Still Knitting (or is that knitting again?)

Well, apparently I lost my mojo for a while there, but I'm back on the craftual wagon, so to speak. Since Christmas, I've finished a \'whopping' total of 11 projects (in 6 months, not the best track record), a bunch of which were small, quick stuffed creatures (more on those later). I did finish the Kristi socks I'd been knitting forEVER, but after a few wears (DESPITE the 25% nylon content of the Arucania Ranco I used) accidentally felted them down too small to wear. It made me a sad faery as it took me almost a year to knit them. :( I still have them in my sock drawer - not quite sure why, nostalgia I guess.

I've also completed another test-knit for Patti of Patti's Patterns - the Dragon Wing shawl from Knitty First Fall 2011! Congrats on Patti for getting into Knitty - I highly recommend this pattern, it's a pretty straightforward knit and you end up with a very unique finished object.

However, the thing that's been my obsession as of late is this book right here:



I absolutely LOVE Rebecca Danger's patterns - I have five of the PDF patterns available through her website in addition to this book, and I've made four of the monsters in the 2 months since I bought the book and patterns - Frances, Albert, Toothy Joe, and Petunia. I'm also a member of the Dangercrafts group on Ravelry, which is a super-fun place, let me tell you. :) The next one on my needles will probably be Olivia - I LOVE her tutu.

As of right now, I have 3 WIPS, only 1 that's being actively worked on. I've got the Landon sweater STILL in progress (it's been a year and a half, no joke, but it's hard to work on a sweater in worsted weight wool on 40 degree C/104 degree F days), another test/sample knit for Patti that got pushed to the backburner to knit the Dragon Wing shawl, and Clockwork by Stephen West. I am so in love with the shawl right now - it's knit in two colours, and I'm using a natural undyed yarn (Knitpicks Bare Fingering Weight Merino) and a SUPER-BRIGHT rainbow gradient yarn (Lang Jawoll Magic Dégradé in colourway 50). I've been watching a lot of movies lately, and the back and forth garter stitch is just mindless enough that I can watch, but the increases/slipped stitches keep it interesting enough that I don't want to gouge my eyes out. I finished the only other active WIP I had - the Springtime Seaweed socks, check 'em out on my Rav page - so the Clockwork is going to get most of my knitting time for the next little while.

There's also been some spinning lately - I spun 4oz of a 70% merino/30% seacell blend into 436m of a fingering weight yarn that I've been trying to decide what to do with. It is GORGEOUS, and easily my best spinning job to date (yes, I am still working on a drop spindle - as much as I'd like a wheel, it's just not doable right now). I also spun 4oz of 100% BFL into approx 200yds of worsted for Petunia, one of the Dangercrafts monsters I made (for the Rav group's June KAL), and I'm currently working on the first batt I've ever spun from, a pretty white and lavender one with glitz called "Fairy Wings", but I will show you those at a later date.

Sorry for the lack of pictures - a lot of my recent FOs need pictures (or better, not-webcam pictures) and it's 2am, not the best lighting right now. Hopefully I will actually take said pictures and be back soon to share them! :D

Merry Christmas Eve!

Yes, this is the same Christmas tree from last year’s Christmas post – yes, I am at my husband’s grandmother’s house again, but this time I’ve been awake for 21 hours thanks to my overnights at Walmart. I just wanted to pop in and say Merry Christmas to everyone, and good luck to anyone that’s still working on their Christmas knitting. All of mine is DONE, thank goodness, so I’ll be spending the afternoon working on my Podster gloves, or possibly starting a stockinette sock (not sure I have the brain power to follow a pattern right now). I hope everyone is having a happy holiday!

Christmas Knitting Update!

ATTENTION ABBY AND SARAH! THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS IN THIS POST!

Okay, now that’s out of the way I can show off some pics! First of all, a FINISHED (if unblocked) scarf for Sister #2 (the aforementioned Abby):

(obviously only one end, but you get the idea). The green is Red Heart Super Saver in Medium Thyme, and the grey is Red Heart Soft in Light Grey Heather. All in all a pretty easy knit – even putting on the fringe, which I thought would be SUPER tedious, only really took me 45 minutes or so. I did have to modify the pattern, which is the Year 3-4 Scarf from Charmed Knits – as written it makes a HUGE scarf, and Sister #2 would have been swimming in the thing. Instead of casting on 57 sts, I only did 33, and knit till it was ~46 inches long, instead of 57 (and that was for the SMALL size). So yeah, Christmas knitting is 50% complete! :D

 

And now for the other 50%, I started Elf’s hat today:

Doesn’t look like much right now, but I’ve just started. No details on the yarn or pattern for now – want most of that to be a surprise for when she gets it. :)

I’m also test-knitting another pattern – this time a cabled stole – for the wonderful Patti Waters of Patti's Patterns (which are also on Ravelry). The sample is already partially knit; I’ll just be finishing it (it’s in Dream in Colour Smooshy, which I LOVE)

I’m on overnights now at the Mart of Wal, and having a GREAT time. You know when you’re overtired and everything is suddenly HILARIOUS? Imagine being in a near-deserted Walmart with people who are equally as slap-happy as you are for seven hours at a time, reading gossip magazines, playing with the musical Christmas stuffed animals, and restocking shelves. We’re very silly.

Okay, time for me to fire up the teakettle and settle in for some Glee and knitting – I’ve got my fingerless gloves on, a lap blanket (actually my Evenstar) and a pair of knitted socks, so I am cozy warm and ready to relax.

In which we actually have progress

So this is my life as of late (not pictured: crazy-insane hours at Wal-Mart). I’m gearing up to go on overnights (11:30pm-6:30am) the two weeks before Christmas, so my free time is spent sitting at this table, knitting, chatting online, and listening to music. I had a much-needed day off today in which, after going out for lunch with Elfie, I watched seven episodes of Glee (hello, my name is Wenchfaery, and I am a Gleek!) and knit on my podster gloves. I’ve finished the 2nd finger on the first glove after re-starting them so they should be done pretty soon. I’ve also made ZERO progress on my Christmas knitting. (Well, that’s not entirely true, I’ve made mental progress: I decided that the green yarn in the Slytherin scarf has to go, and I will pick up something more suitable on payday, and I picked out the yarn for the only other project I have to make)

 

I also had a good mail day today:

A few weeks ago I won a prize in The KnitGirllls 30th Episode/500 Ravelry Group members celebration: a copy of Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter, one of the few of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s books that I didn’t already own, so yay for that! On a related note, if you’re looking for some really awesome knitting videocasts to watch, I highly recommend both The KnitGirllls and Round the Twist with Carin – both very informative and entertaining.

 

I’ve been trying to write this post since 11am, it’s now 12:55am and I’m tapped out. Time to hit post! :D

Hello!

So I've officially, finally, started knitting Christmas gifts - and I think I'm going to frog the darn thing. Sister #2 requested a Slytherin scarf (yes, I know I said Gryffindor in the last post, but she's since changed her mind), and I thought I had the perfect green yarn. Turns out I don't really like the texture of the yarn in the 1x1 ribbing, so I'm trying to decide whether or not to a) pick a new green yarn entirely, or b) start the thing again in stockinette, knit in the round. Dilemma dilemma. I don't have the yarn for the one other gift I have to knit, but I figure one mini-Sister-sized scarf and a hat for the Elf isn't too bad (I've already picked out the pattern for the hat, and I could probably make it in a day, *and* it doesn't need to be finished until AFTER Christmas). I've also finished two socks, each from a different pair, which completely finishes one pair and leaves another half-done. I'm going on overnights at work for Christmas (1130pm-630am) so I've been trying to flip my sleep schedule, leaving me dopier and stranger than normal with not enough brain power left over for much knitting. I also proofread five books on natural disasters in the past week, so between work, sleep, and proofreading I haven't had time for ANYTHING.

To be honest, every time I sit down to knit I just want to cast on something new - the big thing lately is the Podster Gloves by the lovely Glenna C. I'm a big texter, and my phone has a touch screen-although I love my Totoro mitts, pulling my ENTIRE mitt off to check a text is just not feasible, especially when I'm walking to/from work. I haven't picked out the yarn yet, but I have a few ideas in mind.

I also want to make the Moso Netbook Sock from Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders-I picked up the book from BarnesandNoble.com for THREE DOLLARS (US, but still an AMAZING deal). I'd love to make this in Malabrigo sock, but I want it to be matchy-matchy with my black and blue computer so I'll have to hold off until I have the fundage for yarns again.

Ahh, yarn fundage. I was thinking about it a few days ago, and I've been on an involuntary yarn diet since AUGUST. I've been so broke that buying yarn has been the last thing on my mind, and now I'm actually starting to RUN OUT OF SOCK YARN.

I KNOW. It scares me too.

I've asked for some yarn store gift certificates for Christmas, so hopefully the yarn famine ends soon. :D

Sorry, no pics this time - I have to actually think about posting when it's light outside to get good pics, and as it's 12:41am, that's not going to happen.

All right, I'm going to do some more knitting and stay up super-late again (the record so far has been 630am). Ciao!

Testing

Testing blogging from my phone. Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3 . . .

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

I'm here, I promise!

So what's new in the land of Wenchfaery? Well, the biggest news is that I have a new job! Wooooo! :D I'm working at Wal-Mart - and before you say anything, I absolutely LOVE IT there. I work at the Courtesy Desk (Customer Service/returns) and it's 1,000,000x better than my old job. More money, more respect, and I simply enjoy the work more than the old job. So yay!

However, a downside of starting a new job (started the day after Labour Day) is that I'm a little worn out - I'm walking to and from work (2km each way) and it's a go-go-go kind of job, so I don't have a lot of energy left at the end of the day. Knitting has fallen by the wayside a bit - in the last month, I've made two socks (two different socks, each from a different pair) and a hat. But I'm finally settling into the groove of things at the Mart of Wal, so I'm hoping to have more energy to knit in the coming weeks (especially since Sister #2 has requested a Gryffindor scarf for Christmas this year *gulp*). I'm also hoping to get Sister #3's surprise gift finished before the 9th of November (she's going in for surgery, and I want to send something along with her), but that's crochet, so a different part of my craft-brain.

Tomorrow is - thankfully - my daaaay oofffff, wooo! I'm hoping to work on my long-abandonded Kristi socks which, according to Rav I started in March - at least I'm on the second sock? I only have four projects on the needles right now (which is pretty low for me) - Kristi, a pair of plain stockinette socks, socks that I'm testknitting for Welshmillie, and Landon, the Jordana Paige sweater I started in FEBRUARY (why yes, I let things languish, how did you know?) Do you think I can get it done to wear this winter?

Back from the Dead . . . with a knitting meme!

Bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting: knitting items on, or to be left on the street – possibly ninja knitting. Or pirate knitting.
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Household items: dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…
knitting socks- or other small tubular items- on two circulars
Dying with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with selfpatterning/selfstriping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Blog Silence . . .

. . . should be broken soon, when I have stuff to show you. :)

Hello all!

Sorry for the blog silence as of late - ever since the Knitting Olympics I've kind of lost my knitting mojo. I'm still working on Evenstar, I cast on for a sweater (Landon - more details on my Rav page, and I'm knitting a pair of socks for Patti, one of her new patterns she needed test-knit. To be honest, I've mostly been playing Final Fantasy XIII - which is AMAZING, btw - and spinning on my little Ashford drop-spindle. It's really fun,and I'm actually starting to get better at it. Right now I'm spinning a half-pound of undyed Coopworth - I'm attempting an approximation of fingering weight so I can knit myself a little shawlette out of it, but