Another Hat down...a new project needs to be embarked upon

Finished Sam's hat.

Now to decide what my next project shall be. Might go back to finishing up that bag....

Adventures in Northampton and Beyond

esterday, Melis and I headed out to one of THE best yarn stores I have ever been in. It's called Webs in Northampton, MA. It had possibly every kind of yarn you ever need to know or get or anything! It was knitter, spinner, weaver, crocheter heaven in short. I got a few skeins of yarn (some alpaca which is by the way, amazing) and a new pair of size 8 circular needles, 40 cm long. I seem to have a track record of finding skeins that are coming undone or are totally undone or don't have labels and getting discounts. One of the skeins of this gorgeous gray/white/purpley mix was coming apart and sure enough, come to the cash register, $2! Score!

On the way home, I decided to start a hat for Sam since I'm going to be seeing her Monday. I had finished Courtney's hat (the scarf just didn't work out too well. Damn you RedHeart yarn!) and delivered it successfully to the new owner. Pictures will come of that soon! The yarn I was using for the new hat is an alpaca and came in a hank. Well, smart me and having never dealt with hanks before, started trying to untangle it in the car so I could start knitting. This would not end well. I ended up getting it so tangled that Melis and I sat in our study for like 2 hours after getting it untangled. I learned my lesson there!

So, the hat's started. And sure enough, again me being smart, I messed up the purl/knit pattern. Arg purl 2, knit 2! As I type, Melis is working on installing a life thread and getting the messed up part ripped out for me. (I LOVE YOU MELIS! <3)>

Along with all the other things I've learned, I'm also learning how to ball yarn (an experience that was needed while untangling the hank). So I'm taking a few half used skeins or the skein that was falling apart from Webs and reballing it. Overall, I think I had a good 2 days of extreme knitting. The next chapter begins in the new year! :D

Not so Happy about Hats

This Thanksgiving break, my sister started helping me to begin learning how to knit on circular needles. Now, this might seem like an easy task. However, since I began, I've torn out 3 sets of 48+ stitches and gotten so frustrated I've wanted to give up. Light was at the end of the tunnel though. After examining 4 rows of ribbed knitting on circulars, I soon realized it wasn't the circular needles that were my problem, it was my ribbing. A stupid beginner mistake later with not bringing my excessive yarn to the front and back accordingly was causing all my problems. To resolve this issue, I have now changed my friend's scarf from just knit to ribbed in the middle with knit on the ends. A much more elegant scarf, it's looking great and is really fun to knit. Not only that, but it's given me some much needed practice in ribbing. :) Problem solved. Maybe later I'll go back to the hat. I'll have to tear it out again as it is...

Yarn Therapy

With so much on my mind and such a crazy time, knitting comes naturally. It's a natural soother of the spirit. With Oreo not doing well, knitting is the only way besides dance for me to calm the mind and focus on the task before me. The repetition of the loops, one over another, it's surprising calming. I can sit anywhere for hours and just knit away my worries. It's such a good thing to do and with this rate, I should be farther then I ever thought possible in some of my projects.

A New Project Emerges Out of the Dust

It's been a bit since I posted. The knitting pace has slowed down thanks to the senior class play, work, and other stuff. I've started to work on a scarf for a friend. Yes, Courtney, your scarf. :) of course it's eggplant colored and it coming out very nicely. I'm using a nice, easy pattern for a clean, fun look that's not too hard to knit. I'll have a lot of time soon with 6 hour rehearsals where I do nothing most of the time!!

So, in the mean time, the bag is on hold. 68 stitches in 1 row takes awhile and I just haven't had the time to sit down and do that much at once! It's looking good though. I'm hoping to have it finished by next spring at the VERY latest. It should be done earlier then that, but with the holidays, Christmas presents for people are taking first priority. I'll try and keep updating more!! Laterz.

Knitting Groups are the New Secret Societies

This past Wednesday, a friend invited me to a knitting group. I think it was the best thing I've ever done in a long time. When we arrived, we were welcomed kindly and sought out chairs in the busy library based group. Everyone was knitting away. Some were learning, others were just knitting along or crocheting or looming. Everyone asked what we were making and how it was going and Bernie, the proclaimed Knitting God, took a look at my knitting. I've started the front part of the bag and it's going quite well. He loved it and said it was really good and that my tension was perfect!

After being praised by the Knitting God, the rest of the night went by great. I made some new friends and got to chat knitting the whole time. My advice? Search one out. They're worth it. You get a lot of knitting done and it's nice to feel not so alone especially when you have people that will critize your knitting. (saying you're like an old lady...no i'm not. I just knit.) Some people don't understand so find those that do and that share your passion. They can give you some of the best advice and company a young or old knitter can find!

Why Ripping Out Stitches is No Fun

I was knitting away on the beginning of the front (68 stitches, all in stockinette for 11 inches plus 1 inch in garter) when suddenly, I realized that I had messed up. Without a way to fix it in sight and having just gotten my new longer needles, I ripped it all out. Unbinding stitch by stitch was painful. I lost so much of my hard work (about 3 complete rows of purl 1 row, knit 1 row). Sighing and becoming a disgruntled knitter, I picked up the new needles and began again, casting on 68 stitches once more with the hope that maybe this time would be better.

I've gotten about 2 complete rows of stockinette finished again and I'll admit, it's looking good. Let's hope it stays this way this time!!

Knitting Projects Come and Go, but Friends are Forever

As I was sitting in bed last night putting the final touches on my pocket for my bag, I took in the fact that I finished this accomplishment in one night. Only a few simple hours of my life was spent on creating part of a piece of art. I had never before finished a knitting project in one night. I really can knit and I can knit fast.

Today, while in a rehearsal for my class' senior class play, I was asked by a fellow techie to knit him a scarf. And I thought for a second. This kid isn't someone at all who I would want to spend the amount of time knitting a scarf for. It's just plain not worth it at all. There are so many other people that I'd rather knit for; my best friend or sister or mom or even my dad or brother. So, as I ignored his pleas and blocked him out as I knit away at my bag in the cement tech booth as the play's director tried to get everyone organized, I realized something. Never knit something for someone who plainly does not appreciate the amount of time it takes to knit such a thing. Or the amount of skill and trying patience that when you drop a stitch and have to go back and fix it all and rip it out. It just plain wasn't worth it. Knitting projects can come and go, but the real friends, those true friends who would appreciate all those beads of sweat knitting up the final rows on your scarf, will be around forever. <3

The Adventure of Purl

Finally finished the gusset! :D Pretty big achievement. Now working on the pocket in the CC. Such a pretty color, but now I have the great adventure of learning how to purl (I already knew, but I kinda somewhat forgot.) and doing the stockinette stitch. yay. <3

The Dreaded Measuring!

So as I was knitting away on the gusset, I was measuring it as I went. Don't want to go past those 39"! I took one measurement, 37.5". Success!! Continued to knit. Measured it again, only 35". Did i measure wrong or did this thing just shrink? Laid it down on a flat surface and measured. Definitely 35". Now at 36". Can't wait to get those last 3 stubborn inches!!!! Then going to start on the pocket. The adventure continues...

History of my Knitting

I learned when I was 13 from my grandmother. A talent possessed solely by my dad's side of the family and my sister and I, knitting became a passion. Sometimes I would start a project and put it down for awhile, only to find it later and work on it bit by bit. I got into the habit of making scarves.

A few days ago, I finished off a scarf I had been working on for easily a year because of no motivation. I finally bound it off and was proud of my achievement. My sister had given me a book, Stitch n' Bitch that was my savior to my knitting. I found a new project inside its wonderful pages and found that I had the needles and yarn to achieve it. It was called Zeeby's Bag and it is going quite well.

The pattern can be found through Stitch n' Bitch and I'm knitting it with size 8 bamboo needles and Lt. Country Blue Caron Simply Soft (MC) and Dk. Country Blue Caron Simply Soft (CC).

For two days straight I've been knitting the gusset. A 10 stitch by 39" swatch, I've already finished 29" of it. I started with the gusset simply because now, I need to pick up longer needles! What my luck...