Yeah!
Knitting Goals :: June 2010
I never did a monthly knitting goals list for May, but I’m jumping back on that wagon now!
- Complete 3 hats
- Complete at least 15 blanket squares
- Get halfway on one scarf
- Get started on an afghan for Mother
I want to add more but I’m afraid to do so since I’m about to start my first online class. Hopefully I’ll actually be able to check some of these off, unlike April’s list.
Slouchy Hat With Picot Edge
May was a weird month for me; I shied away from the Internet and the challenges I have been setting before me. Once May was close to an end, I decided to just start anew. And so I am slowly getting back into the habit of updating, reading, perusing, etc. the Internet as I always had.
And because of this break, I have a few projects I need to update this blog on. One is not 100% done, so I shall wait until it’s completed to discuss it. But I do have this project to talk about, the first thing I’ve completed for me:
I have come to the conclusion that hats are my favorite things to knit and if hats are the only things I make from now on, I will be a rather happy lady.
This particular hat I’ve had on my Ravelry queue for a while. I was thrilled when I finally had the correct needles to make it but saddened that the yarn I had originally wanted to use was just not enough. Luckily, I had this gorgeous olive yarn that had no destination that ended up working out just fine.
I am in no way shape or form a “hat person” so I had no clue how this hat would look on me. And while I still feel somewhat awkward while wearing it, the point is…I am wearing it. And I’m proud to wear it. Wearing something you’ve personally made adds a bit of confidence and I could use any bit of confidence I can muster.
This was a very simple hat and a rather quick knit. And even though it was simple, I was incredibly confused. I had never heard of a “turning row”, for example, and my first investigations of the term led me astray. Once I realized all it meant was to turn and sew, I was ready to get started. Then, I forgot to change the needles, then stitches went AWOL. But I was determined to finish it, and thrilled that it is done.
During the week following its completion, you could find me in the hat. I haven’t really worn it since then (have you been outside?!?) but I cannot wait to wear it (and others) in the upcoming cooler months.
Pattern: Slouchy Hat With Picot Edge
Adair County High School Prom 2010
My niece attended her junior prom this past weekend and, instead of going to a professional photographer, instead asked me to come take her pictures. Since she is my favorite model, I obliged.
I like a lot of the ones I got. I wish I hadn’t have felt weird about there being so many people around (I don’t do well in crowds, especially people I do not know), so I would have wanted to speak up more and move around more. But oh well, what’s done is done.
Here are my favorites from the day.
A Birthday and Mother’s Day
My sister’s birthday was at the end of April. I normally don’t see her around this time but since I was going to visit on May 8th to take pictures for my niece’s prom, I decided I should knit her something. And how convenient that her name begins with an “L” since I had just completed two “L” dishcloths. Plus, I had this gorgeous pink yarn just lying around. It seemed like a wonderful combination.
Unfortunately, though, I was not pleased. The yarn came from my stash of “WTH is this yarn?” and I realized partway through this was not the best yarn for this project. But I wasn’t really able to buy new yarn and didn’t really have time to start over (I finished the night before I went to Kentucky) so I went on with it. She said she liked it but I’m skeptical. I’ll have to knit her something much better for Christmas.
The beautiful color.
I had to snap a shot with my cell phone before putting it in its giftbag. I think the image in the piece turned out great, at least in the picture, but I was just not pleased.
I also wanted to make something for my mother, since I would be seeing her the day before Mother’s Day. Again, I chose a dishcloth due to their quickness. I went out and bought a really pretty rose cotton yarn. I felt better about the overall piece than I did with this third “L” but I noticed there are some places where I didn’t keep my gauge consistent. I’ve never really had that problem before so I was rather surprised that it would start coming up now.
I really should have done a different angle for this picture. It looks so...blah.
Maybe I was just having an off week with knitting. Here’s to hoping this week goes better.
Patterns: ASL “L” Cloth and I Heart Mom Cloth.
Dishcloth: ASL “L”
I am currently in my last semester of sign language. When searching around for patterns a few weeks ago, I found dishcloth patterns for every letter of the sign language alphabet. I’ve completed one and am almost done with the second to give to my two sign language professors. I am also making one for everyone on my gifting list for either birthday or Christmas presents. Next year, I’m making me a scarf and a blanket with the patterns. I’m rather excited about them.
Picture of the finished piece.
From another angle. While I wasn't a huge fan of that yarn, the color is fantastic! And the yarn was free, which just cannot be beat.
And the second, still on needles.
The link for the pattern can be found here and my ravelry pages for the first one is here and the second one is here. I’m pretty pleased with them and am excited to get to try more letters in the future.
Knitting Goals :: April 2010
At the beginning of each month, I’m going to compile a list of knitting projects I would like to accomplish. I have a lot of knitting I want to get done this year. I have quite an adventurous list. At the same time, though, I understand not all of the projects will be completed. I have fixed it so every person will get at least one gift from me. And for that, I am happy. This might mean people only gets washcloths or bookmarks, but at least they will get something. Whatever doesn’t get made, though, will be given next year for birthdays or Christmas or Just Because presents.
I won’t post the specifics of the projects I wish to complete just in case someone who does not need to know comes across this. I will try to remain as vague as possible but still keep up with what I need.
The list for April is:
- At least 7 washcloths (1/7 completed already)
- At least one hat
- Half way on at least two scarves OR one scarf completely finished
The scarf one will be the hardest, but I’m going to try my best!
In the next day or two, I’m going to take pictures of all of my In Progress knits and make an entry about them. I’m trying to get more serious about my knitting, but I fear that will be too difficult with as many projects as I have going on at once. Aside from starting new washcloths, I’m not allowed to add anything. Not like I could, anyway. All of my needles are taken*.
*I’m serious. I’m using double pointed needles to knit the washcloths, which is honestly not a big deal. I got a $5 gift card in the mail today from Wal Mart. I think I might use it to get more needles just so I can get some more projects started.**
** See? I just said I don’t need to do this. It’s an addiction, I tell you!
Cross-Stitch Scarf :: Multi
Since I’ve decided to start a new journal to take note of the hobbies I partake in (knitting, photography and reading being the main ones), I think it only fitting to start with my new project.
The pattern is called a Cross-Stitch scarf and it is from this book. I’m using a thinner yarn and slightly smaller needles, so I’m not getting the exact effect from the book, but I am completely pleased with this.
I bought this yarn fall of last year and knew it would be the first scarf I made for me. I had an almost completely finished scarf done but about a month ago, I was looking at it and just kept thinking about how much I do not like it and would not wear it. And though I was almost done, I just couldn’t keep going with it. So I undid the entire thing. And just waited until a new pattern appeared.
Now, this pattern I think is perfect. I’ll have to take a better picture of my progress soon because I’m not sure how easily detected the diagonal effect of the stripes is but I’m incredibly loving it and could not be more pleased.
I don’t have the yarn information, though, because when I cleaned out my knitting basket, I apparently threw away all of my skein wrappings. But I want to buy more of this so I will make sure to update on what the yarn is as soon as I figure it out myself.
And that ends my first entry at my new blog. I need to do some things to make this more mine, like an About Me and a Links page. I’ll try to get those completed in the next couple of days. I can already tell, though, that I’m going to like it here.
Ambient Stitches 