Projects Update

So for the HLBOES, I think I know what pattern I'm going to make for Minerva's hat. That is, if I can pull it off... it's an intermediate-level pattern with lots of cables. Fun.

Projects to Start/Finish:

• Snake for Jax! It was supposed to be done by Christmas... sorta, but I haven't quite started yet. Maybe it'll be for her birthday instead.
• Hat for my sister. It'll be a simple one, knitted in bulky weight and only one color. It's just that I have to get off my behind and start working on it.
• Mini-sock for the Reducio Mini-Sock Swap! Since I don't know what colors it'll be in, I can't exactly start that yet.
• Crocheting a squid for the Mini-Swap. Again, I have to go get the yarn or use stash yarn. Either would work, probably.
• Uhm, my socks? I fail epically at picking up along the gusset and I still haven't been able to figure it out, so I don't think they'll get done very soon.
• Tube scarf for me. This'll be my "take with me in my bag" project, as a tube scarf in stockinette stitch is very easy, just a lot of knitting.

Newly Finished Projects (Pictures Soon?):

• Fair Isle bag I made for my sister! I am most proud of this one because it took me forever to finish it, though most of it was telling myself to finish the lining.
  
• Wine cosy I made for my grandmother. This one was just a major pain because the yarn was more difficult to handle than what I'm used to.
  
• Two hats as Christmas gifts.
• Almost a plethora of washcloths... I still want one for myself, so that's what I'll be knitting while traveling today, probably.

But that's all for now! See you all later.

Away

I haven't updated in awhile, but I've finished the Fibonacci striped bag I made and I'm going to be statrting a plethora of Christmas gifts for people... including two for a certain someone. Unfortunately, things in life are conspiring against me and I won't be able to knit much over the next week or so because of school committments and the like.

So that's where I've been. If you need to reach me, either leave a comment here or if you're on ravelry, you can contact me through there as well.

Swap Reflection

So this whole swap has been one entire learning experience for me. Here's a quick recap of what I've learned over the past two months as I've been working on various projects.

Please don't read if you don't want spoilers about what's in the kit for Cassandra. Thanks.

Colorwork. I've never done colorwork other than those horizontal stripes before, so this was a first in many areas. Not only have I learned how to do duplicate stitch on something flat with a chart, but I've also learned how to duplicate stitch on something that's small and knitted in the round (2 dozen stitches on size 1.5 needles). I've also given a try at undeliberate fair isle-type colorwork, as demonstrated in the hat I made for SPEW.

Cabling. This was probably my favorite part of what I did for the project, but I was able to cable the handle to the bag I made. It turned out nicely, but you can see my cables get better as you go from one end to the other; it was the first thing I've ever cabled.

Hats. This was actually the first hat I made. Not only did it involve colorwork, K2P2 ribbing and decreasing in a pattern, but the hardest part of the project was transferring from the circular to the dpns. I'll keep that in mind next time I make a hat because I dropped just about every third stitch and had to pick it up again.

Any sort of blocking/finishing. This should be self-explanatory... especially with the bag.

Dreaded Kitchener Stitch. Actually, it wasn't that bad and the book I have made a lot of sense with the way it was explained. Shaping the heel and working with the gusset on the mini-sock I made was actually a lot more difficult. This was the first sock I've ever made and I got lots of pictures of it because I'm not keeping it for myself.

This isn't something new, but I've always found it difficult to come up with presents for people. I've been told I do a really good job at it, but it's not easy and I honestly don't know how I do it. This swap was one of those times and I found myself reading through correspondence to find little extras to pack away in the kit I'm sending off. It's just one of those things where I want everything to be perfect, you know.

I don't have the knitting skills of a lot of the people in the group, so my handmade object isn't going to be as good as theirs are. I've only been knitting for about a year now and it's only been in the past few months that I've even done anything other than scarves and washcloths in something other than plain garter stitch. But what one can do with a little imagination and quite a bit of determination is actually quite amazing.

More Projects

So I've found a bunch of other places for knitting for charity. I also have a surplus of the Red Heart Supersaver Yarn, which is far too nasty feeling to use for anything that I make for myself (I've recently acquired some Cascade 220 for a few personal projects), but after I finish the scarf I'm making for the Special Olympics, I'd like to make a hat.

To-Do List

1. Finish the stuff for Cassandra C. Like the bag.

2. Finish the scarf I'm knitting for the Special Olympics.

3. Make at least one hat for charity.

4. Make Christmas gifts in time to either send them off or give them away.

5. The duel hat in burgandy and gold.

I'm going on a road trip Thursday, so I'll probably have a fair amount of time to knit in the car. Hoorah! I'll likely be taking the scarf I'm working on to keep me busy; it's a simple enough pattern I don't need to be paying complete attention to what I'm doing.