I am very fortunate that I don't get carsick... knitting in the car is one of my favorite pastimes... on our way to Roanoke to shoot a wedding!
I have this new and thankfully temporary task at work... I am scanning files into a program. This means that I sit here for an hour or so with nothing to do but feed paper into a scanner. I am currently doing so and about to be driven insane by the scanner's constant "FOOOP-veep"
sigh.
In my last yarn order from Peaches and Creme I ordered myself some bulky charcoal grey 100% cotton yarn in a decision to make a sweater for myself to wear at work.
Coming up with a pattern/ mental idea that I like is proving very frustrating. Saturday I spent a fruitless two hours pouring over patterns on Ravelry.
I had this vision of a fun cardigan with a leaf pattern in relief traveling up the front edges. My main downfall in this plan is that I only knit top down raglan sweaters... because they are seamless and I like the look.... all in all i am very frustrated and will probably end up with something super plain but wearable and cute... hopefully...
I did find a super cute pullover sweater pattern with cabled owls around the yoke. Maybe I will attempt modifying that pattern for my work sweater.
First I have to catch up on all of these baby projects...
Oh the frustration.
Once again my house has swallowed up the cord that connects the point and shoot to the computer...
In other news... Mark and I had a very rare and coveted weekend at home with no places to go or people to see except eachother.
Glorious.
We got a lot done around the house and my knitting was generally neglected... except during the second half to the Tech vs. Miami game. ***the first half was way too interesting to knit but once we started pounding them into the mud so badly I picked up my project and enjoyed the backgound noise of Lane Stadium coming from our tv.***
We ran errands in the West End, decided that Mechanicsville is the place for us and did lawn work like crazy people. I dug up some pretty hideous Azalea bushes to find out that they had some sort of mold that was causing their near death appearance. I happily crammed the bushes into our trashcan and planted the entire strip along the side of our house with Daffodil bulbs (90 for $20 at Costco right now folks!) hard work... saw four different and equally huge spiders... but will be well worth it come springtime!
Sure was hard going back to work after so much fun and relaxation. Not too awful though because Fall weather has finally set in and my lunchtime-bench knitting-sunshine soaking time has been just right. Only problem is that my allergies have been horrendous this week.
Such is life.
Sometimes you just have to suffer for that Vitamin D boost.
A few months ago I broke down and bought my first pattern on Ravelry. Its a baby sweater... suprise... The pattern is so clever and cute and knits up quickly...its just perfect!
I have made 4 of them so far and each time I get a little better at perfecting the teeny things about a project that no one usually notices. I have, in my opinion, perfected my technique for provisional cast on and kitchenering the hood... and have even managed to start the sleeves without creating giant holes in the armpits of the sweaters!
I tried three different methods for provisional cast on and absolutely by far THE best method can be found HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqWfea8oOH8
Using a crochet chain as a base to hold the provisional stitch beginning is much better than using a spare circular needle or plain peice of thread. It holds the stitches well and evenly without being overly bulky or inflexible. Most importantly it keeps the project looking pretty and tidy as we know... noone wants to knit a sloppy ugly project... its the sloppy ugly ones that get thrown to the back of the U.F.O.( Un-Finished Objects) Closet.
Kitchenering; however, is a whole 'nother problem in itself... every time I have to kitchener the hoods of these sweaters together I have to watch the instructional video again.... and again... and again. I did finally figure out how to make the kitchener look like purl stitches. this really helps to blend the brim of the hood into the rest of the project without making a funny looking flat seam front in a very visible area of the project.
In reality... the best thing about the pattern is that even though I have made it over and over again in different sizes I still love the pattern, learn something new about knitting every time and don't get bored while knitting it up.
Pictures later!
Well first of all the last post was in April. Yipe.
A lot has changed since April... The opening of the Etsy shop has been derailed... maybe not derailed so much as indefinitely postponed.
We simply do not have the time. Our hobbies must remain our hobbies. It brings us joy to create gifts for loved ones. If we start peddling our wares on the streetcorner now our knitting and quilting projects will cease to be a source of relaxation and become a second or (in some cases) third job.
This just will not do... and, as I am in desperate need of a place to jot down my many knitting hints, pointers and techniques... more for my own remembrance than anyone else's... I shall commence to use our blog to journal the comings and goings of life in our part of the world as well as my sucess, and sometimes woes, with knitting, photography and other items of craftiness.
Phew. Its been a busy month. We really are working hard creating projects for our Etsy shop...
Working 9-5 and doing housework sure does get in the way! Projects are still being made, it is our "therapy" after all.... its the "web-developing" that has suffered.
I (Erin, the older daughter) have joined Ravelry this past week... Its a great networking site for knitters and crocheters and is proving to be super helpful in getting new ideas and projects going. Look for me on Ravelry... HokieBee... I always love meeting fellow knitters!
Last month I knitted up a storm as I attended a baby shower for some close friends of my husband and I. They are having a little girl so I made a small rabbit doll and named her Hetty. I also completed my first sweater knitted with 100% cotton yarn and I must say I will never go back... except maybe wool for hats...
I lost the photos of Hetty and little Addison's sweater... sniff sniff... but am cranking projects out like a madman during my lunch breaks at work and will soon have new knitting pictures to post.
Keep checking with us, we should be posting items on Etsy within the next month.