Not a concern

I have been a good little knitter and finished my brother's birthday gift with a week and a half to spare. Hopefully I'll be able to give it to him on the day. My mom think the hat is to big. I think his head is large and will grow into it. I guess I won't know until he puts it on his head.

I worked on the Earth & Sky shawl on and off today. At the very least, I can complete the small size quite soon but I am pretty certain that I'll be doing at least a medium.

I'm working on the second repeat where I have to use the Miss Babs Inkwell colourway and I'm wanting another skein. I don't know if I'll have enough left over at the end to make something sock related. I'm going to look and see if I can get another skein, especially since it's an exclusive colourway to the Cookie Sock Club.

The thought of this makes me want to go back to sock knitting. Also the fact that I have a bunch of handknit socks that need to be washed. That'll be a job for the morning.

And with that, I think the shawl will be put down for a couple of days and a pair of socks will be the next project. Surprisingly though, I'm not that excited about the new shipment for the sock club...well I am excited for the yarn itself but I am not ready to start a new pair of socks. I think I want to finish up what I have.

Year of Projects: Week 14

I have had a very productive week.  I still didn't finish the test socks for Ladder to the Sky but I did accomplish a lot of things.

I was at my dad's house last week Sunday and my brother RJ reminded me about the scarf I had promised him from so long ago.  He even offered to pay me money from his piggy bank if I would make him a scarf sooner.  I couldn't take the money from a 12-year old boy.  Besides, he couldn't open it and it was already on the needles.  But I can say that my brother RJ will be able to get his scarf before his birthday and it is finished!

It just has a couple of ends to weave in and a creative way to give it over.  Almost immediately, I started on the matching hat, the Irish Hiking Hat.  I just have one more cable repeat before I start on the decreases.  It's a pretty easy knit.  It has a good chance of being finished this week.

Now to the next project.  I have to start from the beginning of this little dilemma.  I borrowed a set of Harmony Tips from the Knitting Circle on Tuesday.  I have never used them before and it was available in the size I would need for the Earth & Sky Scarf, that I would not be starting for a good couple of months due to the other projects I have to finish first.  I brought four skeins plus one caked yarn to the Circle as well to get some opinions as to what colour yarn I was going to use.  Judy, a fellow knitter and crocheter chose Tanis Fibre Arts Blue Label in Charcoal, Cascade Yarns Heritage Silk in a Teal colour and Springtree Road Muscadine in Dark Aoife.  They are beautiful together and reminded me of a dragonfly.  I went home with the tips and my yarn selection and like a good little knitter, I picked up the Irish Hiking Hat, and continued to work on it.

The next day, after a long day of walking around Downtown Toronto, I came home, looked at a ball of dish cloth cotton and I could swear I could see the Harmony Tips calling me saying "You want to use me!"  The next thing I know, I'm clearing the dresser in my room and setting up my swift and started to cake the Tanis Charcoal and the STR Dark Aoife.  Before I went to bed, the Earth & Sky Shawl was well on it's way.

Believe me, there was determination to do it to.  I have never had to start a project 4 times, but I did it for this one.  First time, I didn't understand how the colour order would work and I started with the wrong colour.  Ripped it out to start again.  The second time, I had the colours all in the proper place. I was supposed to do a garter stitch section.  I did stockinette.  Ripped it out and started again.  Third time, I did start with the correct colour but mixed up the order.  After that, I realized that the Cascade Teal yarn was having issues with me.  I kept getting huge clumps of yarn because somehow, both ends of the yarn ended up in the middle and would both come out in tangled mess.  As much as I love that Teal colour, the patience with that yarn was at an end.  I grabbed my Miss Babs Cosmic Hand Painted Sock yarn in Inkwell I got for the last shipment from the Cookie Sock Club and put it on the swift.  I ripped the entire project back out and started again.

I could not be happier with the progress that I'm making.  I learned a lot from the process and for anyone else who is doing this shawl, from the beginning, just do 2 separate balls of yarn for colour A & B.  It'll make your life so much easier for Section 2.  I'm still debating on the size since it does come in Small, Medium and Large.  If anyone has done this pattern before, let me know what size you did and how it fit.

Time to show off the temptation

For the past couple of days...no wait, only 1; I have been talking about working on the Earth & Sky Shawl. I was debating if I should wait until Sunday or not but honestly, I'll probably be ready to show off more.

Not the best picture but I am almost finished the 2nd section.  I changed my original colours set (and for posterity's sake I'm keeping track of them):

A) Springtree Road Muscadine; Dark Aoife

B) Miss Babs; Inkwell

C) Tanis Fibre Arts Blue Label; Charcoal

Next comes the Dark Aoife section. I  looking forward to working on it. Unfortunately, with the many different balls of yarn working their way into this project, it is not convenient to travel with. So here I am in Hamilton and the shawl is in my bookshelf. At home. In Toronto. I still have other projects with me to work on after I write a glowing report on the leadership team of my church.

I need to become a professional test knitter

While poking around on the Ravelry forums, I found a user. name Jettshin, who has a ton of projects.  While scrolling through her projects (which are gorgeous by the way), I realized most of them are test knits.  One thing I have learned from my one stint as a test knitter, you are guranteed to get the pattern for free, even if it goes on sale once the test is completed.  I was happy with the test for Ladder to the Sky (now available for $6 on Ravelry).

So why not become a test knitter for a more variety of projects?  Just a few reasons right now.

• too many WIPs currently
• I don't have enough stash yarn
• I don't have the money to buy the yarn for these projects, especially something like a sweater
• I don't think I can finish a project in the time allotment they provide - but this is something that can be taken care of by actually finishing my many other projects so I won't be pulled in so many directions.

I hope to eventually get around to her status.  She has been booked for test knitting from January 2013 until November.

So some new goals to attain:

• finish up some more WIPs so I can free up some needles and time (working on this one)
• get more stash yarn
• get an income (PRIORITY! I miss being able to buy yarn :( )
• find a good LYS because waiting for the yarn for a time sensitive project to arrive in the mail will cut into the potential knitting time (working on this one)

The tips made me do it!

I told myself I wasn't going to do it. I had too many other projects to do; like the scarf for my brother (finished! Just need to weave in the ends) and the Ladder to the Sky socks (I did work on it this week).

I went to the Tuesday Knitting Circle and Kathy, our lovely leader, brought up the idea of doing a craft show in December. She even went to the basement of the library, and brought up donated yarn that we could use. It was mostly acrylic yarn and nothing that felt like Brava. In the middle of the yarn was a full set of Knitpicks Options Needles with the Harmony tips. I have already been discontented with the Nickel tips and the idea of knitting with clear plastics creeps me out, for some strange reason. I know I had used the Harmony needles before, since I have a full set of DPNs.

I asked if I could borrow the tips and try them out. I pulled out a cakes skein of Cascade Heritage Silk sock yarn that I got a couple of years ago at a Boxing Day 25% off sale at Romni Wools. Let me just say the colour is gorgeous but back to the topic at hand - the needles. I casted on a few stitches and knit a few rows. I liked what was coming off of them and brought it home with me.

I managed to make it through 24 hours and started on the Irish Hiking Hat to go along with the scarf, like a good little knitter. I went all around downtown Toronto yesterday and came home late, utterly exhausted but not tired enough to sleep. I started going through the dishcloth cotton that I had picked up from the library and went searching for a dishcloth pattern on Ravelry.

The tips were staring at me through the clear bag they were sitting in beside the dishcloth cotton saying "use me! You know you want to!"

Next thing I know, I'm setting up my swift, caking the yarn and casting on for the "Earth and Sky" shawl. The only bonus about this project is because it requires 3 balls of yarn, it is not easily transportable. I'm keeping this project at home. I haven't even put it up on my Ravelry that I have started it.

I am really liking these tips so far. I have never used wooden circulars before but at the very least I can say they don't unscrew as quickly as the Nickel tips did. The only issue I really have with the tips is where the wood and the metal meet on the tip. 

I can feel the yarn getting caught there sometimes but not enough to stop me from using them. And thanks to these Harmony tips, I am liking the Knitpicks Interchangeables much more than I was before.

I am still brainstorming a good name for this project. "The Dragonfly of the Earth & Sky" seems to be calling to me.

I used the Dark Aoife (from Springtree Road) and the Teal (? - I swear there was no colourway name on the label) from Cascades. It also sounds like the potential name of a kids book.

This is a crazy knitting obsession

Especially when I haven't even knit one of his shawls yet!  I was contemplating when I get a Stephen West ebook, which one should I get...I'm getting ridiculous.  I'm pretty certain that I like Book 4: Movement the most, especially with the shawls. 

I haven't really paid attention to the other half of the patterns in the book - there are leg warmers, hats, scarfs and other things that did not catch my attention like the shawls.  The other thing that I love is that for an extra $2, I can get the actual book as well as the eBook.  One to use and one to put prettily on a book shelf.

I'm also looking at Westknits: Book Two.  That one has the Chadwick pattern plus a few other patterns that I find intriguing.  There's no option to get an actual book though :(  Maybe I should find out if it was even printed and if it's possible to track down a copy at a later date.  BONUS! They do have a printed version available if you go through his website.  It doesn't seem to be directly available through Ravelry.

Note to Self:  so that's 2 books (Book 2 & 4) and 2 sets of needles (Dyak and 1 set of Signature DPNs) that need to be purchased when I have some income.

 I really do need to go and finish up more projects so I can get started on the one pattern I do own of him

Year of Projects: Week 13

While I did work on the Ladder to the Sky socks, they're still not done.  The gusset is finished though and I do look forward to wearing them.

I worked mostly on my brother RJ's scarf which is growing quickly but it needs to be about double the size. His birthday is coming up in less than 3 weeks and I haven't even started the hat.

In an effort to free up some of my projects on circular needles, I finally started working on the "Forget Hermione! These are for me" mittens by transferring them onto the brand new Knitter's Pride DPNs that I purchased to replace the set I had kneeled on. I am getting excited about them again.

The new pattern(s) that intrigued (http://thisismetryingtobeawriter.blogspot.ca/2013/09/what-sock-yarn-isnt-only-for-socks.html?m=1) me this week is the "Earth & Sky" shawl by Stephen West. I bought the pattern, picked out potential yarn and now I'm trying to locate the 4US 47" circular needles that I apparently own but cannot find. The second pattern is the "Chadwick" shawl. I'll get around to that one once I can actually start the "Earth & Sky", which will not be for awhile but here are the pattern pictures of both of them.

How can I say no to them?

I think I'm becoming a Stephen West fan

All without casting on a single stitch!  Yesterday it was the Earth and Sky Shawl (which I will be getting around to, when I free up some more needles and finish off a couple of projects).  Today it's the Chadwick.

 

I am going to have to get an ebook or something...and a lot more sock yarn.  I think I love the fact that it's not a lacy design...which I think I inherently think "Lace + Shawl = Grandma" (not to be confused with "Lace + Sock = Cool Socks).  It's mostly colour usage.  I am a big fan of colour blocking in my everyday wear.  It's a nice modern twist on a shawl, and makes it a lot more gender neutral...if you knows guys who would wear them and luckily for me, I don't so it's more for me).  I would love to be a part of his test knitting crew.  Heck, I'd even pay the money for his shawl club, if I had the money to do it. And after checking around online, I couldn't find a current one anyways so it would be a purchase the book and try to knit my way through it.

I actually went hunting around my room last night looking for my 4US circular needles.  I have a box in my room that contains (or is supposed to contain) all my knitting needles when they are not on a project or zipped up in a project waiting to be used.  I keep the packaging that the needles come in and put them back when finished so I know what size it is.  According to this system, I should have a set of 4US ChiaoGoo circular needles in 47" (or maybe it was 38") on a project.  As of now, I have no idea where this mysterious project it and I don't loan out any circular needles.  I found the 4US tips for my interchangeable set but the cord I need is currently being used for the Shapely Boyfriend.  So there is the incentive I require to finish it off, or at least the body since I really only have 5 more rows. I'd still prefer the fixed ones instead but I'll deal with the Interchangeables and get my shawl instead.

What? Sock yarn isn't only for socks?

I have attempted to make a shawl before.  I didn't like it.  I frogged it twice and gave up on it.  Enter the Hitchhiker Shawl.  I am loving it and wanting to make another one for myself.  That's all fine and good until I stumbled across another shawl that I am now desperate to do.   It's called "Earth and Sky Shawl" by Stephen West.

 

I think it's the colour blocking that does it for me.  I adore this kind of colour work.  I'm hemming and hawing over purchasing it since it doesn't seem to exist in a book that I can borrow from a library...and unfortunately, the library doesn't have knitting ebooks to borrow.  How I wish those existed.

I'm looking through my stash and seeing what kind of yarn I have to do this with so I don't have to buy any yarn for it.  I have a 50g burgandy sock yarn and another 50g orange yarn, both of which I've dyed myself that can be used.  I'm pretty sure I can find a 100g sock yarn in a solid colour that has not been claimed yet.

Unfortunately, funds are telling me that I am not going to be able to do the Cookie A's Sock Club 2014, like I want to and there's no option just to get the patterns as far as I can see so I'm going to have to sit this one out. Believe me when I say there's a huge frowny face on my face.  I haven't quite worked out how I'll do the 26 pair plunge but when I think about it I have quite a lot of sock patterns that are in my possession that I haven't touched yet so I should still be okay.

Just give me a reason

The weather is changing in Toronto. This means I am sitting in my house and my feet are freezing cold. The rest of me isn't too bad but my feet seem to think it's February.

I'm taking it as motivation though to finish my test socks Ladder to the Sky so I can put them on my feet and they can get a but warmer. Forget the other pairs of hand knit socks that I've knit. I can put those on now while I finish the on the needles socks. Yup, today is a knitting day :)

Year of Projects: Week 12

Boy! Am I ever late with this one but I have a good excuse, I swear!  Last night I was (actually I still am as of writing this) in Hamilton. In the summer, they have these monthly festivals called "The Art Crawl". I have been hearing about these for ages and have always wanted to go but a of yet, every Friday it happens, I have choir practice and I can't attend. This month, they had a bigger festival called "The Super Crawl" to end the summer festivals and it went until Saturday night...the time I usually prepare my YOP update.

I was amazed with all the arts that I saw.  I wasn't aware that Hamilton was such a big artistic community.  It makes me wanting to move there seem so much better.  I have to show off some pictures of what I saw going on.

This is just one section of the people we saw while walking through.  This is before the shopping stalls and food trucks.  You can see 2 of the many, many cousins I have; in green and the other in blue,

This is made for poptabs and yarn.  A lady was crocheting them into bags.  What a great way to reuse what's around.

I am not fond of creepy looking dolls BUT I am loving the two dolls at the front.  I made sure I took a business card to look up her shop at a later date.

This man was painting this right when I took this picture.  I think it looks like it's pencil drawn so imagine how much work it took to get that done.

Apparently, they always have a "graffiti" wall (or more than one) at the Super Crawl.  On this fence people posted art work and wrote messages.

I think this was a decoupage art.  I thought it was painted at first.

I don't know who did this but I think it looks amazing.

There was even live music.  I believe this guy was playing "Heaven" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.  This is actually one of my favourite jazz songs.

On to the actual update. This week, I worked on quite a few projects. I worked on the Irish Hiking Scarf for my brother and I completely missed my September 10th finishing date that I had planned for it. I worked on the Hitchhiker Scarf. I think it's almost half the length recommended. And lastly, I worked on the test pattern socks and I can show pictures of it (and you can also see why I "ooh" and "aww" over the colour of this yarn).

Irish Hiking Scarf

Hitchhiker Scarf

Test Socks - Ladder to the Sky

The fabulous Springtree Road Yarn, Muscadine in Framboise

The name for this pattern is Ladder to the Sky. It's designed by Econnerd on Ravelry. I only have one foot completed however, I am half way through the secon sock.  If I'm lucky (but I'm thinking its not going to happen), I can finish the pair on the 15th, (yes that is today) which is the deadline.

Over 12 hours later and a day of volunteering at a foodbank...
It ain't gonna be done in time.  Still on the gusset but I will finish these socks this week and I will be able to put up my 26 Pair Plunge banner for a 3rd time.

Year of Posts 2013-2014 / 26 Pair Plunge

I feel guilty but I know I have to do it

It's a difficult place to be in and a hard issue to deal with. I feel like I am being pulled in 2 directions and with either decision I make, something will go wrong.

So here's the situation; and hopefully, it'll be a quick enough story.

I've lived with my mom my entire life and I'm currently 32 years old. Five years ago, after I got a full-time job, my mother packed up our household of six (mom, big brother, auntie, cousins B1&B2 and me) and bought a house. Things were going great for quite a few years and then it started to go bad. My aunt lost her job at a company she worked at for over 15 years. She found another job quickly but the income was no where close to where it used to be. A few months later, I lost my job. Within the year, my brother lost his job too. He's been doing much better than me since he managed to have a friend who had a mechanic shop give him a bit of work and has now started a new full time position that just started this week.  And I'm still sitting here unemployed and very discouraged.

I have an opportunity to go back to school in Hamilton, where I want to live. I would be on my own with a lot of friends and family living in the vicinity.  That's great, but my mom will still be here, an hour away in Toronto struggling financially to take care of the house.

I can admit I am a procrastinator by nature, which is definitely not a good thing.  Right now, I'd like to get a full time job, stay with my mom and put myself through school, part time. I have not been able to do so and it's becoming more difficult.

I even got an offer today to work at a collection agency in Mississagua. Problem? I'd have to work every other Saturday. It's very important for me not to work on Friday evenings and Saturdays all day. This is for religious reasons and it's very important to me. I told them the reason and I got a "thank you but no" response.

I know what I have to do and I don't have anymore time to put it off, unless I miraculously get a full-time job before January.

Another kind of WIP

Cousin B1 made the mistake of purchasing a full colour set of Sharpie Markers and leaving them on a table where any and anybody could get their hands on them.

So I asked her permission since I had a notebook with a blank cover on the back and came out with this:

I love doing this kind of artwork and I have been doing it to my notebooks since I discovered that Sharpie markers came in various colours.

Surprisingly, this could also work with the idea stewing in my mind from yesterday's entry.

Makes you think

Exploring my passion

Just pondering this idea in my head and perhaps eventually in essay format based on various media occurrences around me in the past year.  I will write something about this, hopefully in the near future.  I just needed to put this somewhere as a reminder.

Feeling wanted

I'm still at the family house but I'm going back home tomorrow.  The kids don't want me to go. The oldest says she wants me to move in. I can honestly say I love it here. I'll be back very soon but it is nice to stay at a house when you know that you're welcome.

As for knitting, today was a test sock knitting day. I'm still working on the leg but the yarn is running low. I guess that's one advantage of going home is replenishing my knitting kit. Note to self: pack the rest of the framboise yarn, bring the giant ball of Red Heart yarn and the 8US bamboo needles to teach the little one, and pack the grey skein of Brava yarn.

Late Monday night, or very early Tuesday morning

I've been at the house of my family since Thursday night and loving it the entire time. I am surprised by how much knitting I have done.

As mentioned in Sunday's post, I worked on the Hitchhiker scarf.  On Saturday (or was in Friday?), I finished the first sock of the test pattern sock. On Sunday evening, I put in a good amount of work on the Irish Hitch Hiker scarf for my brother; which will not be done on the 10th like I had planned when I first started on it. Today (Monday) I cast for the second sock of the test pattern sock. Only problem now is what am I going to do when I run out of yarn for this sock. I didn't bring the other half with me and I'm not going to be back home until later on this week.

Year of Projects: Week 11

For this week, I finished 1 foot of the test pattern sock but as far as I know, I still don't have permission to show it off yet but it does look very pretty.  I love the yarn so much and I was disappointed to find out the dyer doesn't seem to make that colour anymore.  I'd have to check and she if she would be willing to do it as a special commission or something.  It's from Springtree Road in Muscadine in the colourway Framboise and I've had it in my stash for about a year and a half, just waiting for just the right project for it.

Just last week, I had pledged that I was going to get my projects down to 3 WIPs...and then after seeing someone else knitting a scarf/shawlette at the Tuesday knitting circle.  I got the pattern and that same night, I came home, pulled out a skein of Knitpicks Gloss in Coastal Grey and cast on the Hitchhiker scarf.  About 3 tips in, when I decided that it looked a little plain.  I went though my stash and pulled out a skein of Knitpicks Chroma in fingering weight in the Midwinter colourway.  I was one happy camper when I worked on it.  I was going to keep it but then I found out one of my cousins has a birthday coming up in a few months and guess what, she loves scarves and shawlette type things...so guess who's going to reap the benefits of my knitting?  Not me (other than the hours of enjoyment of knitting it).

I haven't knit anymore of the scarf for my brother and apparently I've taken so long with it, he's no longer expecting it so it should be a good surprise when he gets the scarf and the hat.

The "soon-to-be" recipient of the scarf (child 3 out of 5).  I call him my little brother and he's grown so much that he's taller than me that I can rest my head on his shoulders.  The kid has just entered grade 7 and is planning out his highschool life, especially since he wants to go to an arts school.

I don't know if you can tell but he's a "tad" but dramatic.

Year of Projects / 26 Pair Plunge

1st Book I'd like to write

This is the first entry for the "Books I'd like to write" (introductory entry).  I'm hoping I do this topic justice.

There are many stories that I'd like to write but it's not easy just narrowing it down to 5 books.  The ideas I have veer off in many directions and follow multiple timelines which makes it them seem more like soap operas more than a story for a book.  So let's get this thing on the road.

Book #1: an adventure story, featuring the Bellamy family.  More specifically Ryan Bellamy

This is actually a story I had attempted to do for NarnoWriMo a few years back but I had never finished.  I may or may not have mentioned this story in this blog; I'm not really certain but here's the basic plot.

Ryan Bellamy awakens to find his family house abandoned, his family all but dead and gone and a squatter has taken up residence in the family home.  While he tries to find out what happened to his family, he befriends the squatter, a fiesty Irish re-head by the name of Amelia (with no last name) and reluctant new friend named Isai Malik who has vowed to protect the Bellamy family to the death. The search to find out what happened to his family takes Ryan to Ireland where he finds out that not only does he have family alive, but they are hell bent on making sure they finish what they started and kill him too.

Does it sound intriguing?  There's a still quite a bit of information that has been left out; like there's magic involved.  It's just hard trying to figure out exactly where the magic comes from.  He's not a witch (or a warlock).  There's no wand waving involved.  I think I've determined that he (and the rest of his family before him) are descended from a line of powerful fairies that have been "kicked out of the kingdom" so to speak.

Ryan Bellamy has the power plant life and living creatures, such as bugs and animals.  He can also create portals.  He's the middle child of 3.  He's a jovial individual and carefree.

Amelia does have a magical ability but it is so minute, it can hardly be classified as a power.  If she concentrates really hard, to the point of getting a nosebleed, she can make a lightbulb flicker.

Isai Malik...he's just old.  When I say old, I mean he's over a millennia old. His aging process is pretty much at a standstill so he appears to be in his mid 30s.  He doesn't heal any faster than anyone else, or have any special powers.  He just can't die.  He made a promise to one of Ryan's family members, Aunt Zoe, that he would protect the family until he dies.  Since he doesn't die, he'll never stop

I had an outline for the entire story but it got lost on the USB key.  I do think I'd like to attempt this story again and complete it.

There are other stories in this Bellamy saga, all from the previous generation which is a whole other 5 set of books.  I even have a brief outline for the entire thing.  One of these days, I'll even write an entry about them

It is almost finished

Well one sock is almost done for the test sock pattern. All that's left is the grafting which I will be getting done before I go to bed tonight.

Still no pictures yet until I get permission. But I have had compliments about it already. Hopefully by this time next week, the second sock will be done.

5 Books I'd like to write

Taking a break from writing about knitting, mostly due to having much to talk about tonight. I went on google and looked up potential topics to blog about. One of them was about 5 books I'd like to write. I really like that topic however it is a lot to talk about, especially since the original purpose of this blog is to report about my writing. I thinking breaking it up into 5 different entries. This will probably be an introduction post regarding the topic.

Now is the time to ponder exactly which ones to write about. I'm sure I have more than 5 stories I can't talk about.

Ummm...are you sure this is fingering weight?

Even though last Friday I said I would try to dwindle my projects down to 3, somehow another set of needles and a skein of yarn came out and I started knitting the Hitchhiker scarf. [bangs head on soft surface yet again]

I'm not feeling completely bad though since it is a mindless knitting project and I did make a lot of progress on the test sock pattern in the past week.

The problem lies in the yarn I'm using. I purchased 2 skeins of Knitpicks Gloss yarn in Coastal Grey over a year ago in the hopes of knitting socks with it. I read the reviews on Ravelry and was informed that I should not use it for sock yarn. Plan fail. I think a shawlette would be a good project for it and the hitchhiker is a shawlette, so why not? But I have so much grey. I should add some colour. I pulled out a couple of 50g skeins I had dyed to use with it only to realize the Gloss is a lot thicker.

I'm going to have to go through my left over stash and browse for some of my thicker fingering weight and see what comes up.

So I did go through my stash but I didn't necessarily choose a leftover. I had purchased a skein of Knitpicks Chroma in Midwinter and I had reclaimed the yarn from an attempted colourwork project.  I am loving the results so far.

You can also see I am attempting the picture taking technique with what I have on hand. Unfortunately, Paintshop Pro/Photoshop are no longer in my computer and I can't get it replaced as of yet.

I am loving this test!

I'm still working on the test pattern socks. I'm finished the gusset and I'm working my way down the foot. I am loving the colour and I'm loving the pattern.  I'm still hesitant to put up pictures because I don't know if that's accepted for test patterns

I'm already thinking of revamps with a diagonal pattern.

Just some things that I've realized through this process:

1) a 64 cast on and a lacy design apparently DO fit!

2) a 1 US needle on a 64 stitch count and a lacy design do fit

3) the Adobe Photoshop app is really app for getting the white in a picture really white

That is all :)

Keep your character and keep classy

I am happy for the concept of character and the fact that I have it.  Things have been going oddly, to say the least in regards to friendship in the past couple of months.  I generally take the pacifist approach to drama and avoid it like the plague. The only drama I like is scripted and on a screen.  So when it looks like drama is about to ensue somewhere near, I tread very carefully.

As far as I'm concerned, I have now been dragged into the middle of it and have been blasted in what I consider to be a public arena. I have been lied about, based on what has been reported to me by someone who was a close friend.

Funnily enough, I was just waiting for something to happen where my name would be dragged into this situation further. I accepted the information and was happy to find out that the person who reported the information knows my character and knows that I do not lie.

I admit I am not a perfect person and I will be the first one to tell anyone how lazy I am but two things I have always known about myself; 1) I do not give away people's secrets.  They are not mine to share. 2) I don't lie.  I am horrible at it and it's a skill I am happy that I don't have.

I am not even worried about what has been blasted about me. The people who matter, know me, know the situation or at the very least will come and ask me for the truth. Everyone else don't worry me. I can go to my bed with a clear conscience and get a full night's rest.

And as my birthday twin always says, "Keep it Classy". I have and I will continue to do so.

Year of Projects: Week 10

Finally made it to the double digits.  No finished projects this week :( but that's okay.  I actually casted on for 2 new projects.

First of all, I'm finally doing the Long Promised Scarf, for my brother RJ.  And thanks to last week's update from Sandra (aka: Saminar on Ravelry), I chose to knit the Irish Hiking Scarf for him, as well as the matching hat that I found while looking for the pattern on Ravelry.

The scarf is further along right now but this is the last picture I took of it.  Luckily for me, I didn't even have to pull out my interchangeable needles.  I was able to find 2 sets fixed circulars, both in an 8US and one is a 16" which is perfect to knit with for his hat.

Also casted on this week is another pair of socks.  I'm doing a test pattern for Karen (aka: Econnerd on Ravelry).  I am actually really liking the pattern so far.  I'm still on the leg though and working my way down.  And Karen, if you're reading this, is it okay to show progress pictures of it?

I have not knit much else.  I did finish the 3 row for the Blankie.  Yay.  I'm still working on the foot for the shortened Istanbul socks.  I'm spending time looking through everyone else's finished socks and suddenly wishing I had more needles and yarn to knit more socks...or else knit as quickly as The Flash would, if he would knit.  That, and 'ga-ga'ing over the information on the Sims 4.  Not going to get started on that or else the whole point of this entry would be shot.

Year of Projects / 26 Pair Plunge