect knitting bag – I have a bag addiction, which has been mostly denied over the past several months because I have my personalized tote that Jenny made for me, but it can never hurt to look… Anyway, while browsing the web I found a really neat idea, which would make a very good beginner’s knitting project (hint, hint to the future SnB members). The Hugs for Homeless Animals organization donates small to medium sized crocheted or knitted blankets to animal shelters around the world – including a few local ones. They look like they’d be fairly quick to make, and there’s no need for them to be perfect. It’s also a good excuse to go buy new yarn, since 100% acrylic is not something I have lying around in my stash. Oh, darn. :)