Yarn Along

Joining with Ginny again this week to share my current knitting and current read...

Yes, it's another sweater. It's from the same book as my Textured Tunic, but this time it's the Short-Sleeved Cardigan with Ribbing. This red bulky yarn sat on my desk for about 5 seconds before I was ready to knit it up, but I kept to my deal of finishing a UFO before starting anything else. So the Textured Tunic was completed last Wednesday night (weaving in ends AND seaming included!) and I started this beautiful red cardi on Thursday. The Textured Tunic still needs buttons though- I'm making a button finding trip this weekend and then I'll be sure to share the finished sweater. I find myself desperately wishing that we weren't in the middle of this crazy heat wave- I want to wear my new sweater!


As for books, I finished Naamah's Blessing 2 nights ago and last night started Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I've heard a LOT of good things about this book, particular in comparison to The Giver which was one of my favorites as a student. I've been reading Just So Stories with my boys before bed and that has been such a pleasant way to end our days.


I'm also still working on my Omelet Shawl one little row at a time. I haven't had much quality lace knitting time lately though- I keep having "stockinette" knitting time, you know what I mean? Lace takes a little more concentration for me and I just can't work with lace while I'm also reading to little boys, or they're building forts all around me. Just one more week of work in the evenings to finish the fall studio schedule and I'm back to quiet evenings of lace knitting.


Do you have certain projects that you can only work on in quiet? I'm better about lace now- it used to be that I could have absolutely no distractions, but now I'm okay with having the t.v. on in the background. I just can't have the boys running around or stopping me mid-pattern.

Inspiration

:: Getting ideas for our school room from this gorgeous playroom/studio.


:: A printable packing list for kids- perfect for my kids ages and a little older!


:: A brilliant post on exactly *how* to go about planning an education full of living books.


:: A mosaic using colored egg shells that we plan to try out soon.


:: A rhubarb syrup recipe I think we might try making tomorrow afternoon to use up the rest of our rhubarb.

Project Triage

We've been busy the past few weeks.

Well, I've been busy. The boys have been playing and making their own fun and I've been painting walls, canning, knitting, making LOTS of lists, getting ready for the school year, working on an updated business plan, re-organizing closets, slimming down the boys' toy options, scheduling the next year in the studio, and generally having if-I-don't-get-this-done-right-this-second-it-will-never-get-done-itis.


It started as a panicky feeling about two weeks ago and after all this work (and not feeling like a lot of progress) I called a halt to it Saturday night and spent a few hours doing project triage.


I think this is the part where I admit that this feeling comes over me about twice a year- it's a "finishing mode" that shows up when my project list hits critical mass (about 50 projects past where my husband would prefer it be). It rather conveniently hits me mid-July right as I go into major planning/scheduling mode for the studio and just before the month I take off from the studio to spend with my family before stepping back to the full time schedule in September.


It looks a little different each time I do project triage, but this summer it's all about index cards, baby:

The Breakdown:

:: SEVEN (!!!) unfinished knits that are over 80% complete and just need that last little push.


:: FIVE (!!!) unfinished sewing projects that are at least half complete.


:: A stack of "house" cards- one room per card with a list of the stuff that has to happen in there, closet re-organizing, painting, re-arranging, decorating, needs curtains... some of these things (like painting) must happen in the summer months while I'm not having clients in and out of the studio five days a week, but some tasks can go into the school year if need  be. I'm mostly concerned with accomplishing what must be done in that month when I don't work.


:: Business stuff. The summer session ends mid-August and we don't start the fall session for a full month. My goal is to be completely set for the fall and spring sessions by August 1 so that all of August can focus on family, house and crafty things.


:: Other projects that are time sensitive- canning is the most timely thingon that list, so that must be done when the food is available. We hit the farmer's market on Saturday mornings so I'm making plans for the next several weeks to get there a little earlier and then focus Saturdays on food.


We're setting up a temporary daily rhythm of school first thing in the morning, (we started very lightly last week and will increase over the next few weeks to the regular amount for the school year) followed by whatever house project is slated for that day. then some time in mid-afternoon to do whatever we'd like together (the pool is the most popular option right now!) and family time starting around dinner time when daddy gets home. I still work some over the next three weeks, but generally only 3-4 hours a day, three days a week.


Saturday is dedicated as "kitchen day" for preserving and Sunday stays (as always) our day for church and family.


And around that is the crafting. After spending some time in the evenings with Brian I've been working towards *finishing* projects, not starting. Some of those knits are ridiculously close to done. And even more staggering? I have yarn for another nine projects all ready to go, planned out, purchased, even wound into cakes. the sewing will kick into high gear once we get into that month long break. I have two little boys in desperate need of some pajamas and other clothing for fall!

The Newbie Knitter's Guide (Part 2)

In case you missed it, Part One (Getting Started) is here.

The Newbie Knitter's Guide, Part Two-

Make it Easy

There isn't much out there that can make learning a new skill super easy (if only there was a magic *learn to knit* pill!) but you can make a few choices along the way to make the process simpler.


Pick a project that doesn't give you the vapors.


Feel a bit ill at the thought of trying to tackle a sweater? Does the prospect of a huge afghan make you feel faint? Then don't choose those projects. Recognize your limits and work within them. There are *tons* of projects available that use a lot of garter stitch (just the knit stitch) and as you feel mor ecomfortable you can try some new techniques. There's no reason to force yourself into new and exciting knitting territory if you dread it- you'll never want to knit again.


So what kind of project should I choose? A scarf, right? I hear that's the first project every knitter should do.


Um, I didn't. I've actually only ever knit one thing that could be considered a scarf and it was of the lace variety. It totally doesn't count as a traditional scarf.


Rule number one here: you don't really have to do anything in any certain order once you know a few basics, and you'll be practicing the basics on any project you pick. My best advice is to go pattern hunting on ravelry and favorite a ton of projects and patterns on there. When you have an idea of what you like read through several patterns to get an idea of the skills required, then decide if it's something you are up to trying.


Remember- the worst thing that can happen is that you have to rip it out (undo your knitting) and start again. You always have a do-over!


Seriously- where should I start?

Okay- a few suggestions:


:: Stella Pixie Hat- a baby hat that is knit flat and then sewn together at the end. This was one of the earliest hat patterns I tried and it is still one of my favorite baby gifts to give.


:: All kinds of dishcloths: plain (plus the options for something a little fancier), with a yarn-over, and two dishcloths with a pattern (the last one is one of the first dishcloths I made)


:: a garter stitch baby sweater: Pie


:: Okay, okay.... a scarf: Merci Scarf


If none of these strike your fancy, I recommend you look around and pick out something that is fairly small so that you can accomplish it pretty quickly. Setting out with the goal of knitting a huge afghan is certainly possible, but that can be one looooooong goal.


Remember: You're new (no matter your age or crafty skill)


Give yourself room to make lots of mistakes without guilt or those sneaky words "I should know by now...". If you spend your knitting time beating yourself up instead of practicing knitting you won't get very far and you won't have the desire to continue learning.


The truth is that even as an experienced knitter you have times where you totally mess stuff up, have to rip out, or make a mistake when you honestly should have known better. Some knitters are comfortable leaving little mistakes in there. I'm not one of those people so I rip out with impunity and go again.


Don't be ashamed of watching the same technique video again and again.


There were knitting days when I just watched the knit stitch video again and again, holding my yarn and frowning. I've done the same with the M1 video, various cast on videos and most recently the different seaming videos as I tried to decide how best to seam my Textured Tunic.


If you're an experienced knitter, what were some of your first projects? If you're a beginner, what project are you planning to start with?

The Newbie Knitters Guide (Part 1)

I received a few qestions about learning how to knit over the past few weeks so I thought I'd share a little today about how to get started. I shared earlier in the week about how I got my start, but I thought I'd also share about the helpful bits I've come across and what I would tell my newbie knitting self now that I have three years of knitting behind me.


The Newbie Knitter's Guide, Part 1 - Getting Started


Learn from great resources.


On the ravelry boards you can read about a TON of different ways that people have learned to knit, but it all seems to boil down to a few certain methods:

1. Books like Knitting for Dummies or Stitch and Bitch.

2. Videos from Knittinghelp.com or youtube.

3. A friend or relative or Local Yarn Store (LYS).

For me it was a combination of books and videos. I don't know many people who knit in real life that are also local to me, so I essentially taught myself using books and videos. I'm pretty visual, so between those two resources I was in great shape.


I have learned a few really great things at my LYS though, including a super stretchy bind-off for socks and also got help with sock construction when I was having problems with my heel turns.


And because I simply can't move on to the next section without mentioning this life-changing site, go right now to ravelry.com and sign up. I'll wait until you get back- promise! If you're on the fence about whether or not knitting is for you ravelry will convince you- online access to thousands of patterns, many of them free, just about every bit of yarn information you could ever need, super helpful forums...

Just go.

Sign up.

Thank me later.

Use decent materials.

Your knitting experience highly depends on the materials you use. Certain yarns and needles are more comfortable than others (and this is slightly different for different people) so it's important that you use materials that offer you the best experience.

In my experience helping new knitters get started wool yarn and bamboo needles are the most forgiving. Wool has a little bit more ease to it than other yarns and the bamboo needles "grab" the yarn a little so that you don't have a heart attack due to stitches sliding off the tip of the needle.

You don't have to spend a ton of money to get started!

I have always been on a serious budget for hobbies- my sewing and knitting purchases come from birthday/Christmas/mother's day gifts almost exclusively- so I know what you're thinking when you're looking at all that yarn and noticing what looks like the very same blue for $5 cheaper. There's a reason that yarn is so much cheaper- you're getting what you pay for, and it's not very easy to work with.


I know, I know-- you don't want to put a lot of money into a hobby you might not stick with. But spend that $5 extra and knitting will be a truly different experience.


For the budget conscious, take a look at Joann's and Hobby Lobby if you have them close to you. Joann's runs regular 40% off coupons in the newspaper and I used these coupons to slowly acquire bamboo needles (Clover brand). You can also find some wool there (I like Wool-Ease). Hobby Lobby also runs good sales on their needlework section periodically and they also carry clover needles. Hobby Lobby has a store brand of wool that I like called I Love This Wool that is a nice beginner wool


If you don't have either of those stores near you another great option is knitpicks.com. They have yarn in a variety of prices, but their Wool of the Andes worsted weight is about $2.00 per ball. Their shipping is reasonable and purchases over $50.00 have free shipping.


I mentioned before that needles are a preference, but bamboo has a little more grab than other types of needles so it is a little easier for most beginners. There are also acrylic needles and metal needles available, with varieties of each type.


I own and regularly use Boye metal needles (I use the double point boye needles for socks) and I have Addi Turbo Click interchangeables that I use as often as possible. I do use my bamboo clover needles some (especially in larger sizes of double points for sleeves and such) but mostly stick with the Addi's now. Knitpicks has a "try it set" of needles that includes 1 set of each type- acrylic, metal and wood- if you'd like to try knitting with each kind.

I'll be back tomorrow with more tips on getting started.

Do you have something to add to this post? Have you found a great starter yarn or a bit of advice to add? Any questions you want to make sure I answer?