Day Five: And now for something completely different!

Day Four: Where are they now?

This was the topic I seriously considered using the wild card on but will give it a try.  Have no particular projects to mention but rather what my family has done with the knitted offerings they have received over the years.

Let's start with my Dad. Dad does not do sweaters, mittens, handknit socks, scarves. the only thing I can make for him that he would wear are hats. He likes the hats I wear but he says it has to be super cold as they are so much warmer than a store bought hat. Maybe the adage about handknits are made with love and keep you warmer is true (but seeing as how is bald and I try to use really soft yarns not sure if I am buying the too warm story).

Mom, Mom pretty much loves anything I knit for her.  I have knitted her a hat which she loves (though it could be a tad bit longer, so much for making to the directions and not having the wearer try it on).  Last fall she gave me a request for purple socks which was great but rather disappointing as I had picked up some really cool red, white and blue yarn at the WI Sheep & Wool Festival a few days before.  But I made up for it, even though she doesn't know it and found a really cool purple sock yarn.  She luvs the knit socks in the winter, especially this winter as her feet have been colder, so I plan on giving her at least one pair for her birthday - good thing it is not until July.  She is also patiently waiting for a pair of double knit mittens that were started about 3-4 Christmas's ago and I really should get done this summer and give to her when we go on our 2011 fall crafting retreat.

Then there is my older brother Mike.  Mike is a wonderful guy to have come along with you when you are shopping for things as he really likes to shop and unlike our other brother, he can actually render excellent advice about why to use one item over another and color choices.  Case in point, Mike helped me pick out the yarn for my first cardigan (pink and black) which turned out very nicely for a first sweater.  When I lived with baby brother, I once made the mistake to ask him if what I was wearing looked ok/matched and lets just say lesson learned.  Mike has been patiently waiting for a vest and a cardigan for... well lets not talk about how long.  The yarn for the cardigan, I think its the cardigan but it could be the vest, is finally in the yarn basket.  I am going on the record here that I WILL HAVE the garment done for Christmas 2011 (please nudge me every once in a while to see how its coming along). Mike also loves handknit socks but they are not so fun to knit for him as he likes them really long aka knee high.  Though I did buy the kilt hose book with the express thought of knitting him a pair...

Now to my baby brother, Donny.  Excluding the socks I have given Donny, anything I given or his family, I have no idea what they've done with things or if it was given away.  With the socks, per his wife Michelle, Donny takes meticulous care of them and makes sure to lay them out flat to dry.  They have been gifted with various items i.e. scarves, sweater, shawl and there has never been a sighting on my part.  Oh well I will continue to make them things as that is what I prefer to give and if they don't like it then maybe they should put in a request so I make something they do want/would like.

Day Three: Tidy Mind, tidy stitches

This blog started as a method for me to be "honest" about my WIP, UFO, wishlist etc.  Don't think I have achieved any of these quite yet as I know there are UFOs and WIPs that are not on the sidebar.  But let me share what I do in terms of attempting to be organized.

First there is Ravelry (if you want to look me up, my user name is Knitasnoopy).  On Ravelry, I am attempting to keep my yarn stash and library up-to-date.  As I find patterns that I like, I add tags so they can, hopefully, be found easily.  Keeping the projects up-to-date is a current weakness but I believe my notebook (will talk about this in a bit) should be able to assist me if I ever get my act together and log projects on Ravelry.

Besides Ravelry, I keep a notebook that travels with the current project I'm working on (no Rosie is not always my book stand).  It is not too big and contains everything I need to know about the current project I'm working on i.e. pattern, yarn label & sample, needles used, notes about the project.  In the back of it I am also keeping business cards for various yarn shops that I stop at during my travels.

Next I have my knitting area in my bedroom.  In this cozy little space, I have a large work basket that was purchased last fall when we went up for the crafting weekend.  In it I keep UFOs, some yarn that I would like to start knitting on soon and the extra balls of yarn for projects I'm actively working on.  It is amazing how much this can hold and how much more room there is after you complete an afghan!

Didn't take a photo of the yarn stash as it can be seen in the photo from Saturday, when I reorganized the yarn stash and readjusted the books in my library as things were getting a bit tight.  My Dad made the awesome bookshelf that houses the majority of my library.  It was purposefully made narrow for two reasons.  First we were concerned that my books would really weigh a lot and over time put too much stress on the shelves (which is why they are thick and not simple sheets of something).  Second, as it was a custom job it was made to fit exactly in the space I had at the time.

All in all, don't think I do too badly in keeping things organized.  I actually enjoy organizing things and think others may agree somewhat with this.  Wonder if I could make this into a business?

Day Two: Skill +1UP

Can't say that I have challenged myself greatly in the past year until recently.  Last fall I took a moebius cowl with beads and a separate beading class that went over the different methods and when you would most likely want to use each method.  So far this year I have taken a drop spindle class and sweater design class.  On Tuesday, I'm taking a lace class and in a couple of weeks all of the Sally Melville classes.   Up until these classes probably the last time I took an official class was the toe up sock class.  Guess I'm making up for lost time?


To review some of my prior projects that were difficult.  

• I did an entrelac shawl and found several more entrelac projects I would like to do.  Though the next entrelac project, I will try my hand at reverse knitting (as opposed to turning the work back and forth constantly).  
• Currently working on two different cable projects (Every Way Wrap and sweater design class project).  Let me tell you knitting one day on one cable project and then the next switching to the other can confuse your mind!  Almost started doing the shawl cabling on the sweater.
• Two toe up socks at the same time.  Enjoyed how once you finished, you were done.  Only downfalls were having the two strands of yarn going at the same time and them twisting up and depending on how you worked your yarn, you either work from the center and the outside or guestimate where half of the skein would be and hope that you come up somewhat even.
• Have a pair of double knit mittens on the needles and I really would like to finish for next winter to give to Mom. Then I can start my own double knit mittens and have toasty warm fingers!
• The mobius cowl had a very interesting cast on (look up the Cat Bordhi moebius cast-on on Youtube) and definitely would like to do more of these.  Thinking would make a great gift for friends and family.

Goals for techniques/projects I would like to do in the next year are: 

1. Steeking
2. Fair Isle
3. Intarsia
4. Knit backwards
5. Master Norwegian purl
6. Tunisian crochet - did some long time ago see pumpkin mat from crafting retreat weekend

If I give a try at all of these techniques this year I will be doing very well indeed.  What sort of projects would you like to try this year?

Day One: A Tale of Two Yarns

Today's topic is pick two yarns that I have either used or are in my stash or which I yearn after and capture what it is I love or loathe about them.


This one is rather easy. I loath single ply yarns due to the fact that at lower weights (lower meaning anything below a super bulky) I tug, pull, whatever on the yarn too tightly and end up pulling it apart which causes excessive end weaving at the end of the project. The exception to this would have to be super bulky yarn that I knitted my green jacket with. That stuff was awesome! Lets hear it for Cascade Magnum!!


There are many yarns that I love but in the process of organizing my stash this past weekend, I realized that I have 3 skeins of Malabrigo and Prism that have very similar shading of purples with hints of green (note just a hint of green not primarily green) that I had purchased at 3 different shops/venues since November. What drew me to all of them was the colors and how incredibly soft the yarn is. 


To put it succinctly, what I love about a particular yarn is the color and then how it feels.  I have found that I have become a very tactile person both with fibers and with most things in life.  Wonder if this is true for all people who work with fiber and various other mediums?  


Until tomorrow...

Two Posts in One Day!!

Just before shutting down the computer checked the other blogs I read and Renee had a post about Knitting & Crochet Blog Week.  She got this from Eskimimi Knits.
I'm game for a challenge (maybe it will improve my skills).  My cousin Rachel is now on year 2 of a photo a day.  She has some really unique and creative photos that I use for my screen saver at work.  Anyway here are the details....


Day One: Monday, 28th March. A Tale of Two Yarns

Part of any fiber enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.

Tips: It is a good idea, if possible, to choose a yarn that you adore and a yarn that just didn’t work for you. You do not need to be critical of any yarn if you do not feel comfortable in doing so, but perhaps you came to realize that one yarn wasn’t suitable for a particular project, if possible you could blog about what you have come to learn about choosing the right yarn, or your love of experimenting with fibers.

Day Two: Tuesday, 29th March. Skill + 1UP
Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?

Tips: Don’t be abashed at admitting your own skill and progress. If possible, include pictures of projects that you gained new skills from.

Day Three: Wednesday, 30th March. Tidy mind, tidy stitches
How do you keep your yarn wrangling organized? It seems like an easy to answer question at first, but in fact organization exists on many levels. Maybe you are truly not organized at all, in which case I am personally daring you to try and photograph your stash in whatever locations you can find the individual skeins. However, if you are organized, blog about an aspect of that organization process, whether that be a particularly neat and tidy knitting bag, a decorative display of your crochet hooks, your organized stash or your project and stash pages on Ravelry.

Tips: Many people use their blogs partly as an organizational tool – logging and cataloging projects and newly attained skills, projects and modifications. Did you bare this in mind when you began blogging?

Day Four: Thursday, 31st March. Where are they now?
Whatever happened to your __________?
Write about the fate of a past knitting project. Whether it be something that you crocheted or knitted for yourself or to give to another person. An item that lives with you or something which you sent off to charity.

There are a lot of different aspects to look at when looking back at a knitting project and it can make for interesting blogging, as much of the time we blog about items recently completed, new and freshly completed. It is not so often that we look back at what has happened to these items after they have been around for a while.

How has one of your past knits lived up to wear. Maybe an item has become lost. Maybe you spent weeks knitting your giant-footed dad a pair of socks in bright pink and green stripes which the then ‘lost’. If you have knit items to donate to a good cause, you could reflect on the was in which you hope that item is still doing good for it’s owner or the cause it was made to support.

Tips: This topic is similar to one we used for the first Knitting and Crochet blog week. This is purposeful and is intended to help the blogger to reflect on past items and refer back to previous posts and projects once in a while.

Day Five: Friday, 1st April. And now for something completely different
This is an experimental blogging day to try and push your creativity in blogging to the same level that you perhaps push your creativity in the items you create.

There are no rules of a topic to blog about (though some suggestions are given below) but this post should look at a different way to present content on your blog. This can take one of many forms, but here a few suggestions:

• Wordless, photographic post
• Video blog post
• Podcast
• Cartoon/sketch of an idea
• Write about a subject from a different perspective (for example, you could write about a day in the life of a knitted sock from the point of view of the sock).
• Interpretive modern dance (why does someone always suggest this?
• A poem or piece of rhyming verse
• Stop motion animation

Tips: The actual subject matter of the post might be quite dependent on the media method(s) you choose to use and as such there is no specific ‘topic’ to blog on. You could blog about a recently completed project, a knitting experience, a trip to the LYS or anything else that takes your fancy. The point behind this post is to get people thinking about using their blogs in different ways and pushing he boundaries of what they use their blogging platform for.

PS: Yes, it is April Fool’s Day, so have fun with the post.

Day six: Saturday, 2nd April. Something to aspire to
Is there a pattern or skill that you don’t yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to (or think you can only dream of) tackling in the future, near or distant? Is there a skill or project that makes your mind boggle at the sheer time, dedication and mastery of the craft? Maybe the skill or pattern is one that you don’t even personally want to make but can stand back and admire those that do. Maybe it is something you think you will never be bothered to actually make bu can admire the result of those that have.

Tips: If you think you have learned all you ever want to in your craft then say so. Maybe you have been knitting for nearly 30 years and yet never learned to purl (many my think this is impossible, but I met a woman on the bus who told me exactly this once… Maybe she was following the E. Zimmerman school of thought to closely?).

Day seven: Sunday, 3rd April. Your knitting and crochet time
Write about your typical crafting time. When it is that you are likely to craft – alone or in more social environments, when watching TV or whilst taking bus journeys. What items do you like to surround yourself with whilst you twirl your hook like a majorette’s baton or work those needles like a skilled set of samurai swords. Do you always have snacks to hand, or are you a strictly ‘no crumbs near my yarn!’ kind of knitter.

Tips: Last year we had a topic asking about the actual location of where you knit or craft, this is similar but not the same. Try and concentrate on all of the little aspects that make up your knitting time. Maybe you always head for for your Flaming Lips CD when taking on simple knitting but prefer a bit of Brahms when tackling more intricate work, or maybe you enjoy knitting with audiobooks or complete silence. Perhaps your crochet time is never complete without a cuddle from Tiddles the cat.

If you find yourself stumped by or otherwise unsuited to one of the above topics during Knitting and crochet blog week, you can choose to play the wild card.This alternative topic is provided to ensure that the blogger does not get stuck frustrated by blogging about something which is not appropriate to them.

Wildcard – Embellish the story
Embellishments come in all types and forms. Some are more than purely decorative and form a practical function – pretty buttons are as much part of holding a garment together as mere decoration, and some are just there to give a piece an extra ‘something’. Blog about an embellishment, be it a zipper, amigurumi eyes or applique patch which you are either saving to use or have in the past used to decorate a project with. Write about whether you are a very  minimalist kind of knitter with classic lines and timeless plain knits or whether you love all the bells and whistles or sticking sewing and otherwise attaching decoration to your pieces.

Use these topics and brief descriptions as a springboard for your posts and take them in whatever direction you fancy. If you are a Ravelry member and fancy chatting about what others are going to do to take part, then feel free to pop along to the Blog Hub group and find out what other folks are up to, or if you have any comments or questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below and I will be sure to get back to you ASAP.  Eskimimiknits

Updates

Since I last wrote, still haven't completed my brother and sister-in-law's hats but I have made progress on the sweater design class project (will try to get photo loaded next week).  Have to switch out the bag I keep it in as the current bag is getting crowded (made for smaller projects) and the sweater is my take every where project (probably the only good thing about living outside of a commuter bus area).  With the two swatches I did for this project, I decided to make all my swatches bigger and when have an adequate amount will make an afghan out of them.

In February, took a drop spindle class.  While I'm not ready to change my name to Spinasnoopy, think I could become addicted, but time will tell.  *Note to self see if can take a spinning (wheel) class at Sheep and Wool along with weaving class*.  Completed everything except weaving in the ties for hat I made for my first cousin once removed and FINALLY completed green afghan that Rosie is lying on or barely seen on bed below.

This weekend has been very productive organizationally.  Reorganized my yarn and while it is not all off of the floor (which has been my goal since inception of this blog and made more difficult by my ability to purchase yarns faster than I knit), I do feel better about where things are stashed.  Had an "a-ha!" moment when sitting on the floor Friday night.  I had taken the yarn out from underneath the day bed and was sorting out alpaca, super wash wool and hand wash, and lamenting over the fact that all my pretty Malabrigo, Koigu, Prism, etc was in the Piggly Wiggly bags (lime green bags in photo) and others that I use more often couldn't be seen/were difficult to get to.  I had just finished sorting things out and was cramming the bags back underneath the bed and looked up toward the open closet door and saw all of the acrylic and cotton yarns.  After so many years, it came to me, put these yarns under the bed and move the closet yarn to the chest and spill overs underneath the bed.  

Since it was rather late when this moment struck, reorganization had to wait till Saturday.  Knitting/crochet books also fell victim to reorganization, with the ones less frequently used (afghan/blanket books) moved to hallway bookshelf.

And yes, I actually did get some knitting done this weekend.  Have completed almost one repeat on green Every Way Wrap.  Taking me to almost having 11 of 16 repeats completed.  I so want to start another project but have way to many ongoing.  Have resolved that in 2011, I will:

1. Always have one afghan in the works (so I can use up the acrylic yarn).  No problem on this! Currently have two in the works, a flag and a whale intarsia along with the yo-yo afghan.  The yo-yo is going to take forever since it calls for a gazillion squares.
2. Weave in ends of projects for 1 hour each week.  This was how I managed to complete the green star afghan and have a feeling this is the only way the pumpkin mat will get done by end of September.
3. No purchasing e-books (which take time away from knitting and other crafts), until.... have to figure out what this part will be.  Probably some sort of reward for completing X number of projects whether it be knitting, crochet, beading, sewing, etc.  
4. Listen to books/participate in knit-alongs.  There are several groups on Ravelry that have interesting concepts (one is the project will always take 220 yards or less of yarn).  The 220 yard one will satisfy my wanting to start new projects, use my pretty yarns AND have gifts ready for Christmas or other occasions and the read-alongs will take care of the back log of started projects. 

Enough blogging for this week.  Now back to knitting for another hour or so.