Weekend Update

I had a great class on Saturday in Woodland Park. It was a continuation of cable knitting, this time without the needle. My students decided that they preferred the needle for now, maybe later will like the idea of wowing people with the no-needle technique.

While I was there I played doctor for a scarf project being knit out of Homespun. I love this yarn however, do recommend to anyone wanting to knit with it, roll it into a ball and house it in a yarn bucket or plastic bag of some kind. It has a mind of its own and will end up looking like this.

The rest of the weekend I spent working on stitch markers for an order I received. I think they have turned out really nice and will be a fun addition to anyone's knitting collection. Pedro helped, of course, and makes a good project manager, as long as I can keep him from knocking all the parts off on the floor. He is feeling better and I hope we have this problem fixed. I will be looking into an herbal preventive for him.

I hope everyone had a good weekend!

Previously In Knitting News

When I started the week I was in a quandary as to what to begin next. My list of requests is growing and sometimes I get the idiotic idea that I can start them all and manage to get them knit simultaneously. I am learning that multi-tasking with paperwork is one thing and knitting is another.

So, with that realization, I reviewed my list and decided to start a pair of handwarmers in a cable knit pattern (new to me) for a friend's daughter. The color makes me smile and the pattern is interesting enough that I don't want to put it down. Last night I even tried to knit the ribbing during Lost. That is how interesting the pattern is.


This weekend I will be starting the mother/daughter knitalong which will create the "granddaughter/nieces in Germany" sweaters. I will be knitting the soonest deadline one for the April birthday and mom will be knitting the one for the July birthday. We are using a Lion Brand pattern that incorporates a lace yolk and Cotton Ease yarn so it is three-season wearable. They should be lots of fun to knit. Of course we are making them a little longer than called for so a future growth spurt won't turn them into shrugs before their time.

I hope everyone is planning some fun activities for the end of the week.

Note: Pedro is happy the technical portion of the week is over because he gets to play in the big box that came with the printer.

The Final-Push Knits

This is it! The final push to get my gifts finished. As you see, there are still several skeins in the pile to be turned into some special for my recipients.

Loopy has been helping by sitting on my desk, reminding me that every minute counts. In that pile are four gifts so that is not as bad as it looks.

I have to admit that these projects are additions to the list I made last June in preparation for this Christmas. As promised, finished projects have been photoed and will be up on the blog on December 26th.

I hope everyone is to the enjoyment of the season point in their world!

New Knitterly Endeavors

For you fellow knitters out there: Do you buy yarn just because or do you buy for projects? And then, if you do not cast on right away, do you forget what it was for three months later when you are digging through your yarn box? Well, I am taking a hint from my favorite cooking show host, Rachel Ray, and prepping my produce (yarn) as soon as I get it home.






I am a project shopper. I go to the yarn shop when I need yarn for a pattern I want to knit. I do not always cast it on immediately. And I do have yarn in my storage bucket that I have forgotten what it was for. So this year I am packaging my purchase in my favorite 2-gallon ziplock bags with the pattern and any notes regarding the project inside. I am then adding it to my To Be Knit list with the recipient and pattern name so I know it is in the house, ready to cast on, when I am ready. That may be too much organization, but it works for me.

So my current Knit Project List looks like this:

Horde of Headbands for giveaway items for the upcoming contest on my blog (watch for it)

Cowls for Mom and me

Headband (made from Vanna's Choice yarn) for Dad

Fingerless Gloves for Dad

Sox for Mom

Kitty Pi bed for Pedro

That list should get me through to March. Then I will begin researching and knitting the prototype for my 2008 Christmas gifts.

All of this, plus my full time job, and I am working on Level One of the Craft Yarn Council of America (CYCA) Knitting Instructor Certification program.

Hope your knitting pursuits lead down happy paths!