#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.

#60 - 2KCBWDAY4: WHAT EVER HAPPENED

I have to say, I'm really enjoying blog week. This is such a great opportunity to meet new bloggers and learn about your experiences. I really enjoy your feedback, and as always, any ideas or critiques you might have are greatly appreciated. Might I also mention that in the time when I planned to write this blog post, I ended up perusing the Pierrot Yarns website... sale on merino fingering weight yarn!! Old habits die hard, y'all. Now, onto today's topic: knits from the past:

Whatever happened to your __________?

Write about the fate of a past knitting project. Whether it be something that you crocheted or knitted for yourself or to give to another person. An item that lives with you or something which you sent off to charity.

I love looking back on my first knits because, as I said in a previous post, I was really a fearless knitter at the start. I made 2 boring stocking stitch scarves before I dove in headfirst: cabled fingerless gloves and an entrelac headwrap were some of my earliest projects... followed by lace.

My Springtime Bandit, up-close and personal

I made my first yarn splurge with an order for The Fibre Company's Road to China in citrine. With said splurge, I decided to knit myself a Springtime Bandit. Now, I was new and not exactly the brightest of knitters, so I ended up buying too little of a discontinued color, and could only knit the edge portion once, but man oh man, I was so proud and so pleased when I finished that scarf.

Even though I feel like my Bandit illustrates a lot of my inexperience, it also shows my enthusiasm for trying new techniques on the fly. It made me feel impossibly clever when I was finished, and it now holds a special place in the canon of my knitted items. In fact, my mom recently pilfered it when I left it sitting on her dining room table... so I'll be knitting her a Springtime Bandit of her own in some fingering weight yarn in the coming weeks.

I don't have some touching story to share (unfortunately), but when I read this prompt, I immediately thought of my Bandit. It's precious to me, and it gives me a lot of joy to see my mom's love for it as well. She's probably my biggest knitty supporter, and I feel even warmer and fuzzier when she wears it.

#59 - 2KCBWDAY3: GETTING ORGANIZED

We're trucking along and it's already day three of KCBW! Again, thanks to everyone for all the amazing feedback. I'm doing my best to get around to all the blog participants, but there are just too damn many of you! :D So today, we're talking about organizing your yarny stuffs:

How do you keep your yarn wrangling organised? It seems like an easy to answer question at first, but in fact organisation exists on many levels. Maybe you are truly not organised at all, in which case I am personally daring you to try and photograph your stash in whatever locations you can find the individual skeins. However, if you are organised, blog about an aspect of that organisation process, whether that be a particularly neat and tidy knitting bag, a decorative display of your crochet hooks, your organised stash or your project and stash pages on Ravelry.

I'm not afraid to admit that my stash isn't organized at all. Really, not in the slightest. I have plastic bins of yarn and a few errant baskets in designated areas around the house, but I know where specific skeins are located mainly by memory. However, I have made a big effort in the last year to better organize my individual patterns and project notes. It's a small start, but it has made a serious difference in my knitting habits.

The massive binder of all things knitty.

Before, I'd often print off my downloaded patterns, fold them up and toss them into my knitting bag, where they'd find a certain demise after a few short weeks. Wasteful and pretty irritating. Now, just by simply putting all of my patterns into plastic sleeves, they hold up much better. And by keeping all of said patterns in a binder with labeled dividers, I can always find what I'm looking for, which is great when I want to revisit a pattern.

Also, I realized over the past few years that I did a terrible job of documenting the knitting process while working on my various projects. It would become especially frustrating when I'd misplace the little sheets of paper that I wrote modifications on. Several months ago, I got a moleskine notebook for sketching and note-keeping, so I have a really detailed account of my progress on each garment. It has revolutionized my crafting. I take note of dates, mods, thoughts on the pattern, design ideas, etc. It's especially useful because I can, in turn, share these notes online via Ravelry or my blog. Finally! A system that works for me.

It's funny how this prompt has made me realize that despite my love for and interest in technology, the best way for me to keep organized is in an analog format. I prefer having hard copies of my patterns rather than glancing at the PDF file on my laptop or my phone, and I'd rather pull out a pen and stop knitting for a minute to jot down notes than log into Ravelry and document it there. In this next year, it seems like a good idea for me to focus on better storage for my yarn and notions. All in due time, right?

#58 - 2KCBWDAY2: MAD SKILLS

I must start out by saying thanks to all of the knit & crochet bloggers out there who have paid me a visit so far for Knit & Crochet Blog Week! I was really excited to see the responses to my Day 1 post, and hopefully it promoted a feeling of inclusiveness. Now onto, Day 2's prompt, which is all about my mad knitting skills:

Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?

In general, I'd like to think of myself as a rather fearless knitter. I'm willing to try new techniques and see how it goes. Really, my flaw is a lack of time management skills. Last year, I promised myself I'd try stranded knitting. And although I have a much better idea of what I'm doing technique-wise and the projects I'd like to tackle, I still haven't done it AN ENTIRE A YEAR LATER.

Slouchy Brambles, Fenimore, and Brambles No. 1

However, I have tried out a few new skills this year. First off, my cables have improved leaps and bounds, by paying greater attention to how tightly I hold the yarn and switching needle gauge when necessary. In the last year, I've done a handful of cabled hats using both a cable needle and without, and I think they look pretty amazing if I do say so myself.

Also, I dared to try socks this year for the first time ever. I was certain that I was morally allergic to sock knitting and it never really appealed to me, despite the bizarre amount of sock yarn lurking in my stash. But I gave it a shot, and after several months (yeah, I know), I had a finished pair of socks. And I actually sort-of enjoyed it. I did a standard heel flap for my first pair, and I'm going to try an eye of partridge heel for the second.

Baby Placket Pullover

Finally, I've been exploring garment construction and am consistently excited about sweaters. I have four (yes, count 'em) sweaters on the needles at the moment, all in different stages of completion. I'm trying one knit in pieces, two top-down raglans, and one modified to be knit in the round. I even knitted a tiny baby sweater the other day that's a bottom-up raglan.

So there's a lot happening at the moment. I'm not completely pushing myself into new techniques, but it something that comes up in a pattern, I'll try it - kitchener stitch, i-cord edging, Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off, picking up and knitting stitches, cable cast-on - count me in. I don't cower in the face of new techniques. And really, why should I? If it doesn't work out, I can always unravel and start again.

#57 - 2KCBWDAY1: DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE.

My knitting (and blogging) mojo has been missing for a majority of the season, but I'm making the effort to get back in action with the second annual Knit and Crochet Blog Week. However, in typical fashion, I have the feeling I might cause a bit of a ruckus amongst my knitterly compatriots with my response to today's prompt, which is all about yarn:

Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.

So, I'm already having trouble. I will not bash yarn here. Even when I don't particularly enjoy using a certain yarn, I generally assume that I am the root of the problem for one reason or another - I chose the wrong yarn for the project, I'm knitting too tightly / too loosely / etc, I didn't take x-factor into consideration... Whatever it is, I don't like to go postal about a yarn unless something completely unacceptable happens - for example, a skein with multiple knots in it. But still, rather than write a ranting post here or an angry tweet, I like to contact the manufacturer and see what can be done. Of course I might complain with my knitting group, but I'm not going to publish a diatribe against a yarn company.

A mix of high-end and less expensive yarns in my handknits, all with lovely results

But the major disconnect I'm experiencing is that I don't really have a favorite yarn. I truly enjoy every thing I work with, and I always look for the good qualities in fibre. I have a serious distaste for the yarn snobbery that I see in yarn shops and on the interweb. I believe in the notion that 'it might not be your taste, but that doesn't make it bad.'

In actuality, I am an Equal Opportunity Yarnie, as coined by Maria of the Subway Knits podcast. I love the colors of MadelineTosh as much as I enjoy the springy bounce of Paton's 100% Wool. Rowan Felted Tweed has those amazing little flecks of gorgeousness, but so does KnitPicks City Tweed. I nearly die over Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton, especially when I can buy it with a coupon. But the same thing happens to my brain with a lovely locally sourced yarn, Angel's Kiss Alpaca-Merino Worsted.

I like to think that I don't discriminate too much, but I typically prefer natural fibres over synthetics. My favorite yarns are usually straight-up undyed wool, but if you're telling me you don't use superwash or wool blends for socks, I personally think you're out of your mind. At the end of the day, I think it's all about making knitting accessible to everyone - so use your alpaca or your acrylic with pride. And don't be surprised to see me knitting with anything that strikes my fancy and fits my budget.

#35 - KNITCROBLOWEEK, DAY 5: WHEREVER I MAY FIND HER

busy at work on my Clapotis

Really, wherever I can get needles and yarn in my hands, I'll knit. At class, at the office, in cars, on buses (until my motion sickness kicks in), on the metro, on planes, in waiting rooms, on front porches, in bars. If I had to choose my favorite knitting location, it would be on my balcony at 7am with a cup of coffee. The sun is up, the morning is still in my tiny courtyard, and I can prepare for the day ahead... but I haven't had the chance to get knitting out there too often lately.

Where do I find myself most days with needles in hand, happily plugging away at my newest project? Actually, it's in my bed. Over the past months, my gloriously huge and fluffy bed has transformed into my knitting studio. With pillows fluffed, podcasts playing, pajamas on, and hot tea at my bedside, I can relax and wind down my busy days with some time well-spent, needles in hand.

Word of advice, though - don't ever actually fall asleep with knitting... unless you want a bamboo needle in the bum at 2am.

To read other posts by knitters and crocheters participating in 'blog week,' just google search 'knitcroblo1' for day 1, 'knitcroblo2' for day 2, etc.

#34 - KNITCROBLOWEEK, DAY 4: MORE TO LEARN

I'll probably start to sound like a broken record, but it's true: One of the things I so love about knitting is that there are seemingly endless amounts of things to learn. And for most techniques, I'm practically fearless and happily dive head-first into a project without the slightest clue what I'm doing. Knitting in the round? Sure, why not. Cables? Count me in. Lace? It's just a few yarn overs. Entrelac? Sounds good to me!

photo © hello yarn

But one technique has me (figuratively) shaking in my boots... Colorwork. Why oh why? So much of it that I love, so many knitters whose work with it that I adore, but I have yet to try, already years into my knitting life. And one poor pattern patiently awaits in my Ravelry queue: Hello Yarn's Fiddlehead Mitts. A classic mitten with scrolling detail, which I covet when I see it pop up on other's project pages. I am certain that after a bit of reading and perhaps a class or a little help from my friends, I'll be knitting away on these without a care. Until then, I'll look at them longingly, from afar, simply waiting... until I know what I'm doing.

To read other posts by knitters and crocheters participating in 'blog week,' just google search 'knitcroblo1' for day 1, 'knitcroblo2' for day 2, etc.

#33 - KNITCROBLOWEEK, DAY 3: ONE GREAT KNITTER

Ugh. I have been thinking on this for days now. How can I pick one great knitter who I look up to, who inspires me, who I aspire to be like? There are so many! First I started thinking of all my favorite designers and "celebrity" knitters (if you'll allow that term). Stephanie Pearl-McPhee is the woman who made me feel less alone as a yarn obsessive. Then there's Ysolda, Kim Hargreaves, Amy Singer, Jared Flood... I could go on. Each of them with an individual aesthetic and point of view.

photo © Marie Greene

So instead, I began to think about my blogging friends, and immediately, I thought of Marie. We met through the blog project French Picnic, and I got to know her through Permission to Unwind. She's an incredible knitter, and I think that almost goes without saying. But she's also incredibly positive, full of life, sassy, hilarious, kind-hearted, and she dyes pink streaks in her hair for fun. How couldn't you like this gal? Not to mention, she's given me a great deal of support as I've begun on this blogging journey of my own. So, go visit Marie at Permission to Unwind and tell her I sent you. :)

To read other posts by knitters and crocheters participating in 'blog week,' just google search 'knitcroblo1' for day 1, 'knitcroblo2' for day 2, etc.

#32 - KNITCROBLOWEEK, DAY 2: AN INSPIRATIONAL PATTERN

photo © Sadie Dayton

One of the incredible things about Ravelry is its role as a storehouse for information for knitters and crocheters. Before it, you could troll the internet for hours on end trying to find a blogger's errata notes on a pattern. Now, you can almost safely assume that if it isn't on Ravelry, it probably doesn't exist! Nonetheless, I find myself trolling Ravelry for hours on end, looking through patterns, designers, and yarns for things I've yet to use.

photo © Sadie Dayton

That's probably how I stumbled upon the Sylvi. At first glance, it's really not my style. A huge sweater coat. Appliqued floral details. But something about it struck me. It's quite obviously a beautiful sweater, yet there's more to it. The Sylvi would represent a dedication to time, would demonstrate my abilities as a knitter, would reinforce my love for the craft. And it would be something I wear with pride.

As of now, I'm attempting to complete a few of those projects that have been lurking on the needles far too long to make room for the Sylvi. I am so up for the challenge.

*The Sylvi pattern is available for download purchase from Twist Collective. Knitters looking for help with the pattern can join the Sylvi KAL on Ravelry, an ongoing group for knitters pursuing the project.


To read other posts by knitters and crocheters participating in 'blog week', just google search for 'knitcroblo1' for day 1, 'knitcroblo2' for day 2, etc.

#31 - KNITCROBLOWEEK, DAY 1: STARTING OUT

From Knitting, etc.

One of my early (and admittedly still unfinished) projects...

Now that I'm reflecting on things, it's almost funny that I still think of myself as a brand-new knitter... but one of the major aspects that I love about this craft is how much I still have to learn. It's sort of difficult for me to remember exactly how I began knitting - there was no inciting incident for me. Without sounding too hokey, I almost feel like I was meant to become a knitter, especially considering my favorite childhood memories.

When I was in elementary school, my neighbor Miss Vicky taught me basic crochet stitches. She gave me a beautiful granny square, in which I hand stitched a lining and turned into a crochet hook case. My mom would let me go to the craft store to get yarn and pattern books, but I don't think I ever completed one. I made little potholders for my mom when I wasn't working on rug hook kits, a lap loom, or making jewelry. Let's just say I was always a crafty kid.

But middle school came around and I quit crochet. I unfortunately don't remember much of it and haven't done it since. But my recollections of crochet in college had me thinking about starting to knit. I didn't know anyone who was an avid knitter, so I just went online looking for directions and tutorials. Being a lefty, I tried and tried to learn left-handed knitting on my own... and failed miserably!

On a whim, I decided to check out the right-handed knitting tutorials. And I got it. I made one lumpy square out of brown acrylic and finally figured out stockinette before I started work on a rugby striped scarf with that same brown and a steel blue that I gave to my boyfriend at the time for a birthday gift. The thing was pretty decent, but a little sad and misshapen, and I ill-advisedly allowed my mom to iron the thing on cool to flatten it out, since no one had informed me on the concept of wet-blocking yet. Nonetheless, he was so full of praise for me, as was my family, which really encouraged me to continue knitting away.

Even though I took a knitting hiatus for a bit - knitting just didn't seem like a summertime hobby in my mind - I still would read blogs and patterns constantly, and after getting a little involved in the knitting community, I never looked back. If you're not participating in KnitCroBloWeek, what got you interested in knitting or crochet?



To read other posts by knitters and crocheters participating in 'blog week', just google search for 'knitcroblo1' for day 1, 'knitcroblo2' for day 2, etc.