Deadlines

The blessing of being a knitter is that you can and love to make gifts for other people. The curse of being a knitter is that you're often scrambling at the last minute to finish a gift.  I've been making a lot of gifts lately.  There are showers, birthdays, weddings, babies.  I feel like every weekend for the last month or so I've had a gift to give.  And I'm not done. I've got events the next three weekends that all need gifts. On top of all that, I'm also making things for the Etsy shop/craft shows and a few things for myself.  Before I go on vacation next week, I wanted to have my Concentric socks and a top I'm making myself done.  It's been hard finding the time to knit for myself when there's always a gift that needs knitting.  But I've been working hard trying to finish these up before my vacation.  I thought I was doing pretty good, but all of a sudden I find myself a little over a week away and I'm getting a bit panicky.

I've made good progress on my Concentric socks since I decided to pick them up on a Finish Friday (or weekend!)  I bring them with me to work on rainy days when I can't take a walk at lunch, I carry them in my purse for knitting on the go.  I finished the first one and just finished the heel of the second. (They look a bit lumpy until they're on the foot and then they fit great.)

If we have a rainy week, I may be able to get these done before I go.  I really want to have them done before I leave because I need the needles for my chosen vacation knitting project. I'm FINALLY going to knit the Tintagel socks from "The Enchanted Sole" by Janel Laidman. I really love this book.  It was one of the very few pattern books I've ever picked where I went "I MUST HAVE THIS!" (Susan B. Anderson's "Itty Bitty Toys" was another.) Janel comes up with some very creative,exciting and nerdy sock patterns, even if I don't always enjoy how she charts out everything. I'd rather have "Work k2, p2 rib for 2 inches" than have it charted out, but that's just me.  I want to knit almost every single pair in it the book and I can easily forgive her for her overzealous charts. I've already knit a couple pairs and I have yarn and plans to make others. I've had the yarn (Sanguin Gryffon Eidos in this really rich green colourway.  yummmo!) and beads in my stash for these socks for nearly 2 years and I want to get them knit!  But, I can't do it until I finish Concentric! So, pray for rain for me.  Ha!

I'm also knitting a cotton/linen blend top for myself.  I'm using the pattern for Parasola (which is a pattern I really want to make when I get the right yarn in my stash) but adapted to work with the gauge I'm getting, and then I think it's going to be a tank top because the sleeves just weren't working out.  I've been working on this for ages and ages (it seems. Really it's been about a month and a half.)  It's been slow going as I'm knitting on size 2's and rotating skeins every 2 rows.  But I love the colourway of the Araucania yarn.  Blues, purples and greens:

Isn't it pretty? I just measured tonight and I'm only half an inch away from separating for the arms, but I'm really not sure I can get this done before I leave!  I want to wear it on my vacation, so I am very motivated to finish it.  BUT, before I can do that, I have to finish my last minute gifts!  So, say a prayer to Fiacre (possibly the patron saint of knitters) or maybe Saint Dymphna (the patron saint of mental illness!  ha!) that I find the time, that my needles fly true and that I make my deadlines!

Hope your summer knitting is going well,

SereKnitty

Spinning Again!

I don't remember exactly when I stopped spinning.  I think it was when I had the stress fracture in my foot and was in too much pain. But my poor wheel got shoved aside for stretchy bands and a stationary bike.  And I've been so busy with dyeing and knitting and other things that I've been able to ignore it when it has cried out for attention.  But something about the summer breeze in the window, children playing in the park across the street, the longer days and good light...I began to miss my wheel. So, finally this week I could take it no longer!  I put it back in its rightful place. I drew up the shade and opened the window and sat in my chair and began to spin.  And it was wonderful!

I realize I've lost some of my spinning muscles.  My fingers began to ache from drafting and pinching, my legs haven't been used to treadling, but very soon it all came back and I was amazed at how fast the yarn gathered on my spindle.   I finished 2 single ply projects that have been languishing for ages:

The first one I picked up at last year's WNY Fiber Festival.  It's 100% BFL and it self stripes, which I LOVE.  And the second one in some lovely Suri and Huacaya alpaca blended with Tencel. I got it when our knitting group went to Thistle Creek Alpaca Farm last autumn.  So, stuff I've had for awhile. Both are up on Etsy!

I started a new project, something I've had even longer. It's from a friend of mine, Shadawyn Fibers on Etsy, who does the loveliest colourways out of some of the most lush fibers. 

This one is Finn, which I haven't spun before and I'm really enjoying. The colourway is called Koi Pond and it makes you think of one when you're spinning it because there will be miles of blue and then you'll all of a sudden hit a bit of orange or brown like little fish swimming by. I can't wait to see how it plies up. If it's anything like the last fiber of hers I spun, I know it'll be great.

Oh, wheel,  how I've missed you.  I'm so glad we're back together again!

Hope you're getting lots of crafting done in the lovely summer weather, 

SereKnitty

Lots of News!

We've got so much going on, I'm going to do a quick list and then expand below, for those of you who appreciate organization, or who get bored with long posts.

1.  June Etsy Sale.  Coupon Code JUNE2013
2. Craft show at the Foundry this Saturday, June 8, 12-5
3. Gifts for Father's Day!!
4. World Wide Knit in Public Day, Sunday June 9, 2-5.  Bidwell Park.  Bring your knitting, something to sit on, and a treat to share.
5. Yarn Bomb!  (shhhhh!)

1. We are running a sale at Etsy for 15% off your purchase for the month of June.  The coupon code is JUNE2013.  I've added a bunch of new yarn recently and I've got more coming.  Here are some teasers:

We also have a ton of stitch markers up on the site, which are always great gifts for swaps. AND, keep checking back because there will be more hand knit gifts added in the next couple weeks.

2. Besides the sale, we will be at The Foundry this coming Saturday from 12-5.  We LOVE this venue! If you haven't checked it out yet, stop on by!  There is food, music, demonstrations, activities for kids, and some really interesting and unique vendors that you don't see everywhere else.  PLUS, this is a great group of people trying to revitalize their east side neighborhood and provide space for artists, craftspeople and creative innovation. We feel they're a group well worth supporting.

3. We will be offering up some extra special items for Father's Day including hand knit ties, golf club covers, beer (or pop) cozies in Sabres/Bills colours, large sized oven mitts perfect for grilling and more! If you're looking for a special gift for dad or haven't had time to make something yourself, stop on by!!

4.  World Wide Knit in Public Day is a time for knitters to get together and be out in the community showing people that hey, we are here, and we are knitting!  It's a fun day to meet other knitters in the community, enjoy the sunshine (hopefully) and fresh air.  We like to move around and choose different locations.  Last year we were in Niagara Falls. This year we are going to be at Bidwell Park on the Zetti's side, not the Talking Leaves side.  We'll be there this Sunday, June 9, from 2-5.  Bring your knitting, something to sit on and a treat to share!  If it rains, we will meet at our usual spot, Ashker's Juice Bar on Elmwood (it's just a block north of Bidwell.)  Hope to see you there!!

5.  It's time for our 3rd Annual Yarn Bomb.  This year's theme is Baked Goods.  Keep an eye out, we will be posting pictures soon!  

Whew, I think that's everything for now!

Sereknitty

Finish Weekends!

I have been so busy with knitting for our monthly craft shows, gifts for other people or special orders and then a few MUST HAVE NOW items for me (currently a new bath mat and a cotton/linen top that I want to wear on my trip 4th of July weekend) that I have a ton of UFO's sitting around not being knit.  In the past, I've tried dedicating an hour or two on fridays to working on projects and I keep a pair of deep stash socks in my desk drawer to work on at lunch but the weather's been so nice lately that I've been walking at lunch instead of knitting most days and my fridays have been so busy that I haven't had time to do much knitting.  So last weekend I tried something different.  I carried a project around with me all weekend and knit whenever I could; in the car or when I had a free moment.  I didn't get a ton of knitting done, but here are the results:

I'm knitting the Onion Market Wrist Warmers.  I think the pattern is cute and will go well with my Cloudy Day Beret and Cladonia Shawlette that are made out of the same Mad Tosh Merino Light in Silver Fox that I overdyed more silvery (I'm starting to wonder if I bought magical yarn that never gets used up.) I decided I wanted to make them more like fingerless mitts and add a purled thumb gusset and I tried adding a bit of ribbing at the cuff.  I didn't like how the ribbing looked and the purled thumb gusset bugged me so I ripped it out and started over.  This time I left out the ribbing and I'm going to do another thumb gusst, but in st st instead and I'll increase every 4th row instead of every 3rd.  This is how much I had when I started:

And at the end so the weekend, this is what I had gotten done:

Not a TON, but I got through a full pattern repeat at least.  I put that aside for now because I won't be needing those for several months.  Instead, I want to focus this weekend on the socks that I keep wishing were done because I want to be wearing them!  I'm knitting Concentric in a 716Knit self-striping colourway called "Sire Whipped".  Jenna, the creator of 716Knit, is a local dyer and knitterly friend who makes awesome yarns in super bright colours.  And all her yarn names are hilarious quotes from Buffy.  What's not to love??  This is one of those projects where the yarn and pattern are working perfectly together and I WANT to be knitting them, but I put them aside to knit socks for my sister and then got busy with other things.  :(

So here is where I am this morning:

I know it looks weird, but it fits perfectly!

I marked my spot so I can see my progress.  Wish me knitting luck!! 

Long Tail vs. Knitted Cast On

I'm currently on the third sleeve of the cap sleeved t-shirt I'm knitting.  The third, of course, because I had to rip out the first one and reknit it.  Why? Because I realized after I finished it that I'd used a knitted cast on and since there's no ribbing at the beginning (it starts with 2 purl rows before going into stockinette), it had zero give.  It would be tight around my bicep and probably cut into my arm if I dared to move my arm at all (You know, because of my huge muscles.  Yeah.)  Grr!  I broke the cardinal rule of casting on. Which is, of course, to match the cast on to the project!  I started the second one with long-tail and am reknitting the first one the same way.  These sleeves have give, the cast on edge doesn't draw in AND, I know I'll get even a bit more room once I block.  Just what I wanted!

So, a refresher for anyone out there who is wondering about different cast ons:  The knitted cast on is a great all purpose cast on.  You can use it for just about anything.  BUT, if you want your cast on edge to be super stretchy, like for the edge of a hat or sock cuffs or, in my case, a ribless sleeve edge, you want to go with something more like the long tail. 

Now, there are tons more cast ons out there, and everyone has their favourite, but the key thing to remember is to take a moment to consider which one is best for your project. Pattern writers rarely recommend a cast on. They leave it up to you to figure out which one to use. And, trust me on this, there is nothing more frustrating than to get to the end of your project and realize it is all wrong because of how you started!

Knittinghelp.com was a fantastic resource for me in my earlier years of knitting, and I still go there first when I have a knitting related problem.  She has a long list of cast ons, descriptions of them and videos teaching you how to do them.  AND she records all her techniques in continental AND English.  (If only she also did them in mirror!) It's just one in a huge array of websites offering knitting help (you know, apart from Ravelry, which is the be all, end all of everything knitting), so if you have questions about cast ons, want to try a new one just for kicks or want to make sure you're picking the right one for your next project, I encourage you to do a bit or research.  Learn from my mistake!

May all your cast ons be the right ones,

SereKnitty

This is What 400 Hexipuffs Looks Like!

(Warning: If you don't have the hexipox, read with caution. It is VERY contagious!!)

My bedroom has terrible lighting, but you get the idea.  I'm very proud of myself as one of my goals this year is to knit a hexipuff a day and as of this picture taken last week, I'd knit 100!  I've knit at least 10 more since, so I'm well on my way to meeting my goal this year.  I love my Beekeeper's Quilt. It's fun to make, easy to do on the go since you're making small little hexipuffs to sew together later (I never leave the house without at least a small ball of yarn and 3 needles), and a great way to use up leftover bits of sock yarn.  Oh, and it's warm and cozy, too. My cat loves to sleep on it and the weight of all those little puffs is quite comforting on cold nights.  I can't wait to see how big it is at the end of the year! My end goal is to make it the size of the comforter under it.

Anybody else have the hexipox?  Are you sewing as you go like me and Lolo (she caught the pox from me-cough cough), or are you saving them up till you have them all made?  How many do you have?  I love seeing pictures of what other people are doing with theirs. 

Happy Knitting!

SereKnitty

Mending Monday

I had a hole in one of my very favourite pairs of socks.  They are Monkey by Cookie A.  which nearly all of us have knit at least once. I think I've made at least 3 pairs. But this pair is MINE. I knit them toe up in Koigu and I love love love them. I probably wear them at least once a week.  So, the hole was devastating!

I put them in a drawer and vowed to fix it and they've been sitting there for several months.  But I MISS them (and I'm low on laundry!) so it was time to mend. 
I keep small amounts of all my sock yarns for just such an occasion in a ziplock bag in my stash, so I dug that out and then picked up the stitches above and below the hole on two small needles. I think I used  my 000's.  Then I grafted them together just as if I was kitchenering a toe of a sock.  Then, I reinforced the areas around the hole with the ends.  I wove them through the rows following the stitches themselves in the places where the yarn looked a bit worn.  Then I weaved the ends inside the sock.  It took all of 5 minutes, and look!

You can barely tell there was ever a hole! Hopefully this will hold up for many more wears, but if it doesn't, I have plenty more scrap yarn for mending.  I'm just annoyed at myself for taking so long to fix it!!

Don't procrastinate like me!  Today's lesson: a fixed sock is a wearable sock!  :)

Happy Knitting!

SereKnitty