Disappeared

With all enthusiasm, I said "Yes!" to participating in the Year of Projects 4 for another year.  Somehow or another, I have not managed to follow through.  It's not that I haven't been knitting, because I have been.  I started and finished a pair of Socks on a Plane.  I started and finished a Wild Thing Plushie and started a mini version that would have been finished if I had the safety eyes for it.

I have just not felt the urge to blog...or more specifically, I have been lazy about it.  I've also been stressing myself out over school and it hasn't even started yet.  How am I going to be during exams?

Anyways, I hope to do a proper update to show what I have done and maybe I will in September once I start school...I got to do something with my 1-3 hour breaks between some classes.

Year of Projects: I have no real idea what week it is

It should be either week 51 or 52. But apparently I can't really keep track of the weeks since I have more than 10 entries for 40-49...anywho, back to the knitting.

I really didn't knit much this week. Last week I had planned to finish the sleeve of the Shapely Boyfriend cardigan...I worked on it a bit on Tuesday during knitting circle. But I spent most of the time showing somone how to knit socks (she's starting with the Monkey socks by Cookie A.) I decided in going to do a KAL with her but since she's only doing the cuff before we meet again, I decided I needed something else.

ENTER LONG CAR RIDE...I decided that the Socks on a Plane would be perfect for the long drive. I casted on the toe with the Turkish cast on, finished the toe and started the foot pattern, based on an cable pattern I found online. I was trying to figure out why it wasn't looking like the picture I remembered. Turns out the symbols on the chart are not made in the common way. I know how to read it now so I unravelled the entire thing and started again. I'm still only at the toe.

Long way to go...

Year of Projects: Week 49

This has been a pretty good knitting week. Last week I picked up my Shapely Boyfriend cardigan and decided to put some work in. I am very pleased with the progress I've made. I finished the ribbing at the bottom, started and finished a sleeve and started on the second. 

(Apparently I can't do a "selfie" if my life depended on it. I had to take it off, lay it out and THEN take a pic)

I think by next week, I'll have started the collar and button band...I guess I have to get buttons for the button band.

I guess I'll go back to the Stitch Surfer sock when I'm done...which technically supposed to be done at the end of June, as per the KAL but I haven't even finished the 1st sock, much less the 2nd.

Year of Projects: Week 48

I actually started to frog another project; not any sock projects but the Annisette Cardi from almost 2 years ago. I still have no idea what I'm going to do with the yarn. It's KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in the colourway Hyacinth. Lovely colour but not it doesn't feel soft at all to me.

I mostly worked on my Stitch Surfer socks. I tried the Fish Lips Kiss Heel...guess what?

I really like it! It actually looks quite pretty and it's pretty easy to do once you do it.

And it's World Cup time. I have always wanted to watch the series from beginning to end. I was looking for a World Cup project to work on; perhaps a shawl of some sort. I knew which one I was going to work on too. I went looking for my 4US circular needles. I knew I had one in a project but I was certain that I had one in the package. Much to my dismay, it was actually from my interchangeable set. I put them back to where they were supposed to be. Instead of starting a shawl, I picked up my Shapely Boyfriend cardigan. 

I think it's about time I work on finishing it. I only have a few more rows of ribbing in the bottom. Next it's the sleeves and button flaps.

Year of Projects: Week 47

It seems like I have rediscovered my Instagram in the past week.  Before I check my Facebook, I'm checking Instagram.  Forget my Tumlr that I apparently have and my Twitter account that has pretty much been dormant for I don't even know how long.  It is amazing to find other knitters (and crocheters even though I don't crochet)  and see what they're making.  #operationsockdrawer has been a great inspiration to me as well, since I do remember saying something about have a drawer full of hand knit socks last year (behind the scenes truth: I was trying to find a way to link the hashtag but apparently the ability to find the link is evading me).  If you have the opportunity and you have a love of hand knit socks, check it out on Instagram.

AND if you want to follow me: @rome_raven.  Now back to the actual essence of this update.

Last week, I showed my Rick socks with the inadvertant boo-boo (now called an unexpected enhancement).  By Sunday night, I finished the first sock.  At some point during the day, I noticed another "unexpected enhancement".  Where I was supposed to be doing an k2t, I was doing an ssk.  It actually reminds me of the beach right after the tide has receded and I like it. By Monday morning, I started the second sock.  Everything was going well until a 2US DPN needle broke on me.  

I couldn't even fathom where I have another set but apparently I do since it came in my KnitPicks DPN set.  I am not a fan of working with only 4 DPNs so packed everything up into a small pouch, threw it into the back of my bookcase with the other WIPs in progress and decided I'm not going to even look at it until I get a replacement set.

With all of that, I started another pair of socks.  This time, I got the inspiration from a "new to me" videopodcast called "Must Stash".  For half of May and all of June, they're doing a KAL of the Stitch Surfer socks.  I know I have done these before but as Diane from "Knitabulls" said they are addictive.  And besides, my last pair didn't fit after I washed them, much to my dismay.

Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll in the colourway Dusk and Knitpicks Stroll Multi in the colourway City Lights (which is apparently no longer available)
Needles: 1US circular from Hiya Hiya (which I am currently loving)

I'm going to try the Fish Lips Kiss heel on this pair and see if I can do it and if I'll like it.

On a last note, I realized that today (as in this Sunday) is National Knit in Public...guess what I'm going to be doing?  Working...not knitting :(  But if anyone in the Toronto area can make it, there is a meetup in High Park.  Maybe next year I'll be able to go.

Year of Projects: Week 46

I don't know if I'd consider this a "booboo" or an "unexpected enhancement". After I frogged the Slide socks last week, I had planned to cast on again with a different yarn. Somehow or another I managed to cast on for a totally different pair of socks called Rick by Cookie A. that I had a history with.

quick summary: I started knitting them a long time ago and was doing well until I was halfway down the foot an saw the foot was twisting. I couldn't figure out how to fix it so I frogged the entire thing. Over a year later, I was flipping through the book and discovered there was a separate foot chart...duh!)

So this time, I did well. I got the foot chart photocopied and went to work. I worked down be leg and by Saturday night, I did the heel flap and the turn heel. I made sure I had he foot chart in front of me and I went to work. It was looking great! I could really see the design coming together and I thought that zig looked cool...until I looked at the pictures of he sock and doubled checked which foot I was doing...there was no zig or even a zag, just a slanted look. Suffice it to say, I did the leg for the right leg, and the foot for the left foot.

I just hope I remember to to mess up the other foot too!

I found my future knitting circle.

From last Friday...

I feel like I've had an amazing day. Last night, I realized that I wasn't working yesterday and I had choir practice at 6 in Hamilton. Thought to myself, I've wanted to go to that knitting circle at the Hamilton Central Library, why not head over early and go and I am so happy that I did.

 Isn't that a cool looking library?

I made it to the library and dreaded to 4 floor climb. I found the elevators and a lady with a pushcart made a mad dash to follow me into the elevator. I asked her if she was heading to the knitting circle, since she didn't request a floor. She introduced herself as Janice and directed me to where the circle meets.  I pulled up a seat, pulled out my knitting and went to work.

This circle is much bigger than the other 2 that I'm a part of. There were about 15 people there besides Janice and myself plus an additional 2 babies (which I will not count because they didn't knit or crochet but they sure were cute).

The leader of the group, named Marie-Ange, gave me an introduction to the group and mentioned her reasons for starting it and keeping it going through out the summer.  I was very impressed.  She also invited me to the Facebook group.  I met with another set of knitters, a mother/daughter combo, who was also named Janice and Heather.  We ended up staying an hour past the ending of the knitting circle just talking.

I love the fact that I have already found a knitting circle in the city that I want to live in, without living there yet.  I'm going to try to attend more often when  I'm off a Friday and I have practice as well.