New Year - more knitting, less planning

I'm not going to make too many plans for 2019.  I choose projects, change my mind, and then feel anxious that I've deviated from the 'plan'.  Silly, when the only person who cares about this is me!  So I'm going to join a couple of KALs to start the new year off while focusing on a few simple goals:

1.  Knit from the books I own - I own many knitting books and magazines (Ravelry says I have 48  books and 56 magazines) and want to knit from them.  I love books, having the hard copy in my hands and looking at the pages.

2.  Knit from the stash I have - this is a repeat of previous years' goals but still holds true.  I don't have a huge stash but I'd like to use the yarn I have already, and purchase for specific projects rather than just accumulating.  Not a hard goal for me to meet but it will help me make decisions about what to knit next.

3.  Build up my gift bin - I deplete this every winter for holiday gifts but love having a variety of cowls, mitts, and hats to gift when I need to.  This reduces that 'holiday gift' knitting stress tremendously.

That's it.  I have started off with these in mind and cast on a pair of bulky socks (for around the house) by Alicia Plummer from PlumDandi Knits and a bulky sweater from Hannah Fettig's Home and Away book.  Both are bulky so they will be quick and give some not-quite-instant gratification.  A hat from each book will be up next!

Mid-point Motivation

Trying to motivate myself through the mid-point of my project.  I’m past the excitement of casting on, worked through the thinking part of learning the pattern/construction, but still too far away from the rush of being almost done...

So, determined not to cast on a new sweater til this one is closer to being finished but planning ahead so that I’ll have one ready to go.  I’m thinking of Magnolia from Laine Magazine Issue 4.  Instead of holding two strands (fingering and lace mohair) I will use some dk alpaca I’ve had in stash for a long time.  The gauge will work (I think) and the sweater is designed to be drapey with positive ease.

Alternatively, I could knit Joji Locatelli’s Lanes using the dk alpaca, as that’s what the pattern calls for.  Both are pictured below.... not sure which one will be next but either will motivate me to keep knitting the current WIP!

Magnolia:

post-Mayhem Plans

This spring, I'm renewing my commitment to knitting from stash, and knitting patterns I already own. I strayed from this plan in late fall... and it became a slippery slope of purchasing, planning, but not necessarily knitting.  To get back on track, I'm revisiting my queue with this renewed goal in mind.

For inspiration, I'm turning to the MDK March Mayhem bracket.  The final winner is a yoke sweater by Isabell Kramer, Humulus.  Turns out 3 of the 4 'finalists' were patterns I voted for.  Only the mini-skein pattern was different (I chose Luminosity hat by Tanis of Tanis Fibre Arts).  Many of the patterns, however, are not in my library.  While I'd love to purchase many of them, I instead looked for patterns I own that fit these categories AND the yarn is already in stash.  I'm considering:


YOKES:
Indigo Frost by Isabell Kramer - same designer as the Mayhem winner, I own the pattern and have the yarn in stash , with gray as the main colour:

SWEATERS:
I have the yarn and pattern for Winterly  by Suvi Simola in the first issue of Laine Magazine.  My yarn is Classic Elite Alpaca Sox, and will be a bit more colourful than the original:

OR

I have the yarn to knit Wolf River by Melissa Schaschwary that I purchased quite a while ago.  It's bulky yarn with a lace pattern and should knit up quickly (or more quickly than a fingering weight sweater!)

MINI-SKEINS:
I bought a Sweet Georgia Party of Five Mini-Skein set to use for a gift project for a colleague.  I'm leaning toward Talinum by Tabitha Hedrick, a cowl designed for Sweet Georgia Yarn.

This one needs to be done by end of June (end of school year) so it'll be cast on as soon as I'm done my current cowl project. 

SHOULDERS:
I have lots of shawls and big cowls in my queue.  Most will mean a yarn purchase - while I own the patterns or book that they're in, I don't have the yarn ready to go for most.  I do have yarn for Sharman,  which is a shawl/shrug garment.  I own Bristol Ivy's book, and Harjo was included in the MDK Bracket this year.  This category is the one I will likely leave til later... I like to knit shawls but don't really want to cast another one on at this moment.  Maybe in the summer. 

These four categories are organized in my queue on Ravelry, so I'm hoping to knit one from each in the next few months to play along (sort of) with the MDK KAL while also using things I already own.  Lofty goals, perhaps?! 

start with the end in mind - goals for 2018

I've started 2018 with projects that fit my goals for 2018.  I love setting goals, making plans, determining what I want to do over a longer period of time.   Some goals are quantifiable, others involve learning new skills and others connect to the quality of a handmade wardrobe:

1.  Improve colourwork skills (speed, quality of work) - I'm going to knit stranded mittens over the year as part of the Skeindeer Knits 2018 KAL.  My first pair are done, just need to be blocked a bit, Herati from Pompom Quarterly:

2.  Focus on using more colours in my garments and accessories - I'm knitting a Bindrune Cardigan from Pompom Quarterly using 3 colours of Lopi, to add more colour to my garments.   I'm also almost done Nuuk from Laine Volume 1 in an autumnal orange colour.  Up next will be #18 Broken Rib Pullover from Vogue Knitting in a dark mauve colour:

3.  Knit shawls and hats all year for gifts, to reduce the need to knit for others in November and December (ongoing goal).  I've started with Jodi Shawl and hope to knit the Tread Hat by Shannon Cook before I start my next pair of mittens.

None have firm deadlines except the holiday gift stash and my goal to knit a pair of mittens or a hat each month.  As usual, I hope to use the stash I already have for lots of things, and the patterns from books I've purchased.  Lofty goals perhaps, but I'm starting projects with these goals in mind.

slow down, you think too fast

I'm constantly attempting to balance my need to "keep on schedule" and "get things done" with the very real anxiety that comes with that kind of drive.  These are self-imposed deadlines, most of the time.  Even when I knit a gift, I am aware that I have the means (time, money) to purchase an equally appropriate gift for the recipient.  These deadlines loom, on top of the very real deadlines at work and the equally demanding time limits imposed on my life as I get my children to school, sports, activities, and social opportunities.

I picked up a copy of Slow Knitting at Indigo Books last week.  I almost put it back as it was close to $40 with taxes.  But then I thought - I want to change my perspective and focus on enjoying what I make instead of starting things that become deadline-driven.

The book focuses on knowing where your wool comes from, how your materials turn into finished objects, and the connection between paying attention to these farm-to-sweater details helps you enjoy the process as much as the product.  The designs also focus on texture, stitch details, and shape - things that slow down the knitting.  Moves you away from choosing projects that will finish quickly and toward projects that give the knitter a sense of connection to the product.  By having to count rows, stitches, charts, patterns, the knitter becomes more aware of the process of making.

This makes sense.... but also means I may finish fewer things.  I don't knit just to have things, but I do like to plan, browse through patterns and books, shop for yarn, and cast on.  This part leaves me with many items in the queue that I want to knit but don't have time for.  This feeling of wanting to make more will be hard to let go.

With that in mind, I'm finishing some shawls:
Girl from the Grocery Store (just needs ends woven in):

Goldfinch:  about a third of the way done (more than in the photo):

When these are done, I hope to cast on a project from the book.  Not sure which one yet, but I'm leaning toward the cabled pullover by Norah Gaughan.  It's an unusual construction, of course, but in a worsted weight yarn that will give me a break from finer gauge shawls that seem to have taken over my knitting plans.

All of this will, I hope, lead to more joy in the process.  I do love to knit, to see the fabric grow beneath the stitches on the needle.  Fall and Winter seem perfect seasons for slowing down as the demands of life continue to pick up.

back to school

Every summer I forget how little knitting time I have when I'm working full time, running a household, and parenting two very active and athletic kids.  My knitting slows to an almost-halt as the school year starts.  Still, I've managed to almost finish two WIPs:

I knit a Campside shawl by Alicia Plummer to give as a gift this year to a teacher.  She's into camping and has taught my child for two years now, so she's knit-worthy!  It's more blue than gray, and just needs the ends woven in.

I've also finished the knitting for my Rye cardigan by Thea Colman (Baby Cocktails), from the Berroco Portfolio Volume 1 collection.  I need to seam the sleeves (I knit them flat), sew on buttons and block it.  Hope to finish today!

I had problems with the symmetry of the decreases - didn't notice until I was almost done so I've left it for now but may rip back.  I think the error was in when I decided to keep the bramble pattern or not, leaving fewer stitches in the texture panel on one front compared to the other.  We'll see how much it bothers me when it's done.

Up next is another Lowlands Hat which uses grafting in garter stitch which is this month's technique for A Year of Techniques.  I'll be knitting a pattern I own using stash yarn, as I've done each month.  The patterns in the book (just published) are gorgeous but I'm challenging myself to knit what I have. At least for this series of projects!

I am also casting on a Joji Locatelli shawl:  The Girl in the Grocery Store using Fleece Artist Merino Slim in a purplish gray colour and a cream with the purplish speckles.   I have other shawls in the queue including a MKAL with Sweet Georgia Yarn that starts in mid October.

Now if I could just knit more and work less, I'd get it all done!

stash plans once the gifting is done

I'm knitting gifts until mid-December.  Then, I'm knitting up my stash using my Botanical Knits book.  I have plans for almost all of the patterns in the book, and have already knit one, my Twin Leaf Loop:

Up next I have yarn for 2 sweaters and the rest of the accessories (minus the socks - I can't knit tightly enough to get gauge for socks in sock weight yarn):

Think I'll start with the accessories while I finish my Sambuca sweater since it will be cozy and warm for winter and I'm (just) on the body now, having finished the raglan shaping.  I'm determined to knit them within the year.  I love the patterns, love the yarn I have, and need to take action!  All of the patterns have unique elements, so I'm excited to get going.  Think Oak Trail will be first as the construction interests me, and I love the yarn I have for it.  Now, off to knit another hat for Christmas!

In like a lion...

It's early March, a month that started with a snowstorm.  "In like a lion" also means "out like a lamb", I hope.  I'm planning ahead for spring time accessories and found the perfect book for patterns and inspiration:  Botanical Knits by Alana Dakos.  I'm just finishing her "Four Seasons" shawl (the MKAL project) and love the aesthetic of her designs.  I own Coastal Knits and love the designs from both Hannah Fetig and Alana in that book.

Botanical Knits has 4 sweaters and several accessory patterns.  I hope to knit almost all of them (except the socks - I don't knit socks).  I have yarn in my stash that I plan to use for the projects.  Think ahead a couple of months to May, when leaves are on the trees and the snow is gone!
First, sweaters:

Autumn Leaves - knit in a sport-weight alpaca blend, no yarn in my stash yet but I think this might be a good project for early fall next year

Buds and Bloom - a bulky weight sweater jacket, with unique pocket construction, no stashed yarn yet but I'll work on it!

Entangled - a raglan cardigan with pattern in the sleeve, may have yarn but I'll have to swatch with my Heaven's Hand Wool

It may be more appropriate for Twig and Willow, a close-fitting cardigan - the swatch will tell!

More on the accessories (there are 6) in another post!

12 in 2016 - getting ahead of the holiday curve

Now is the time to think about goals for 2016.  I don't make resolutions (I overthink my life on a daily basis, I don't need January 1st for that!), but I do make some goals to strive for as I look ahead to what worked and what didn't this past year.  Every year I get to December and wish I had stockpiled gifts.... so I'm going to try to do that this year.  I've decided to focus on accessories and have joined a "12 in 2016" KAL with the designers at Tin Can Knits.

They posted several patterns as 'gifts' this month in a "12 Days of Christmas" fashion, giving away a pattern a day for 12 days.  I queued almost all (I don't knit socks), and will knit them throughout the year.  In no particular order:

Main Street - coffee cup sleeves (one for me, one to gift)
Sweetness - a 2-colour cowl I'll knit with black and white yarn from my stash
Antler Mitts - bulky mittens that are adorable (I knit the Antler hat this year, may do another)
Paved - boot cuffs that are adorable and may be mine instead of a gift
Lowlands - a simple hat that will be a good 'teacher gift' perhaps
Sitka Spruce - a hat and mitts set
Honeycomb - super cute fingerless mitts
Gather - hat and cowl set that I'll knit with Arroyo yarn from my stash
Clayoquot Toque - a colour-work hat that I'll knit with yarn from my stash
Gothic Lace Cowl - a lace cowl in worsted/aran weight yarn, with buttons
Loch - a sport-weight hat and mitts set - I'll likely just knit the hat with some Rastita in my stash
Hipster - a basic hat with some slouch
Northward - a bulky cabled hat
2x2 - bulky cabled cowl (I knit one this year, it's fast and easy, with buttons!)
Bon Bon Toque - cabled hat

My other goal is to deplete the stash this year.  This is a goal I've set before but I'm determined to do it this year.  A few yarns I'll use for the projects above:

Malabrigo Arroyo

Malabrigo Rastita

Madelinetosh tosh dk

Lett-Lopi

I have lots planned, but hope for a year with lots of knitting time ahead!

I Can't Help Myself

I am about 2/3 finished my Irish Coffee sweater, have my Preppy Vest on the needles, finished a hat for a 'secret friend' exchange at work, and have a cowl on the go that I started a year ago (or longer?).  And still, I can't help myself.  I bought this:

I plan to make Sous Sous, an oversized sweater designed by Norah Gaughan.  The yarn is Rastita by Malabrigo.  More expensive than I usually buy but I decided to go for it.  Now, off to finish off some WIPs so I can cast on for this one.

swatching - or procrastinating?

I've joined my Amanda sweater and am making my way through the raglan decreases.  All 5 pieces together makes for very long rows.  I can see the end in sight, but realize I still have button bands and a neck band to go too...  I'm going to love it (already love the finished ones over at www.fringeassociation.com) but am also itching to start something new.

I've had the yarn to make this from Vogue Winter 2013/14 for a while now:

(Photo from Ravelry)
I'm using Diamond Luxury Collection Stellabella in black, blue, and taupe:

I've started a swatch.  I usually use the sleeve as a swatch, so I can feel like I'm started.  I know all of the virtues of swatching, but also find it counter-intuitive to spend time knitting something that won't be part of the finished garment.  That said, I swatched for this mostly to give myself a break from the never-ending Amanda!  Here it is in progress, ready to be finished, measured, and then frogged.  I don't keep my swatches once I've started my project as I usually need the yarn.

Now, back to Amanda!

Queued Up - French Girl

After revisiting my French Girl Knits book, I've revisited my stash and am making plans!  Time to think spring, even though it's snowing today (in April).  First up:

My Firefly has been in the stash for a few years, and I haven't found the project that I like to knit it up.  I'm going to try Paloma this time - all garment photos from Ravelry via French Girl Knits.

I also plan to knit Louisa

I bought some bulky ribbon yarn, and will swatch it on its own and with a strand of Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace to see which one works best:

I also want to reknit Wrenna:

I'll use a colour that is more neutral than the first try using hot pink (see previous post).  Lots in the queue!