November EOM Progress

ARRRGGG! Again, I didn't manage to finish my OWL.

The Hat Time Trial followed by the enui that followed it, cost me. I knew it was going to be close and the OWL was the only thing I worked on for the full last week of November (sadly this includes housework, so, um, yeah - now I get to clean house today - lol!).  By Friday at noon, all I had left was the button-less button band. Approx. 93" of 22 stitches of K2, P2 Ribbing. I did 3" during my 30 minutes of lunch, getting me to 38". Which left me with 57". At 3" in 30 minutes, or 6" in 1 hour.... that would be 9-ish hours of knitting left... plus seaming and weaving in the final ends - so approx. 10 hours. I was only going to have 8 hours left before HPKCHC end of term.

SO CLOSE. SO DARN CLOSE.

But, if I wasn't going to finish, I wasn't going to stay up all night trying to finish.

So, instead... I tried to tackle some of my other class ideas.

COMPLETED:
1 mochimochi snowman

This took a LOT longer than I anticipated and I had a lot of trouble with it. I didn't have any fingering weight white yarn to use - so I used sport, but same size needles recommended (even though I'm a loose knitter -with the idea larger yarn would compensate).  It's certainly cute. And my son claimed it 2 seconds after I finished it. But I will most certainly NOT be making more like this. I might end up trying to see how big they end up with worsted weight yarn on size 3... but if it's as fiddly to start as this is? I probably will come up with a different ornament to make for my son's teachers at school.

Previously posted:
41 hats
2 cowls

ON THE NEEDLES:

My so-close OWL
This is a shot of the body being blocked pre ends woven....

Here's a close up on the colorwork, for a night shot, it's actually somewhat true to the color.











The Mario Hat (hat is finished, just none of the duplicate stitching yet):

And lastly, one little leg (all alone) of a teddy bear:

I also had my TKGA Master Knitter Level 1 hat to start... but it was 10:30 pm, I was tired... and that is NOT the time to try to start a master knitter project.

I may sigh and whine about what I didn't finish. But, honestly? I got a TON done this month. I just need to remember that being a single mom working two jobs? No matter how cupper-crazy I may be, I have boundaries and it's ok. Because... lookie what I did get done!  Seriously? I have a lot to be proud of, you know?

So, my plan for December is to rest and recharge! There will be knitting. And there will be FO's posted. But they will be whatever they will be based on motivation and moments. And no official plan.

November Planning

DETENTION - November 1st

I started a hat for the class I teach on making these hats on Oct 25th (first night of class).  And finished on the evening of Nov 1st (last night of class).

Yes, I know - it looks just like a few others I have made. This is actually the 50th charity hat I have made this year (and I'm not even close to being done yet).


Defense Against the Dark Arts - Create something from your own design.

Yet another hat - same style, new color. Hope to start and finish tonight.

Then, I'm going to work on my OWL for the rest of the evening (Velvet Morning)... here's where she was when we left off a little over a week ago.

Sadly the colors are a little washed out in this photo. It's so hard to take a decent indoor shot and honestly? The weather hasn't been that great to try an outdoor shot.

But then ..... starting tomorrow.....

I'm going to dive DEEP into the Quidditch Hat Time Trials.

My goal?

Are you sitting down?

30 Adult Hats for Charity in 8 days. I have from the 3rd of November to the 10th of November. I'd like to do the bulk of them this weekend. And I probably won't work on anything else all week.

Then, the next focus will be working on the OWL. I have to finish it by Nov 30th... and there's 40% of a sweater to work on....so I will be busy!

I have NO idea if I will find time to do anything else... but if I need something to carry around and/or need a break, I will be working on the following:

Muggle Studies - assignment is to craft something inspired by games - a Mario hat for my 9 yr old son. It's crafted in two colors - then all the decoration is done with duplicate stitch afterwards, so it should be pretty portable until you are adding the colorwork.

Ancient Runes - craft with fiber containing a minimum of 50% cellulose-based fiber. I have some lovely corn yarn that has been itching to become something. I'm going to make a scarf for my daughter-in-law.

Headmistress Challenge - create swatches - I've been wanting to learn how to knook. And I can create ten sampler swatches that in the future could be seamed and turned in for detention as a scarf.

Charms - craft something to reflect a favorite season - I'm going to make a handful of mochimochi snowmen as Christmas Ornaments for my son's teachers for gifts.

Potions - that stubborn old TKGA Master Knitters hat that I keep procrastinating working on. It takes three colors (but doesn't specify which three colors) and the prompt is to craft something with a complementary color scheme.

Flying - craft something inspired by a flyer - I'm picturing a little girl in pigtails with her birthday balloons tied to the lawnchair getting carried away, but clutching a teddy bear. So now I can make a teddy bear that has been on my list for quite a while.

---

Yes, I know there's no way I'm getting through this list during the month of November.

There are a few items on this list that I need for gifts that can wait until December.... and there are a few items on this list that do not HAVE to get made at all, but that I'm eager to try to get to.

Basically, I'm going to be happy if I get through the Charity hats and the OWL. The rest of it? Just icing on the cake. And I'm pretty sure I can get through the pile of hats and the OWL as long as I make them the priority.

October Planning

• Finish my Ambiette for Detention - WIP the First, I hope; but the second will work if I can't quite get it finished.
• Small crochet item for fun for my Son - Oct 2nd - Food related item for Quidditch
• Get part-way through the colorwork section of the current project:  OWL - Velvet Morning (whole month)
• Dye yarn for the gradient yarn for Fingering Weight sweater - Chromatic
  (pre-October Planning) - Oct 6th -- turn this into Charms to get my yarn to blend in with my current rainbow colored stash
• Quick Hat #1 - Oct 6th -- turn this into Herbology for the "go-to" pattern that brings comfort
• Start (and hopefully get half-way through) said Fingering Weight Sweater (whole month) - For my mission of blending in with Muggles in the Order Mission
• Start and finish - Avril in April (rav link) (whole month) -- still don't know what class this would fit into
• Ten baby- or preemie-sized hats for the Period of Purple Crying project - Oct 10-26 Quidditch
• TKGA Submission Hat - Oct 13th -- still don't know what class this would fit into
• Baby ball -- Muggle Studies, I'm sure my dog will help me sell that this could also be used as a dog toy
• Christmas Stocking for Charity Auction - Pattern selected by winner (whole month) - Snowman stocking

So, one full adult sweater, a third of another adult sweater, plus half of a third adult sweater (in fingering weight, no less).

Plus 2 Adult hats.

Plus 10 baby hats.

Plus a couple of other small and not-so-small items?

Another busy month for me.

Plan on using stash for all but the Chromatic sweater. That yarn has been shipped, but not yet received. I am actually working from home today as it is supposed to be attempt number 2 at delivery.

September Planning

So much to do, so little time.

First up, a big project that I don't expect to finish until November.

Velvet Morning Cardigan - Rav Link

Made with custom-dyed yarn from Yarntopia Treasures with the base yarn from Knit Picks - Shine Worsted.

Stunning yarn. Shiny, lucsious and the color? just goregous.

Next the smaller (hahah) projects that I hope to finish this month.

• First up - a Striped Raglan sweater for my son - a test knit on Ravelry (so no pattern link). I'm using my favorite worsted acrylic - Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn... and it's coming along quickly.
• Second up - a short-sleeved sweater for myself - Ambiente - Rav Link made in a similar green to the pattern photos from NaturallyCaron.com Spa.
• Of course, there will be charity hats - hoping for two of them (minimum) - one of which will be my final item for my TKGA Master Knitters submission.
• I'm also planning a washcloth and/or scrubbie for an exchange.
• AND a Tardis pencil case.
• AND a 12" Blanket square - pattern TBD

I will feel more confident about this list once I get the first sweater finished and the second one started... and once I get one or two of the smaller items knocked out.

July end of month report

Well, the last couple of weeks were a complete bust as far as knitting went. I landed myself in the emergency room a couple of times and then surgery. But, am back on my feet and knitting again (finally) in August. Figured I'd clear the slate for what I did (and didn't do) last month before posting my plan for this month.

Sweater/top # 1 - Oceanna Shell - done & photos previously posted
Sweater/top #2 - Striped T - started late June - done & photos previously posted
Sweater/top #3 - Cabled Cardigan with dropped stitches. Still at the 33% mark - with no progress since mid-month post.

TKGA Master Knitter Level 1 - Swatches finished. But did not even get the hat started. I was working on my guage swatch when I got ill and pulled it out... will probably wait until September to tackle the hat again.

Charity Hats - completed only 2.
Seven Washcloths - didn't complete any in July.
Teddy Bear - postponed
Blanket Square - postponed.

So, considering the last ten days or so of the month was spent ill, I think I did a-ok.

July Mid-Month Progress Post

Finished:

Sweater # 10 - Oceanna Shell

This is the shell/top that I wanted to make out of Caron Simply Soft last month. I found a better 'brown' to go with the paint yarn that I wanted to use. The stripes came out quite interesting. This was a super fast knit!

Sweater # 11 - Striped T that I've been working on since the end of May. The ends? A complete nightmare. I tried knitting this three times before and carrying the yarn up the side, but I just couldn't get the edge where the yarns swapped to look right no matter what I tried. I decided to cut the yarns instead so I could 'fix' things when I wove in ends. Yeah. Oh, well. It's 'ok' - I don't 'love' the colors still. I shouldn't have even bothered, but I was having so much trouble finding 'good' yarn that I liked to work with that would work well with summer - and Patons Silk Bamboo is an awesome yarn for summery tops. I couldn't find sweater quantities, first. Then I could only find pastels. Since I bought this yarn and started this top ( and frogged it repeatedly last year )... I have since found some nice, deeper colors (like last month's top). Only those stores now don't carry that yarn anymore either... sigh. But at least I now have three tops out of the yarn I love, even if they aren't all in shades I love.  And - I might have enough for one more top stashed away still... depending on the pattern.

All-in-all - I also don't love the 'gathering' I have at the neckline either. This is a result of a bad decision on my part of altering the pattern to try to keep the neckline 'up' and knowing I was running out of yarn. As it was I ended up using white for the bindoff row (as I had six inches left of the tan after the last garter stitch row). I might end up frogging back to the last tan section and just working the garter stitch and bind off right there with the yarn I frog out.... the only thing keeping me from doing it right now is the fact that I'm still not in love with the colors. So, I am going to see about 'living with it' as-is until next summer and if I think I'll wear it more/like it better with the change - I'll do it. If not, I'm not going to bother.

Hat #1 for July (hat # 18 out of 40 for my 2012 goal) - no pic, it's black yarn and JUST LIKE all the others - lol.

On the Needles:

Masters TKGA Hand Master Knitter Level 1 - I have 14 out of 16 swatches completed (to my satisfaction) and have two swatches and a hat left to make for my submission. My hope is to finish the last two swatches and the hat either this weekend or next (preferably this weekend). And focus on the documentation in August with my goal of submitting it for review at the end of August. I have really struggled with the documentation side of things as while I tried to work on it while working the swatches (per recommendations) ... I just never got off the ground with it (sigh).

Sweater # 12 - Top down, raglan sleeved, white cardigan - covered in cables and dropped stitches. You will only be able to see the cables in the photos I'm posting - because the dropping of the dropped stitches happen near the end. Only about 25% complete (maybe a hair more) so I'd love to really focus on this as soon as I get the TKGA swatches and hat finished.

Hat #2 for July  - this is my 'carry around with me' project. I'm going to have a couple of hours a week (if not more) where I can't work on complicated projects... so I might cast on a couple more hats depending on how fast they go.

Planned, but not yet started:

Baby Blanket square - in red and gold for a Gryffindor baby... probably a mosaic pattern for a little bit of interest.

Teddy Bear - not sure yet the yarn, I'm sure I've got lots of options around the house and will go stash diving when I'm a bit further along on the cabled sweater.

AND THEN.... Ravellenics starts toward the end of July and corresponds to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics.  I have ambitious plans for that my dears. So, I really do need to wrap up the majority of my 'other' projects before it starts. I initially plan to do seven hats - one complex hat and six basic, same as every other charity hat I make. Then I plan to do seven washclothes (minimum of about 50 yards each). Then I plan to do as many more basic hats as I can squeeze out before the end of the games... I'm estimating 10, but I'll be happy with less and I'll be happy with more. They'll all just go into my Homeless Shelter Charity pile which is getting quite big.

July Planning Post

On the Needles with plans to finish during July:

Silk Bamboo Striped T - Currently at about 55% done.

TKGA Master Knitter Level 1 Swatches - Currently at about 55% done.

New Projects:

• Seven Charity hats
• Oceana Shell - this was originally planned for July; but the brown yarn I had picked up was a disaster in color match/mis-match to the Paint color I wanted to use for stripes. I had already completed a bolero in the paint color and wanted to make a tank to coordinate. I found the *right* color brown just before I left for vacation in June. Very, very fast knit on size 11 needles (awesome drape).
• Summery Cabled Cardigan - a co-worker stopped by with a picture out of a sales flyer and said that she thought I would look fabulous in something like it - and asked me if I could make it. Being the type of person I am; I read that as a challenge. Challenge accepted. I found some lovely summer Bam Boo in White; I am winging a pattern for a top-down raglan sleeved cardigan with half sleeves. There are six-stitch basic cables separated by a single stitch which will later get dropped (hoping for an open look and hoping that the six-stitch cables aren't going to over-power the garment). Framed with simple garter stitch for neck, waist, fronts and cuffs. I'm not going to bother with buttons/button holes as I would never button it. It'll be great for leaving at work to throw on when the air conditioning gets a bit too chilly.
• Teddy Bear - still need to pick out yarns.
• Baby Blanket Square - am going to use Gryffindor colors for a 12" square. I like working with two colors with mosaic knitting for these... but want to try a new pattern so I might have to do a little searching to find a new free mosaic square pattern.
• Seven wash cloths

Not a small list. Busy summer month ahead of me. But, I've got three afternoons where I'm taking my son for two hour tutoring sessions (should be prime knitting time) plus four days towards the end of the month with no child at home (which will definitely lead to good knitting time).

TKGA Master Knitter - more swatches

I really do need to learn some things about taking decent photos. These stink, but I was so excited to get a few more swatches done - I took them in low light (evening) and the color stinks. These are actually a bright yellow - not that you can tell from these shots. I did work on getting more close up shots thinking it might help.

These first three are the swatches for Decreases:

For me, the most challenging was the SSK - I do the modified version in my regular knitting which isn't acceptable for the TKGA program. I think I did a fairly good job keeping it somewhat similar in sizing to the K2Tog (as it has a tendency to look bigger than the other)... but we'll wait for the Guild to give feedback for sure.

This next one is swatch #10 which includes basic Yarnovers with no decreases.

All of these still need to get blocked, but all in all, I'm pretty pleased with what I'm getting.

Until I did swatch #11.

I had to redo it a couple of times because I can't count... sigh. Thought I had it finished; but then I noticed my SSK was enormous compared to the other stitches. Since I know that it tends to get bigger because it's pulling some of the slack from the other stitches... I went in with my knitting needle to see if I could remove some of the slack from the SSK and allocated it across the other stitches. Which seemed to work - until I looked at the back. I was creating after-thought gutters in the back of my stitches - LOL! NOT going to be acceptable. Seriously?

So, we will be redoing Swatch #11 again and paying extra special attention to the SSKs while I'm doing it. I've got some references and suggestions for improvement if the extra attention isn't enough.

June Mid-Month Progress

Finished:
Brioche scarf

Done with Cascade Eco Alpaca yarn - 1 full skein - just did 18 Brioche stitches until I ran out of yarn. Ended up squishy and cosy and really, really soft. I'm sure it will be extremely warm this winter. I had started this in May but just didn't focus on it much and it was my 'when I have a minute knitting'. I ended up frogging it a couple of times... but got it finished on the first of June.

One charity Hat Of the 3-4 in my goal:

Done with Wool-Ease on size 19 Addi Turbo Circular needles using Brioche. Looks just like many other hats I make. It's fast, it's quick, it's satisfying and it adds nicely to the pile of hats I will be donating to charity in the coming fall.

Double-Knit Hot Pad:
SIDE 1 -

 SIDE 2

Made with Peaches & Creme Cotton - just love how nice and soft this is... how thick it came out. It came out a bit bigger than I expected. But it's going to make a WONDERFUL hot pad for putting pans down. I didn't really have any big ones and now I do.

On the Needles:

• Top #1 Striped Bamboo T- about 45% done -
• Top #2 Bamboo Silk T - about 20% done -
• Masters - 9 swatches out of 16 + hat - about 45% done - separate post to follow with some details; planning; emphasis on what I still need to improve.

Still waiting to be cast-on:

• More charity hats
• X-rated Bridal Garter
• Felted Bag

 

 

 

More TKGA swatches

I've got four more swatches finished. A little ahead of schedule.

Here's the seed stitch swatch:

And here are three swatches that cover different types of increases:

I'm really thrilled with my progress so far. I'm certain none of them are perfect and that they might ask me to redo some... but isn't that the point of the thing? To do your best, get feedback and find a way to improve?

Anyway. I'm going to take a little time this weekend to focus on answering the questions and starting the report so that I don't have all the written portion to do at the very end.

TKGA Master Hand Knitter Level 1

I decided to attempt the masters knitting program last year. I was quite excited about it and ready and willing to learn new things. To take a critical look at my knitting and try to improve the quality. I had gotten quite FAST at knitting lots of things. I was learning a lot of new technicques and styles. But, I just felt there was an unevenness about my knitting that this program would help me with.

I planned on taking three months to knit all the swatches and prepare the documentation. It involves making several swatches that represent the best possible knitting you can do with several notes and or ideas of what to look for and what you want to try to correct.

I started working on my first swatch and even though I had been able to knit MORE evenly before? I suddenly couldn't. I had all the issues they talked about. And the more I did to try to correct them? The worse it got. I'd set it aside and work on something else. I'd pick it up and I would immediately get stressed out. (which is NOT the point of the program). I kid you not, I spent over 60 hours on that first stinking swatch.

It took me six weeks to do ONE swatch.

Enough was enough. I put it away in a bag and didn't look at it for AGES. Well, at least a year.

I started off working with wool since that's the recommended fiber for the program. Since I originally attempted this, I have since had my wool allergies worsen. I thought I'd be out of luck and wouldn't be able to complete the program... but then I dug a little deeper. Wool is only the recommended fiber (for pretty obvious reasons - it's very forgivable material AND it blocks like a dream). But if I improve my skills working with wool - while some of that will help me with working with the yarns I normally use - it won't all be something that would apply with acrylic or cotton. And sure enough - they totally accept acrylic or cotton submissions.

Using acrylic does mean that I'm going to have to REALLY work on my swatches because they won't block out as nicely as wool will and as such, they have to be darn good before blocking to get them to pass the program. BUT, everything I learn with working with them WILL apply to future knitting projects, and as such it really is a good use of my time.

My new plan was that when I got into the - it's only getting worse cycle - I would cut myself off. I would do the best swatch I can do within an 8 hour per swatch time limit. I'm going to still try to complete the program within three months because honestly? Without a deadline? It won't get done.

I picked up my first swatch and got started. I had to undo a couple of rows here and there - but within two hours I had a pretty good looking swatch. While I was at it - I knit up swatch number 2 - with a few less mistakes.

The next night swatch number 3 practically flew off of my needles.

Last night I completed swatches 4 & 5 in about three hours.

Seriously? Wow. What a difference it makes setting it aside for a year. I totally was stressing myself out over it last year - and that stress was bleeding into my knitting and making it uneven and awful. Now, I'm not saying the swatches are beautiful or that they won't need to be redone to correct mistakes. But they are SO MUCH better than what I was getting last year, it's not even funny. I wonder if it was partly that I read all that information about how to make things more even; and without stress incorporated them into my regular knitting? And now, it just comes so much more naturally? I don't know. I do know that I felt like I couldn't believe how awful my knitting was last year and this year I feel much more confident that I'm doing good work.

I don't have photos of all the swatches yet - but I'll post them a little as I work through it. I'll save the close-up glamour shots for during/after blocking.