Knitting trip

Today Mother and I drove down to Irvington, VA to look at a new yarn shop...or at least new to us. We had such a great time and got a lot of inspiration. We didn't buy much which made us feel very virtuous, but I did get something I really needed. Years ago I gave Mother a hanging organizer for circular needles and I have meant to get one for myself sometime. This is the first time I saw one in a store. Usually you have to order them. This should help me with my organizing project. I promised myself, as a New Year's resolution, to sort through all my knitting needles and project bags and organize ALL MY STUFF!!! As soon as I get home, I am going right to it and I am actually getting psyched up about it. We shall see!

Finishing Eli's Sweater

I can't believe it has taken me almost a year to get this one sweater done. I've made some socks and other thing in between, but this was the project that I wanted to get done most. Since I am about 650 miles away from Eli, and I had to have her try it on periodically, it has been slow going. It's a good thing I made it big. All I have to do now is make the garter stitch button band and sew on the buttons.

I did have one great success...the yellow buttons. I found a great place to order buttons...buttondrawer.com. One set of buttons had a black widow spider on it and that was what she picked. Eli is our nature child and she loves all sorts of things that creep and crawl. I ordered several sets, but I had a feeling that was what she would choose. Hopefully the buttons will arrive soon and the sweater will be on her by the weekend.

I know I knit something!

Where has this year gone? I know I have been knitting all year, but I seem to have so little to show for it. I have knitted sox and I have to remind myself that the guage is very fine and that means that, although they are small, there are a lot of stitches on the needles.

I've also been trying to rescue some old projects or reclaiming the yarn when that is not possible. I have been meaning to do this for a long time. I have a nice bit of yarn that once was a sweater for my son when he was little. It is in watch plaid colors and I have tried to reclaim it and knit something for his son. That hasn't been going well. I've tried several things and it just doesn't seem to work right. I hate to admit it, but the yarn may just be worn out. I don't mean it has breaks in it or anything like that, but it just doesn't seem to have any life to it. I think I am going to try one more time and after that, it goes in the trash if I can't work it out.

Knitting Eli's sweater

I feel like I have knitted this sweater at least 3 times. The yarn is soft and lovely to work with, but counting rows and measuring has been a real challenge. I finally ended up sewing the sweater back and fronts up to get the bind off for the armholes.

That worked and then I started looking for yellow buttons. That was a joke! I finally began looking online and met with some success. It was certainly cheaper than driving all over the state.

Time to catch up

I can't believe it has been so long since I have written in this journal. I've been doing more on my Twaddle journal, and have been neglecting all my others. I decided to keep track of all the books I have read this year. I did that about 20 years ago and it was a real revelation.

So, where am I on my knitting? I still haven't bought any yarn and I have been trying to complete some old projects. I did get the yarn for Eli's sweater, but that was a special request, so it doesn't count. I have finished the body and one sleeve, but waited until I was in Virginia where she could try it on, before I finished. The sweater fits perfectly, so I'll be working on it again.

I've also got several pairs of socks on the needles and will get to work on them also. I see that there are only 137 days left until Christmas, so I'd better get some of them finished.

I am in Virginia housesitting again and my sister has me going to all of her knitting groups. That should put some spark in my knitting life. I am looking forward to going to the River City Knitters group in Richmond. I hope that someone there can show me how to strand yarn when using the English/American system of knitting. I do the Continental style knitting, but I a knitting a pattern with two colors and I am doing the main color with the Continental style and the accent color with the other. I have it all worked out except the purl in the English.

I love knitting this way when I am using two colors. It is so much more efficient that carrying and twisting the yarn. I'm thinking about making it my project of the year next year. Two years ago, I challenged myself to make socks until I could knit them without a pattern and it really worked. I might even combine it with socks for some really nice Christmas presents.

The lavender sweater

I have got to get back to this lavender sweater. It is a fluffy yarn and will be good for either of my granddaughters, but I am having a lot of trouble getting back to it. I don't know why I have gone off of it; I liked it perfectly well before I started Eli's sweater, but now I can't bring myself to start working on it again.

I think this is one that is going to end up being taken to Virginia. I'll be up there two months and am bringing all my FUO's. I am going to force myself to work on them. I don't understand why I have this reluctance, but I know I am not alone. It seems to me that I would look at the project and say, "Wow, I only have one sleeve and this is done." It's like being given a project with most of the work already done and you only have about 10 more hours to work on it and then you have a nice completed project. It doesn't work that way though. Once something gets shifted back to the UFO pile, it becomes harder and harder to work on it. Oh, well. I guess that is just the way it goes.

Eli's sweater

I am still working on Eli's sweater. I broke my rule and have ripped this sweater out twice. Since Eli picked out the yarn herself, I can't just keep on knitting it for whomever it will fit. I seem to be having trouble getting things to fit. I work a stitch gauge every time I start, but I must be changing my tension a lot when I actually work on the sweater. Things keep getting either too big or too little.

I decided to knit the sleeves in the round on double pointed needles. I hate to sew things together and hopefully I can figure out a way to do this all the time. This worked perfectly, but the sleeves seem to be pretty big. I think I might have to set this aside and wait until she can try it on.

Sweater for Eli

I'm starting a new sweater for my granddaughter, Eli. We went to a knitting store in Williamsburg and she picked out a bright yellow yarn for the body of the sweater and kelly green for the trim. It's a darling pattern and should go very well.

It was fun watching her in the store. I think she is going to be a knitter. She looked at the yarn "respectively...with the kind of look that knitters get. She was compelled to reach out and touch the yarn and when she made her choice, she really looked all the possibilities. I'm going to be going to Virginia in the summer for two months and I am going to try to teach her to knit then.

Socks for Addie

Around Christmas I saw some stretch sock yarn on sale and thought I would give it a try. I didn't have a pattern, so decided to use the tube sock found in Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. It said cast on 48 sts., so I did and it is turning out so small. I didn't have anyone in mind when I started, but I think they are going to be for my 6 year old granddaughter. That is one of the things I love about knitting socks. I don't worry too much if my gauge isn't exactly right because I decide who to give them to when the socks are done. I used #1 needles and am very pleased with the way the yarn is knitting up. The colors are pink and green and there is a nice blend.

I was looking through all my knitting catalogs and I just had to wonder at all the choices we have in yarn. I am amazed at the richness and variety. I remember the lean years when you could only get Red Heart and a few other brands without traveling to the city to find the one and only yarn shop. It wasn't like that when I was in college in the 60's. Back then Department stores were actually department stores, not just glorified clothing stores. There was a housewares section, yarn and needlework, and fabric section. I could lose myself for hours. Then came the Hippie years and we had quilt fabric, macrame and all sorts of fun things. I cringe at some of the things I made, but still I was able to find materials for my hobbies.

But then something happened. I think it was a huge shift in retail. Corporate executives wanted to only look at the bottom line. Whatever sold the best is what we got and that was clothes...clothes, and more clothes. Store owners were no longer able to order what the people in the area actually wanted, but were forced to accept the dictates of Corporate policies whose leaders only worried about the bottom line. If you don't believe it's true, then follow the history of Walmart. It's a far cry from what made the store so successful in the beginning. OK, off my soap box. I'd better go look for that camera.

New Year's Resolutions

Well, last year's resolutions didn't turn out badly, so I am encouraged to make more this year. I got in the habit of thinking of my stash first before I bought yarn, so I think I am going to do that again this year. Same rules, but I will allow myself 2 get out of jail cards this year. This being the second year of "Lent" I'm allowing for a little more weakening.

This next resolution I am actually excited about; I guess because it is creative. I am just going to start with one bin and start making things...whatever the yarn tells me it wants to be. If my project ends up being too small, I am not taking it out once it is past 4". I'll just finish it and give it to charity or save it for my great grandchildren.

This resolution has left me feeling so much better. I'm sure my "knitter's imaging" will come back soon enough that way and I will enjoy my knitting so much more.

I am resolving to do one more thing which I hope to have done this month. I am dragging out all my knitting needles and other supplies and putting them in one place! After having a big house with 2 sewing rooms, I have things stored in all sorts of places. Now that I am living in 1/3 the space, I don't have enough room to keep everything. I also have lot of projects I lost interest in. I am going to finish whatever I can and gather the needles and yarn holders. I bet I have 100 stitch holders at the very least. I need to inventory them and get rid of the surplus that I will never use.

Now, if I can do as well as I did last year, I will really feel like I have accomplished something,