Crafting Balance (3KCBWDAY7)

OK, I started this post yesterday (which was the official end of Knit and Crochet Blog Week). Then life got busy, and I didn't end up finishing it. So maybe it's appropriate that today's topic is balance in crafting...

The original theme was supposed to be about balance in fiber crafts, i.e., knitting and crochet.
However, I'm going to extend this to balance in all types of crafting (I thought about extending it to include work/life balance in general, but I think I'll save that idea for another day).

First of all, I only know how to knit. I have friends that crochet, and would like to knit one of these days, but I keep getting distracted by other things! What are some of these crafts?

Well, I took a drop spindle class a couple of years ago, and do some spinning. I find spinning to be relaxing in a different way than knitting, though I don't do it that often. And while drop spinning is enjoyable (and portable) it's not the most efficient way to make a lot of yarn. I also like the idea of spinning wheels, but haven't tried spinning on a wheel yet. This is partly because I haven't had time, and partly because I'm not sure I want to invest the money in buying a wheel. But I've had a few people offer to let me try spinning on a wheel at knit night, so we'll see...

I've also been doing more papercrafting recently. For me this mostly means creative journaling, a little scrapbooking, and a little bit of cardmaking. I also made a few things at a papercrafting event over the weekend, but more on that tomorrow (have to keep you reading somehow ;)

I also like to bake, which I think is another type of craft (especially today, since I could go to the store and buy a box of cookies instead of baking them myself). Today I was trying out a new recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Not sure I'm that impressed with the recipe - since the dough seemed pretty soft, and then I noticed most people online said they ended up adding more flour. Will have to experiment some more.

And one of the first crafts I tried was jewelry making. I used to make woven friendship bracelets in elementary school, and we also used to make bracelets out of telephone wire. I've done some beading, though not as much recently. Organizing the beads is still on my to-do list! I also have a few projects planned that add beads to knitting. And I've seen a few people mention knit and crochet wire jewelry which looks interesting...

So many crafts, so little time! What crafts have you tried? What are your favorites?

If you want to check out more blogs on this topic, search for 3KCBWDAY7

Improving your skillset (3KCBWDAY6)

Today's topic for Knit and Crochet blog week is improving your skillset. One of my current knitting goals is to knit myself a sweater. I have been thinking about it awhile, but hadn't been ready to invest the time and money necessary to make something that will (hopefully!) fit me.

While some skills I feel confident learning from a book or watching a you tube video, I felt it would be helpful to take a class to really learn how to knit a sweater that will fit. I have been looking at the class schedules for the various yarn stores around town to find a class that would fit my schedule. During the Rose City Yarn Crawl last month I was lucky enough to win a gift certificate for a class at the Naked Sheep. So I was excited to see them announce a First Sweater Class starting in May. I even get to pick my own pattern!

After some debating, I finally decided on this pattern from Ashfield Cardigan from New England Knits, and ordered some Cascade 220 Superwash in a Sage green (they didn't have enough in stock, and I'm not sure of the exact color name). Now that I've ordered yarn I think I'm comitted to starting this sweater!

I'm looking forward to learning new skills, and being able to wear a sweater that I made myself. I'm sure there will be more to say once the class actually starts, but for now I'm excited to take another class! Look for more blog posts on sweater knitting in the future :)
And if you want to read more blogs on this topic, don't forget to search for 3KCBWDAY6.

What new skills have you learned recently? What skills would you like to learn? 

A Yarn's Story (Something a Bit Different 3KCBWDAY5)

Today's theme for Knit and Crochet Blog week is "something a bit different." The idea is to challenge ourselves to create a different kind of blog post. One of the suggestions was to write from a different perspective (such as from a knitted sock's point of view). Using that as a starting point, I decided that I would "interview" a ball of yarn from the stash.

Note: To keep me from being biased, I had my significant other (with some help from the cat) select the lucky ball of yarn.

***

Me: First of all, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. What would you like to be called?

Yarn: You can call me Pumpkin.

Me: Would you mind explaining your name to our readers?

Pumpkin: Of course not. I was dyed in the Oh Great Pumpkin colorway. I'm proud to be one of a limited number of skeins that Bohemia Fibers dyed for Halloween.

Me: I thought it was a fun colorway.

Pumpkin: and you're a sucker for limited edition colors!

Me: You must have been talking to other yarns in the stash...

Pumpkin: Yep, we have a lot of time to chat while waiting to see what we're going to be made into. Sometimes we even take bets on who is going to get knit up first!

Me: That brings me to my next question. How long have you been in the stash?

Pumpkin: I believe it was sometime in October 2010... I am a Halloween colorway after-all. 

Me: We've talked about your color, but what about your other qualities?

Pumpkin: Well, I'm a DK weight yarn, and I'm 230 yards long.

Me: And what fiber are you?

Pumpkin: I'm a Superwash Merino. I like being soft and squishy.


Me: I had forgotten how squishy you are.

Pumpkin: You really should spend more time with your yarn stash.

Me: I'd rather spend more time knitting, but I've been busy with work.

Pumpkin: You always have some excuse for not knitting with me...

Me: Well, what kind of project would you like to be?

Pumpkin: I think I want to be a cowl. You have certainly been knitting a lot of them lately! And Moonstone seems happy now that she's a cowl. And she's gotten compliments now that she's knit up.

Me: Ok, we'll have to look at some cowl patterns and see which ones you like.

Pumpkin: Maybe a twisted rib pattern... something to show off my lovely colors...

Me: That sounds like a good idea. I'm not sure a cowl will use all 230 yards though. Is that ok?

Pumpkin: I hadn't thought about that... I'd be ok with being a cowl and a matching pair of fingerless gloves.  As long as you wear them together!

Me: That sounds fair. Is there anything else you want our readers to know about you?

Pumpkin: I wanted to say that I look a little washed out in the picture - I'm really much brighter in person.

Me: Sorry about that, I was too slow to take your picture in natural light.

Pumpkin: I'll forgive you - I'm not a big fan of the sun anyway. Rainy days are more my style.  I love fall, and I'm totally looking forward to the Great Pumpkin visiting us on Halloween!

Me: You do realize there's still about 6 months until Halloween.

Pumpkin: Then you should be able to knit me into a cowl and mitts by then!

***

Let me know what you thought about today's post, and if you have any suggestions for cowl/mitt patterns for Pumpkin!

Check out more creative blog posts by searching for 3KCBWDAY5
You can vote for your favorite post here: http://www.eskimimimakes.com/2012/04/knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-creative.html

Seasonal Knitting (3KCBWDAY4)

Today's post for Knit and Crochet Blog Week is about knitting in different seasons. I pay more attention to seasonal changes since I moved to Oregon (there weren't really seasons in California), and participate in seasonal celebrations.

As far as knitting goes, I have noticed that I want to knit more shawls in spring and summer, while I'm more likely to knit hats and fingerless gloves in the fall and winter. I also think about what fibers I'm using depending on who I'm knitting for. I might knit an alpaca/wool scarf for a friend in Portland, but I knit a lacy bamboo scarf for my mom in California. I've also been thinking about knitting shawls and bags for friends this summer.

I notice my knitting goes through cycles - I was knitting lots of cowls for the cowl KAL, and now I'm starting more shawl KALs. But I'm not sure that's related to the seasonal changes so much as just getting bored with one type of project.

As I mentioned in Mondays post on choosing colors, seasonal changes have more affect on what colors I choose for a project. I like deep, saturated colors in fall, icy blues in winter, pinks and lavenders in spring, turquoise and greens in summer. My coworkers have also been wearing brighter colors this week - I think everyone is getting ready for summer, and trying to wear happier colors to make up for the cloudy weather we've been experiencing.

Do you find yourself knitting different things at different times of the year? Don't forget to check out more posts on this topic by searching for 3KCBWDAY4.

Knitting Heroes (3KCBWDAY3)

When I first read the topic for today I wasn't sure who I would consider a knitting hero. I think I was put off by the word "hero."
But I've read a few other bloggers take on the topic, and realized I'm more comfortable writing about knitters who inspire me. And I'm continually inspired by other knitters.

First of all, I feel I should mention Eskimimi who started Knitting and Crochet Blog Week. I wouldn't be writing this if it wasn't for her! And I also have to mention PDXKnitterati, since her blog led me to Eskimimi. I've enjoyed reading PDXKnitterati's blog, and also like her patterns. I hadn't considered trying entrelac until I saw her lovely designs! Haven't gotten around to trying entrelac yet, but it's on the list now!

I have also been inspired by Feministy, who is the designer behind the recent cowl KAL that I participated in (and the topic of many previous blog posts). I think the first pattern I knit of hers was the Traveling Woman Shawl (I was going to show you a picture, but can't seem to get pictures off my phone right now.)

Another designer I recently discovered is Fickleknitter. I am currently knitting her Ballerina Shawl, which is well written and has challenged me to knit bobbles and a knit on edging for a lace shawl.

I also admire PNWBookGirl for organizing our local Knit in Public and Spin in Public Days. And also for trying so many different crafts - she has tried spinning, yarn dying, knitting and crochet. I originally met PNWBookGirl during a knitting class, and she managed to finish the market bag we were making, while mine is still sitting half done... and if I ever finish that bag it will because she keeps giving me a hard time about it ;)

I was also impressed by the random knitter I met on the MAX last month who said she knits a pair of socks in 2 weeks! (The fastest I've knit a pair of socks so far has been 6 weeks.)

I feel thankful to live in such a crafty place, where I can continually be inspired by knitters, designers, dyers, and spinners. Who are your knitting heroes?

And don't forget to search for 3KCBWDAY3 if you want to read more blogs about knitting heroes.

Photography Challenge Day (3KCBWDAY2)

Colour Lovers (Knitting Crochet Blog Week Post 1)

Color is an important part of knitting for me. I think about what color will match something in my wardrobe, or what color a friend likes when I'm knitting gifts. I may choose a different color for a project depending on whether I am planning to wear the item (like a hat) or if I'm going to be using it (a washcloth).

Blue is one of my favorite colors - from deep sapphire blue:




and bright turquoise:



My color choices also vary by season. I'm finishing the peacock shawl pictured above, and look forward to wearing it this spring and summer. I also plan to knit a shawl out of this yarn:


which makes me think of the grain harvest in late summer.

And last fall I knit this shawl out of a deep burgundy red:



(Difficult color to photograph!)

I've also found myself buying more purple yarns recently, since I have several close friends who like purple. I'm also on the hunt for some deep green yarn and am considering a black (or almost black) shawl for another friend. Color is definitely a consideration as I start planning birthday gifts this spring.

When knitting for the men in my life I tend to pick browns, greens, or grays. Like these fingerless gloves for my brother:



I think the only color I tend to shy away from is yellow. Lemon or banana shades just don't look good on me. Come to think of it, I'm not sure who they would look good on. Though I could see knitting some washcloths in a sunny yellow...

and I have a strange fondness for chartreuse:



There are definitely colors I am more likely to buy for myself, but I've also been pleasantly surprised to receive other colors during swaps. Swapping has definitely inspired me to take more risks with color. 

What are your favorite colors to knit with? Are these also your favorite colors to wear?

3KCBWDAY1

Something New

Blogger seems to have updated their dashboard function, so I'm trying to get used to it!
Though that wasn't what I was expecting when I decided to write about trying new things...

I was catching up on some of the crafty blogs that I read, and stumbled upon this Pay-it-Forward idea:

1. I will send a surprise gift to the first three commenters on this post. The gift will be handmade by me. It will be sent sometime in the next 365 days. It will be a surprise. We all love getting surprises in the mail, right?

2. To sign up and receive a gift, you must play along, too. Pay it Forward on your blog, by promising to make a surprise for the first three people who comment on the post.

3. You must have a blog (that is updated, as I will blog stalk you to find the right gift for you).

4. After commenting here, you must repost this or something similar to your blog in 48 hours. If not, I will chose the next person who comments.

Sounded like a fun way to interact more with other bloggers, and use up some of the yarn stash!


While looking at the original post, I also discovered that this coming week is Knitting & Crochet blog Week. I haven't tried daily blogging yet, but thought I would give it a shot. Hope you enjoy reading!


And figured we needed a theme song:

In progress

Didn't realize I had skipped 2 weeks of blogging already - oops! I even started one post, but was waiting to insert pictures before I posted it. The ironic thing is, the theme for the post was almost finished projects...

So, I have one cowl that needs to be blocked and one that needs ends woven in. But I started another cowl! This was a prize for finishing the last cowl in the Great Cowl KAL (so I could argue that the KAL isn't quite finished either!):


Somethings seem to be perpetually in progress... do you have any projects that are almost (but not quite) finished?

Spring Cleaning

I have been trying to use up some stash yarn for swaps and for the Great Cowl KAL. But the more I went through the stash, the more it looked like the craft room had exploded. Today I managed to get most of the stash contained. Still not organized very well, but feels good to have things in boxes/bins, and not just strewn across the floor!

I've also been putting loose patterns in a 3 ring binder. Eventually I'd like to add dividers to make it easier to find certain types of patterns, but one step at a time!

Going through the yarn stash also meant going through some unfinished objects. Since the Great Cowl KAL is over (more on that next time), I decided to start by finishing a cowl from a KAL last fall. Just need to pick up stitches for the button band. Now that I've done button holes a couple times I'm feeling confident that this won't take too long to finish. I even have the buttons already!
Also have a shawl to finish, and then contemplating another shawl for a new KAL.

Still more spring cleaning to do in the rest of the house, but right now I'm ready for some more knitting!

Happy Spring

I attended a lovely Spring Equinox ritual over the weekend. We were even out to be outside, though the rain started just as we were finishing!

My swap partner also received her package over the weekend, so here is the picture as promised:


A birdie, 3 bunnies, and some green fun fur in the back of the basket (there is a use for fun fur novelty yarn!)

How are you celebrating spring?

Someting New

I have been participating in a few swap groups on Ravelry. Swapping has been a fun way to use up stash yarn and meet people from all over.

Most recently I participated in a Spring Equinox swap, which gave me a chance to knit something other than cowls and shawls. I just mailed off the package to my swap partner this morning, so you'll have to wait until next week for a picture!

I also received my package today:



It's a different style of hat than I normally wear, but I'm enjoying it. And, since I live in Portland, I love that my swap partner "put a bird on it." A good reminder to try something new and experiment with new styles.

What have you tried recently that was new to you?

Yarn Overload

So, my post this week is a little late. Last weekend was the Rose City Yarn Crawl. 19 local yarn shops in 4 days...

My adventure started Thursday afternoon. I was downtown, and able to visit Angelika's Yarn shop for the first time. From there I took the streetcar down to Dublin Bay Knitting Company. They had yummy homemade cookies, and a trunk show by Sweet Georgia (and one skein of sock yarn wanted to come home with me ;) From there I walked down to Urban Fiber Arts. This time I was tempted by a skein of Alexandra's Crafts sock yarn. Also found out I had filled up my Supportland punch card, so I scored a $25 gift card for next time (apparently I shop there more than I thought ;) Then I got back on the streetcar for a quick stop at Knit Purl and then caught the MAX to For Yarn's Sake. They had a trunk show with Abstract Fibers, and I picked up a skein in the special Hopworks colorway (are you noticing a pattern here?)

Friday I was at work until 5, and the train was running late so I didn't make it to any shops. But made up for it Saturday! My other half was kind enough to do the driving, and we started at Kathy's Knit Corner. Fun to see the trunk show by 3 Fates, but I managed to resist buying anything (I had gotten several skeins of her yarn at Crafty Wonderland, and haven't used them all yet). Then a stop at Knitting Bee to admire the Scrumptious Luxury Yarns, another stop at All About Yarn, then Northwest Wools and Wool N Wares. Next was Wynona Studios where I picked up a skein of their hand-dyed yarn. Next were stops at Make One and Yarn Garden. Then on to Happy Knits where I picked up a couple of mini skeins to use for their Bertie Lou blue bird pattern. We ended with stops at Twisted, Gossamer and Close Knit. Tried to stop at the Naked Sheep, but couldn't quite make it before closing. Definitely a marathon day and yarn overload!

Sunday morning we made a stop at the Naked Sheep, where I tried out the Bar-Maids scrub and lotion (and picked up a mini lotion bar in Little Pumpkin). Then ended the crawl at Yarnia, where I bought a pre-made cone that made me think of Easter. Also found out I earned a Supportland reward for $10 off my next purchase there (apparently I buy too much yarn).

After successfully making it to all 19 shops, I headed to work for a half-day (have to pay for all those purchases somehow!)

I didn't win any of the fabulous shop baskets, but did get a message that I won the Bar-Maids drawing at Naked Sheep for a free class! Looking forward to checking out their spring class schedule and learning some new skills. And looking forward to knitting with my new yarn, and the patterns I collected at the shops.

Have you participated in a yarn crawl? What was your experience?

Go with the flow

I'm continuing with the Great Cowl KAL, and have successfully finished the first 3 cowls by the deadlines. Not only has this been an opportunity to practice knitting skills, but a chance to "go with the flow."

Cowl #3 started with casting on a large number of stitches, and joining in the round. I lost a few cast on stitches the first time I tried to join in the round, so the second time I just hoped I hadn't twisted it. So, of course, I discovered a twist about halfway through. I didn't have the energy to start over, so decided to just go with it. Further in the pattern I ended up slightly off on my stitch count, again, I decided to go with it. Also learning how to do short rows, and ended up with a few holes during these rows. Then I started running out of yarn. I did realize this before I started binding off, so I switched to a contrasting color from the stash and added a few rounds before binding off.

Finally finished, and it turned out longer and skinnier than I was hoping for. So, not my favorite cowl so far. But still proud of myself for finishing on time, and for being willing to experiment. I trusted that it would turn out okay. And the worst that could happen would be deciding to frog and start over. It's only yarn after all (super soft and lovely colors, but still just yarn).

I can wrap it 3 times around my neck. Thinking I'll take it to knit night next month and get a few more opinions before I decide whether to wear it or frog.

What do you think?

Creative Endeavors

Last Saturday I decided to take a break from my knitting to check out a new creative club at a local papercrafting store. I've done some scrapbooking and rubber stamping off and on since before I learned how to knit. Though there are many techniques that fall under the umbrella of "papercrafting," and I don't think I would call myself competent at any of them!

There were 13 women who showed up for the group at Paper Parachute. The beginning was introductions and getting a sense of what everyone is hoping for from the club. Then we got our first club kit - lovely paper, a stamp set, a few crystals and ribbon. Our challenge is to create a card using at least one piece of the paper and the large stamp. We can use anything else we want, and next month everyone will share what they made.

Here's the paper and stamps from the first club kit:

It was fun to try out some new techniques and get some ideas. And I find papercrafting more free form than knitting - we weren't given a pattern to follow, so there are many more possibilities. Right now this seems good and bad - with too many choices it can be difficult to figure out where to start!

I probably won't be able to attend the club meetings every month, but it seems fun so far. I'm enjoying doing different types of creative projects this month :)

Cowl Update

I have finished the first 2 cowls in the Great Cowl KAL, and am getting ready to cast on for the third! It's been a fun challenge so far, and I'm enjoying wearing my new cowls :)

Cowl #1 knit with Alexandra's Crafts Superwash Merino in Northwest Woods:



First time I added buttons to a project, so good to know it's not that hard! The buttons were from Josephine's Dry Goods in downtown Portland.

Cowl #2 knit with solstice Luna Sock in Moonstone:



Getting ready to cast on for cowl #3 with a one of a kind skein of Stricken Smitten's Sinful Sock. Can you tell I've been loving indie dyers? Who are you favorite indie dyers?

Going to cast on 368 stitches - wish me luck!

Brigid's Inspiration

So far this month I have been spending more time on crafts. February 2nd was Brigid's Day (also known as Imbolc) and I attended two different rituals with different friends for the holiday. Brigid is a Goddess of creativity and inspiration, and both celebrations involved crafting. It was fun to try different craft projects. It was also nice to work in a group and see what everyone else was making.

I also found myself more inspired to write during this time. I used to write poems all the time, but haven't been writing as much recently. Brigid is a Goddess of poetry, and I thank her for this extra burst of creativity :)

Then February 7th was the Quickening Moon (also called the Snow Moon in many traditions). Crafting again played a part in the celebration, this time in the form of collage. I hadn't gotten out the papercrafting supplied in a while, and there's just something fun about using scissors and glue sticks...

I also finished the cabled bag for my friend:


Now I'm continuing to focus on the Great Cowl KAL - finished cowl #1 and am about halfway through cowl #2. But more on that next time!

What creative projects have you been working on?

Great Cowl KAL

A few days ago I happened to stumble upon a post on the Cowl forum on Ravelry about Liz Abinante's Great Cowl KAL. I had knit Liz's Traveling Woman Shawl a few months ago, and was intrigued about the idea of a KAL. And I like cowls :)

The basic idea is the first pattern is available for free, and anyone who finishes by 2/8/12 gets another cowl pattern for free. If you don't finish in time, you can purchase the next pattern. She is planning 5 patterns in 50 days! If you want to check out the previews of the patterns and the rest of the details, look here.

I was a little worried about starting late - would I really be able to finish in time? But it seemed like a fun idea, and people on ravelry were starting to post finished projects. So I decided to go for it!

I was having trouble finding any sport weight in the stash (apparently it's the one weight of yarn I rarely ever buy) and the first yarn I swatched was too loose of a gauge. I probably could have spent more time digging in the stash for something that would work, and Friday was a rather stressful day at work, so I found myself wandering down to Urban Fiber Arts to look at sport weight yarns... Cindy had just enough sport weight yarn to give me a few options without being overwhelming. I settled on a skein of Alexandra's Crafts La Grande yarn - superwash merino handdyed in Silverton, OR. The color is NW Woods - perfect for February in Portland, don't you think?

(The color is a little washed out, but you get the idea.)

Cast on Friday night. Ran into a few problems on Saturday starting the brioche pattern, but looked through the Travelling Woman group on Ravelry for suggestions. Also got a little confused by the button hole instructions, but after looking at pictures of finished cowls it finally clicked in my brain. Today the brioche pattern went much more smoothly (maybe sleep helped? ;)

Now to find some buttons and pick out some stash yarn for the next cowl!

Goals check-in

I can't believe January is almost over! I'm starting to get used to writing 2012 now, and getting in the habit of keeping the blog updated! So, feeling good about keeping up with my once a week blog goal, and thought it would be good to take a moment to reflect on where I'm at with my other goals for the year.

I'm currently working on a cabling project, and could have used this as an opportunity to try cabling without a cable needle, but it was so natural to keep using the needle! Some habits are hard to break... but before I started beating myself up for not trying a new technique, I realized that this project is entirely from stash! Pattern, yarn, needles, stitch markers, and even the cable needle. So, one goal at a time, right?

Also "finished" one WIP. OK, all I had to do was weave in the ends, but it took me over a year to do that!

And contemplating joining a knit-a-long on ravelry for the February Lady Sweater. Still nervous about making a sweater that will fit, but seems like a KAL would be a good way to have some support and encouragement... Also tempted by Decouverte, since I wouldn't have to knit sleeves!

What was your first sweater? Any suggestions?

Yarn and Tea

Today was supposed to be the Seattle to Portland yarn train. Unfortunately for the Seattle knitters, it was cancelled due to the bad weather earlier in the week and Amtrak delays/cancellations. But, the participating stores went ahead with their specials for anyone who could make it to town.

Since the only train I had to take was the MAX, and I can't resist a sale, I headed to the Pearl for some yarn shopping :) First stop was Knit Purl to check out the Shibui Mix patterns - planning to make Mix 3 (a shawl made from a silk/mohair yarn and silk/merino yarn). Also got some Shibui worsted on sale, but sad to find out this yarn is being discontinued.

Next I wondered over to Urban Fiber Arts to check out the trunk shows going on. Lots of lovely colors, but I finally chose a lovely skein of Abstract Fiber Mighty Sock (along with a shawl pattern) and a super soft skein of Caress Royal Alpaca to make a pair of arm warmers.

Then stopped at the Tea Zone for a Red Velvet Bubble Tea - seasonal flavor (I'm assuming for Valentine's Day), so I had to try it. Surprisingly tasty!

Enjoyed my tea while walking to Dublin Bay. After much contemplation, finally settled on a skein of solstice luna merino and a skein of sweet georgia sock yarn I had been admiring for awhile (the color is snapdragon, which is also my favorite flower). Thinking arm warmers or a cowl for the merino (I think it's a dk weight) and not sure if I want to make socks or a shawl out of the snapdragon...

From there I took the streetcar up to NW 23rd for some iced tea from Tea Chai Te and a "wildflower" sandwich from PBJ's. Also stopped by Let it Bead - got some ideas for beading projects, but wasn't ready to buy anything. Need to look through the bead stash again...

Enjoyed the retail therapy after a long week at work! And love living in such a crafty town :) Time to start working on all of these projects now!

Do you have any favorite yarns or teas?

Start-itis

I've been having trouble deciding what to write about this week, so "startitis" seemed like an appropriate topic.
I keep starting blog posts in my head, so it seemed time to just write something already! But at least that means I have more ideas for future blog posts.

I'm also prone to startitis with knitting projects. In fact, I started a new project today. Wanted to start something for a friend whose birthday is at the end of the month. Also working on a hat for myself. And I've been thinking about knitting a pair of gloves for my coworker. And have been meaning to knit a shawl for another friend.

Also need to finish the hat for my aunt - I didn't finish it in time, so wrote her an IOU for Christmas:




But somehow it's more exciting to start a new project than to finish one....

Anyone else have startitis this year?

Goals

Keeping up with my goal of one post per week! Also updated my profile in case anyone is interested.
I have also been thinking about my knitting goals for 2012. There seems to be an abundance of groups on Ravelry dedicated to making 12 of something (pairs of gloves, socks, shawls, other item of your choice) in 2012. But, as a typical Gemini, I don't want to commit to knitting 12 of any particular item this year. So instead I came up with 12 general goals for the year:
1. Knit a sweater (I've been thinking about this for awhile, so it's time to do it already!)
2. Make a yarn budget - and stick to it! (This should include yarn, fiber, patterns, knitting books)
3. Knit 12 things totally from stash - yarn, pattern and needles (note I'm not committing to knitting the same items, but trying to use down the ever-growing stash)
4. Knit a shawl from yarn I spun (so far I've only knit ornaments from my handspun, so would like to try something bigger)
5. Complete a knitting project with beads (I've started one, but haven't finished)
6. Knit a pair of convertible gloves (something else I've been thinking about for awhile and haven't gotten around to)
7. Knit a pair of socks from the toe-up (I've only knit socks cuff down, so want to try toe up)
8. Knit a pair of socks 2 at a time (enjoyed doing fingerless gloves 2 at a time, so want to try socks)
9. Organize UFOs (not sure how many projects have been started and not finished). Want to decide which ones to frog and which ones to finish - and finish at least one from the pile.
10. Update my Ravelry project page and include pictures
11. Learn to knit cables without a cable needle (I've heard people say this can be a faster technique, and have been wanting to try it)
12. Knit something for charity (always good to give back!)

Do you have any crafty goals for the 2012 that you'd like to share?

New Year

Thought I would start the new year by trying to revive the blog. So, I am planning to post once a week. I know there are 366 day challenges out there, which sound fun, but I think once a week is a more realistic goal for me right now. I believe in starting with small, obtainable goals :)

I have a few crafty goals for the year, but am still organizing my thoughts, so think I will save that for another post.

Happy 2012!