Just Clicking Away....

Almost two weeks ago now was my first class in the "Perfect Sweater Series" I am taking at my favorite local yarn shop. Our assignment in the two weeks between classes was to finish the back piece. I have had a few false starts including one that is a direct result of my fear of ribbing but I am now clicking along and making fair progress despite a late start, false starts, and a long enough week last week at work that I didn't feel like knitting at all on one night. 

Here is a bit of progress as reported to my peeps on the facebook from Sunday. I have come a good amount further but I won't entirely finish the back by tomorrow's second class. Thankfully, there is some wiggle room built into the schedule. 

That is also why I have been a somewhat terrible blogger this week...alas... 

What pretty things are going on in your world? 

Gratitude Sunday

I am joining Taryn of Wooly Moss Roots in celebrating a few things that I am so very thankful for.

Monterey Bay, California - November 2013

This week I am thankful for....

- All of the beautiful snow and the snow day it provided! Thankfully, our power stayed on, our heat kept the house warm, and we had plenty of food. Once I did go to work the roads were a frozen mess because of the subzero temperatures but Shane was able to work from home and I got to and from work safely.

- I had lots of time to knit and started and finished my Katniss Cowl (which I will share more about later...), made progress on the long hibernating "linen top", and today I cast on my "Perfect Sweater"....

- ... I started a sweater series of classes at my favorite local yarn shop and cast on my "Perfect Sweater". I am excited and nervous all at the same time. The first class was a lot of measuring, gauge swatching, and math to get everything ready to start the back piece.

- Lots of kitty and Shaney snuggles provided by the extra time off.

- The beginning of getting back to some kind of routine with work, teaching, and home stuff. I love the holidays but I am also a creature of habit and so getting back to some kind of routine even if it did include an extra hour to get to work.

- SO MUCH Tea!!! I felt like I was constantly drinking it to help stay warm because, well, it's delicious!!!

- I would like to say a Colts win against the Patriots last night but it was a great season for the team and now I can focus my sports love on the Olympics!!! :)

- Friends and loved ones that "get me" and all of my nutty interests and that support me in enjoying them!

What are you thankful for this week?

Yay! A Sweater!

For anyone that knows me or has been reading my blog for a while knows,  I SO want to knit a real, live, adult sweater, that keeps me warm and I keep failing.... I blame this on my not so great finishing skills. I have knit many a baby sweater and have attempted sweaters for myself in the past but for one reason or another it hasn't worked out. So, I am taking matters into my own hands and am starting a sweater series of classes at my favorite local yarn shop tomorrow night. My "school" bag is packed and ready to go with paper, pen, a sweater that I like the fit of, and tea (yarn is included in the class and I will be buying the right needles for the project at the shop because who doesn't need more needles, right?!). 

I am SOOO excited! Can't you tell? I am also scared to death! I SO want my own hand knit sweater!

Today's Harvest and a Few Rows Knit...

While I am not a fan of the recent heat and humidity the garden is loving it! I did a quick harvest today after noticing when I went out for a few cherry tomatoes for last night's dinner that the garden was in need of a slightly more serious picking. So I went out after work this evening and look at all those yummies!!! I still have loads of herbs and kale to pick but am going to hold off until this weekend when I have a tad more time to dehydrate and make some kale chips. 

In my aforementioned effort to get more knitting in I started on a new project last night, the Kat Coyle linen top . I am knitting it in charcoal Lion Brand Cotton Ease. Hopefully, it will turn out as well as some others I have seen on ravelry and I can wear it into fall. So far, I only have a few rows but my plan for the evening is to make a good bit of progress since I will be travelling for work tomorrow. 

Oh, and I have been driving Shane nutty with Royal Baby coverage! 

So what is going on in your corner of the world? 

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.   

Today, I (finally) finished my Bamboo Bloom Shawl. I added a button to one of the edges to tuck in at different spots to wear it is a pancho or buttoned shawl. I tried to get a few pictures of me wearing it but alas, Shane wasn't home from work and I could only endure attempting so many selfie's in a bamboo blend shawl with a 100 degree heat index thanks to 90+% humidity (eek!). 

I also whipped up another drink "sweater", this time in a nice, light, organic cotton for "summer" drinks. I also plan to make a few more to have around for gifts before I get started on my next bigger project. 

What pretty things are you making this week? 

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.   

This week I am continuing work on the Bamboo Bloom shawl I started last week. I am loving the feel and the color of the yarn but I am still trying to figure out if I like the uneven texture. I love it in ball form of course just not entirely convinced about it in the shawl... let's face it, I might just be being silly...

The linen top is still on the needles and still with exactly two rows finished... at least our garden is growing! :) 

What beautiful things are you working on this week? 

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.   

Last week I started the linen top and knit exactly two rows before starting on this simple summer wrap with the Bamboo Bloom painted yarn I picked up at the Greencastle Fiber Event in April. Now I have two light and wonderful summer projects on the needles for my knitting enjoyment! Yay! Now to get to it! 

What beautiful things are you working on? 

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.   

Vacation in Cabo San Lucas was WONDERFUL! We got home late last night and I finally wised to the power of the transition day from vacation back to reality. So today I cleaned out the raised beds of maple (helicopter) seeds and gave my growing green friends some love, made sun tea, started on the mountain of laundry, and finished the wee baby blanket I have been working on. 

I need to finish weaving in all those stripey ends. 

The baby blanket turned out smaller than I had expected but it is made of organic cotton and super duper snuggly and should be lovely for the June baby that it was made for. It's about the size of a receiving or swaddling blanket.  I love the earthy colors that my friend requested! 

While on vacation I did manage to knit a few rows on a grandma's favorite dishrag or the project that I try to always have with me for those "random knitting occasions". My in laws just groaned and smiled and the passersby looked a little confused but it was vacation and I am a knitter. It seemed perfectly logical to me :) 

I am now convinced that I should always knit with a Bahama Mama! 

I just cast on the linen top (ravelry link) in a dark grey cotton. Hopefully, I'll have some progress to share next week! 

What beautiful things are you working on this week? 

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.  

Soo.... the baby blanket I'm working on looks almost the same as last week (so much so that I used the same picture!). The middle stripe is going to be thicker than the end stripes on either side and it has been a busy place around here so not much progress to share. However, if all goes as planned I should be able to finish it up this weekend. 

What are you working on this week?! 

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.  

This week I am working on a deliciously soft cotton blanket for the new baby of dear friends coming this summer. I pulled from a few basic patterns casting on 70 stitches on US size 13 needles using Lion Brand Natural Choice Organic Cotton yarn. I just love this yarn, especially for babies! It's soft, snuggly, and washable! I am happy to share the pattern/formula that I used if anyone would like it. It knit up quickly and did I tell you how soft and snuggly it is?! 

As promised, here is a little better picture of the Gelato scarf I shared last week. I haven't managed to get a picture of me wearing it yet but hopefully one of these days. 

Oh, and just in case you might be wondering... the bunny is still just a square. I so need to finish him! :) 

What beautiful things are you working on this week? 

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.  

With a lot going on at my "day job" and midterms in progress for my students there hasn't been a lot of time for some much needed fiber therapy.  Despite that, I somehow managed to finish a scarf in just a few hours and a bunny, or at least the square that is the base for bunny.... I still need to seem and stuff him. 

So the story of the scarf starts with a perfectly lovely Saturday afternoon spent wandering around a local yarn shop with my sister and nieces. The clearance table had a basket full of Lantern Moon Silk Gelato "yarn" (it's really silk ribbon tied together about every 3 feet or so) and a pattern for the Honey Comb scarf. The price was right and I love, love, love, quick projects on huge needles so they came home with me! 

According to my knitter peeps on Ravelry there was a mistake in the pattern but no one noted what the actual mistake was or how to fix it. So I played with it until it was no longer fun and just gave up and cast 10 stitches to US size 50 needles and worked it in garter stitch until I ran out of "yarn"/ribbon. Easy, peasy, and super relaxing! I finished it up during knitting group over a glass of wine and good conversation. I haven't worn it yet or taken a better picture but I promise to share one next week! 

What pretty things are you making?! 

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.   

What was supposed to be a chill night of sweater knitting turned into a night of frogging said knitting when I discovered the tension was off on my Nati sweater and all of the mistakes were driving me mad. So, I am hoping the third time will be a charm? 

Normally, I would have cast right back on and gotten to work but realistically, it is February and I wouldn't have much time to enjoy it by the time it was finished this year and it seems there is a baby boom among my family and friends so instead, I decided to start in on a number of projects for all the new babies I am looking forward to meeting this summer! 

The first of which is a striped baby blanket that is pretty basic stuff which hopefully will mean it will work up quickly and should be mindless which is just the kind of project that I need! I just started it last night during the State of the Union so the first stripe is almost finished... almost. This little guy's mom said that she was thinking earthy tones so I a using Lion Brand Natural Choice Organic Cotton in Walnut, Orange, and Khaki.

The little bunny that I am still planning to finish is just sitting there patiently. It's one of those projects that is so simple and will be so quick yet I have let it sit there in a half finished state for forever it seems. 

What beautiful things are you making? 

Sometimes....

... no matter how badly you try to get a handknit to work by ripping back to fix mistake,  re-knitting, and letting it rest, sometimes the tension just isn't right and the mistakes keep piling up and it needs to be ripped out, wound up into a neat ball, and saved for another time...

Rest in Peace Nati version 2.0

Cast on September 2012 - Ripped (again and for good) February 2013

Grr.... 

Ahh....

Shane is visiting friends out of town the next few days and I have absolutely no obligations that require my attention tonight so now that I have finished my take out and pestered Macabean my plan for the night is;

• knitting
• sipping on hot decaff tea with cream and sugar
• watching all kinds of bad TV and maybe a movie

I so needed this!

What are you doing to be good to you this week?

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.   

The past week and change have been busy to say the least! I won't bore you with all the of the (work and assistant car buying) details only to say that not a whole lot of knitting has been happening. Sure, I have clicked away at a few rows but not much was truly accomplished... 

I am working my way through my Nati which looks similar to how it did a few weeks ago but with most of the bust finished. (i.e. I need to take an updated picture but this will do :) 

Sadly, no progress has been made on my bunny.... 

Things promise to slow down over the next few days and the weekend and I am so hoping to use this to finish up projects and organize my next few since from the announcements of my friends it looks like I will be doing lots of baby knitting in the coming months :) 

What are you working on? 

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.   

I finished my cowl! I made some progress on fixing and finishing my Nati! Aaaannnd, I started a bunny! 

Early in the week I finished the Woodland Cowl that I started last week. The angora and alpaca handspun that I picked up at a fiber festival a few years ago and have been saving for the just the right project, knit up delightfully! I did decide to add the Wooly Moss Roots buttons and I am so happy that I did. I think I am going to reinforce the buttonholes some but otherwise, it is totally delightful! 

I also picked my Nati sweater back up, ripped back a tad more, and then clicked through adding the neckline back in and am making my way down the sleeves. I would love to say that I will have it finished by next week or at least the knitting but I don't want to jinx myself... too much... 

Finally, whilst snooping around pinterest I found this super cute bunny! Essentially, you knit a square, do some creative seeming and you have a bunny! I just cast on today so there isn't much to share but I should be ready to share my new friend very soon! 

What beautiful things are you making this week?! 

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.   

This week is the official start of day job, part time teaching job #1, and part time teaching job #2. So to say I am feeling a tad overwhelmed is absolutely right on! However, part time teaching job #1's classes will wrap up in a week and a half and I do not have any more offered contracts at this stage. In addition, part time teaching job #2 takes place during the day and part time teaching job #1 is online so it is a tad less nutty than it sounds... sort of... 

If you are still with me (and bless your heart if you are, I am so happy to have you!), this has translated into a need for nightly fiber therapy (aka knitting), that is; a.) mindless and b.) is quick so I can actually see progress. 

My first project was a simple mug cozy that buttons up and has fit every mug I have used it with. I used Rowan Plaid yarn and it is snug and cute if I do say so myself!
*Note the super cool Tesla Motors mug (!) electric car swag for the win!!!

My second project, the Woodland Cowl, is still in progress but coming along wonderfully! I am using a hand dyed and hand spun yarn that I fell in love with at a fiber festival a few years ago. It's an alpaca and angora blend and I have been holding on to it awaiting the perfect project and this seems to be it. To add to the hand made love I am 99% sure that I will be using my wonderful Wooly Moss Root buttons!!

My Nati sweater is still sitting patiently awaiting my upcoming three day weekend... 

What are you making this week?! 

Yarn Along...

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.   

Sadly, I don't have much to share this week but it is with VERY good reason! I am * this close * to finishing the black single row lace scarf I shared last week however, today in the process of helping a new knitter to learn our beloved craft on our lunch break I lost the place in my pattern so I had to rip back...

UPDATE: 1/9/13 - 10:15 EST: Sadly, I will be ripping this beautiful scarf out and restarting it either tomorrow or after I finish my Nati....not sure yet, still working on the knitting stages of "rip out grief"... 

So it still looks about like this... 

My Nati is also sitting patiently waiting for me to finish this scarf which I am now kinda obsessed with finishing....  :) 

So what beautiful things are you working on this week? 

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of "Small Things" again this week  to share what I am knitting.   

I have so much to share!!! Which means I am a very happy knitter! 

The week of Christmas I finished up my 6 hour afghan. Again, I knit it with two strands of Paton's Roving held together on size 50 needles. This is probably my 5 or 6th afghan using this pattern and I have never hit the 6 hour mark but have always been happy with results. This blanket is CO-ZY!!! I made it for the living room but I keep dragging it into the family room to watch TV and knit with. It is so deliciously warm and snug!

On Christmas Eve while at my sister's house enjoying my sweet family and "yarning" with my mom and sister while Shane and my brother in law discussed "manly things" I started (okay, restarted) and finished a simple cowl. I cast on 50 stitches with Paton's Roving (size 19 circs) and alternated rows of garter and purl until I got to about 10 inches  to make a nice chunky (and warm!) cowl.  Again, this is my 4th or 5th cowl using this formula and it never fails to make a wonderful finished piece! 

I am currently (still) working here and there on my Nati sweater. I had hoped to finish it on our planned road trip to Cincy but as we had a tree come down (more about that later), we ended up staying home and working on some projects here including splitting said logs. I also started another single row lace scarf for myself which is coming along wonderfully! 

In semi related news, it seems many of my friends are having new babies in 2013 so it looks like I will have lots of baby knitting to share in the coming months! 

Oh, and Macabean wanted me to tell you he has been helping me. Love this cat! :) 

What are you working on this week? 

Happy New Year!!!

I love the new year! Maybe it's because I love winter and there is a certain calm that comes over everything when the world is blanketed in snow and the year is new. Maybe it's because things slow down a bit in the winter so that you can collect yourself (or at least I try to...). Perhaps it's because as humans we like new starts and the hope of something wonderful yet to come. I have no earthly idea but this always seems like such a special time of year to me. 

I am not much of a resolution maker but tend to use the new year as a time to be more mindful and to focus on things that I would like to be more aware of in the new year.... this year I would like to work on; 

- Being more mindful in general. I have a tendency to not focus as much as I should on the present. This is something that I began to really focus on in 2012 and I will continue to make a part of my life moving forward. When I am able to focus and be mindful I am a much happier and healthier me and I like it! 

- I am looking forward to continuing the process of removing wheat from my diet. I feel so much better when I don't have it and it has freed me from my acid reflux medication which is outstanding! I much prefer a prevention based approach to health and this is an example as to why! 

- On a totally selfish note I would FINALLY like to start and finish a February Lady Sweater in 2013! I love the sweater but am completely petrified of the pattern. Silly I know but it's true. This however, WILL be the year! (On a side note, any knitters out there that have knit it and have advice for a fellow knitter in my state?) :) 

What are you looking forward to in the new year?!