BMORE CRAFTY IS MOVING!

Friends, there's some news! I've been busy knitting a few projects, but haven't had much time to share my progress, and this is why:

I've been debating this for some time now, and I finally bit the bullet. I'm changing blogging platforms, therefore your current subscription to bmore crafty won't be working for much longer. At first, I was just planning to self-host under blogger, but after considering a bunch of factors, I've moved to Wordpress. I will likely delete this version of the blog in a few months, so please update your RSS feed!

You'll find my blog (with all the old posts intact) at http://bmore-crafty.com. I'm still working on the formatting and such, but please stop by and say hello.

Happy knitting!!

xx

#64 - WIP WEDNESDAY: THE PEACH BANDIT

If you followed my posts at all for Knit & Crochet Blog Week, you may have read the anecdote that my mother has so kindly taken my Springtime Bandit shawlette off of my hands. In an effort to get said knitted garment back in my posession, I just cast on another one for her on Monday after finishing my Effortless Cardigan. Yay! I'll be sharing some photos of it later this week.

The Peach Bandit in progress -
and note @mizelissa's awesome highlighted charts in the background

I've only spent a few evenings on The Bandit, but I'm already into my third repeat of the body chart. Of course, the rows are still rather short at this point, but I'm definitely enjoying the process. This pattern is the perfect type of lace for me - complicated enough to keep me interested, but simple enough that I'm not losing my mind. It's also a nice way to practice "reading" my knitting as I go.

I got the chance to work on this a bit yesterday over a long breakfast/lunch meet-up with my Twitter Knitter pal @mizelissa. So, please note that I was knitting lace and having a conversation at the same time. Shocking! I did tuck The Bandit neatly into my bag once we ordered "brunch" cocktails, though. I'm no fool.

To see more yarny folks for WIP Wednesday, visit Tami's Amis to see all of this week's participating blogs.

Happy knitting!
xx

#63 - 2KCBWDAY7: WHEN I KNIT

I can't believe that the second Knit & Crochet Blog Week is already at an end. It has been great to discover lots of new blogs this time around, and I hope you continue to stop by and share your thoughts and feedback with me. For today's final post, we're talking about crafting routines:

Write about your typical crafting time. When it is that you are likely to craft – alone or in more social environments, when watching TV or whilst taking bus journeys. What items do you like to surround yourself with whilst you twirl your hook like a majorette’s baton or work those needles like a skilled set of samurai swords. Do you always have snacks to hand, or are you a strictly ‘no crumbs near my yarn!’ kind of knitter.

Usually, I can be found cozy in an armchair every evening with my knitting at hand and an audiobook or podcasts playing... and I'm most productive when listening to something that's knitting-related. I could play Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off on repeat for the rest of my knitting life and probably be a happy camper. I think she resonates with me, along with so many others, by making crafters feel less alone in the utter joy, the occasional obsession, and the hours of pleasure we gain from simply spending time with needles or hooks and yarn. She makes me feel a little less crazy about my overgrown stash, my confusion over knitting black holes (you know, when you knit and knit and knit but your knitting doesn't get any bigger), and the sheer excitement I feel when walking into a new yarn shop for the first time. At a time when I wasn't hanging out with many (read: any) knitters, she made me feel less alone.

But there are also loads of podcasts that I listen to on a regular basis while I'm getting my knit on. Some of my favorites include (in no particular order): It's a Purl, Man; The Knitmore Girls; Electric Sheep; Subway Knits; Yarngasm; Knit Knit Cafe; The Knit Wits; and The Knitajourney Podcast. What podcasts are you into? I'm always on the hunt for something new.

Sure, I knit while listening to other podcasts or music, watching syndicated sitcoms, on the metro, at friend's houses, in cafes, at the breakfast table... the list goes on. But my favorite crafting time allows me to be all-consumed by my knitterly thoughts. You're most likely to find me smiling and giggling quietly at a moment like this, when I'm being a pure yarnophile and feeling most like myself. And that's why I knit in the first place.

#62 - 2KCBWDAY6: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Today's Knit and Crochet Blog Week post is all about my knitting aspirations:

Is there a pattern or skill that you don’t yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to (or think you can only dream of) tackling in the future, near or distant? Is there a skill or project that makes your mind boggle at the sheer time, dedication and mastery of the craft? Maybe the skill or pattern is one that you don’t even personally want to make but can stand back and admire those that do. Maybe it is something you think you will never be bothered to actually make but can admire the result of those that have.

When I first started knitting, I never even considered the notion of making a sweater. The process seemed too daunting, too expensive, and too overwhelmingly time consuming to be necessary. I could make piles of scarves and hats and gloves to wear with simple coats and that would be it. Little cozy things that require a few skeins of yarn or less and there you go. Then, I got on Ravelry. Not only were there gorgeous cardigans, pullovers, jackets, and tank tops all over the place... but I wanted to wear them. And even worse, I got the urge to knit them.

Future sweater knitting - Solstice Cardigan and Larch Cardigan

Once I fell down the rabbit hole, there was no turning back. So really, I have to say that if there's one knitting skill I dream of having in the future, it's the understanding of garment construction. Sure, I can knit a sweater, but can I make it fit well? How do I know if a raglan suits my body/the garment better than a set-in sleeve? What's the best way to attach a buttonband? What about short row shaping? How should I take drape into consideration? And how in the hell do I actually create negative ease?

To me, understanding garment construction is the ultimate knitting goal - having the ability to design my own stuff would be amazing. I don't know if I'll ever be able to completely wrap my head around it, but I'm sure willing to try. In the meantime, I'm planning to knit a variety of sweaters that will teach me new techniques. Perhaps there's a master knitting class in my future, too.

My main yarny problem is that I want to knit ALL THE THINGS and can't seem to keep up with my crazy ideas or keep myself focused on a few projects at a time. I'm always lusting for the next thing. Such is life. The good news is that I've only been knitting for about three years now, and I don't expect to give up on my needles anytime soon (especially considering the massive amount of yarn in my possession)... so, I suspect that there's plenty of time to learn.

#61 - INSTANT GRATIFICATION

I'm skipping the Knit & Crochet Blog Week post for today. Feels like I'm copping out, but to be perfectly honest, today's topic wasn't striking a chord with me for whatever reason. Nonetheless, I'll be stopping by to read many of your KCBW posts and see all of the creative things you came up with!

Simple Buttoned Baby Pullover and Swirl Baby Cap

Instead, I just wanted to write a quick post sharing the items I finished up this week. I've been in a knitting drought lately and not feeling the urge to knit. But when my sister-in-law requested that I make some baby knits for a friend of her's, I was back in action. Maybe I just needed a change of pace from sweater knitting, but there's something about baby knits that makes them so pleasurable - the instant gratification. With just a couple skeins of yarn and a few days time, you can crank out a few tiny little knits and feel impossibly clever without breaking a sweat. Not to mention, baby knitting is a perfect way to try out new techniques without feeling incredibly overwhelmed.

In less than a week's time, I had a cozy sweater and cap off the needles, and that kind of turn-around got me back in the groove. I suspect my Effortless Cardigan will be finished before I know it. About time, isn't it?

Happy knitting!!
xx