Year of Projects: Week 34 & 35

So I'm a little bit late with my update...like a week late however these have been excellent weeks for me as a knitter. I finally finished the test knit. I'm half way through the mitten KAL, started another project and I discovered a new yarn shop.

Let's start with the yarn shop.  It's called EweKnits, found on Markham St in Toronto just behind Honest Ed's.  It's almost easy to miss but luckily for me, I was given that warning when I was looking up directions and I realized just about every shop around them has been converted from a house and sometimes, it still looks like a house.

Let me just say, I wanted to squish and feel everything in the store!  The plan was just to look around and get a feel as to what it's like there and what the sell.  First thing I noticed when I walked to the building is the class list.  I am very interested in signing up for the sweater class, especially since it's on week day and they don't mind if you come in with yarn from somewhere else (I have a hankering for a sweater knit out of Tanis yarn in the colourway Chris Grey and Tanis is only at 2 shops - Purple Purl and a shop in Montreal - or online).  I also noticed their project bags.  Let me tell you they are beautiful and I would like to buy one...just have to put it on the list and wait.  I can't go completely broke due to knitting and knitting accessories.  What I like about the bags is the story behind them.

While there for browsing I ended up finding the 3rd colour for my Barndom Shawl, which has not been picked up for the past couple of weeks.

Zen Yarn Garden - Squooshy in the Flamenco colourway

It's actually a bit darker in person but I do like it and I think it would be the perfect colour addition to the shawl. I just have to get back to working on it.

I finished the one sock required for the test knit and I love it! The pattern is called  Zig Zag Ripple Socks by Econnerd aka: Karen Buhr.

I'll eventually get to the second sock. I haven't cast it on since I was kind of eager to cast on a trial sock which will be mentioned later.

I'm half way done with the Mitten KAL. I'm doing the Warm Woolen Mittens. They feel so squishy and soft and the colours look great together! Only problem is that I made them exactly to the size in the patterns and while it is wide enough, it's not long enough :( I could have made it longer by repeating a pattern but it would have been too big so I may gift it to someone who's hands and smaller than mine which is hard to do.

I have got a week to start and finish the other hand.

I've mentioned before about a KAL for the Stitch Surfer socks. My impatience reared it's head and I cast it on. I ended up not using any suggestions provided to me and pulled out yarn that I hadn't even photographed.

The top colour/left colour is from Three Ewes in the Cleopatra colourway (which I have never seen anywhere else). The bottom/right colour is from KnitPicks Stroll in the Golden Glow colourway. I am loving these socks as well...seems like I love all the socks I make. I'm actually more than half way done the first foot. It's going to be a mismatched pair with the second sock being in the Cleopatra colour way and the MissBabs Cosmic Handpainted in the Inkwell colourway. It's a left over yarn from my Earth & Sky shawl I made last year.

Quick little snip it in regards to my brothers around Valentine's Day...

I have got some of the coolest brothers in the world and suffice it to say, I'm always proud of them. One brother is actually old enough to have a girlfriend and the responsibilities of having one. He made sure to get my advice as to what exactly to get for his girlfriend for V-Day. He got her a lovely charm bracelet and hid it in my room so she wouldn't see it before it's time. I was told that she loves it!

The middle brother is something else (he's the only one that has any pictures on my blog). He and the youngest had asked me to breed some Pokemon on my game for them. Did it and he forgot his system so the trading couldn't be done. However, he took it upon himself to give some excellent suggestions as to how to improve my game.  I think he may know more about it than me. I think the grasshopper has surpassed his sensei.

The youngest went out of his way to find me this weekend just to give me a big hug and to tell me he missed me.

I wouldn't trade any of them for the world!

Year of Projects: Week 30

Week 30 is here! Doesn't seem like I've been doing this endevour that long :)

I have had a good knitting related week. I worked on 2 projects, received an item I ordered and ordered something new.  Let start with the "just received" order.

I have had a love for containers for as long as I can remember (the only thing that really precedes it is my love of stationary). I like jars and vases and boxes and bags. When I started knitting, I started looking for bags to put them in. I bought a few that I liked. While I was looking around on Etsy (my place to online shop for unique things), I discovered a shop called "Knitterbag". I wanted to buy immediately but that was around the time that I had lost my job and I decided I should at the very least try to be reasonable with my money.

A couple of weeks ago, I went on the Etsy app and looked through all the stuff I had sitting in shopping carts (just waiting for me to click purchase). I found one of the style of bags I had liked from way back when was on sale. I had some money so I purchased it and promptly forgot all about it.

Friday night, Canada Post shows up at my house asking for me to sign for a package. As soon as I saw where it was from, I knew what it was. So after that long history lesson, let me introduce you to my new knitting bag.

Ain't it pretty? It's sewn by Jurgita, owner of KnitterBag on Etsy. It's a sturdy linen that I hope I can keep clean. The coolest thing about it to me is the inside.

It comes with 4 compartments. Right now I've got 2 balls of yarn and my stitch marker container in the pockets, the project and the pattern. I'm already planning on buying 2 more of this size for my sock sized projects.

Onto the projects now...

Remember the Warm Woolen Mittens I was talking about from last week? I had to frog it and start again after I tried the cuff, which was only half way done, on. It was too big so I sized down the needles and started again. I am very pleased with my progress.

The only reason I stopped working on this project was because I was finally able to print out the test pattern. First of all, this yarn is deliciously soft! I want more of it in my stash for a multitude of possible projects, like this one:

So I can have it match with my "soon-to-be-done" mittens...which reminds me, I need to find out the yardage so I can get the amount of yarn I need.  Only changes I suggest for anyone doing the Warm Woolen Mittens is to go for a smaller needle size for the cuff.

Question: Does fingering weight held double, make it to worsted?  If not, what does?

Next project! The test project for Econnerd.

It's a cowl scarf and I am liking it so far.  I was hesitant with choosing which yarn to use because I didn't want the pattern of the lace to disappear in the yarn  So I went with Knitpicks Stroll in the colourway Butternut.  I'm pretty certain it's not the best choice of colour for me to wear it.  But it'll do for a test.

And before I forget!  I made my first Wollmeise order!  Direct from the website and not from someone else's destash.  I'm hoping to get it within a couple weeks.  I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it just yet.  I've already got enough projects to worry about without worrying about a skein of yarn I don't have in my hands yet.

Year of Projects / 26 Pair Plunge

I am loving it!

I casted on for the Warm Woolen Mittens last week...or maybe it was Saturday night. I was liking what I was knitting until I tried the almost finished cuff...much too big. I had to frog it and find a smaller set of DPNs.

I was fine with starting again since the yarn (Road to China) feels so nice. I want to add this to my "I must always have this in my stash" yarn. I think it would make some lovely accessories for winter; namely, this cowl I saw on Ravelry:

It's called Pine Bough Cowl by Dianna Walla. And on top of that, it's free! So it's now been added to the list I need to make for colourwork projects :)

I'm going to stay away from making lists for this year and just make things as I feel to. Less disappointment.

Year of Projects: Week 29

This has been an eventful week!  I worked my last week at my seasonal retail job.  I'm sad to have to leave but the store isn't keeping any of the seasonal workers and from what I've seen, there isn't enough business to support the workers as it is.  I got another job, for the same company in a different location.  Colour me happy and I hope I enjoy it just as much as I did at the first location (and for still being employed).  I start at the end of the month so that's like have just over 2 weeks vacation :)

I am suitably happy with the work that I've done in regards to knitting this week.  I've finished a project, cast on another and I'm about to cast on for another.

It's now 4 out of 26! Woefully behind but who cares?  I've finished the Circe Socks.  The ends have to be woven in and socks have to be washed but I am classifying them as being done!

 

 Yarn: Anzula Squishy in the colourway Ducky

I need a proper picture needs to be shown to show the details of the socks.  They are beautiful and a fun and easy knit.  I'd definitely do it again.  Also, if you can get to an LYS and squish this yarn, DO IT!  It feels so nice!

I started the mittens for the SpillyJane KAL from my LYS, Handknit Yarn Studios, late Friday night.  I'm knitting the Warm Woolen Mittens.  I haven't even finished the cuff yet so I don't quite think there's a point to taking a picture as of yet but there will definitely be one next week. I got to be ready for the cast on party at the shop.  We were actually given permission to start early if we wanted to.

The other project that I'm about to start is another test pattern for Econnerd on Ravelry.  It's a fingering weight cowl.  Only problem is that I don't think I have a circular needle in a size 2.5 US and neither do I have it in interchangeable tips.  I may just go up a needle size and be done with it.

On another note, if you want to try a Stephen West pattern, they are 25% off until the end of today (meaning Sunday January 12, 2014).  I purchased 3 of them; Clockwork, Barndom and Rockerfella.  I got the yarn picked out for one of them (if it gets found) and I'll probably keep the other 2 in mind when I go out and buy more yarn for the stash.

YEAR OF PROJECTS / 26 PAIR PLUNGE