Free Up the Needles

So far, the "project in every direction" spaz out is under control...but barely. The bear, and her dress and shoes and last minute bonnet are finished. My worry over the reception of a hand-knitted doll was not only silly, but completely unfounded. It was a hit. It was a BIG hit. It was raved over, and ooh-ed and ahh-ed over. It was named after me, and passed around, and predicted to be the doll their little girl carries around for years to come. It was received exactly as I was hoping it would be, and it was very fulfilling.

As for Lady (now Amanda)-Bear's clothing construction: The dress didn't take up as much yarn as I feared it would, the skirt was most of it, and other than a few pattern flaws (there are far more of those in that book than I expected) that I side stepped with minimal inconvenience, it knit up just fine. It was my favorite part of the project. It knit up quickly, easily, but not boring. It got progressively more lovely as it came closer to completion. The shoes on the other hand. The shoe pattern I was planning on using did not translate well to the bulkier yarn I was using. On top of it, the crochet instructions in this book are even more lacking than the knitting instructions (although there was only the one knitting instruction mistake I found). There's something about crochet that has always confused me just a little. When you slip into the first stitch of the last round and chain one, does that count as a stitch (if not specified) or not, or when counting your total stitches, do you count the stitch that your loop is coming out of currently as the last stitch, or do you slip into the beginning of the round and count THAT stitch, created by previous loop, as the last stitch? I can fudge my way through these things but it's taken me years to catch up little by little, one small mystery solved at a time, and it seemed like whoever wrote the crochet instructions in this book was confused in much the same manner. But, it could just be me. Crochet works better for me as my free-form medium. And, speaking of; lastly, the bonnet. Which I started and finished the night before the shower. It didn't turn out EXACTLY as I hoped, but much closer than I thought it would. I just free formed, trying it on the doll as I went. Everything turned out just right even though as I was finishing each stage I thought it was a stretch.

Now that the deadline is finished, the big question is: What equally fulfilling project will I embark upon now? I just found out that I'm having a girl, so I should knit something for her right? Something NOT pink for goodness sakes, since everyone else is supplying the pink even against my wishes. But then I have that sweater, that has been so close to completion for so long, that I dug out of my still packed bags the other day, which I knit oversized enough that I can probably wear it while pregnant. And then I have this intense urge to knit some very delicate and perfect lace, only digging out the thinnest yarn I've ever purchased once again just wields the same results: I'm all thumbs with something that delicate. I'm concentrating so hard on not dropping a stitch, because there's no way I could pick up stitches that small, that I can't follow a complicated lace pattern. The i-cord hat I started the i-cord for is easy to work on while on the phone or watching a show I actually want to watch, but then so is the legwarmer that I should really just finish, even if I can't ever imagine wanting to show my legs again, especially with something that makes them even more bulky than they already are. And then there's the mesh bag that I like the idea of, but as I'm knitting it I just want it to be finished. And I already had to frog practically the whole thing once because it was big enough to crawl into by the time I started on the straps, but I really want to make the same mesh bag with multiple different techniques, just to juxtapose them.

My mother wants me to start on another bear for my little girl, so of course I suppose that's what I must do next, if she deems it so. And I suppose that would be fun, but probably burn me out on them. Only now I really want to make a bear out of the variegated yarn I almost used for Lady/Amanda-Bear. But maybe my soon-to-be Ella will want her bear to match soon-to-be Maya's Lady/Amanda-Bear.

I've been alternating between all of them, five minutes on one, a couple hours on another. Right now I'm going to make meatballs and mashed potatoes with this great gravy from Ikea, and work on the last half of the sweater sleeve while I wait for it to cook. Hopefully it will be fulfilling, because I really need to feel fulfilled right now. Knitting myself a sweater when there are so many other people to knit for seems a bit selfish, but I need to free up the needles...yeah, that's it.

One at a time

So I've finished the bear from Clare Garland's Knitted Bears. I used a larger cotton yarn instead of mohair and the bear seems a little more sturdy than the ragdollish ones in the book, but I'm fine with that. If it's going to be a baby gift it's got to be sturdy. Unless the baby never likes it and it's just packed away for years and years before it's finally sold in a garage sale or given to Goodwill in a fitful spring cleaning.

Alright, that was just me worrying that my homemade doll will not be seen as a heirloom labor of love but as a floppy-legged, pointy nosed, beady eyed attempt at making a REAL stuffed animal. I'm sure it will be loved and I'm getting overly worked up. It's hard for me to give run of the mill gifts. I always want to give a gift that says it's 'definitely from Amanda, but just what I needed'. And sometimes that turns into something way over the top that is just weird.

Back to the knitting aspects of Bear. It took way longer than I expected. When I used one of the patterns out of Knitted Babes by the same author, it knit up almost overnight. This toy has more substantial body parts, but it still took much longer than I'd thought it would. ESPECIALLY the assembly. I spent almost as much time seaming as I did knitting the pieces in the first place. But I think once the entire thing is done it will have some of the charm I was hoping for.

Her dress is coming along rather quickly, but it's WAY bigger than I thought it would be. I mean it'll fit the doll and everything, but I never thought it would have such long rows or take up so much yarn for a doll dress. I'm probably going to have to pick up another skein, because I think the dress will take more yarn than the doll itself. Either way, it's coming along rather well without any hitches (knock on wood).

I have put the legwarmer by the wayside. But only because I have a deadline for the bear (the shower is this weekend). I still plan on finishing it when I'm done. Hopefully it will be a quick finish though because I'm getting really ambitious at this point. I started the sari silk i-cord to make the rag rug style sun hat to wear with a gypsy theme to the Ren Faire this summer. I crocheted a few bulky yarn cylinders to hold needles and hooks while I was waiting for materials for the bear. And lots of other projects that I make plans in my head to start. I will have to force myself to take one at a time. And I supposed that is my goal for the time being.

Who cares WHAT you're knitting?

The knitting has gone on hiatus for so long now. It's really hard to get interested in anything when things are so off kilter on all other fronts, even things that you're usually the most interested in. But I've been back in Michigan and feel at least a little rejuvinated. Then again, maybe it's just the snow making me feel all cozy inside and knitting is one of my coziest activities. And maybe it's because I'm going to be a mother for the first time this June and I've just got to knit 500 of the cutest outfits for my child to grow out of in less time than it took me to make them. Either way, I picked up the needles (the random ones that were hastily packed and brought with me) and have been working on a very simple pair of leg warmers I started a while ago.

Now, I'm not knitting the leg warmers because I need something easy, as is usually the case with me. I've been poring over patterns, and drooling all over them, but as I said, my knitting supplies were hastily and only partially packed and I find myself lacking the supplies I need to start a new project at a moments notice, as I've been able to for so long. On top of it, every time I mean to go to the yarn store, something comes up. Today it is snow. And I've just found out that the town's budget was cut and it takes them all day to get the roads plowed now. Although, we do have a four-wheel drive car. The bear I plan on making for my also-pregnant friend's baby shower might be worth the trip.

I do have to note that I made it to a Jo-Ann's the other day, the two-story one in Novi no less. I couldn't find a single skien that would work for me, even though I had 3 projects I was looking for. I couldn't even find the needles for one of them, and they were fairly common needles. Being hormonally drivin in just about everything these days, I almost had a meltdown, but narrowly avoided it. Which I'm rather proud of. Even if everyone else thinks I should be able to overlook the emotions and think rationally, they either have never been pregnant, or forgot what it was like.....or are just much better people than I am.

So I guess it's back to the oh-so-stimulating K1 P1 of the leg warmers. Actually, leg warmer, since I don't have another ball of the bulky green yarn that I'm using, and it's too late to divide the skein over two smaller leg warmers. I plan getting another skein though, even if the color is a little off, because in this new beginning to knitting I'm having, I plan to actually finish projects.

The Legend of the Lost cord

So I finally found the missing camera cord. And I had the battery charger and the camera. Finally the three combine to bring you: Updated photos on Ravelry.

I'm stoked about finally finding it and updating. And I've got a million versions of the creepy cute amigurumi to make for a lot of reasons now. I think I'd rather buy a ton of cotton ease since that's what you're supposed to use anyway, and it works so great. I love it. So much.

I'm also excited about this orange yarn that a friend of mine got and was flaunting and might copy the gloves she's making right now cus they're so cool. But it's about time to start on some big christmas presents. God, everything is flying by. I can't wait to have more time for knitting and a much more organized space to work from.

The Magical Mess Mopper-Uper

I've been in a lull. I want to say that big projects don't scare me and I can get them done as well as any sock or hat. But I've come here to admit today, that it would be a lie.

I guess it's a bit like life in general. Sometimes you have to put aside the fun for a month to get the job done when things get sticky. Sometimes you throw in the towel decide to have a few days for you, even if the time and money could be spent better, you can splurge a little. Well sometimes, you just have to put the big project on the back burner until things slow down.

From planning 3 blankets, to my first full size non cheating with big gauge sweater, oh, did I run out of fuel, let me tell you. I was thinking that maybe I'd never be a fast knitter again, just like I only have time for stupid fast reads anymore. But that's wrong on both subjects and it's time to knit unburdened with the FFF Fallback. Really Fun, really Functional, really Fast.

I decided to whip out a quick swiffer sweeper cover because the refills are expensive and we're trying to cut back (and I was out and really want to scrub without getting on my hands and knees). I realized while knitting it that just because it's Full of the FFF's doesn't mean it has to be shoddy or overly simple. I discovered knitted quilting. A super easy complicated looking stitch. It was all of the best things in knitting put into one, all of the Finest F's.

Totally Fun because it left me feeling a bit of accomplishment for whipping out such a nice looking non canon stitch even though it was super easy, and that with the perfect color choices looks rather too nice for a cleaning tool.

Completely Functional, because it can go in the washing machine and the dryer, it's tailor, and scrubs way better than anything swiffer puts out saving me a BUTT load of cash.

And so Fast that I started it and finished during one lazy night in watching a movie, quick fix dinner, and a few DVR's with my main squeeze without being so distracted that I didn't get to interact with him at all.

But when I finished the swiffer cover . . . and then I finished another one, I didn't want to get sucked into the knitter's monotonous repetition spiral. So I looked around for another similar stitch and came up with a renaissance faire pouch that I'm really stoked about. Just enough adornment that it could be considered "embellished" but not too much that it was as hard to make as it looks. And also, fun and playful at the same time. Meaning that I'm going to have to do another one with way less mellow colors and aim for Jester.

I'm so excited about them that the only thing I've been fretting about (cus knitting stuff you're excited about is a serious stress reliever) is where the hell my camera cord is so I can finally load some pictures of it onto Ravelry.

Enough FFF for the whole summer because I've decided I need 7 swiffer covers (one for each day of the week) and I need to churn out more of the bags to start off the online store with Jackie. I haven't even been able to tell her the idea for the bag yet so she can make a crochet version and it's almost done.

OH YEAH

I'm getting really close to starting ....THE Boots.  Probably The Boots that will rocket Jackie and I into our knitting stardom, haha.  I haven't been able to decide what to do with all the icelandic wool my glorious mom in law sent me, and I don't know if it's still got it's lanolin, but either way, it'll be perfect for the thick bulky stitch I'm going to be looking for and I've got the pattern pretty much done in my head.  I think I'll still have to go with the rubber spray paint for the soles, but am going to research more accurate methods and see if they're doable.  I want to start on them almost NOW.  But all the spring cleaning is going so well and I'll probably have to tear stuff apart around the house to really get going on it.  I'm forcing myself to wait until I have things a little more organized and the Transformer blanket is finished.  I think 3 projects at a time is very generous, haha.

One down, one to go.

I finished my first Walk in the Moss sock.  I really wanted to use the balbriggan heel but was having problems with the instructions in Folk Socks and was on a roll with the socks (which have been sitting back burner to the Subtly 80's sweater) and decided to use a generic heel just to get it done.  Especially because the socks aren't exactly perfect, a little loose, even though I was going for the big cozy sock feel, and the balbriggan heel looks like it is snug.  I still really want to try that heel, it just looks right.  Someone on Ravelry gave me some good advice in figuring out the instructions, but I still don't know what the hell I'm supposed to be grafting together after the heel flap, maybe it is what I think it's not, but should be, and maybe it's just something you have to start doing before you figure it out.  Anyway, it helps having someone there to figure out what you're being to dumb to figure out on your own, so I'm going to try soon. And now that I've finished this sock, basically winging the whole thing I'm really stoked about socks.  The trick will be not to cast on another pair before I finish these ones.  I'm totally the one sock (glove) wonder type.  When I got closer to the end I decided I wanted to shape the heel extra so that it angled inward with the foot since they're a little baggy and it would help avoid flappy toe syndrome that my store bought hunting socks even have.  It worked out especially well since I made it up on the go at a raucous party that was boring me.  Only I might have started the toe a couple of rows early because it's not too tight or short but it's a little close around the toes.  Nothing that should ruin them, but kinda takes away the 'room for shrinkage' notion.  The kitchener stitch went well even though it ended up differently than I expected.  I hate seams on my toes so I started my descending with a pretty wide berth, about 8 stitches, in between the k2tog's so that the decreases wouldn't be on the side of the sock but just barely on top and bottom of the foot, so the grafting ended up going top to bottom instead of side to side on the foot, but I think that works out perfectly for the seem avoidance plan anyway.

I just really need to find my camera cord so I can get my pictures on Ravelry.  And finish the other sock before I convince myself to wear the one I have alone all over the place, haha.  It was surprisingly warm when I tried it on, even though much thinner than most of the socks i wear around the house.

I had to frog a good deal of the sweater sleeve because I "memorized" a little bitty part of the pattern wrong, but it wasn't enough to get me upset.  For some reason it's either earth shakingly sucky to rip stuff out, or really exciting to get to do it the right way, feeling much more confident in how the fabric is turning out as you watch it grow.  Luckily this frogging experience resembled the latter.

I'm getting my mind wrapped around picking up the transformer blanket some more.  I really need to get it done, and am excited to get it done, but it's just such a huge project, the satisfaction comes in slow trickles.  I figure it won't take more than a couple more months if I just do two rows a day, but they're long rows. It's kind of like Terry Goodkind.  It's so good, even when it's boring it's not boring at all.  But there's just so much ahead of you, and so much strife, even though you've read the backs of all the books so you know that he lets happyish endings prevail, you're still daunted by all the obstacles you have to watch everyone go through.

It's getting time to start working on the christmas presents I have planned.  Probably start those after some quickie mothers day presents.  I just hope I can zip through them a bit.  

Been watching really crappy fantasy to knitting lately.  So crappy that the cheap burning job on the dvd's gets them stuck in your dvd player, frozen, for a week.  Also, while full of mouth watering fantasy cheezyness, still not super enthralling, so you end up watching it bit by bit over the course of days that end up numbering longer than you have them rented out for.  Oops, the curse of the irresponsible and late fees.

Megan's been reading books on cd and knitting.  I can't justify this while there is so much crappy fantasy out there that is so perfect when united with knitting, but I know it'll run out eventually when i get a long spurt of frequent free time, and am planning on some quality fantasy to listen to when the time comes.  Also just in time for the good weather, so I can knit, be outside, and entertained by epic adventures all at the same time.   Problem is we don't get quite as much good fantasy books on cd in at work as I'd like, and they're expensive as hell new.  Patience is key.  Plus I got Moreta: Dragonlady unabridged on mp3 cd for free from work because it didn't have a case. I think I can get it burned onto itunes...I hope.  But then, i'm not sure if I remember the books that came before that one, having read them, literally 11 plus years ago.  God I'm old. And I'm not even.  That's weird to think about...like trying to comprehend the size of outer space.

And lastly: Why does Legend of the Seeker have to stop airing new shows as soon as I get caught up? And why does Heroes have to start being vague and unsatisfying again less than one season after I get DVR? And why can't I find BBC's Robin Hood on TV? Everything I find online says it's still airing, although some of the casting changes, and planned casting changes seem like they would HAVE to completely ruin the show, I still want to watch.