Cleaning = knitting?

I attempted to continue my clean-up this week... and attempted is the key word here.  I pulled out my bag o'baby hat yarn. This was all bulky, pretty stuff that I had purchased specifically to make baby hats from the book Welcoming Home Baby. I had made several of them in the past, but they didn't make it into Ravelry, so I can't be sure when exactly.  In any case, I pulled out the bad and started weighing all the partial skeins to enter into my Ravelry stash. As I was going, I realized that there was very little leftof a few of them, and that I could quickly use them up.  So I did!

The Criss-Cross hat:

The Chunky Beanie:

The Dashing Through the Snow hat:

Even more exciting than the baby hats, though, are the socks for my beau! I finished his TARDIS socks!  They're knit mostly out of Malabrigo Sock in Impressionist Sky, and I loved working with this yarn!

I also finished Nora's legwarmers, but totally forgot to take a photo, so I'll try to include one next week.

So those are off the needles. Still in progress - but without photos because they look almost the same as last week - I have my stripey socks, Mum's Moonlight shawl, and Tara's shawl.  

And because it feels wrong to have just one pair of socks on the needles, I started my Cherry Sour socks (named for the yarn, not the pattern). I'm trying the Fish Lips Kiss Heel again, and it looks better this time. It turns out that I've been wrapping the yarn wrong for my purl stitches since, well, always. I think that's why the first pair looked wonky.  Here's what they look like so far:

I'm debating starting a new pair of armwarmers, but I feel like I should finish some of these other things first.  Maybe I'll let myself cast on once I finish a pair of socks.

Where does that leave me in terms of my goals? Not too bad!

- I want to finish my beau's socks by Sept 14, which is the next time I'll get to see him face to face.  DONE!

- I want to finish Mum's shawl by Sept 30, because then I can enter it into the My Sister's Knitter's KAL on Ravelry. WORKING ON IT

- I want to finish my stripey socks by Sept 30 to keep on track for the 26 Pair Plunge. ABOUT TO TURN THE HEELS

- I want to finish Tara's shawl by Oct 18, so I can send it to her without extra postage costs. MAYBE BE ADJUSTED TO DECEMBER...

- I want to start and finish the legwarmers by Sept 30, so I can get credit for my HPKCHC class. DONE! Just need to post them.

- NEW: Finish Cherry Sour socks by Sept 14, to keep on track with the 26 Pair Plunge and then let myself cast on some armwarmers. 

And that's what's going on in my craft world!

Slowly cleaning up

I have started the process of cleaning out my office. Most of my family is coming to visit in a few weeks, so I need to have room for everyone to sleep.  I've got an air mattress to set up in the office, but right now, my office is kinda covered in yarn... I started reorganizing my stash a few weeks (or months) ago, then got distracted trying to knit all the yarn.  Tonight, I pulled out all of my fingering weight yarn and entered it all into Ravelry. That... Took a while.

This is all of my fingering weight yarn, spread out on my bed. You can see, there's a lot of it. I've got several pairs of balls, because I like to knit two socks at a time when I can manage it. I've also got a Baggie full of little balls, ones that are too small to make much with. They're going to be used for my sock yarn blankets, I think, or maybe lipgloss cases. 

In addition to organizing my yarn, I have been knitting! First, finished objects! I started a baby sweater last week, you may recall.  I knit the 'We Like To Cardi' baby cardigan by Vickie Howell, from e Fall 2013 Knit Simple magazine, and i made the 12 month size. I used the mill end yarn that I ripped out of a blanket - I have no idea what it started as, but I used 73g of it.  I knit the sweater on US 6/4.00 mm needles. It took me four days. Four days! That includes weaving in ends and sewing on buttons! Ready to see it?

I also started and finished a pair of handwarmers from the leftover Lorna's Laces Solemate in Zombie BBQ. I think I used about 30g. The pattern is one of my own making - I cast on 36 stitches on US 3/3.25 mm needles, then improvise as I go. I wish I had been better about updating Ravelry as I made handwarmers last year, but I'm pretty sure I've got at least two dozen pairs now.

I've still got lots on the needles. I turned the heel and got past the gusset decreases on my beau's TARDIS socks:

I finished another color section of my stripey socks:

I got a few more rows done on Tara's shawl:

And I'm about 12" into Mum's Moonlight Shawl: 

I really SHOULDN'T start anything new, but... I'm a Not-Quite-First-Year in the Harry Potter Knitting/Crochet House Cup on Ravelry, and there's an assignment due at the end of September, so I think I'm going to cast on legwarmers for my niece.  

But! I do have goals!

I want to finish my beau's socks by Sept 14, which is the next time I'll get to see him face to face.

I want to finish Mum's shawl by Sept 30, because then I can enter it into the My Sister's Knitter's KAL on Ravelry. 

I want to finish my stripey socks by Sept 30 to keep on track for the 26 Pair Plunge.

I want to finish Tara's shawl by Oct 18, so I can send it to her without extra postage costs.

I want to start and finish the legwarmers by Sept 30, so I can get credit for my HPKCHC class.

Think I can do it??

Knitting and cake

Lots of stuff to show you this week! First, the knit FO:

The Fuss-Free Baby Blanket is done! It only took 16 days, but it was SUCH a drag at the end. The last round was 712 stitches. That's a lot. It was taking a really long time for each round, and it didn't look like much progress. But it's done! I've got just a teeny bit of yarn left. I'm thinking about making a matching hat, or maybe a stuffy. We'll see. 

Also finished, cake! My friend threw a first birthday party for her son this past weekend, and I made his cakes. There was the main cake:

And the smash cake:

And the 36 cupcakes:

Can you tell what the theme was? I'm pleased with how the cakes turned out, and so was she! And it looks like I'll be using the same cake pan to make a Minnie Mouse cake for her daughter's birthday in December. 

With the baby blanket finished, I started to focus on my beau's socks. I'm now about to turn the heel, which means I still can't take it out and about. But once the heel is done, they'll be much more portable. Oh, and while there is only one sock in the photo, I am doing two at a time, so the second sock is just as far. 

Speaking of socks, I've pulled out my grey stripey socks again. They travel somewhat better than the TARDIS socks, although I don't think I'm liking the two-at-a-time magic loop socks. I'll keep going, and I'll try it again before I make any decisions. I'll also try going toe-up and see if that makes a difference.  I'm not sure. I just really like my DPNs. 

I started a new project yesterday at lunch, when I forgot my socks at home. Luckily, I had a skein of yarn and some needles in my car, so I cast on Truly Tasha's Shawl by Nancy Bush. It's a free pattern that I found through Ravelry. I'm using I Love This Yarn in Purple. 

Finally, I cast on another baby project tonight. This one is We Like to Cardi by Vickie Howell, and you can find it in the Fall 2013 issue of KnitSimple. I'm using the unknown millends that I frogged a few weeks back. Because I cast it on tonight, I don't have photos, but I'll have some next week. This is my first attempt at any sort of lace pattern, and it's going okay so far. We'll see as it goes on!

Breaking out the sewing machine!

This week, I've only got one FO, and it's not knit or crocheted.  I've been working on my baby blanket (more on that in a bit), and it got big enough that it wasn't really purse knitting anymore. Technically, I could fit it into my Namaste purse/project bag, but that bag is big, and I tend to fill it with purse stuff and portable electronic gadgets and it gets REALLY heavy. So! I decided to sew myself a project bag!

I've been staring at all of the awesome bags on the podcasts I watch, and while I'd like one of the lovely box bags, I feel like that one would need an actual pattern to turn out well. Also? Zippers take me an awful long time to sew in properly. So I went with a drawstring bag, because I was sure I could wing it. 

I dug through my fabric box and found about a yard of fabric leftover from a set of curtains that I sewed for a friend's nursery several years ago. It's a Winnie-the-Pooh print, and I picked up some grosgrain ribbon to trim the top and make a drawstring channel. I made a rectangular bottom and reinforced it with a piece of cardboard, lined the whole thing, and did all of the trimming in one evening. And now I have a cute project bag for baby blankets!

I'm really happy with it, and I'm planning to use it for all of my baby blankets - which actually means that I'll be much more likely to have just one baby blanket going at a time. 

And speaking of baby blankets... I'm still working on the Fuss Free Baby Blanket. I still really like the look, but it feels like it's slowing down. It's knit from the center out, and every round gets bigger.  I just finished the second pink stripe, and I'm up to 588 stitches per round. So it makes sense that it's taking longer to finish a round. My purple and blue stripes are going to be less than 25 rounds, because I'm not going to have enough yarn... But I'm okay with that. I think it'll turn out well. Here's the progress so far:

The only other knitting I touched this week was a new project: I cast on the TARDIS socks for my beau!  I'm soooooo excited about these! The main colour is Impressionist Sky in Malabrigo sock, and it's just delicious to work with. He tried it on before I did the colorwork section, so I'm crossing my fingers that they'll still fit after that section. Once I get to the heel, I'll get him to try them on again. Cross your fingers for me!

And that's been my week in crafting!

A touch of start-itis

I just want to start knitting All The Things! 

I only have one finished object this week, and it's going at the end of the post this time, so if Lorna is reading, she can stop and still be surprised(ish) at her birthday present.

What's on my needles? I'm glad you asked! I'm still working on the Moonlight Shawl for my mum, but I don't have any new pics yet. I'm still working on some striped socks for myself, but they haven't seen any action for a couple of weeks, so no new pics there, either.

I did start a new baby blanket, because things just wouldn't be right in the world if I weren't working on one of those. I found this pattern from someone who posted in the Knitting Samurai Plus 1 podcast forum over on Ravelry. Steph is running a baby blanket KAL, and someone else was working on this pattern, and I just knew it would be perfect for using up some stash that was left after I finished the blanket and hat set for a friend. In 2008. The yarn has been around for a while, and I'd love to get it out of my stash. The pattern I'm using is called the Fuss Free Baby Blanket by Louise Tilbrook. It's a free download on Ravelry, if you're interested. So here's the best photo I could manage:

It's awkward to photograph, because it's a square blanket, but knit in the round on circulars. I have to say, I LOVE this construction! I'm just finishing up my first blue stripe, and I think I'll have enough yarn to do another set of stripes, then finish off with the white.  If there's anything left, I'll make some booties or a hat - this yarn WILL get used up!

I haven't started anything else yet, but I've come close. I stopped by my LYS yesterday on my way home after work, and I picked up two balls of sock yarn so I could finally cast on the TARDIS socks that I'm planning to make for my beau. I had already purchased two balls of Malabrigo Sock in Impressionist Sky (I adore that color!) for the main part of the sock, but I didn't have the black or white for the accents. I wanted to cast on as soon as I got home, but I held off. The accent yarns are Cascade Heritage Sock, and they look to be just a teensy bit thinner than the Malabrigo, so I want to swatch and see if I'll need to change needle sizes for that section before I get going. Wow, I've totally grown as a knitter! Back in the day, I would have just cast on, gauge be damned! 

While the ladies were caking up the skeins for me (did I mention that I'd really like a ball winder of my own?), I picked up the latest Interweave Knits - it's the Unofficial Harry Potter edition! I wanted to cast on all of the projects, right then. So, of course, I bought the magazine. There are just so many awesome things in there! I'll be knitting myself at least two pairs of armwarmers/handwarmers, and I put out a call to my friends on Facebook - if you provide the yarn, I'll knit you anything you want from there. With the caveat that it's first come, first served, and that you'll have to be patient, because knitting isn't fast.

And finally, that brings me to my FO, Lorna's birthday present. Lorna, if you're reading this, close the browser and go away now. Now!

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Just in case...

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Voila! A pair of socks! They're knit using Lorna's Laces Solemate in the colorway Zombie Barbecue, using US1/2.25 mm needles. I used 54g of a 100g skein, so I'll probably make myself some handwarmers, and a sock blanket square, and hopefully a hexipuff when I finally buy the Beekeeper's Quilt pattern.

And that's what's been going on in my crafting world! 

More socks? Why not?

I've been pretty monogamous in my knitting this week. A friend came for a visit, and I spent a lot of time hanging out with her and chatting. While we chatted, I knit her a pair of socks and she worked on a project I'm not allowed to talk about yet ;)

I finished her socks:

They're knit from Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy Socks in color 1767, using US 3/3.25 mm needles. 

I also turned the heels on my Dirty NOLA socks! Whee!

The only other project I worked on this week was Tiffany & Phillip's baby blanket. I'm on the fifth of six balls of yarn, so I should be wrapping that one up soon. 

I did spend some time browsing JoAnn and Michaels with my friend, and I picked up some more Smashbook supplies, and we also pulled out my Big Shot for part of her secret project, which made me want to make some cards, so I may have a few to show you next week. 

Of course, I might just spend the weekend cleaning up the yarn-splosion in my office... I was trying to tidy up before my friend arrived, but that sort of turned into sorting, which turned into organizing, which got cut short and is now yarn everywhere... I'm not sure you'll get photos, but rest assured, I'm thoroughly exploring my stash as I try to figure out where to put it all!

I can't think of a clever title.

I've made so much stuff this week! Of course, none of it was from my pile of old projects...

I started and finished a new pair of pink handwarmers, so I finally have some to coordinate with my pink clothes! They're knit from a self-striping sock yarn, Premier Yarns Serenity Sock from the Deborah Norville collection in Pink Sugar. 

I also started and finished a pair of socks for Karen!  I used Premier Yarns Wool-Free Sock in Vegas Lights. Karen hasn't seen them in person yet, but she loved the pic so much that she's asked for matching socks for the little ones. I've started the first pair, but I'm waiting on a few measurements before I can finish (hint, hint).

I don't have any photos of them, but I also crocheted two water bottle carriers to take to the Renaissance Festival this past weekend. I knew from past experience that it's hot there, and that I'd need to stay hydrated, but I really don't like carrying a water bottle in my hand when I'm wandering around and potentially shopping. I made these from Sugar & Cream cotton in various colours (leftovers from past projects), and each one took about an hour. One of the friends who came along had requested one of his own for next year - in a manlier color. 

Finally, I started a new project for me. It's a tank top from the current edition of Knit Simple magazine (but I don't remember what it's called, and I'm too lazy to go find it). I'm using Paton's Grace in Azure, and I'm very excited about it! It's been a while since I've made myself a knit top. 

So that's what I've been up to this week!

Sewing Machine Language

I spent the weekend knitting and sewing, and I finished a log cabin baby blanket and a dozen caps for the nurses at work to wear in the OR. 

Every time I break out my sewing machine, I smile. Not because sewing is fun and makes me happy (which is true), but because I remember the story of my Sewing Machine Language (which is always capitalized in my mind). 

Years ago, when I was living in my third apartment, my Gramma gave me her old sewing machine because she had just bought a new one. The old one was OLD, but still mostly functional. I'd been sewing for years, but this was my first time using a machine that wasn't my mom's. 

I was making a costume for a Halloween party - I was going to be a cheerleader, with a cute red-and-white uniform. Unfortunately, I had underestimated the time it would take for me to finish... So I was still sewing away when my mom called to chat. 

Things were fine until... Well, it was an old machine, as I said. Old enough that the handwheel connected to a motor outside of the machine with a belt. The belt was mostly covered by a protective piece of metal. Mostly. 

Have I mentioned that I have small hands? Tiny little fingers that fit into places they shouldn't fit into? I was talking on the phone and trying to finish up the line of top stitching by turning the handwheel, and I got my baby finger caught between the wheel and that protective cover. 

It hurt. A lot. And there was blood. And the language that came out of my mouth would have made my career-military father stop and stare. 

And I said all of these horrible words while I was on the phone. With my mother. Who I had been very careful not to swear in front of up to this point. 

She handled it well. She was quiet (possibly in shock), and suggested that she might call me back at a better time. 

Since that day, my entire family has referred to swearing as 'Sewing Machine Language.' Even though I have another sewing machine now (I inherited Gramma's newer machine a few years back), I still smile when I start sewing. And I make sure to end any phone calls before I start to sew. 

This is a horrible photo of the caps, because until they're on heads, they just look like blobs. 

This is a decent photo of the baby blanket, which now brings my stash of blankets up to a whopping total of two. 

How I spent my weekend

This past weekend was a little bit crazy. Every once in a while, I agree to take on a big project, and stress myself out by completely underestimating the time it will take. This time, though, my estimate was spot-on!

I made a wedding cake AND a groom's cake for a reception that was an hour away from my house, and started at 5:00 pm. I worried about the timing, honestly, especially on Friday night! I started baking at 2:00pm, and crawled into bed around midnight. But all of the cakes were baked and crumb-coated!

I woke up early on Saturday to get the rest going. I managed to get all four tiers frosted and covered in fondant, and get the supports in, before noon. 

Then I worked on the groom's cake. It wasn't what I had originally planned - I was going to do a big UGA logo, but it would have been next to impossible to get the cream cheese frosting coloured black. Instead, I went with a football sitting on a field, with a store-bought logo applied to the football. 

I'm glad I bought that grass tip! It definitely turned out the way I hoped it would. 

Somehow, I finished with enough time to have a shower, do my hair, AND put on makeup before my wonderful helper arrived to load up the car with me. 

I got all of the cakes, plus my camera and my toolbox in the back of my car, which is pretty cool, given how tiny my car is. With a bit of help, I got the cakes into the reception hall, then piped the last bits of beading and scrollwork, and added the flowers the bride picked out (which I had not seen until I arrived at the hall!).

I have to say, I'm really happy with the end result:

And more importantly, the bride was really happy with it!

So that's what I did this weekend. 

What I've been doing

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I've still been making things, even if I haven't been posting about them. Mostly, I've been making baby blankets. Karen had two babies, and at last count, 53 of my friends and relatives have had babies in the last three years. Yes, you read that right. Fifty-three.

Not all of them got blankets - that would have been the equivalent of a blanket every three weeks! I'm good, but I'm not that good. Earlier this year, I even did a display at a local theatre of photos of babies on the blankets I made. It was pretty cool (well, I thought it was), and the little old ladies at the theatre loved it.

I don't have photos of all of the blankets I've made, but here are a few samples: