Permanent Stitchy Space

I think that one of the reasons I have barely stitched in the last year and a half is because it's such a pain to pull out all my stitchy stuff when my knitting is right beside me. I was often so tired I couldn't even reach to the side table to get that! I tend to like big projects, which means floor stand, light/magnifier, and lots of threads, needles, and patterns. So much stuff to get out and organize before I could even put a stitch in.

Now that school is finally finished, I have set up a permanent stitchy space again:

My dog Toka loves to steal my spot on the couch.

I have stitched more in the past 2 weeks than I have in the rest of 2015, I think. Even on the days I'm dead tired I can often bring myself to put in a few stitches at least. I'm starting to get excited by stitching again. I want to pull out some of my big, super complicated pieces and give them some love!

Before that happens though, I really want to finish Elizabeth by Mirabilia.

I still have a long way to go (that is a ridiculously big pink dress), but at least I am making progress on a more consistent basis. Woot!

A Mighty Scare

This happened in mid-August:

In the days leading up to my PhD defense, there was much knitting being done. Partly I was trying to make a deadline so I could give the shawl to my advisor as a thank you gift, but mostly it was to give me something to focus on to manage my nerves. Apparently I didn't focus enough, because I ended up with a stray eyelet.

I was 4-5 rows past the mistake when I noticed it, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to fix it without ripping back that far. I took it in to my LYS and they tried to fix it, but once I was back home and looking at it, I wasn't satisfied with the fix.

So I did this:

I have never been so scared. I pulled my needles out and ripped back 4 rows. I had more than 250 live stitches just a hair's breadth away unravelling into the last eyelet section ... something I was sure I couldn't recover from if it happened. Without a care for direction, I carefully slipped every stitch back on my needle, holding my breath the entire time (which also helped me not throw up). It was nerve wracking.

I managed to pick them up without missing any, and the next row I knit was slow going as I had to reorient every stitch properly. But I did it!!! (I'm a pretty novice knitter, and this is probably the biggest fix I've ever had to do.)

I successfully defended my PhD, but did not get the shawl done in time. I'm working on the last 4-5 rows now and hope to have it done and blocked by the end of September.

Ardent by Janina Kallio
Hazel Knits Entice in Indigo

This has been a project of firsts ... first major lace project, first major error, first major fix, and first of my big projects almost done!

Yes, I Still Stitch

I have not yet managed to rekindle my stitchy mojo ... I reach for my knitting far more often than I reach for my stitching. However, on occasion, progress is made.

I've done a little bit of work on my counted canvas piece - Stitchin' Pretty Waffles by Pattie Bennett.

I think this will be the last round of squares I do on this project. The pattern calls for more, but I'm about done with it. It's a decent size and I do think it's very pretty. I just need a finish so I can move on. There has definitely not been enough finishes in my crafty life lately.

Monogamy?

I've always had a zillion projects on the go. I have WIPs and UFOs and a list of planned new starts that is longer than my arm. Somehow, finishes are a rarity.

Maybe I should be monogamous ...

Now I don't mean that I should be monogamous to one craft (that's just crazy talk!!), because I love cross stitching, English paper piecing, and knitting too much! I'd also love to crochet again, and learn how to quilt, and maybe start playing with dye. There are simply too many creative, crafty avenues to pursue.

But perhaps I should become more of a monogamist for each of my crafts; choose one of each type to focus on.

Over the last month I've worked on the blue Ardent shawl from the last post almost exclusively (with a few rows/rounds on the orange baby blanket and the pink pi shawl thrown in). I have seen massive progress. Not just from the start of the month to the end, but from day to day. I can SEE the change and it feels really good. I can see a finish in my future (a deadline does help with motivation).

I think I forgot how exciting a finish can be ...

Gift of Thanks

I am almost finished my PhD in Education. I defend in August and I wanted to knit something special for my supervisor as a thank you gift. I started the Ardent shawl using Hazel Knits Entice (MCN) in Indigo on June 16th, figuring 2 months was enough time to get it done.

It grew like crazy at first, as most asymmetrical shawls do, but then it started to get slower and slower. I did the math, and if I knit 3 rows a day I'd be done in plenty of time to block it before the defense.

Of course, I reached the end of pattern before I reached the end of my yarn. I also used smaller needles than called for (US 3) so the shawl was way smaller than I'd hoped (more like a hankerchief at this point).

So another repeat was added:

I know it'll grow a lot by blocking it, but I still am afraid it's too small. I have another skein of yarn, so I think I'll do a 2nd extra pattern repeat. Fingers crossed I finish it in time.

Pink Progress

Picked up the pink vortex shawl again. It's gotten boring to knit, mostly because it's so simple and straightforward. (And it's 384 stitches per round right now.)

The shawl is almost 20" across. Not even close to being done the first skein of yarn, so this project will be around for a while yet.

Across the Oceans

My dad is 82 years old, a little bit nuts, and a lot stubborn. Last November he left for a 5-month backpacking trip through Australia and New Zealand (with a week in Hong Kong on the way home). Like I said, a little bit nuts.

He finally arrived home safe and sound in late April and I got to see him the first weekend in May when my brother and sister-in-law threw him a big welcome home party. Lots of people came to visit and dad made a big show of giving gifts to all the kids (aka me and my brothers) and the grandkids too. My dad isn't the best gift giver, though he has the best intentions. I got a coaster and an envelope with a little bit of New Zealand wool.

After the party, my dad sat with me on the couch and said "I have something else for you." Then he told me a story ...

He had been on a train heading towards Adelaide, Australia and saw a woman sitting across from him crafting. After a few minutes, he had to find out what she was doing, so he struck up a conversation with her. She explained what she was doing and what the end result would look like. My dad told her he had a daughter who liked to craft, and asked if she'd make a small piece for him to take home to me ... in red, his favourite colour.

It's a teeny, tiny, English paper piecing hexagon, maybe a 1/4" in size. He carried it in his wallet for months, just so he could bring it home to me.

Funny thing is, my dad had no idea that I had already learned about EPP and have a few quilts in progress (stasis is more like it to be honest). He was just really interested in the tiny piecing project this woman was working on and wanted to share it with me.

Maybe he's not such a terrible gift giver after all. :)

I'm a stashoholic

Hello, my name is Adrienne and I am a stashoholic. Truly, I am. It's a sickness. But oh man, the things are so freaking PRETTY! I totally love all the pretty things.

I had to do a lot of travelling in May/June this year, and so I plotted a course that included multiple yarn shop stops. It was a lot evil, but so much fun!

First stop: Knitting Off Broadway in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This was a gorgeous shop with lots of the kinds of yarn I love ... indie dyed sock yarn. There were dyers I'd never heard of before and dyers I'd been dying to see. My arms were full to overflowing when I managed to make it to the cash register. And it was good! I also picked up some project bags and a set of HiyaHiya circulars (which I have fallen in love with).

Black Trillium Fibres
Pebble Sock
100% SW merino
Sail Away

Dream in Color Yarn
Smooshy
70% sw merino 20% cashmere 10% nylon
026 Aqua Jet

Hedgehog Fibres
Sock Yarn
90% SW merino 10% nylon
Poseidon

Hedgehog Fibres
Sock Yarn
90% SW merino 10% nylon
Medusa

Hedgehog Fibres
Sock Yarn
90% SW merino 10% nylon
Dragonfly

Second stop: Yarns Unlimited in Bloomington, Indiana. This was a bit of an unplanned stop. I'd been driving for a few hours after spending the night in Fort Wayne, and I just felt like stopping would be good for me. It was a little bit further off the highway then I'd wanted to go, but it was a fun side trip. I picked up some shop-specific yarn and some Canadian yarn that I'd never heard of before. (Figures that I need to drive 8 hours into Indidana to find out about a Canadian company.)

Blooming Yarns
 Cashino - Lace SW
80% merino, 20% cashmere
(no colourway)

Blooming Yarns
 Cashino - Lace SW
80% merino, 20% cashmere
(no colourway)

Zen Yarn Garden
Serenity 20
70% SW merino 20% cashmere 10% nylon
Blue Grass

Third stop: Sheepskeins in Newburgh, Indiana. I made two trips to this shop. The first time I went with my friend and her son who I'd been staying with for several days. Her son had seen me knitting and had asked me oh so sweetly to knit him something. We all went together to pick out yarn for a scarf. I came away all with this:

There's a good chance he'll get more than a scarf from me. :)

The second time I went to this shop was on my way out of town, and I picked up a few things more my style.

Spud & Chloe
Stripey Fine Sock
80% SW wool 20% silk
7863
Fine Sock
80% SW wool 20% silk
7809

Spud & Chloe
Stripey Fine Sock
80% SW wool 20% silk
7864
Fine Sock
80% SW wool 20% silk
7820

I have to admit it was a really great yarn trip. I love it all!!

I know I wasn't supposed to ...

At the beginning of the year, I had decided not to start anything new until I finished a few things. Well, that lasted about 30 seconds. There's just something fun and awesome, something energizing, about starting a new project.

In March, I caved and started a baby blanket for a hypothetical baby. No one is pregnant yet, but there is ... hope. (It's not me, so there will not be a bunch of baby pics on here; my brother and sister-in-law are trying.) Since I likely won't know about the pregnancy until they are at least 3 months along, and I figure a baby shower would happen around the 7-8 month mark, well, then that means I'd only have 3-5 months to get the blanket done. We all know I am not efficient at getting projects done, so I figured I should start now and work on it as I can.

So, my sister-in-law's favourite colour is orange. My least favourite colour is orange. This might be a bit of a struggle for me. However, I wound up some gorgeous Hazel Knits Lively DK in Carnelian.

I found a really pretty (and simple) lace baby blanket pattern called the Pine Forest Baby Blanket. and started on the border. Love me some garter stitch!

I struggled on the first lace repeat or two, but finally got the hang of it and it's starting to look good!

I still think it's going to take months to complete, but I'm aiming to knit two rows a day. It is growing!

Still Stitching?

I haven't totally abandoned cross stitching. Really! I haven't!

I just haven't had the time or focus to work on anything, plus I've been a little in love with knitting. Thanks to my stitchy friends though I am occasionally forced to stitch, which reminds me how much I do love it!

Over the course of a weekend retreat in February and a stitchy night in April, I made a little progress on a few things.

I've made a fair bit of progress on Stitchin' Pretty Waffles by Pattie Bennett:

And a tiny bit of progrss on my Welcome sign by Kincavel Krosses:

Even though I have barely stitched in the last year, I certainly haven't let that stop me from adding to my stash. I blame this on my friend Caroline. (Check out her blog here. She's full of crafty goodness!) She's been working on the pattern Amtrak by Sampler Cove Designs for a while and it is LOVELY! So I finally bought it and the floss I want to use (some gorgeous Dinky Dyes silk). Still need to decide on fabric though ... and a start date.