The Process

It occurred to me recently that it has been a long time since I knit just for the pure enjoyment of the process of knitting.  Sure, there has always been an aimed-for end product, but I used to knit just for the hell of knitting.  Recently, as in most of the last year or two, I always seem to be knitting for a deadline.  I am considering giving up gift knitting for a year.  At least, goal oriented gift knitting.  Anything I knit for the sake of knitting it and then decide to give away or give away with no particular gifting date in mind will be fair game.  I have to come to terms with the fact that I can buy a gift and people will still like it.  And me.  It gives me such pleasure to give people things that wow them and that they enjoy, things that are unique and came from my hard work, but when it becomes a burden much of they joy is lost.  So I have a couple more deadlines.  Things I have already started and already promised, but then I think I am due a break.  Working on the socks for Ben was a bit of a break, although the next deadline was already looming by the time I finished the first sock so the poor second sock hasn't been started.  And its not even due to second sock syndrome!  I want to knit the sock.  I need to knit these gifts.   Ah well, beginning no later than June 1st, its back to the  process of knitting and knitting for the love of it.  There are some wips I can work on, and possibly surprise people with at random, and there are many many things in my Rav queue that I want to make.  This break is important and necessary and though it will cause me some stress to let go and just shop for gifts rather than make a massive knit list I know I can never finish, it will be good for me.  So if you were expecting a knitted gift from me for your birthday or christmas next year, don't feel slighted.  Its not you, its me.

Snow Day

March 28, 2009

Seriously?

And its actually deeper now.  This was a couple hours ago.  

Tisha's Baby shower present.  Its actually the linen stitch cloth from Creative Knitting but using two variegated yarns, one pastel and one bright.  So it really ended up looking like an easter egg.  Its cottontots, so its pretty soft.  This seems to be becoming my general baby shower MO.
Sunshine cloth and Moss ribs cloth for Iris's birthday
Cloth for Grandma's Birthday.  She probably currently owns the biggest collection of my dishcloths.

Stories of the Traveling Stitch Markers

I am participating in the Ravery group Stories of the Traveling Stitch Markers. If you are on Ravelry, go take a look: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/stories-of-the-traveling-stitch-markers . I received them in the mail last weekend and they are so very beautiful. I need to take pictures of them. Since the only thing I am working on right now fast and furiously is a suprise, it might be a little while before project pics get posted here. but there will be some on Ravelry for sure, since I know the recipient won't be able to stumble across them there. Anyhow, its a fun and interesting group and it will be neat to see where all of the stitch markers go. So far no one else in Oklahoma had signed up, but part of the deal is that these markers can be passed on by hand, you don't have to send them to a particular list, as long as people agree to the terms and post about their stuff. So in about a month who knows, you could receive the traveling stich markers.

Babies, Belated Birthdays, Ben's socks

I thought about putting Badass Socks, but really they aren't badass.  More like Chocolate Milky.  Its been lovely, working on these this week.  Row upon row of tiny little stitches.  Sometimes tiny stitches can be so much more satisfying than big ones.  Not always, but sometimes.  Anyway, the yarn is happy feet and its been a pleasure to work with so far.  I think I'd like some more colorways of this yarn.

Last week I finally tucked in the ends of a washcloth and 2 coasters or scrubbies (they can be whatever the recipient wants them to be) that I made for my friend Molly last year for her birthday.  Yep, last year.  And I had them made on time, it was just tucking in the stupid ends.  But then I didn't do it and I didn't do it and they got set on a shelf and not looked at forever, but she came over for dinner and I finally remembered to pull them out, tuck in the ends, and toss them to her.  Molly, being Molly, promptly put the washcloth on her head and called it a headwarmer.  Go figure.

My friend Heather's baby shower was this past weekend.  I made her a soaker (which I refer to as the baby butt cover)  and a washcloth for her impending little boy.  The soaker was pretty quick and easy to make and the washcloth I made at a hockey game.  The cottontots is so soft and easy to work with.  I love it for little kid and baby washcloths.  

Here is another picture of the soaker.  I used cascade paints, which knits up smooth and pretty.  And I know Heather will take care of it, she's all over the handmade stuff.  Her mom knit up a storm for the baby.  She does great color work.  I'm not so into that, so I'm pretty sure we won't ever knit 2 things exactly alike.  :-)

Feeling Socky

I've been itching to get back to small needles. Lace or socks or something. I fifured socks was more instant gratification than lace, and I kinda wanted to work on something for Ben and I didn't really think he'd appreciate lace properly, so socks it is. I'm working on a pair of garter rib socks in a brownish colorway of Happy Feet. I actually bought it last time I was in Cali and someone, I think it might have been Shelley, said it reminded them of chocolate milk, so I am calling the Ben's Chocolate Milk Socks. Sounds more fun than "Ben's Garter Rib Socks." Anyway, the colorway has like 3 different shades of brown in it and it looks really neat up close but not overly psychotic. I love all the different varigated and hand dyed sock yarns out there, but most of them aren't very guy oriented. I mean, I could probably get him to weat crazy colors around the house, but to actually wear them out for real they need to look nice. I need to get some solid sock yarn too. If he likes the socks and actually wears them and I think he'll wear another pair i want to do one where there is a contrasting rim at the top with the same color for the heel and toe. Like brown for the top, heel, and toe and black for the leg and foot parts. I guess I'll have to get some opinions about favorite solid sock yarns. Knitpicks seems to offer a good variety. What are your favorite sock yarns that come in solid colors? And what are you reasons? Does it feel good to knit with? Does is wear well? Is the care easy? I plan to machine wash in a front loading washer on the super gentle or handwash cycle in very cold water and then lay them flat to dry. This is my overall hand knit sock maintenance program, which seems to work fairly well so far. I will consider heathered yarns and kettle dyed where the color variations are subtle also, just not self striping or varigated for this particular project. Now for me, thats a different story. I like fun and or silly yarns. I want more jitterbug....and some malabrigo sock....and more happy feet....I want....a lot of things. more time to knit would be a good start. :-)

Birthday Awesomeness

I had a great birthday on sunday and got some excellent knitting loot. :-) I am now the proud owner of 2 sets of Bamboo Double Pointed needles in 12 sizes. One set is 5" double points and one set is 7" double points. YAY! I was tired of having to look up and see which sizes I had and which were missing and trying to substitute and blah, blah, blah. 2 sets in 12 sizes is A LOT of needles, btw. :-) I also got pretty much all of the Stephanie Pearl-McPhee books that I didn't have and 3 pattern books. One book is all glove patterns. There are some really neat ones in there and I am super excited to try them out. So now I just have to finish up one last super secret gifty item and I can move on to all of this exciting new knitting. Or I can pick up some old stuff I've been really wanting to work on. I have been desperately wanting to get back to socks, but all of this "necessary" knitting kept getting in the way. I should give up gift knitting in 2010. Hmmm, have to think on that more. Anyway, I have also been super-feeling the lace knitting recently, so I want to get back to some of that too. Maybe I am on a tiny needles kick. Anyway, thats enough typing for now, on with the actual knitting!