Slotober - 'worn' or 'worn out'?

I wear a lot of knitted accessories.  They add colour to my fairly neutral wardrobe, and I'm always cold so cowls and scarves work for me year-round.    I also knit a lot of accessories to give away.  This year most people will get a knitted gift as I try to simplify (and reduce) the holiday budget.

My most recent one is a hat - Antler Hat by Tin Can Knits.  Made the largest size to fit my dad's head, so I hope he likes it.  The colour is a bit brighter than he usually wears, but I think he'll like it.  Teal is on-trend this year, but I'm pretty sure that's not on my father's radar!

Next up is a cowl that I will gift to someone (kids' teachers?  colleagues?  not sure yet...).  It's another Tin Can Knits pattern - 2 x 2.  It's a buttoned cowl in bulky yarn.  I have some dk weight in the same colour (both are Patons Classic Wool) so maybe a matching hat or fingerless mitts will come too.

 
But those will come in November, as I'm worn out now!

SMALL and LOVE

Love this tunic.  Wore it with a skirt, with jeans, dressed it up, dressed it down.  Also love the that the yarn is Canadian -  Briggs and Little - bought at my Local Yarn Store.  It's Irish Coffee by BabyCocktails, so also like that it's an independent design.  I do buy magazines and like the feel of a pattern in my hands rather than on screen, but this one was a winner.  I want my closet to be full of sweaters and garments that are versatile and that look great on.  

This weekend is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada so I am also thinking about the holidays a little earlier than my neighbours in the USA might be.  We don't typically go for Christmas 'stuff' until after Halloween, but it's still on the mind now that it's Thanksgiving.  I'm queuing up lots of gift knitting.  This is not 'slow' knitting as it's deadline-driven, but it is knitting that lends itself to the notion that a gift is more than a thing in a bag.  It represents both the recipient and the giver.  I want my gifts to be hand made, and to reflect the care I have for my family and friends.  Not a quick purchase but instead a well-planned present that took time and careful consideration.  I guess that best sums up the slow fashion idea for me:  careful consideration.

Slow October

Joining in at Fringe Association for Slow Fashion October.  I'm thinking about need versus want right now, as we head into holiday season.  I'm trying to scale down what I buy and what I wish for so that I focus more on enjoying what I have instead of longing for what I don't have.  This is not a huge mind-set change, more of a honing in more mindfully on what I've always been thinking but have not always been living.

I usually knit holiday gifts, but this year most people will get a handmade gift as the main thing rather than an 'add-on' to other gifts.  So far I've knit some hats (some started in the summer), both from Babycocktails Tiki collection:

I've also knit a baby gift for a colleague instead of donating money to a group gift - very cute Tin Can Knits pattern, Gramps:

I've started a cowl for a friend's birthday that needs to be done by the 9th (so not so slow after all!):

I don't sew (used to but it wasn't for me, mostly because I don't have a space to keep things out until they are done, and packing away everything/unpacking again the next day was tedious), but I do cook.  We usually go out for dinner when we have a sitter or when kids go to grandparents', but this time we stayed in.  I bought a book for inspiration (author's blog isNot Without Salt) and made three dishes from two menus.

Dinner at home, at our pace, for a fraction of the cost at a restaurant seems to fit with the theme for me.  Spend less, enjoy more.  For me, that's the driving thought behind my Slow(er) October.

Dansez - FO

Dansez is done!  The colour changes aren't noticeable now that it's seamed so all is well.  Modelled shots to come...

FO - Rory

I finally finished my Lorelai shawl.  It's lovely, and will get lots of wear in the fall and winter.  Too hot to model but it's done!

blocking

I'm blocking my Dansez pullover and notice a glaring difference.  The front is a different colour than the back and sleeves.  I knit it last, but the front was made with a different skein than the sleeves, and the back used a third.

I'm not frogging or reknitting it, as I think it will be less noticeable once it's sewn together.  We shall see!

progress

I've had time to knit so progress is being made:

Rory (my  Lorelei shawl) - finish line is in sight as I just have the garter border to go.

Dansez - I'm at the shaping for the back after adding an extra 4 inches in length (because anything that ends right at the waist is not flattering on me).

Seattle Cowl (my version of Bastille) is finally past the half-way point.  Taking forever not because it's complicated but because I keep moving to other things.

Feeling less 'stuck' now that I can see progress.  I think most of us are like that - we'll persevere if we can see the finish line.

Windward Hat - FO, a WIP, and the Stash-Down

A finished hat!  It's Windward Island from Babycocktails' Tiki Collection.  I plan to knit the whole collection.  Perhaps by Christmas but deadlines are not my friend in the world of knitting, so we'll see.  The hat is lovely, the yarn was fantastic to work with.  I'll definitely be using it again.  When I'm done using my stash.

Speaking of stash, I bought this yarn to make Sous Sous, which I realized wouldn't really be fore me as I saw other FOs on Ravelry.  It's now going to be Dansez from Amy Herzog's first book Fit to Flatter.  I have it from the library so will knit like the wind to get it done in August before I have to return the book.

I've just cast on the back.  I have a bit more done that you see here (a very, very small bit - like 2 or 4 more rows), but am confident I can get it done.  I've joined the Very Shannon Summer Sweater Knit Along to motivate myself.  The idea is to knit a sweater in time for the start of fall.  Which, here in Canada, comes sooner than I'd like to think.  The sponsor is Brooklyn Tweed.  I love their patterns and yarns, but cannot afford the yarn (sigh) and am determined to only knit from my stash for a very long time (or until it's almost gone).  I've said this before but am determined this time for a variety of reasons:

- need to declutter, and am committed to having what I need on hand, and not spending on yarn that I love in theory but don't have time to knit or the impulse of the pattern passes (or both)

- need to spend less and use what I have (in all areas of life, not just knitting - read from my bookshelf, cook from my pantry...)

- commit to the purchases I've made and follow through 

So off I go to knit a sweater by the end of August.  And yes, this is the same blog I joined the KAL for the Lorelai shawl that is almost but not quite done.  It will be finished by the end of September.  I hope.

summertime - on the needles

It's summer and I love it.  Love the heat, love the sunshine.  I admit that a backyard pool and two young kids makes it more enjoyable:)  Not really knitting by the pool weather though, or by the soccer pitch, as any yarn at 30 degrees C (or 90 degrees F) isn't really enticing.

I have four projects on the go - the never-ending Lorelai, a new hat - Windward Island -  from Babycocktails' Tiki collection, and a long vest for fall:

High tomorrow is 34 degrees (plus humidity) so I doubt any knitting will occur.  Soon enough!

dead calm

June was a month of stillness in my knitting world.  Other events took over my time and, more importantly, my energy.  I spent most of the month feeling like a ship stranded in the ocean with no wind to move me forward.  I had enough energy to do the essentials (barely) and sadly, knitting did not make it to the list of essential tasks.

Not scary like the movie (I'm not Nicole Kidman!) but more exhausting like trying to paddle in the ocean with a table tennis racket.

Still, I did sew up and finish my vest - finally!  Unfortunately it is not vest weather any more so it's in my closet until fall.  I like how it turned out though, and will definitely wear it when the weather cools down.

I'm slowly moving back to things that require energy and an attention span.  This will include finishing my Rory shawl, and casting on a new project from my stash.

distraction from frustration

I finished the front and realized I miscalculated the decreases on BOTH sides of the v-neck.  Ripped back and started from the neck decreases again.  It will one day look like this (from Vogue Knitting) but right now it's still OTN.

I am, in the meantime, enjoying my new copy of Amy Herzog's latest book.  I borrowed Knit to Flatter from the library.  Love the explicit instructions, detailed schematics, and methods for modification.  I will buy it, but decided to get Knit Wear Love to start.  Love it.  Love the patterns, the styles, the 'meta patterns' that are a foundation for adding different elements.  Each pattern has three styles and three gauges provided.  This versatility is great for me.  I hate knitting in fine gauges, and find it hard to modify a pattern to a different gauge on my own.  Don't get me wrong, I'm quite capable of doing the math and re-writing the pattern to my new numbers.  In theory.  But I don't have time or energy to redo a pattern to a new gauge, only to find it didn't work.

My only complaint is that the pattern tells me how many skeins of a certain yarn I'll need, but doesn't give me total yardage.  This means I have to go online, find out how many yards are in a skein of a given yarn, and then determine how much I'll need for my size.  Not a big deal, but I prefer the total amounts right on the pattern page.

I love several patterns already.  Lots of styles appeal to me in different ways.  Depends on my mood or where I'll be going with it on!  I will be reading and rereading this to pick one to start with.  As soon as I finish my vest!

taming the teenager

My Lorelai Shawl (named "Rory" on Ravelry because that's more 'me') is slowly taking shape.  I've decided to go for it, and fix my mistakes along the way.   The arrowhead pattern goes two stitches askew in the navy section, I have a mistake on the second half of the yellow band.  I am sure it will be lovely when it's done and only I will see the mistakes (unless the designer happens to stop by while I'm wearing it - she lives on the west coast so I find that highly unlikely).  I do love the pattern, and the colours, and look forward to wearing it with a tee and my jean jacket this spring.  Much like parenting, I'm letting go of the little mistakes so I can enjoy the process and the product.

Uncooperative

My Lorelai Shawl is lovely... and uncooperative.  Much like Lorelai herself at times.  I can follow lace patterns fairly well, charts and written directions.  I have ripped out the lace (starts with the navy) twice after four rows.  Stitch count is off, pattern is not appearing (the arrowhead lace).  My shawl is an uncooperative toddler who won't follow the rules.  Let's hope I can get it to cooperate!

On a less frustrating level, my Mai Tai yarn has arrived!  It's bright and spring-like and "grapefruity"!  Thank you again to the Berroco blog for the prize, and to Thea Coleman for the pattern.