The return of Knitting Mojo and Life Down the Rabbit Hole

It was great to be released from those socks.  I did put them in a few KALs anyway (thank you Dramatic Knits!).  I have gotten Instagram compliments on them too, and that's gratifying.

I also made a few baby shoes and a hat since my niece is pregnant and one of my few local friends is too (although she might have delivered by now).  I need to photograph them for my Ravelry projects at least.

Joji Locatelli put all her patterns up for a discount so I purchased some and made a hat.  It's called "A Girl Thing."  It was really easy to make, but slouches a little more than I want.  I plan to unravel from the crown and make it less deep.  I could use the leftover yarn for a cute cowl.  Hmmm...  Mojo is back?

Diana picked out some yarn for fingerless gloves at the shop by her physical therapist (All Wound Up).  I picked out a relatively easy set of mitts with a cable to make and got on it.  The first one was knit loosely and had some inconsistencies.  The second one seemed nicer.  I'm going to unravel the first one and reknit it.  It's funny how it takes me at least one dud to figure out what I'm doing.

I have expanded my list of podcasts that I have tuned in.  Here is a summary of some that stand out.

A lot of the latest flock of podcasters love The Grocery Girls out of Canada.  They are okay, in my humble opinion.  They must be an indie dyer's dream team because so much of their program is devoted to parading yarn skeins for them to exclaim how each is "stunning".  Their knitting projects don't seem to venture far from the basics though:  lotsa socks and "Sock Tawk" is their most-celebrated segment.  One of them makes project bags.  They do have pleasing personalities though and fun KALs, so I'll likely continue to watch them.

There are a lot of newer podcasts and one that comes to mind is Hey Sister.  It features a pair of sisters from West Virginia.  One is a seasoned knitter and the other is more of a beginner.  Nevertheless, they both turn out some nice finished objects.  Because of them, I purchased a Puntilla pattern when Joji had her discount in effect.  They make you feel that if they can do it, so can you.  They are squeaky clean and very attractive and their kids are just out of the frame (you can often hear them).  They have taken a page from the Grocery Girls in that they exclaim ecstatically about every skein of yarn they hold.  After a while at least from my perspective, it seems disingenious.  It's like they feel like if they proclaim all this indy yarn to be the greatest, they'll get sponsorships, and maybe they will.  There is nothing wrong with making one's avocation pay for itself.

I also recently discovered Tea House Knits.  It's just one woman of Chinese extraction broadcasting out of her Seattle area livingroom.  She is more cerebral than the previous two, and when she talks about yarn, it's less like a PR department and seems more honest.  Her projects are nice too, and then she talks in great depth about esoteric kinds of tea (for the average non-Chinese viewer) and it's all very intriguing.  I hope to eventually watch all of her episodes.

I am very fond of The Charm of It.  The host, Eva, is a single woman living alone with her cat, dog, and snake in a small apartment in upstate New York.  She makes beautiful projects and enjoys talking in great detail about their construction and all the choices she made to turn out each gem.  She is worth watching because she is very knowledgeable and honest.  She is a bit blunt and has a feminist point of view that I enjoy.

There are so many other podcasts.  I will talk about others I have viewed some other time.  I spend quite a lot of time down this rabbit hole!  I find that they can expand your knitting horizons and give you the knowledge and confidence to knit successfully whatever it is you wish to make.  I probably would never have made socks if I had not seen so many people on podcasts turning out pair after pair of all kinds.  If youi are a beginner knitter or even a seasoned knitter, you would probably enjoy all these podcasts.

No KAL Achievement Awards

Summer isn't quite over, but I did not achieve KAL participation greatness.  Ah well, it seemed so rosy at the beginning.  I had some snafus with my very first Tour de Sock (TDS) submission.  I started later than most and really got off track at the gusset.  I thought I'd get it fixed when in Georgia, but my knitting mojo completely abandoned me and I just couldn't face fixing that sock!  I eventually fixed it and got it off the needles.  Now I'm working on the second one and it's going so much better than the first in that I really really know how to knit this pattern.  I'm not at the gusset yet, but since I virtually knit the first one twice, I feel pretty positive about it.  I will pursue KALs again though, because if I don't encounter to many complicated problems, I can achieve KAL greatness one of these days.

I don't think I'll knit all the TDS socks even though I have the patterns in my library.  For now, I will stick to simpler patterns and dabble in self-striping vanilla socks and maybe slippers and felting. I like making baby things because they are small and easy to finish.  I might try a shawl.  I also need to give actual blocking a whirl.
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One thing about knitting is that I feel I learn something with every project.

KALs for the summer of 2016

I love knitting podcasts.  Did you know?  (lol) There have been announcements of knit-alongs (aka KALs) about to begin come June.  A KAL is a knitting event large or small where knitters knit a similar pattern or yarn or for a shared motivation.  Podcasts who sponsor the KAL offer prizes for participation or possibly merit of some kind.

The Knitgirllls are big stars in the knitting constellation and have a really popular KAL called "Stash-Dash."  It lasts for the summer and the object is to finish UFOs (unfinished objects) and knit more meters of yarn than the rest.  There are different levels of participation, and I think I will participate too.  I will likely not make a goal beyond 1000-5000 meters, but maybe next year I will plan better after going through it once.

Some of my knitting friends from my local yarn store (LYE) (Yarn of Eden) participated in a sock-knitting KAL over the winter and when I read of a sock-knitting KAL/competition called Tour de Sock, I mentioned my interest.  We have formed a team called Team Yarn Hawks and I've invested in some really nice yarn and I'll be ready to cast on once the yarn arrives.  I've spent a pretty nice sized chunk of loot for this yarn so I hope I'm successful.

Knitting in the City podcast has a speckled sock KAL, but I don't really have speckled yarn.  Maybe some of my new yarn will meet the requirement before it's over.

Knit 1 Heart Too podcast has a KAL where you use yellow yarn.  Hopefully my yarn for the first leg of the Tour will arrive and I will get the sock finished before K1H2's KAL is over.  They also have an ongoing year-long KAL for which you must use Blue Moon yarn.  I purchased a skein for the first time last week during the Seattle Yarn Crawl.  Hopefully, this yarn will be appropriate for at least one pair of the Tour socks too.

The Knitmore Girls have a  KAL called Operation Sock Drawer.  I have already submitted my Hermione's Everyday Socks and I hope to have many more with the Tour socks.

Dramatic Knits podcast have a Race to the Finished Object KAL/contest that seems to be ongoing.  Whenever I finish something, I submit it, but I haven't won anything yet.

ACTually KNITting had a KAL based on Broadway shows that I submitted my sock monkey lovey for.  I ACTually WON a pattern for that one!  I have some bulky yarn that I hope to one day transform into a bulky cowl.  Fortuitously, a bulky cowl was an option so maybe one day....

ACTually KNITting also has a summer KAL called the "PAL/KAL" where you knit something by someone who has a podcast for submission.  I hope I will knit something that qualifies by and by. I'm thinking of using scrap sock yarn to make a preemie hat and I know that little something will qualify.  We will see.

Downcellar Studio's Boston Jen has a KAL/contest for the summer called "Splash Pad 2016" where the focus is on smaller items "poolside or wherever".  I think my socks will qualify!  I'll be sure to knit some of each pair outside!

In a sKnit has a baseball themed KAL/contest where you must connect your project to baseball.  I have knitted my ponchini while the Seattle Mariners are on the television so if I finish it, I will submit.  Also my socks will likely be knit while the Mariners play again.  Hopefully, I'll get to go to a minor league game and I'll knit there at least a little so I can count them.  Hooray!

I don't watch or listen to every one of these podcasts every time, but most of them I do!  There are other podcasts too and other KALs.  I will keep you informed!

Meditations about Knitting

I've been merrily embracing the hobby of knitting for about a year now.  I started out in 2015 attempting to make a complicated aran vest that I ended up putting in time-out because my knowledge didn't match the project and I encountered problems requiring too much frogging for me to ultimately bear.  I moved on to just working with cruddy yarn to log in time and gain experience and confidence.  This worked! I became a process knitter.  Once I discovered blogs, vlogs, YouTube tutorials, and podcasts, my knitting skills took off.  Seeing someone else work and listening to their discussions really supported me in my quest to become a skillful knitter.  In 2015, I wanted to make socks and in 2016, I've made 2 pairs and plan to make 6 more starting in June thanks to a competition on Ravelry called Tour de Sock.  I will be making socks using premium yarn and expanding my skills repertoire as well.  I feel I can successfully make socks starting at toe or cuff.  I finally conquered the strange world of gussets.  I might even take down my sweater and make it work in some creative way!

One of my favorite podcasts is called Knit 1, Heart too.  It's hosted by a coupled of middle-aged ladies in the northern Boston area.  Both are skilled knitters though Wendy is more adventurous than Sheila.  Nevertheless, I've watched every one of their episodes by bingeing for a few weeks to get them all (there are over 250 episodes!).  They were good knitters to begin with and over the years they've made a lot of socks, shawls, mittens, toys, scarves, blankets, and sweaters.  I have learned a lot about knitting from them.  I was able to summon the courage to revisit sock knitting thanks to these ladies and others like them out in cyberworld.  They made me believe that socks weren't so hard to make.  Making socks seems to be a "mindless activity" for these knowledgeable knitters.  I picked up my own failed socks and with tips I picked up from them, and watching videos on YouTube about how to magic loop and make afterthought heels, I have been able to make that first pair of socks.  Those were toe-up as the K!H2 people seemed to prefer.  My second pair is from a Ravelry pattern that is very popular.  I've seen probably over 200 examples of these socks.  It was cuff-down and the pattern was easy to grasp.  When it came time for forming the heel, I had gained a lot of confidence and was able to do "eye of partridge" and turn the heel!  These socks are on my feet right now and are very well fitted.

I have noticed that some of the most prolific knitters don't make many sweaters.  That has liberated me to make things other than sweaters too.  I do have a sweater "on the needles" but it isn't calling my name.  What am I longing to knit?  So many things.

Slippers.  I fell in love with some clog-style slippers on Ravelry last year, and placed them in my "Favorites" folder there.  Then Knit-1-Sheila made some and bragged about how comfy they were and how they came together easily.  She's made several pairs over the past 8 or so years, so I now I believe I could do it too.  I really want to make some and then make some for gifts for my family.

Baby items.  It seems that quite a few people in my orbit are having kids.  I would like to make some baby items.  I tried a free pattern for booties on Rav that used sock yarn, but they seem kind of small and I've abandoned them, sort of.  I have a book from the library with some cute booties and other things to knit, and I've even purchased yarn suitable for a few patterns.  Hopefully I can get on these soon before babies are born.

Purse.  I'd like to make a cute and colorful purse.  I don't want it to be too stretchy.  I've seen a few on Ravelry that I like.  Maybe when I acquire more stash of a variety of colors, this will come to pass.

Toys.  I think little knitted toys are really cute.  Also they are not very big and I have quite a stash of fiberfill stuffing I would like to use more of.  Maybe I will before too long.

But the socks are probably next on the queue followed by baby items.  Knitting is a fun and absorbing hobby!

Knitting Mojo Ebbs and Flows

April 10, 2016

Since the last entry, I did complete 2 of the dish cloths.  I also finished the Sock Monkey Lovey for the yet-to-be-born baby.  I finished knitting a pair of socks too!  I have a second pair on my needles! Sweater is in time-out.

Dish cloths are in red kitchen cotton and rather large.  It was fun doing the techniques of making a picture in knit and purl and creating a lacy border.  Cotton is not that fun to knit with but very forgiving of frogging and tinking.

The lovey was a first time stuffed toy for me.  I learned a lot about crochet techniques for creating 3D objects and will one day make another.  I think I will try it in knit next time though.  The most challenging part of this project was attaching the body parts to the granny square.  I don't know why I attached an arm in the wrong place and put the head on sideways the first time.  Had to remove them and subsequently cut the granny square.  It was aggravating, but I just re-crocheted it.  Granny crocheting is so easy and crochet really comes together quickly.  The 2nd square is not as big as the first but it's fine.  Need to get this lovey to Karlie!

After many hours spent viewing and listening to podcasts, I decided to cast on and finish a pair of socks.  I used a pattern from a book of toe-up socks that had eyelets.  I used size 1 Addi Sock Rockets and Judy's cast-on for the toe.  I made an afterthough heel.  There were many instances of frogging and tinking.  The first sock kind of looks frazzled as the yarn went though a lot.  The second looks a little better.  Both fit my foot fine, but maybe could be a bit tighter.  I need to weave in ends and maybe wash and block them.   Very proud of them and the color and pattern look great.

Started a new sock with Kroy sock yarn from Patons.  It's called Hermione's Everyday sock, and it's free on Ravelry.  This sock has been knit by 1000s of knitters.  It is a cuff-down style which wasn't my initial choice but it's really fine.  I think after knitting that first pair that I now have the mojo to attack a traditional heel.  Plus I like how a heel flap looks.  I also feel ready to kitchener the toe closed too.  

Sweater is on hold for now as is any hat construction.  The next things I want to do are baby things as a few people are expecting.  Baby things are quick to knit! Also, I would like to continue making socks.  I can see the appeal of small projects that are not such a big commitment and can be transportable.

Projects On the Needles and on My Mind

I lost my knitting mojo for a time.  I pushed back though by getting some kitchen cotton and making a Valentine's Day dish cloth.  It was pretty easy and quick.  I started a second one and ran out of yarn.  I still need to finish this second cloth so I can reclaim my size sixes and the 16" cable!

A while ago, I meditated a long time, and swatched, and finally cast on a sweater from the Fall 2015 issue of KnitScene magazine.  I fell in love with the cover cowl, but haven't been able to to talk myself into purchasing all that yarn so...no, and maybe never.  So yesterday, I picked up the old sweater again and finished the back ribbing and began the front ribbing.  They will be knit together and the body is knit in the round.  I came to a roadblock last night and it was late, so I'll try to get to the long portion of knitting that is the body and we will see if this is my first sweater that I actually like.

A friend is having a baby.  At first I wanted to make her a blanket (influenced by Sheila D from Knit 1 Heart Too video podcast!).  Then she posted that her aunt crocheted her one so I decided that would be the beloved blankey.  The baby is going to be a girl too.  The father is Chinese so when someone suggested a "lovey" I researched loveys on Ravelry and decided to make her a sock monkey lovey.  The baby is going to be born in the year of the monkey.  Hopefully this will appeal to the parents!  It's a crochet project.  It won't be very big and will be composed of acrylic so it's sturdy and washable.  I'll probably cast that on pretty soon.

I cast on a toe up sock and got to the heel and I don't know exactly how to do the heel.  I intend to do the fish lips kiss heel.  I have the pattern in my Rav library.  I bought some poster board so I can have my foot sketched as the directions dictate.  I hope to get that done tonight by Bob.  I really want to finish this sock!

I am going to use some of my surplus yarn to make a little free baby hat for the future mama (Karlie).  I think I might use the cotton yarn I bought initially to make a baby blanket to make something else.  I think I might make some kind of market mesh bag.  I hope I can pull this off!

A few months ago, I wanted to make a derby/cloche hat from Vogue Knitting Hats book I had from the library.  I finally got the yarn and hopefully it won't be long before I cast that on.  I have always wanted to make felted clog slippers too.  Both of these projects will require felting and that's something I've never done.  I hope to get those started/finished before late fall so they will be ready when it gets cold again.  It's kind of cold now, but I will continue to use my two hats I made this fall/winter and not have homemade slippers for awhile.  I feel if I started these projects, I wouldn't get to wear them much as spring is around the corner.

So I think that's all the WIPs and dream projects I have right now.

Listening and Knitting

Ravelry had a forum topic regarding favorite knitting podcasts.  I investigated podcasts this week as a result.  When one is knitting or cleaning the house or any kind of mindless task, it is fun to listen to things.  I have always enjoyed listening to the many talk shows on NPR.  One thing I miss about living in Georgia is the Jacksonville public radio station which broadcast talk most of the time.  Here in the PNW, the public radio station I have found broadcasts jazz for much of the day.  Sometimes I use my phone to pick up the beloved NPR shows.  They are mostly available as Podcasts!

Ahhh, podcasts.  I've long enjoyed them from the days when I relied on my iPod.  I mostly listened to those related to my old profession of being a teacher.  I think it is great that so much that one would like to learn is just a podcast away.  I also attempted (and sometimes still do) to stay current on the music scene by tuning in to podcasts.  I got involved with a murder case by listening to the Serial podcast.  I'm hoping the boy will finally be found innocent as he seems innocent to me.  Now I'm getting into knitting podcasts.

I sampled one called The Knitmore Girls last week.  It has mother/daughter knitters as the hosts.  It was quite fun to listen to and kind of motivating.  Both women are terrific knitters and very personable.  With this kind of podcast, you can put on your headphones and get a number of chores accomplished while listening.  Also you can sit and knit while they talk about their world of knitting.

Somehow I got on Youtube and discovered a mob of podcasters!  The first I watched (and I binged the entire series) was Knitting in the City.  The narrator of this little program is a young woman who lives near Rotterdam in The Netherlands (Europe).  It's done in English which is not her first language so there are some little glitches with pronunciation and choice of words, but wow, I don't speak any other language nearly as well as she speaks English.  She is an avid yarn collector.  She also enjoys dying yarn.  Most of her projects are on the small side though:  shawls and socks.  In 2016, she will be getting married and house hunting.  I imagine that there will be a baby before too long, so I anticipate baby clothes on the needles.

Next I watched all of  The No Name Knitting Podcast where a nice young Danish woman is the host.  She speaks English a little better as she was once a nanny in the USA.  She tackles sweaters with confidence.  She is just getting into sock knitting, but the ones she made were very nice. She likes shawls too.  She mostly uses yarns from her LYS and the brands are Danish, but that is not a negative.  Similar yarns are available here too.

Because these two podcasters love Stephen West shawls, I saw episodes of podcasts he did.  He can be very humorous.  He is an American from Oklahoma (with a noticeable and lovely southern twang).  Also he is very gay.  He lives in Amsterdam.  I know he is very popular among knitters and now I'm more knowledgeable of his patterns.  He mostly designs shawls that are hyper-colorful and in nontraditional shapes.  I think I may attempt to knit something he designed one of these days as it would not only be fun to knit but would create a very destinctive FO!

Today, I watched a married British couple's podcast, The Bakery Bears.  From what I understand, the wife loves to create "softies" or knitted stuffed animals.  Her ravelry page has possibly 100 examples of her softies. She also makes hats and shawls.  Her husband knits too.  He makes hats too.  I didn't take time to look at his Ravelry page so I don't know what else he does.  Their podcast was okay, but maybe too long, if that is a criticism!  I think 30-45 minutes is really quite sufficient.  They are charming though and knit while podcasting.

I saw an episode of Come Knit with Me too.  I liked this one because the host gets out of her house and the program is not as static as some of the others.  She was at a yarn and sheep festival.  She participated in a knitting fair and won 2nd place with a shawl made from yarn she spun from buffalo hair and silk.  It was lovely.  She shot footage of various events like sheep judging and a dog playing with frisbees.  Also she interacted with other patrons of the festival including other podcasters and bloggers.  Very entertaining, so I will look for more of her work.

I'm sure I'll watch many more as time goes by.  I have learned how to put my YouTube from my phone onto my television, so I am sure to watch more!  Knitting with these little programs is great as they are not so absorbing that you lose focus on your knitting.  It is enjoyable to hear and learn about knitting while knitting!

January 27, 2016

Projects now and in the future.

I am inputting for the first time in 2016!  I continue to knit.  Mostly I think about knitting and read about knitting and watch knitting podcasts.  I wanted to make a particular hat in the Vogue Knitting Hat book I checked from the library.  I attempted to buy the proper yarn at a yarn shop I visited with my friend Deb when she was in town late last year.  The proprietor did not have the specific yarn suggested by the pattern and then said that the yarn suggested was not really "lopi" but only called that.  I told him it said it was Icelandic.  Now, a person that knows their yarn as I thought this man did (he had an aura of expertise), would know that Lopi means pure wool suitable for felting.  I only had the pattern on my phone/Ravelry page and not the actual book so I was going by what he said.  So he sold me some acrylic and led me to believe that I would get the correct result.  I proceeded to cast on and knit according to the specs of the pattern and the project was pretty big and I knew it was not going to felt/shrink.  I had also bought a bulky weight acrylic/wool yarn at Joann's and that was the wrong stuff too.  So this fiasco got me off my knitting mojo.  I don't have a big budget for yarn so this was a disheartening chapter.

I researched on Ravelry where I could get the actual yarn and pilgrimaged up to that store in Stanwood.  The colors that I wanted weren't available, but she ordered it and called me today to come pick it up.  Hooray!  I have decided to get a different contrasting color to go with more of my other projects.  But this whole journey was a PITA.

I got interested in a lot of podcasts.  One is Never Not Knitting hosted by Alana Dakos, who is a designer.  I requested her books from the library and enjoyed perusing them.  I didn't want to purchase all the fancy yarn when I didn't have faith enough to complete a big project.  Luckily, I have a good quantity of KnitPcks sport weight yarn so I have managed to start a hat.

I am not experienced with lace knitting techniques and for some reason, I had a lot of problems getting this project going.  Here's what I learned:

1. Use stitch markers!  I find it very helpful to place markers between repeats.
2. Count stitches for each repeat.  Use a calculator to determine the stitch count for the repeats.
3. Mysterious stitch notations can be demonstrated on YouTube!  It's so convenient!
4. Place a sticky note under the line of instructions you are on.  Move it for each row.  My memory is not what it once was.

Since I restarted 2-3 times, I got pretty familiar with some of the stitches. Now that I finally have it working out, the knitting is going pretty well.

Tomorrow I go get the Lopi yarn.  Tomorrow I am going to visit a different knitting group too.  I hope to have a knitting friend go with me.  I hope that these projects get finished pretty soon.

Future plans:

1. Socks!  I want to make socks toe up style preferably!
2. Cowl or stole.  I was in love with a particular large cowl from the cover of Knit Scene that I never found the yarn for and couldn't make myself order the kit ($$).  Now I like a smaller one that employs colorwork which would be a new technique to me.
3. Stephen West shawl.  Saw one on a podcast (Knit 1 Heart Too) that seemed easy and makes a bold statement (Spectra).  Thought I had one kind of yarn and looked for a companion yarn but at my LYS, I did not see what I was looking for.  I'll keep looking.
4. Sweater.  I have a lot of alpaca that has a variegated colrway.  I want to make a very easy boxy sweater that shows off the colors without too much in the way of texture.