Besides the ABC-along, there's other knitting news going on in my little world.
For starters, I have TONS of time now to knit. Really, my life right now is cleaning, working out, and hobbies. This is the first time in over 4 years, since before Horrible Job in SC, that I've actually had enough time to really pursue my hobbies, instead of letting the supplies for them build up. Not a bad change! It'll be a nice break during whatever time we have left here in the desert, and whenever we get our orders and move (fingers crossed everyone!), I'll be ready to enter the workforce again, all recharged!
But, until then, I have plenty of time on my hands! So, the hobbies I'm focusing on are knitting and scrapbooking. Figure I'll try to work my way through a portion of my Netflix queue and get some projects done. Have tons of yarn and tons of pictures that are just waiting to be dealt with, and a mile-long queue to keep me supplied! So, expect lots of knitting pictures and chatting about movies :)
For the knitting realm, I'm almost done with my first big project of the year. When Mom came to visit last January (goodness, was that a whole year ago??), she brought with her a sweater that I'd made for her in college. She was so cute, "Is it bad manners to ask a knitter to redo a gift that they made for them?" Typically, the answer to that is a resounding YES. However, the gift that she was referring to was a sweater that, like I said, was made while I was in my senior year in college, as in a good 5, almost 6 years ago. This same sweater is one that she wears ALL the time in the winter (yet, I surprisingly don't have a picture of her in it). She likes that it's dressier-looking than a sweatshirt, but still sweatshirt-comfortable. And then there's the fact that her daughter made it for her. ;)
So what was the problem? Well, after the last 5 years of very regular wear, the sweater had gotten a little stretched out. Add to that, Mom has started running regularly, and has lost some weight as a result. Bottom line? The sweater which used to be comfortably baggy was now a sack around her. She could grab a handful of the sweater and still have a comfortably baggy sweater around her. So, no, I was not insulted that she was asking me to rework something she loved so that she could continue wearing it all the time.
As she was here visiting last January, she and Zach would sit and chat and rip out the sweater. I left that to them, as it's still hard for me to totally undo something I've done. :) When she left, she left behind the yarn, which sat in a bag until November when I was ready to start work on it again.
For starters, I have TONS of time now to knit. Really, my life right now is cleaning, working out, and hobbies. This is the first time in over 4 years, since before Horrible Job in SC, that I've actually had enough time to really pursue my hobbies, instead of letting the supplies for them build up. Not a bad change! It'll be a nice break during whatever time we have left here in the desert, and whenever we get our orders and move (fingers crossed everyone!), I'll be ready to enter the workforce again, all recharged!
But, until then, I have plenty of time on my hands! So, the hobbies I'm focusing on are knitting and scrapbooking. Figure I'll try to work my way through a portion of my Netflix queue and get some projects done. Have tons of yarn and tons of pictures that are just waiting to be dealt with, and a mile-long queue to keep me supplied! So, expect lots of knitting pictures and chatting about movies :)
For the knitting realm, I'm almost done with my first big project of the year. When Mom came to visit last January (goodness, was that a whole year ago??), she brought with her a sweater that I'd made for her in college. She was so cute, "Is it bad manners to ask a knitter to redo a gift that they made for them?" Typically, the answer to that is a resounding YES. However, the gift that she was referring to was a sweater that, like I said, was made while I was in my senior year in college, as in a good 5, almost 6 years ago. This same sweater is one that she wears ALL the time in the winter (yet, I surprisingly don't have a picture of her in it). She likes that it's dressier-looking than a sweatshirt, but still sweatshirt-comfortable. And then there's the fact that her daughter made it for her. ;)
So what was the problem? Well, after the last 5 years of very regular wear, the sweater had gotten a little stretched out. Add to that, Mom has started running regularly, and has lost some weight as a result. Bottom line? The sweater which used to be comfortably baggy was now a sack around her. She could grab a handful of the sweater and still have a comfortably baggy sweater around her. So, no, I was not insulted that she was asking me to rework something she loved so that she could continue wearing it all the time.
As she was here visiting last January, she and Zach would sit and chat and rip out the sweater. I left that to them, as it's still hard for me to totally undo something I've done. :) When she left, she left behind the yarn, which sat in a bag until November when I was ready to start work on it again.
I started the sweater again in November, thinking that I'd do that sweater as my project for National Sweater Knitting Month (NaKniSweMo). To be honest, with work and everything else at that time, I didn't seriously think that I could finish the sweater in a month, but I did see it as a good chance to get my butt in gear and at least start the project. My goal (rather optimistic one) was to get the sweater done in time to put in Mom's Christmas box.
Still, although the sweater was not done in time for the Christmas box, it will be done shortly, so Mom will still to wear some this winter.
The sweater itself is the classic E Zimmerman Percentage system sweater. There's a good article about it over at Knitty. Lots of knitting in the round, very little seaming. My kind of sweater! I've been working on it as much as I can over the past few months, and am just about done. I joined the sleeves to the rest of the body on Saturday (Scruffy is inspecting the work in the picture below - yes, he really does sit like that) and have reached the decreases now. Once the decreases start, the rounds start going quickly, so pretty much in the home stretch now! After this, it'll just be seaming those 14 stitches under each arm and weaving in a whole bunch of ends. :)
Once Mom's sweater is done, I'll move on to more acrylic projects for family! I don't know if I've announced this yet, but I'm due to be an aunt this spring!! My brother-in-law and his wife are expecting twin boys this spring, so there will be plenty of baby knitting in my future! Zach's grandmother made each of the grandchildren a blanket when they were little, different allover cable patterns for each of them, and they all still use them now. Since Granny has passed away, I (as the only knitter in the family) inherited her needles, some yarn, and a lot of her notes, including the cable patterns she used in several of the blankets. So, each of the twins will be getting a blanket this year made from Granny's patterns. They will be different colors and different patterns, in keeping with tradition (also keeps me from getting bored!). I have chosen the color for the first one, and am figuring out what color I want to do for the second. Will have plenty of time to decide, since it's still a while before I'll be starting the second blanket!
Little filler projects for the spring include a simple shrug for me, and finishing up a carrying set for my yoga stuff. Oh yeah, and all my homework swatches for Stitches West! Can't forget those! Pictures will come, as always.
The sweater itself is the classic E Zimmerman Percentage system sweater. There's a good article about it over at Knitty. Lots of knitting in the round, very little seaming. My kind of sweater! I've been working on it as much as I can over the past few months, and am just about done. I joined the sleeves to the rest of the body on Saturday (Scruffy is inspecting the work in the picture below - yes, he really does sit like that) and have reached the decreases now. Once the decreases start, the rounds start going quickly, so pretty much in the home stretch now! After this, it'll just be seaming those 14 stitches under each arm and weaving in a whole bunch of ends. :)
Once Mom's sweater is done, I'll move on to more acrylic projects for family! I don't know if I've announced this yet, but I'm due to be an aunt this spring!! My brother-in-law and his wife are expecting twin boys this spring, so there will be plenty of baby knitting in my future! Zach's grandmother made each of the grandchildren a blanket when they were little, different allover cable patterns for each of them, and they all still use them now. Since Granny has passed away, I (as the only knitter in the family) inherited her needles, some yarn, and a lot of her notes, including the cable patterns she used in several of the blankets. So, each of the twins will be getting a blanket this year made from Granny's patterns. They will be different colors and different patterns, in keeping with tradition (also keeps me from getting bored!). I have chosen the color for the first one, and am figuring out what color I want to do for the second. Will have plenty of time to decide, since it's still a while before I'll be starting the second blanket!
Little filler projects for the spring include a simple shrug for me, and finishing up a carrying set for my yoga stuff. Oh yeah, and all my homework swatches for Stitches West! Can't forget those! Pictures will come, as always.
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