May 2011 Archives

MDSW was great this year! The weather was perfect - low 70s and sunny. We got to walk around as much as we wanted and sit outside on the grass and knit for a couple hours before heading home.

Perfect.

I, of course, did a little shopping too.

I got 2 skeins of Mini Mochi in a rainbow colorway. I've already started some basic toe up socks with it.

I was a bit worried that the lightly spun single would be super-splitty. It can be splitty, but not enough to discourage me from the fun socks I'll get at the end.

I had still been dreaming about a multi-tonal sock yarn blanket so I got some yarn to start.

This is 8 skeins of Miss Babs Windsor (80% superwash merino, 20% nylon) and Dragonfly Fibers Djinni Sock (80% superwash merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon). I got the Dragonfly at the Cloverhill booth. Still the best booth at MDSW for indie dyers.

Now here's the funny part. I thought this would be enough for a blanket. Not a tiny throw, but a real blanket you could snuggle under or wrap yourself in.

And then I finished one square.

And weighed the remainder. I have half a ball left. Oopsie.

I'm knitting them with the yarn held double so I can create variations of color by blending. I thought it would be a good way to get more shades of the green/blues I wanted for our living room.

The good news is the square is a bit bigger than I had anticipated. I was going for 8" but it's 9". However, even at 9" I think I'm going to want at least a 6x6 grid (36 squares). That means I bought just under half the number of skeins I need.

On a positive note, this will allow me to shop locally for sock yarn too - something I haven't done in quite a while. I usually reserve my sock yarn buying for festivals - both because I like to have a lot of choices and because it only puts me in the position of buying sock yarn twice a year.

The other positive is that I think this project is going to give me what I've been seeking - something simple that I can pick up and fit in a bit of knitting during the week - 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there, because I don't need to figure out where I left off or be cognizant of where I'm stopping. I was able to do a bit of knitting several nights this week and that's something I just haven't been able to do. And by the end of the week I have one finished square to show for it!

BTW, don't expect a full square every week. That just isn't going to happen. Full disclosure though - I did consider making it a goal but I know better.

While I still dream about more intricate projects, I know they simply don't fit into my life right now - and that's OK. I'm just happy to have figured out a way to make knitting a more active part of my every day life. And that I have something finished to show for it.