Sharing Needles

I've been dealing with tendonitis to the point where it's painful to lift or twist with my right arm. My Dr. said no knitting! Bah.

So I finally found a craft I can do with yarn - with my left hand! Needle felting. Meet a few of my new friends.

Sam:

Belle:

Maud:

Stonewall:

Branch

Large Boned Leaf Shawl

I started a shawl using Kauni yarn a couple weekends ago in Bemidji. I was visiting my friend Amy. Her cat, Kegan, could not get enough of the yarn! He tried to stick his little nose inside the yarn. When I put the project down, he nested on top of the shawl and rested his head on the ball of yarn. So cute, wish I had taken a picture of it now.

Anyway, the shawl is done. I think it will be a gift for Amy because she also liked the shawl (but I don't know if she liked it as much as her cat did).

I have been in the mood for small, easy projects lately. I started and finished 2 last week and now this one this week. I think it's because of my low energy, the thought of making a sweater daunts me. Maybe next spring I'll feel like a large project again.

Nice Dye Job

I started a Scrappy Lengthwise scarf a bluesy type project for a traveling scarf. I put it away though, and started a different scarf. When I needed to grab a quick, fun and colorful project, I grabbed this, last weekend when we went to Emma Krombees for a fun escape.

I usually pull a skeinlet out of a bag at random and put it in. This time, I pulled out a lovely skeinlet that reminded me of the fall colors. I knew I had 3 more, so I dug them out and put them all in.

After that, I knew I needed something dramatic on the other edge. I wanted orange, but had no orange yarn. 1 1/2 packets of orange and blue Kool-Aid later and I had my yarn.

The finished result is so pretty. I love the way the tertiary colors blended together, even though it was all a happy accident. I wore it the next day, it was perfect weather for a slim decorative scarf.

Soaring!

The good news - I finished 2 of my projects that need to be done, and am 2 squares away from finishing the donor blanket. More about that in future posts.

What have I been up to?

I have learned to spin! First on a drop spindle where I discovered that I like top whirl best. And then Patty at Silver Creek Cabin let me learn on her wheel and borrow it for awhile. I had a 2 hour lesson at the shop. The next morning I sat at the wheel in my kitchen and it just soared.

Here are my first results:

New Plan

If you've been following my blog for some time, you know that I love to make up new plans on what projects I'm going to make and the priority that I have for them. And then, a few weeks or months later, I come back and act like I made no such plan. I go and start more projects that weren't on any list, scrap what I was planning and hide the evidence. Except of course, I had journaled here, so I can't hide ALL the evidence.

I admit it, I'm a flighty knitter.

However, I have made a new plan. Now, before you start laughing and making snide comments, this one is different - really!

Lately, I've just been tired of having a craft room that no longer has a clear path and I can't find what I need. I have too much yarn that I have no love for anymore. Plus, there are some patterns that I have been wanting to make for awhile and just have not been able to get to it because I am a flighty knitter.

Last weekend I pulled down 2 boxes and 1 large bags of yarn to get rid of. I'm currently in the process of listing it all as a destash on ravelry. I also identified patterns that I truly do want to make and am tired of putting off. I am keeping any yarns that I need for those patterns, of course.

What I have left on my shelves for yarn are the ones that I need, the truly yummy that I want to keep and some souvenier yarns. It feels good to have that sorted out!

And here are the patterns that I would like to or need to do next:

1. Pair of socks for my prayer swap partner (in process)
2. Blanket for niece for wedding (need pattern & yarn)
3. Pair of socks promised to husband (need pattern & yarn)
4. February Lady Sweater (will use the sublime)
5. African Adventure Bag (have the Kauni, this may be a fair project)
6. Milkweed Shawl (using the WM)
7. Baby Surprise Jacket to try the pattern (have the yarn & pattern)
8. Ogee Tunic (need yarn)
9. Rivendell sock (have yarn and pattern)

I really hope I can stick to this list because I think I need to. The good thing about this is that if an irresistable pattern comes along, I can fit it in between the others. The only things that are must knits are 1-3. And yeah, don't mention the fact that I said I don't knit for gifts anymore. I guess I'll eat my words.

Wish me luck!

How to Knit a Shawl in a Week in 5 Easy Steps

Step #1
Sigh over a shawl pattern shortly before your anniversary. Say that you'll just knit something else and do this one later, when you have the money for the yarn.

Step #2
Have an anniversary weekend. Have a fantastic husband who gives you 1 skein of yarn - that has 1450 yards in it, perfect for above mentioned shawl.



Step #3
Have husband go into hospital for a kidney transplant. Also, must take week off of work so you can stay at hospital and knit.

Step #4
After husband is home from hospital, sit and watch movies with him and continue to knit.

Step #5
Complete shawl. Ask husband if he can take some photos. Have goofy husband continually snap pics so you have lots of them where you look pretty goofy too.

Hospital Knitting

What do people do without knitting at hospitals?

They pace and get jittery
They try to sleep
They look bored
They try to find something interesting in old mag issues

And at the end, they have nothing to show for it!

Knitters, on the other hand, keep occupied and focused and calm. And at the end of the day, we have something to bring home with us. A little memory of our visit to the hospital, something tangible and wooly.