Organizing and Updating

I've been trying to organize my knitting projects, needles and stash. As a part of this project I'm also trying to up date my stuff on Ravelry. One reason is I love Addi circular knitting needles. I've heard they are reusable and that I don't have to have a new pair for each project, but I don't know what I own so I sort of keep buying them.

Check out my beautiful organizing system. These are just a few of my bins. We have a problem in our basement with periodic flooding incidents during the summer. We've had 3 floods in the past 5 years. Because of the possibility of water in the basement we try to keep everything off the floor and in plastic bins. I've found that shoe boxes work really well for my knitting projects.

The flood in the summer of 2005 brought raw sewage with the rainwater into the basement. Out went my stash and all my needles. It sort of gave me a fresh start and an excuse for overindulgence. But come on already.

I think at this point I have 2 sweaters, 3 summer tops, 2 scarfs, 1 pair of fingerless mittens, 2 shawls, 2 bags, 2 baby blankets, 2 afghans, and a cowl in various stages of process. Oh my gawd, I've just realized that I have ADHKD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Knitting Disorder)

Some, like this top are hibernating because I goofed some how and I don't have the heart to frog the entire left side. I must have changed the gauge because the left front is less than 1/2 the width it should be.
This beautiful Angel Shawl has an error as the stitches are out. Both these projects will take some concentrated time to figure out what's up and what's to be done next. I might even need professional help.

On the other hand, this top is perfect at the moment. I just need time to figure out what to do next. The point I'm at now is written with some of the instructions already given and some new instructions. I have to go back and figure out how far along I'm with the first set of instructions and then and the new instructions. Confused? Well, so am I.
The instructions for the center decreases were set much earlier. I need to decrease for the shoulder now, but continue decreasing for the center. I'll figure it out one day, again when I have a working brain.

At the moment I'm working on 3 projects. The Tweed Folded Bag that is giving me conniptions with the garter stitch border. Have I ever mentioned I hate picking up stitches or counting over 100. This project involves both picking up stitches and counting to 400 or so. Argh!

In addition I'm finishing the second of these Drops Alpaca fingerless mittens. Good thing the weather's been so mild as I've not needed them yet. These are my purse knitting as I carry them around in my purse.

And I'm working on this cowl. It is the Hobnail Wrap designed by Penny Ollman and shown in the Fall 2009 issue of Knitter's Magazine. I was actually 5 rows from finishing when I discovered I had 4 extra stitches and the bobbles didn't match up. So I frogged it and now I'm on the second row of bobbles. Only 8 more rows of bobbles to go.

The bag, and cowl are Christmas presents. I also want to make another bag. They all have to be finished by the 18th of December. I better get at it.

I'm not allowed to purchase anymore yarn or start any more projects but, the last time I was in Mary's Yarn store in Unionville I saw the most beautiful silk yarn. It was a variegated purple/silver colourway and only $35 a skein. Hmmmm, if I sort my projects and finish some, maybe I can buy some for my Christmas present to myself. Don't you think?

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop

During the summer, I picked up a copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop. Two weeks ago I really began reading and knitting along with the book. I'm loving it. Her instructions are so straight forward and easy to understand. I definitely will be picking up her other books and her daughter's books in the coming months.

By the way, November 30th will mark the 10 year of EZ's passing.

The book begins with instructions that include cast on, knit, purl, increase and gauge. I couldn't believe that after all the years I've been knitting that I could learn so much about the basics. I've changed the way I cast on and increase.

The hardest step to follow from EZ's book is the instructions on determining gauge.

DON'T test it on a 2 inch square, but on a decent-sized cap. Why do you suppose I'm having you make a cap?
TAKE IT off its needle, lay it out flat, dab at it with a steam-iron, perhaps, and place two pins in it EXACTLY 4 inches apart horizontally.

Taking knitting off needles and measuring was the hardest thing I have ever done. It makes the most sense, but I still don't trust my skills in being able to get the stitches back onto the needle. I'd have to frog it and start from the again.

Now I am dyslexic, so I frequently misread instructions, so somewhere along the line I missed the hat measurements, and the first attempt was a little long.



I left too much space between the ribbing and the beginning of the colour work. The other mistake was in not reading the "Important Note" on page 30 that stated that the decrease as stated on page 29 would make the cap "come to something of a point". Well, as you can see it did. So my first attempt at the hat was TOO BIG

I decided to try another hat, but this time with more colour work.



I've been afraid to try the two hand throwing of the wool. With EZ's instructions, the continental knitting method was so simple. I looked at the picture on page 29 of the beautiful colour work of the crown of the hat, I decided to try that for myself.


Unfortunately, I became a little tight in my tension and the hat ended up being TOO SMALL.
So, of course I had to try it again. This time I switched the main colour to the darker of the two. This time it was JUST PERFECT.



Now I have three hats. I think of them as my 3 Bear Hats, one was too big, one too small and one just right.



I made all three with Ecological Wool by Cascade Yarns of Undyed Peruvian Highland Wool. I bought the wool at Mary's Yarns in Unionville, my favourite yarn store.

A Shawl if a Beautiful Thing

I've worn my Champagne Bubble Wrap twice since I blocked it. I feel so regal while I'm wrapped in it's pretty pink and blue triangles. I specifically purchased a dark gray turtleneck sweater to show off the colours of the wrap.

I've learned that a very finely knit garment looks like buckess until it is blocked. I've read that somewhere, most likely in that exact language, but until I've seen the results for myself I could never believe the difference.

Folded Tweed Bag Update

I HATE PICKING UP STITCHES!

I've been working on the edge of the bag for the last 10 days. The bag was finished ever so quickly, but the picking up stitches is driving me crazy.

I even drew a plan for myself so I could see where the stitches would be in relation to the 4 stitch holders I was suppose to be using and the 408 stitches would go around the rectangle. Since making the plan, I've lost it. (Deh, I have the pad of graphpaper, but no plan). And, I can't seem to be able to count up to 408. I'm going to try again tonight and use the split stitch markers so I can divide the counting up.

The worst thing there are only 6 rows of knitting and then the bag is finished.

Oh, and I broke my own rule about not buying new yarn until I finished something I've already started. But I found a really cute pattern in the Knitter's Magazine Issue 96, Fall 2009. On page 26 of the magazine they have a beautiful a Hobnail Wrap, which is a large cowl. I decided to make one for Christmas for the elderly mother of a wonderful man from work. This gent is a member of my building security and is a one of those people who make you feel good every morning when you arrive in the building.

I found a beautiful cranberry coloured yarn from Kertzer. It is the new Northern Chunky in Cranberry Cocktail (0409). I chose the yarn in acrylic as it will may need to be washed frequently, and I know this gent does the laundry. It isn't my goal to make his life harder.

It is almost half done yesterday evening, even after it took me half a row with bobbles to figure out how to make the bobbles (oh, it's knit together, not knit. It's going so fast as you knit with 2 strands of the chunky yarn together on size 9mm needles. Hopefully I'll have it finished tonight.

Champagne Bubble Shawl

Before I begin documenting my works-in-progress, I thought I should document my finished projects.


First off I have my Champagne Bubble Shawl. I call it Champagne Bubble Shawl because I knit it this July when my sister Kathryn was home for her week vacation. When Kathryn is in the house, Lawrence Welk is playing on the t.v., ergo the name of this shawl. It was knit to the soundtrack of LW.



Yarn: 3 hanks of Cadenza Hand Paints by Estelle, 80% Superwash Merino Wool and 20% Tussah Silk in colour 966 (Verigated pinks and blues), 350m to 100g
I have 60 grams left over.



The pattern is from the Lace Live article by Jane Sowerby in the Summer 2008 issue of Knitter's Magazine, Page 28. The pattern was called Midori Green Shawl




I finally got around to weaving in the ends and blocking it today. With the change in weather I'll be able to use it as soon as it is dryed.

Blogs: How many can I manage?

Blogs have been SO important to me as I've learned about the adoption process in Kazakhstan and in keeping me sane as I wait. I also, along the way discovered knitting blogs. They are a wonderful way of sharing my love of knitting and learning about this comsuming hobby. So it seemed natural to begin both a blog about my adoption journey and my knitting. However, somewhere along the line I started a third blog about my house. I guess somehow I'd separated my life into boxes and created blogs for each of the boxes.
Well, I've decided to do away with my home blog and I've deleted it. It's now gone. Hmmm, maybe I should have saved the entries first, oh well, it's not really gone for the next 90 days and then it will be really gone.
From now on I'll have a blog to keep track of my adoption and homelife (they are one and the same, right) and one for knitting.

Let the edging Begin

The body of the Folded Tweed Bag is finished. Now I begin the picking up stitches for the edging.



I will be using the light beige colour, the one called Autumn, to do the edges. The edges are done in garter stitch.

I'm really pleased with how this bag has knitted up and I love the feel of the yarn.
The colours of the yarn seem to be working too. I love the pink and the blue shades, and I love the MC, the dusty rose colour.

As I've been working on this, I keep thinking of all the lovely sweaters in Debbie Bliss' Fall/Winter 09 magazine that are in the tweed section. My mind keeps saying, 'Hmmm, maybe I could knit that sweater". Then I remember that I promised myself that I'd actually finish a bunch of my works in progress before I spend another penny for yarn. One day I should record all my works in progress. I don't know if it would encourage me or depress me entirely.

Actually, as I've been knitting all weekend, I kept hearing a voice in my head talking about an afghan that's unfinished. I really wish my brother would be quiet when I'm trying to knit, I'm sure I'll finish his afghan sometime in the next couple of years. It's not my fault he's soooooooo tall!