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 33

No finished objects this week but it's not from lack of trying.

I have been trying to finish the Test socks and even though I've gotten an extension, it's still not done.  I think I'm going to lay off anymore test patterns for now. Maybe in a couple months, if there are anymore to do, I'll think about it.

Here's to hoping I can finish it by the end of today (Sunday).

I have been making wonderful progress on the Barndom Shawl. I've finally decided on that final third colour.  I just have to get to the store and see if they sell it.  I am hoping for another skein of Anzula Squishy in some kind of a redish-burgandy colour.  I'm hoping to have it finished by mid March, in time for the grand opening of the store however since this is a work-only knitting type of shawl and the hours have not been so plentiful, I don't know if that plan is going to work.

I need to start a KAL watch section.  I haven't made any progress on the mitten KAL that I'm doing but since the finishing date is not until mid March...or maybe March 2nd, I'm still good with my time as soon as I finish the Test sock.  The new KAL I want to be apart of is the Stitch Surfer KAL from the Knitbulls Podcast.  Dianne (the host) seems as if she knits nothing but Stitch Surfers and after watching many episodes of her podcasts, I have been wanting to make them myself.  This one goes for March 1st to March 31st.

My problem is coming up with what colour combinations to use.  I've managed to narrow it down to one of the previous 12 options...that's not so much to pick from, right?

Year of Projects: Week 32

I did pretty good this week. I didn't finish anything BUY I didn't day on anything new either. There honestly was no time this week.

I was gone from my house at least 12 hours a day with work and commuting to and from work. Only things I managed to do was reach to the heel flap for the test sock and reach to section 2 of the Barndom Shawl.

The test pattern sock that I have to finish is for tomorrow. Something tells me it's not going to get done in time.

It does look lovely though and the pattern is not difficult to follow either.

No pictures of the Barndom Shawl this week because it still looks like last week's picture but larger. What I do really like about it (other than the cashmere content of the yarn that is so deliciously soft) is that it's my work project shawl. I pick it up before my shift starts and during my allotted breaks and I am happy with the progress of it, especially since I do not work on it at any other time.

I have reached the point where I want to finish off projects and not really start on anything new. I'm more for acquiring things like a new pair of socks off the needles or a pair of mittens...or a new ball of yarn to add to the stash so I can make something with it later. Enter the new arrival to my house:

I stink at selfies but I had to take the shot.

My skein of Wollmeise arrived this week. It was just over a week all the way from Germany.  I've had things ordered from the US that have taken longer to reach my house.  I still haven't decided what I'm going to make with it but I have been thinking of heavily cabled socks like the German Stockings by Cookie A. in the book Knit. Sock. Love. Only problem now is that I cannot find my copy of the book anywhere and it's making me upset. Time to start a deep hunt for it in my room before I start to blame the other occupants of house for losing it.

Back to the point of acquiring; I think I just want to to back my stash that got severely depleted last year and finish off most of the projects that I still want to complete.

Year of Projects: Week 31

It was another wonder knitting week for me. I had a finished object and started 2 more.

The Flying Angels cowl is completed. I'm still not find of the colour but it turned out well.

It's a nice pattern but I'm thinking it would be a nice pattern for a head band.

I got another request for another test knit for Econnerd (she's really churning these out!). It's called ZigZag Ripple socks. I am absolutely loving this pattern!

There has been no extra progress on the Warm Woolen Mittens and I guess based on what gets done this week, with work happening and all.

I decided that I needed a "simple" knitting project for bus rides and breaks at work and I started a shawl... The Barndom by Stephen West. 

Don't the colours go together nicely? There is an option to add a third colour but I can't find one in my stash that will go with it nicely. I may need to add to my stash.

I still have quite a bit of additional rows before the next colour gets added but that's a worry for this up coming week once I cake the contrasting colour.

Wanting to try something new

Keep in mind that I was planning to write up this entry yesterday...

This week has been an alright knitting week. I finished the test cowl and started a test sock, using one of my oldest skeins in my stash (it's only 3 years old at most but it's the thought that counts).

While working on this Test Sock pattern by Econnerd from Ravelry, I got a flash of an idea of a variation. I want to try it out and I'm pretty sure I could write out a pattern but the question now is can I publish it for myself or would it be a form of plagiarism? I'm sure I can still make more changes to make it unique. I'm gonna work on it some more and see what happens.

I've started looking the my copy of The Knitter's Almenac" by Elizabeth Zimmerman. I purchased it because I was hearing about the Pi Shawl that she came up with. I will admit that when I first for the book and started skimming it, I was left with a "What the heck?" feeling. It made no sense to me. Come back again in a couple of months and start looking at it and it slowly starts making sense, to the point that I really want to start one almost immediately.  I even pulled out yarn for it too.

You can clearly tell that I don't have enough of one colour to make it to the 1000+ requires yards but I do think I like the colour transition. What is stopping me from proceeding is the fact that I don't have any DPNs in the size required and none of the variations seem to be with 3US or smaller needles.

I printed out a few of the Pi Shawl patterns to help me decide. I currently have Pi Shawl: Camping and Vortex Shawl in front of me but I'm still perusing my options on Ravelry.

I tracked down another pattern that I'd like to do; this time it's another pair of mittens by SpillyJane. It's the Peacock Mittens. I don't have any yarn set aside as of yet. And this rate, I'm going to have a bunch of colour work mittens ready for next winter; especially since there are at least an additional 2 mitten patterns that I want to do as well.

One more thing! I got another knitting student. The non crafty cousin, B2, asked me to teach her how to knit. It could also be the influence of her best friend who does all things crafty. She's actually doing quite well considering I don't have any straight needles to teach her with. I only had a set of 6US circular needles and she was more than happy to work with those instead. I hope she really does stick with it. It would be nice to have another knitter in the house.

Okay, another "One thing". I realized I needed another mindless knitting project for the bus and work since I am going to be there all of next week. 

Springtree Road Muscadine in colourway Kohl and Anzula Squishy in colourway Maple

So yeah, I'm starting the Barndom Shawl for myself (and I swear I am keeping it for myself this time). It's gonna look like a subtle bumblebee but that's okay with me.

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.