HomegrownArts

I apologize to anybody actually watching this blog for the lack of entries lately.  I have been knitting, but slowly.  I do have a completed project or 2 to share once I take some pictures.  Well, mostly completed. :-)  Since the weather turned nicer, I’ve been gardening and doing other things outside.  I’m also on a huge de-cluttering blitz which is a major undertaking.

So there are my excuses.  I will try to get some pictures taken and a ‘real’ post up soon!

Spring Shrug
Pattern: Knitty Gritty “Shrug It Off” adaptation
Yarn: Yarn Bee Soft Delight in pale pink
Needles: US 10 1/2

The Story:
The plan was for this to go with the Eliza tank I’m still working on. But when I got it done and tried it on, it just didn’t work for me. Maybe I made it too small…maybe I’m too big…or maybe I’m just too old to pull it off. I’m not sure. I just felt like it needed to be longer in the back and wider in the front… I guess I wanted a bolero jacket instead of a shrug! Anyway, I gave it to one of my nieces (the one who also got the potato chip scarf) because it was too big for my older niece, but the little one can wear it with a closure of some type at the front. So at least it wasn’t a total waste of time. I learned a lesson, too - no shrugs for me!!

I guess I lucked out with the weather. It will be far too cold to wear my tank top and shrug for Easter on Sunday. Which is a good thing since I don’t have the tank done yet. I could have had it done in time, but it was obvious the weather wasn’t going to cooperate, so I worked on other things instead. This is not to say I’m happy about the weather, because I’m most definitely NOT. We had temps in the 80’s for a few days and then Whammo! Below freezing and windy and it just isn’t letting up. I was so ready for spring and now it’s run out of our grasp again. Global warming? Yeah, whatevah.

No pictures yet, I’ll try to get some up soon. But I did find a shawl pattern I liked and I’ve started it with the same yarn I used for the shrug. They still had about 3 skeins of it at the store, so I grabbed one more just to be safe. It’s working out pretty well and I don’t think my little boo-boos will show too much once it’s done. I was thinking it’ll look even better after it’s blocked - but then I realized it’s a completely synthetic blend yarn and I gather from my research that it is not really blockable. So we’ll see how it turns out. It will probably be smaller than I wanted (again) but I don’t think it’ll bother me as much as the shrug. I’m starting to get the distinct impression that I am much larger than I think I am. I’m going to take a look at getting Fitted Knits, those designs seem to be ones you can try on and adjust to your actual body shape instead of guessing what size you are.

Still no more work done on ‘the sock’. I’ve buried it under other projects and I think knowing I’m just going to rip it out when it’s done is causing me to be less than motivated to do it. But I really want to try making some toe-up socks and I’m not going to allow myself to make them until I finish this sock and rip it back. I must use firm discipline with myself or I’ll have very few finished items to show for my work. I’m flighty that way.

I will try very hard to have some progress pictures next time!

I think it was my sock. I’ve come to the realization that as soon as I practice making a toe, this sock is going to be frogged back out. I tried it on to see how it was fitting and the cuff is way too loose and doesn’t bounce back. I think this is partly design and partly yarn, but I know I won’t wear it like that, even around the house. So I’m going to do the toe without making the foot any longer just for the practice and then, “Rrrrrrrrrrrip-it!”

In potentially better news, I finished my shrug today. I’m happy with my work on it, but it seems too short in the back and kind of sticks out like a cape. I’m not sure what, if anything, there is that I can do about that. So for now I’m calling it done and it took less than 2 skeins of yarn, so I have about 4 1/2 left to try something else. I need a really loosely knit Spring/Summer cover-up thing that I can make out of what’s left. I’d like it to look nice over the tank top I’m knitting. Hopefully it won’t take me until Christmas to find something that works and that I’m capable of.

I have to make this short because I have about 4 people wanting my attention and/or help right now. I’ll get the FO posted when I get the pics off my camera.

I’ve been busy toiling away on my multiple projects and have a couple more gnawing away at the back of my brain. I’m getting frustrated that I’m still making ‘beginner’ mistakes, but I’m trying to remember that I am still learning and everything isn’t going to be *perfect*, even after I’ve been doing it a long time. That is hard for little Miss Perfectionist-Type-A to deal with, but I’m trying. I guess this will be a good exercise in cutting myself some slack. I’m learning a lot about how to tink stitches, that’s for sure.

So, here are the updates (as of a couple days ago - I’m a bit slow getting the pics posted).

Fuzzy red pillow - this one really throws my camera for a loop because it is such a vivid red, but it’s not that exciting anyway. I retreat to working on this when I start thinking my other projects have it in for me. Just a slight paranoia, nothing to worry about. Right? Anyway, I’m just making this as large as the skein will go, so I really don’t have any idea what point I’m at. But I love knitting with this yarn, it’s so soft on the fingers!

click for larger image

Then there is the Eliza tank. I’m crawling along on it. This picture was taken when I was about to the top yoke pattern - this is the back. I’ve now completed this part and am ready to cast on the front and do it all over again - hopefully with fewer mistakes.

click for larger image

I took the leap into sock making. I was pretty scared, but it seems to be going fairly well so far. This is my first foray into dpn’s and considering they are slippery metal, it’s not going too badly. I would like to know why no local craft stores carry size 5 needles in any type of wood. It is very odd and irritating. I guess they want me to shop at their online competitors instead. I’d like to use my % off coupons, though.

Here we are with the cuff made, the heel turned and I’m working toward the toes. My heel actually turned correctly (I think) and I only have a few holes…which I gather is a common occurrence for novice sock knitters. I’m surprised how well it’s going, actually. I’m using a worsted weight yarn on the 5’s which of course is making a rather thick sock, but it might actually be wearable when all is said and done. My main problem is going to be the 2nd sock since I combined instructions from 3 different sources to make this and I’m not sure if I’ll remember which I used for what. It could be a very interesting pair of socks when I’m done!

click for larger image

I’ve saved my pathetic little attempt at spinning for last. I am told that it takes quite awhile to get the hang of it but I’m not even sure I’ll know when I’m doing it right. As you can see in the picture, I have ‘issues’. But I’ll keep trying and hoping that a local spinner will offer to teach me how to do it correctly. I’m going to need more roving…anybody know a good (cheap) source? I need a lot more than I have so I can continue to practice. My ultimate goal is to go from fleece to finished item by doing all the steps myself. I can’t WAIT to play with dye! Here is my sad little spindle of yarn-ish stuff. Oh, and what do I do when my spindle is full like this?? I need so much help…

click for larger image

That’s about it! I’m searching for a pattern for a loose knit bolero or long shrug that I can wear with Eliza. I have 6 skeins of yarn I think will work well with it, but I can’t seem to find a pattern I like or think I can conquer that doesn’t take more yarn than what I have. There’s one that may or may not work with my gauge on this yarn, but I might try it and hope for the best. I’d like to have both done by Easter, but I could very well be delusional on that point. We shall see.

Click to see larger view

Potato Chip Scarf , finished March 15th, 2007
Pattern: KnitPicks
Yarn: Sensations Rainbow Boucle in variegated pink
Needles: U.S. 11 circ

The Story:
I was at JoAnn’s picking up some other yarn and saw this huge ball (853 yards) of fuzzy Barbie pink and white variegated boucle yarn. I knew I had to get it. It was so soft and girly. I decided I’d use it to make something for my two nieces. This scarf seemed simple enough and was very feminine and ‘young’ looking, so I decided I’d make it with this yarn. It wasn’t easy. My circ’s are metal and the yarn was pretty thin and kept slipping off the needles. And of course it gets twice as long each time you work an increase row. It really felt like it would never end. But I finally finished it and my younger niece was the recipient. She likes it a lot and my other niece does, too. However, I’m going to send her pictures of several items to select her project from, so I’m not sure if I’ll be making another one for her or not - I’m kind of hoping she chooses something different. It came out really cute, but was a pain for me to work with. I’d want some grippier needles before attempting it again. I’m glad I made it, though.

I’ve started on the Eliza tank. I love working with this yarn (Elann Sonata). Here is how it looked after an evening of working on it.

click for a larger view

I had to learn to purl TBL and it took me awhile to get it, but I finally did. My main problem was that the video I was trying to learn from and my Knitting Answer Book didn’t agree on how to work this stitch. Or at least I couldn’t make sense of them. Finally, I just followed the book instructions and wrestled it into my brain. Once I had that stitch down, this pattern lived up to it’s ‘easy’ designation.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I got some Yarn Bee fuzzy pink and pastel yarn that has this color in it. I’m planning on making a shrug or bolero with the fuzzy stuff and I think it’ll work great with this tank. At least I hope it will!

I got much further on the tank yesterday thanks to lots of knitting time and I’ll try to post an updated picture soon. I have made some boo-boos, but they are on the back and near the edges, so at least they won’t be super noticeable - and will hopefully be covered up by whatever I make with the fuzzy stuff. That’s some good motivation to get that done.

This is the scarf that never ends,
It goes on and on my friends.
Someone started knitting it not knowing that it was,
and they’ll continue knitting it forever just because…

Yes, potato chip scarf, I’m talking about you. Oh. My. Word. And I was planning to make TWO of these things. I didn’t fully take into consideration the exponential qualities of this pattern. Every other row has an increase on each stitch which, of course, doubles the size each time. I’m on my final knit row, then a bind off and I’m done. But, boy it’s taken a lot of time to get here and it’ll still take a while to complete!

I know it’s partly my yarn (thin) and my circ’s (metal) that has made this a battle from the beginning. Every stitch wants to slide right off the needles (and many have) and I feel like I need a couple of extra hands just to tame the thing.

But I am almost done, so you should be seeing it in my FO’s soon! I hope my niece likes it! The second one was to be for my other niece, but I think I’ll let her see the first one to make sure she *really* wants one. I may try to make her something else instead. I think it’s best never to make assumptions with a tween girl!

Alright, back to the scarf. I’m determined to finish this thing today.

Jodi

click to see larger image (with much better detail)

Felted bag, finished March 10th, 2007
Pattern: The Andrea Bag from Not an Artist
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino in New Denim and Denim Marl
Needles: U.S. 13 circ’s
Dimensions: 12″ W (w/o handles) x 9″ H x 4″ D

The Story:

Ever since I had success with my needle holder and little bag, I’ve been wanting to try a felted bag/purse. I had a couple of patterns picked out and bought my yarn. Then, before I got started, I stumbled across this pattern and that was it. I had to make that one!

Any sane person in my situation would probably have been daunted. First of all, it was made on circular needles, which I have never used before. Second, it combined 2 different yarns into a pattern, which I’d never done before. Third, I was using different yarn and a different sized needle, since I didn’t have the size called for in the pattern and was too impatient to wait until I could go pick one up. Fourth, it had a mitered bottom, which I had never done before (let alone working decreases of any kind). Fifth, I didn’t have dp needles anywhere near the right size, so I was going to have to try joining the bottom using just my circ. Sixth, the example bag on the blog has highly contrasted colors and mine were…not - so I had NO CLUE if the pattern I was so carefully working would even show up when I finished. Seventh (!), did I mention that I’d never actually worked from a pattern chart before? Well, I hadn’t.

Yeah, so, um…you will learn this about me fairly quickly. When I want to do something, I just jump in. I’m really a cautious person by nature, but when it comes to projects - crafts, home improvement, computer doo-dads - I get an idea and I run with it, usually with very little forethought. I guess my philosophy is that everything I do in these areas, if messed up, is either fixable or disposable. I like a challenge and I learn best hands-on. I’m also very very VERY impatient. So I just go ahead and start and assume I can learn anything I need to know as I go along. Usually I’m right. And sometimes I have to call in somebody who knows what they’re doing to ‘fix’ my little exercises in spontaneity.

In the case of my little bag here, things worked out in my favor. Even using a different yarn, different sized needle, yada yada yada, I am calling this a smashing success! The very subtle color changes seem to work (although I had to wait for the bag to dry after felting to even see the pattern - I was VERY nervous!). I really love this bag and can’t wait to go somewhere so I can use it. I haven’t decided if it will be a ‘bag’ or a ‘purse’, but I think I’ll use it as a purse at least at first so I can show it off sooner, LOL. Sad, isn’t it? I seriously love it and want to thank the author (whose name I could not locate on her blog) for sharing the pattern. I do believe there will be more of these purses in my future.

click to see larger image

Pillow cover, finished March 9th, 2007
Pattern: None - simple Garter stitch
Yarn: Hobby Lobby store brand Baby Bee Lambie Pie in teddybear
Needles: U.S. 10 1/2 straight bamboo
Dimensions: approx. 15″ x 9″

The Story:
When my older son was quite small, I made him a little pillow out of some leftover baby blanket material. This was used as a transitional pillow between having no pillow in his crib and a full-sized one. He’s always loved this pillow and still sleeps with it. When I began knitting, he told me that he didn’t want a hat or scarf - he wanted me to make him another soft pillow.

One day I was at Hobby Lobby and he was with me, so I had him choose the yarn he wanted for his pillow. For some reason my children seem to think that the only way to judge the softness of an item is to lay their face on it. It was an interesting sight watching my 9 year old son go up and down the aisles of yarn, first testing with his hands, then pulling out the more likely skeins to hold against his face. He finally decided on a baby boucle-type yarn. Naturally, all of the available colors were pastel infant in nature, so I chose the one that seemed to be the least baby looking.

I’ve actually had the knitting done on this for a week or more, but didn’t put in the filling (folded quilt batting) and seam it until tonight. I think he despaired of me ever finishing the thing, so I think he’ll be pleasantly surprised to see that it’s done. Now I’m just waiting for my younger son to ask for one, also. This was a good ‘no-brainer’ project for when I just wanted to sit and knit and not have to think about it too much.

Just the kind of project I’ll need to work on tomorrow since I’ll probably be half asleep all day after staying up until 2:30 am to finish it and write this post!