December 2007 Archives

I love the end of the year. I get to reflect upon what I accomplished (and didn't!) and look forward and dream about what the next year has in store for me.

2007

This year had some nice highlights for me. I tackled my knitting nemesis (a really great thing) and made my first (and definitely not last) knitted skirt.

However, I didn't get done nearly as much as I had hoped or would have liked. I have 11 FOs from this year and I feel a little unfulfilled because of it.

It's not just the fact that I only finished 11 things (although sure, I'd love to have a couple more hand knit sweaters in my closet and a drawer full of hand knit socks [very cool pic, you have to click]), but more so my reaction is that I didn't finish many of the things I started.

2008 - start less, finish more, sew more, frog less

I've given this one a lot of thought. For 2008, I'm going to make a serious effort to finish things. I never would have finished St. Brigid had I not had the Rhinebeck deadline. Same goes for the wedding stole I just finished.

Part of the cause of this not-finishing thing is that I have a tendency to start projects on a whim, and once I see it's not doing what I want it to, I abandon it for the next thing.

This goal has a second benefit too -- stash management. My unwieldy stash is at least in part caused by the fact that I start so many projects. It's hard for me to go back and use an "old" yarn. So, finishing things will make for a smaller stash (and a happier me).

My 2008 goals are really pretty simple:

• Finish what I start.
• Knit 12 projects from books or magazines I haven't knit from yet.
• Knit more socks. I knit 3 pairs last year (although if you count half-pairs I probably knit twice that amount). Let's make 6 a goal for this year.
• Branch out more into mixed-media knitting. This could be a bag with a fabric lining, or a sleeve with some embroidery, or a top with some ribbon applique, or a small sewn quilt with a lace edging. I miss the other crafts so you'll be seeing more of them in the coming year. I won't just be knitting, although I'm sure I'll be knitting more than anything else.
• Keep the stash organized.
• End the year with less stash than I started.
• No deadline gift knitting. (I've been good the past two years, so this is just a reminder for myself)

The book idea originated in a NJ knitters' group forum on Ravelry, and is one I really love. Knitting books are beautiful, and having so many great books at my fingertips gives great inspiration, so I don't often stop myself from buying a book. However, I want to knit more projects from them in the coming year. There are some really great patterns out there.

While i'm not choosing which 12 things I'll knit from my books in the coming year, I did put together a few possibilities.

click for descriptions

I already have yarn in my stash for many of these sweaters. A small confession -- I'm secretly hoping to knit three sweaters next year. In reality, I should be able to do it if I stick to the finishing thing. But, for the past 4 years I've finished exactly 1 sweater per year, so three feels a little pipe-dreamy for me.

click for descriptions

And here's a sampling of accessories I'd like to knit. There are also a few bags that have caught my attention. Can you believe I've never knit a bag? Two of the bags in the latest KnitScene are great! Pam Allen's applique bag really speaks to my desire to mix media in the coming year too. Plus, who doesn't like an excuse to go fabric shopping?

In closing, I want to thank you all for the comments, advice, inspriation, support and encouragement. This community is an awesome resource and I'm thrilled to continue to be a part of it. I wish you all a wonderful 2008, filled with your favorite yarns, your best needles and your prettiest FOs!

ps - I upgraded to MT 4 over the weekend. It's going to take a bit of time before I have my templates updated, but for now this one gives a glimpse of what I plan for this blog in 2008.

The shawl is finished and on its way to the bride!

Since it's a surprise, pics and the post are behind the cut.

This one's a gift, so the post is behind the cut...

Every year, I take off from work between Christmas and the New Year. I used to think of it as an affordable luxury, but in recent years I've realized it's a necessity. It grounds me and I start the new year feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

I intentionally plan very little for my time off. I'll spend hours on the couch, knitting and watching DVR'd Christmas specials on Lifetime (a true guilty pleasure that really lasts the entire month of December), and I always spend a day with my mom. It's such a luxury to spend a weekday with my mom. We'll grab breakfast at our favorite breakfast-diner (the one with really great homefries), we'll go back to her house and watch daytime TV. I'll knit and she may bring out some sewing, or decide to put a roast in the oven. We'll munch on those creme-filled vanilla cookies that she always has in her cookie jar, and before we know it, the sun has gone down and dinner is ready.

In recent years, I've also been able to spend a day with Christy and Katy (and this year they're coming to my house!).

Spending time with people I don't get to see nearly enough -- I think of it as my Christmas gift to myself.

Every year since I took up knitting again, I always plan to start a new (big) project during this time off as well (2006, 2005, and 2004). It seemed to make sense since I plan to have all this time chatting and watching TV. But, I never get very far with the project, and I'm always left a little deflated. It could be that I tried to knit St. Brigid before her time, or it could be that I need something simpler to knit then.

Which got me thinking -- the planning part of Christmas knitting is as much fun as the time off. I daydream about my time off of years past -- about the day I brought my mom to Rosie's to have her help me pick out a color. My mom isn't a knitter, but she's an expert at sewing and embroidery so she understands color, drape and fit. I don't often get to share the planning stages of knitting with my mom, so that day (2 years later) still stands out as one of my favorite memories.

So, I've been enjoying planning out what this year's project might be. I have a few options (behind the cut). Feel free to share your thoughts or suggest something else.

There was enough interest, so I wrote up the pattern. I've reviewed the instructions and the charts, but no one else has knit it yet. So, please tell me if you find any errors.

While I knit this in a worsted weight yarn (which was fast and took a week even with all the botched versions of the edging) I think this would be lovely in sock weight or even lace weight.

The stitch pattern really works nicely with variegated yarns, but would still be lovely in a solid too.

Enjoy the pattern!

FINISHED SIZE
6.5 in x 87 in (17 cm x 221 cm)

Each edging measures 9.5 in (24 cm) long

MATERIALS
2 hanks Springwater Fiber Workshop Wool/Silk (213 yards 2 oz. per hank)

1 set US #8 (5.0 mm) circulars
1 size G crochet hook

Tapestry Needle, scrap yarn

GAUGE
5.5 sts = 1 in (2.5 cm) in bias pattern

CENTER SECTION
Provisionally cast on 37 sts.

Setup Row (WS): Knit one row.

Begin knitting Bias Chart, working 7 reps of outlined section.

Cont knitting chart until work measures approximately 68 in (172 cm), ending with WS row.

EDGING 1

*K2tog, k1* until 2 sts rem, k2tog. 24 sts. DO NOT TURN.

Using the crochet cast on method, cast on 26 sts.

Knit 1 row. Begin Edging Chart, knitting 3 repeats.

Bind off knitwise using the suspended bind off method.

EDGING 2

With RS facing, pickup sts from provisional cast on. Follow instructions for Edging 1.

FINISHING

Weave in ends. Block.

click for a larger version

©2007 savannahchik.com. All rights reserved. You may use this pattern for your own, non-commercial use. You may not sell this pattern or sell items knitted from this pattern. If you want to use this pattern for charity or to teach a class please contact me -- I'll be happy to give permission!

pattern my own
yarn springwater fiber workshop handdyed wool silk bought at MDSW 2005 (yay for stashbusting)
needles US #8 / 5.0 mm knitpicks options, plus a size H crochet hook for the crochet cast on
techniques crochet cast on, suspended bind off. the edges look pretty similar, but not identical. the suspended bindoff retained as much stretch as the knitted area so i could stretch it out as much as i wanted.

I am inordinately happy with this little scarf.

It all started out with the desire to knit something that looked like it was knit on the bias, but was actually knit straight across. I tried a bunch of stitch patterns before coming up with the really simple one on my own (although it's too simple not to be in some stitch dictionary somewhere).

It's patterned every row and I think that adds to the drape. Even though you have to yo and decrease every row, it's simple enough that I didn't find it too hard to do while chatting or watching TV. To add to the TV-ability of this knit, I made all the decreases k2tog and p2tog because I find them easier to knit than ssk and (the snail's pace decrease) p2togtbl.

The edging took quite a few tries before I got it right as well. I borrowed liberally from two edgings in one of my lace books, merging what I liked best about them into one edging, and then fudging the numbers so they worked for my scarf.

My little mistake of starting out with an edging that was too short ended up being a good thing. I got to knit both edges to live stitches, instead of knitting the first edge and then picking up sts along one side to start knitting the center. There's something really addictive to that whole k2tog tbl to merge the edging with the center scarf. If I knit another one of these I think I'll cast on provisionally so I can do that again.

To finish it off, I soaked the scarf and smoothed it out on an ironing board under a ceiling fan to dry. I didn't pin it out at all. If I were to knit this in a laceweight I would block it more aggressively (especially the diamond points on the edges).

I kept pretty good notes while knitting it. If there's any interest I can put together a pattern for it -- let me know.