Daily Fiber

There's just something about a new year approaching, isn't there. Something that makes me all willing to sign up for all sorts of ideas and challenges. Something that makes me feel almost like I can do just about anything. Something that makes me think that this new year - this year - will be the start of something great.

As such, am already off and running with goals for 2010.

1) Compete in the 2010 Ravelympics, which will take place at the same time as, well, the Olympics. My roommate's got me signed on to watch the figure skating with her, so why not work on something too? Am signed up in Team Stashdown again; now need to figure out what I wish to make and which events to compete. My thinking is one or two of the following:

Charity Curling -- washcloths? preemie hats? WUA squares?
(Afghans/Blankets) - they have no name for this category yet -- see #2
WIP Dancing -- see #6
WIPs- Finishing -- see #5

2) Make a baby blanket for a charity event my mom's friend's buisness hosts every year. Still need to get in touch with her about this, and decide on a pattern, and buy the yarn... lots of planning needed here.

3) Came up with a plan of throughout the year knitting up simple dishcloths. At the end of the year these dishcloths would be sold, with the money made going to charity. My thinking is that I could ask folks at the Random Acts of Kindess group on Ravelry for the yarn. Again, this is very much in the planning stages right now.

4) Knit the stash at a 2:1 ratio. For every 2 skeins I knit down, I can buy one skein of yarn. This doesn't mean by any means that I have to buy that amount of yarn. Likewise, for any skein of yarn I buy I must knit down 2 skeins before I may buy more.  I'm hoping that by holding myself to this ratio, I'll avoid splurging over budget.

5) Plotted out projects to be made; two pairs of Fetchings and the owl stuffed toy my sister asked for in November.

6) WIPs to finish in 2010; the stuffed animal I started. The body and arms are finished.

How is everyone doing on their holiday projects? With the recently completed scarf, my own list now dwindles down to one final gift, the cup cozies for my dear friend Nae. My hope is to knit those, wrap the last of the presents, and send out packages before finals end next Wednesday.

And the clock continues to count down...

What more can I say? Lovely pattern, lovely yarn.


Pattern: Manitou Passage Scarf
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease in blue heather
Needles: Size 7 US
Notes: This pattern really is a yarn eater; it took a good two and a half skeins to complete.The result is very squishy and soft, though, so well worth it.

This picture shows the stitch pattern and color much better.

First, perhaps the most disheartening news to come. In my last entry I joked how I was pulling back on Christmas knitting so as not to be battling illness this close to the holidays. Well, folks, guess what happened this morning? Looks like being ill at the end of the semester is just something which comes when in college.

On the flip side, the actual Christmas and baby shower gifts are coming along quite well. A quick gaze at the list, if I may:

Christmas Knits:
1. Pinkie Blanket -- Lion Brand Wool Ease -- cranberry -- friend -- DONE
2. Washcloths -- Lily Sugar-n-Cream -- various -- unknown at this point -- DONE
3. Cup Cozies (set of 2) -- Lion Brand Wool Ease -- blue heather -- friend
4. Scarf -- Lion Brand Wool Ease -- blue heather -- friend -- on the needles
5. Fetchings - JoAnn Sensations Tesoro - cream - friend - DONE
6. Lace Scarf - Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock - purples - roommate - DONE

Baby Shower Gifts:
1. Petal Bib -- Lily Sugar-n-Cream -- sunflower yellow -- cousin -- DONE
2. Baby Washcloths -- Lily Sugar-n-Cream -- unknown -- cousin -- needs crochet trim DONE
3. Baby Burp Cloth -- Lily Sugar-n-Cream -- unknown -- cousin -- DONE
4. Ohio State Baby Hat -- Lion Brand Wool Ease -- ranch red and oxford gray -- cousin -- DONE
5. Stuffed Animal -- Lion Brand Wool Ease -- oxford gray and ranch red -- cousin -- body, arms and legs knit
5. Fionna Sundress - Lion Brand Cotton Ease - blue - cousin - DONE
6. Blanket Squares - set of six - DONE

A good little bit of changes there. Thanksgiving break allowed me to return home, where I got a nice little surprise in the form of a small box. Inside I found all sorts of finished projects I had forgotten about making, including a pair of Fetchings, a scarf and a tiny sundress. These gifts I think were made for two reasons; first, that I had the yarn and just wanted to use it up and second, with the intent of giving them away when the situation called for it.

Woot for early-in-the-year planning ahead moments.

This leaves two gifts - the scarf and the cup cozies - left to be finished. The scarf is a few inches shy of competition, while the cozies have yet to be started. I'm hoping that if I manage to get those started over the weekend I can have that gift wrapped and in the mail on time. Then it's a process of distribution from there. Whew!

And because ya'll have been so patient with me and my real lack of photos lately, here's a shot of baby shower gift number three. I completely forgot to take photos of baby shower gift number two before returning to school, so be expecting some late in the month.


Burper, flower petal bib and washcloth for baby! I really hope my cousin likes them and that they get plenty of use. The yarn is all Lily Sugar-n-Creme cotton.

I'm giving up.

In my last entry I mentioned how something has to give in order for me to (hopefully) keep my sanity. So I've made my decision. I've scratched off three of the knit gift projects and will aim to have two of the others - both baby gifts for my cousins - done by the spring. This knocks me down to needing the following finished by Christmas:

- 6 blanket squares for the 'secret project' -- 2 done now, one on the needles
- 2 cup cozies for my friend, to go in a package with a Starbucks gift card
- 1 scarf -- on the needles now, about halfway completed

I'll be honest; I am a little sad to give up the whole list, especially this early. Part of me really believes still I can get it all done along with the two 10-12 page papers, two 750-900 word papers, presentation, going through my possessions for our big move, four finals, Christmas shopping and well, other stuff between now and the holidays. But really, I'd rather not spend the holidays with a lingering illness again. :P

This makes the Knit Gift List of 2009 look something like...

Christmas Knits:
1. Pinkie Blanket -- Lion Brand Wool Ease -- cranberry -- friend -- DONE
2. Washcloths -- Lily Sugar-n-Cream -- various -- unknown at this point -- DONE
3. Cup Cozies (set of 2) -- Lion Brand Wool Ease -- blue heather -- friend
4. Scarf -- Lion Brand Wool Ease -- blue heather -- friend -- on the needles

Baby Shower Gifts:
1. Petal Bib -- Lily Sugar-n-Cream -- sunflower yellow -- cousin -- DONE
2. Baby Washcloths -- Lily Sugar-n-Cream -- unknown -- cousin -- needs crochet trim
3. Baby Burp Cloth -- Lily Sugar-n-Cream -- unknown -- cousin -- DONE
4. Ohio State Baby Hat -- Lion Brand Wool Ease -- ranch red and oxford gray -- cousin -- DONE
5. Stuffed Animal -- Lion Brand Wool Ease -- oxford gray and ranch red -- cousin -- body, arms and legs knit

Now if you all excuse me, I have a play to finish reading for my presentation Friday. Oh how time is flying now!

It's about time to face facts and really give an honest look to what I'm attempting to do this year in terms of knitting.

FACT: There are now 45 days left before Christmas Eve.
FACT: There are six projects left on my knit gift list which need to be either finished or made.
FACT: I have signed up for National Novel Writing Month for November, which means that I should be averaging around 1,667 words per day on that work.
FACT: I have three 750-900 word papers, one presentation, one 8-10 page paper, and a 2,7000 word paper which are all due by the first week of December.
FACT: There is a very special project I'm involved in, which has a deadline of December 10.

Now, I've often been known to bite off more than can be chewed. I love setting high goals for myself then working hard to accomplish them. Yet this time, I may really have failed in the reasonable department. Something really must give.

I'll let you know how well it goes.

Ever since I was a kid I've always wanted an American Girl doll. My sister, friend and I would play them all the time. (I was, by luck of the draw, always Molly). Just today I was at work when the newest catalog arrived. I've been really enjoying my view of all the fun little knit stuff in there- sweaters, socks, hats. There's even a new doll, Julie, who comes from 1974 and owns a cute little crochet hat.

( Read more... )

 

You really can't tell just by looking outside, but over the course of the last week the temperature has dropped substantually. It's now sweatshirt weather (or in the case of my roommate and I, time to whip out the hairdryer to use for keeping our room warm since the school won't turn on the heat just yet. Perk of being in the oldest dorm on campus.)



So what else is a knitter to do on a cold morning such as this, the first day of Fall Break, than to sit in the common room with a hot bowl of instant apple-n-cinnamon oatmeal and a skein of nice wool-blend yarn being made into a scarf? It just seems so right somehow.

Hard to believe less than two months before Christmas. Feels like this year has gone by almost too fast, doesn't it? Time to pull out those knit gifts and begin working on them.

 

( Read more... )

In honor of Finish or Frog Fridays, I present the latest FOs.

( Read more... )

*clears throat*

I just want to make sure before I share this photo with you all. Took this photo a couple minutes ago of the stash to share.

 

( Read more... )

After months of thinking it over and considering what is humanly possible for me to complete before December, I've finally come up with the official Knit Gift List 2009. Yep; its that time of year again. I really thought the list would be shorter this year, yet when I wrote it out, the amount of items just kept getting larger. Amazing how that works.

I've added links when possible for the items. For those from books and other sources, the Ravelry links have been provided.

( Read more... )

And that's it! The cutoff deadline has now passed (need to write that else I'll keep adding.) Now let's see if I can actually succeed in the challenge of making all these by Christmas time.

EDIT ON 9/30: Replaced two list items to better match what I would like to make; also changed the yarn for one item.

Special thanks to theknitwitch - whoever you are - for without her this post would not be made possible. Not really having any pressing things to accomplish yesterday I continued my current goal of finishing off this skein of cherry red acrylic yarn in my stash. One of the members of Homespun Helpers is collecting red, white, and/or blue squares to be made into blankets for veterans, so that has been the plan.

( Read more... )

After almost a month of starts and restarts, the Alpaca Baby Shawl is finished and ready to go.

 

( Read more... )

( Read more... )

So where does that leave us? At the moment am down to three, maybe four projects left to knit, and two left to complete. Stay tuned!

It's a rather interesting time right now for the knitting mojo. As such, thought I would offer up a long-overdue recap of a day spent at the Great Lakes Fiber Arts Festival back in May. I was invited by my friend Nicole aka nicknits , who lives up in that area.

( Read more... )

Ah yes, FDs - a rather silly (or creative, depending on how you choose to look at it) way of expressing those days when I put down the knitting needles, pull out all those projects sitting in the bottom of my stash bin, and get to work on them. I really have a knack for abruptly stopping items, usually when there's some sort of sewing involved. Every so often I try to avoid the necessity of having such days, but  old habits really do die hard as they say.

( Read more... )

At long last, here's a picture of the finished Hermione Cable and Eyelet hat.


Huge kudos to my roommate for having two bowls just the right size to serve as a model.

Pattern: Hermione's Cable and Eyelet Hat
Yarn: Berroco Comfort DK in seedling
Needles: US size 4
Modifications and Notes: None really. Despite my gauge being off when I checked beforehand (I got 6 stitches/inch, not 7), it fits perfectly.

For now, am still thinking over what to do about the Alpaca Baby Shawl. I haven't heard anything from the person from Ravelry and am not sure I will. My thoughts as of now is to wait until I return home before doing anything.

In the meantime, it's back to charity knits. Gotta start pulling my weight for Team Ohio. :P There's still three skeins left of my Comfort DK stash, so am thinking of making a couple more hats. Little Cables, anyone?

PS: Current stash count -- 10.5 skeins. Almost ready for that happy jig I promised. :P

To help keep my mind off the hibernating baby shawl while also keeping my hands busy, the last couple of days have been spent working on something new - the Hermione Cable and Eyelet Hat. The yarn is some Berroco Comfort DK in seedling which has been in my stash since I went to visit my friend Nicole in Mansfield last fall. Originally I purchased four skeins in hopes of making a sweater, yet that idea was scraped pretty quickly. It's lovely stuff; nice and squishy even once knitted. Since it's a blend of acrylic and nylon, I see this hat as more for accessory than being a winter cover. And the color is such a happy green shade, too.

Will certainly post pictures once I'm back at my dorm. :)