Completed!

I finished Brianna's sweater! I was so excited to get it bound off and dyed. Since I was still pretty sick, the kids helped with the dyeing portion of it. Anthony held the wet sweater above the pot while I instructed him on when to lower it a little more and Brianna helped with pinning it out to block. All in all, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

And now to plan out the next big project. I have several Craft it Forward items that still need to be done and I really am going to try and focus on them. In the meantime, it's break month with HPKCHC and I am just not sure what I want to work on. Perhaps that shawl that I started for the first year I was in Asheville. I haven't worked on that since I got pneumonia the first time and the year is nearly up. Here is the current progress:

I think it's time to pull it out of the basket and see how much I can finish before the end of August. After all, we did have some pretty chilly days and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all progresses.

Sweaters & blankets

As winter seems to finally be coming to a close, I'm getting closer and closer to finishing Paper Thistles. This weekend looks promising for completing the neck and a portion of the sleeves. I don't know if I'll get a chance to wear it before next winter, but I'm not worried about it.

I have made some progress on the Universal Love blanket, too. Whenever I have to sit somewhere (like waiting rooms), I will do a few rows and smile. It's nearly too big to bring places, but I don't mind. Just seeing all the bright colors makes me happy. I still have quite a way to go before I need to make a decision about the next row of color. I do know that there will be a section of black squares to separate the center "pinwheel" from the rest, but that's about as far as I've gotten in terms of planning.

There are tiny buds of ideas beginning to grow in my mind lately. The cloak that was just a whisper, the coat that will be scenery, the socks that will bloom... there are so many ideas! I am looking forward to working on them all, even though I don't know how they will turn out.

For now, I'm going to plan on a relaxed weekend with Brianna and my knitting and I am hoping to show a little more progress soon.

New things...

I've been thinking about the things I really want to do in my life lately. Simple things like yoga each day, belly dancing, learning to play the guitar, and so much more. There once was a time when I would immerse myself in something that interested me, when my passion for the thing would rise up and fill my life with all the wonders of the learning and experiencing of it all. And, after a little while of this intensity, it became a normal part of my life.

In 1985 I started counted cross-stitch and created some very cute pictures. At first they were simple designs that included hearts and bunnies, but soon grew to more intricate designs of an attic scene or wildlife. I even cross-stitched a landing eagle onto a shirt when I was about twenty for my husband (now ex). No project was too big for me.

About ten years later I began learning about beadwork. I learned the square stitch, brick stitch, and peyote. I learned how to make my fringes drape and to design my own patterns. I learned how to stitch beads onto fabric and leather. I learned tips on keeping my ends woven in, tricks on smoothing the threads, and some of the best ways to fix mistakes even when they were in the middle of the project. I made tiny amulet bags, earrings, and ornaments. There were gifts to loved ones as well as items that I sold (before there was Etsy). After Brianna was born, I'd put her in the carrier I had and would work on bead projects while she slept with her head near my heart. 

I don't know exactly when I set the beads to the side, but I picked up knitting again in 2007 (I'd been knitting on and off in my teens). I couldn't tell you what projects I did that first year, but I doubt they were significant. That all changed in February 2008 when I joined Ravelry. I "met" so many people who shared my interests! I was inspired to push myself in the projects I'd attempt. I became interested in new things like spinning my own yarn and felting and so much more. I learned the art of dyeing fiber and yarn (though, I will admit that it was more like "um, I'll try this and see if it works" at the beginning than any real artistry. And through it all there have been so many folks who have touched my life.

And now, I'm nowhere near ready to set knitting or other fiber crafts aside, but I am ready to start doing more with my days. I have several things that I'm ready to start with and I am not certain how I'll fit them in, but I know that I'm ready to give it a try.

Mohican socks...

It's a Monday, but that doesn't mean anything bad. At least not today.

I had a lovely Mother's Weekend, shared with my loved ones, good food, and lots of smiles. And I finished my socks. I really like how the purl stitches give this yarn a bit of a boost and plan to use this technique more often.

I'm also working on a sweater for a friend and have gotten just to the tops of the shoulders. I still have a lot of work to do, but I'm looking forward to seeing how this all turns out.

Loose ends

We're nearly to the end of the calendar and, once again, I'm thinking of new ideas and patterns. I still want to finish the Crossing Paths as well as create a similar pattern that would be part of a set. My idea is for a "his & hers" set of socks that could share some traits (as people share lives), but also be very individual (as all people are). Another idea is for a cloak made with lace-weight yarn, but with carious cables and knots intertwined throughout.

And, I still have a couple other projects to complete. I'm not sure that I will get them finished by the last day of the month, but I am certainly going to try.

I'll be playing along in the Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup again. When I think about how long I've been playing... well, it seems very strange. This "term" I am in the category BA5, which means I've already played through the initial 7 terms (which coincide with the years in the books) and am now in the next set of "years". I don't know what they will come up with for those who are even higher than I am.

I'll be focusing more this upcoming year. My hope is that I can organize my time in such a way that I can enjoy a little more crafting time as well as my business. I think there will be a lot of notes and reminders to myself.

I do hope you all are having a wonder-filled holiday season, no matter what/if you celebrate.

Strained

Knitting can be a painful thing sometimes. I bet some of you didn't know that.

Last month I pulled something in my hand while I was working on some socks for the Tour de Sock competition (not the ones in the picture). After that it was really too painful to knit for  some time. So I filled my time with spinning and crocheting. My hand is still a bit sore, so the next project will be weaving.

For the most part, this hasn't really stopped me from doing other things (like drilling holes in rocks), but there have been moments when I have to stop and reposition my hand before proceeding with what I'm doing. Even something as simple as lifting my coffee cup has become something I must think about so I don't drop it (yes, I've cleaned up more coffee spills lately than I care to admit.)

Why craft at all? Well, it's part of who I am. I'm a crafty kind of person. When I'm not crafting or designing a craft item or even writing about crafts, I start to feel a bit unsettled. There is something soothing about taking bits of yarn, strings & beads, wood & paint, or even paper & glue, and turning them into something pleasing to the eye that really makes me feel happy.

The socks in the picture above are the ones I'm designing for myself. When they are finished I will have a few people test knit the other sizes and, as long as everything turns out well, I will be able to post the pattern for sale. The next pair I design will be using the same yarn with the opposite color scheme and will be a gift. I really look forward to getting back to them.

Until then, I will keep using my hand gently, applying my arnica salve, and avoiding any undue stress to that hand.

May you all have a relaxing, creative day!

Progress and a Challenge

I've completed Chart A on my shawl -

And a few other small projects. I'm still working on a pair of socks that I'm designing as I go. Crazy, huh? I'm hoping to have them done before the end of summer so I can get some testers and post the pattern for sale. Here's how they look so far -

Which brings me to the Challenge. Tomorrow starts the Tour De Sock. I have all my yarns figured out along with my needles and I'm looking forward to this year's race. Am I nervous? Yes. But I know I can do this, too. The challenge (aside from knitting 6 pairs of socks in 7 & a half weeks, maybe 8) is that I won't really be able to work on other projects. My OWL will still get some dedicated time since that's part of the points with HPKCHC and I will love to get the badge for this one, but other projects? We'll just have to wait & see. I will certainly be bringing my TdS projects with me just about everywhere.

I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. Too excited to go to sleep, but knowing that I have to.

The Muse shouts...

There are times when my Muse whispers softly and encourages me to work on the projects I already have going, like my Opposite Socks.

Then there are times she shouts in my ear, telling me that I can actually do this crazy thing. In the limited time available. Like Magick Number.

This morning she is shouting for me to create myriad designs. Fibonacci scarves, lace shawls, cabled socks, lace sweaters... and the list grows by the moment. Fibonacci scarves have already been done before now, I don't need to come up with a new pattern, just alter them to suit me (like only going up to 13 or 21). Lace shawls? Really, now, aren't there enough of those out there? Do I really need to make up a new one right now? There are hundreds of cabled socks out there too, do I really need to come up with a new one? As for lace sweaters, does that really need to be done?

"Yes," she tells me, "they need to be done."

And so I sigh and pull out the precious graph paper knowing that the ideas will continue bouncing around my head until I get them started. Then they will get louder until I start choosing the yarns and the needles. Then the whole thing will become a cacophony, drowning out the rest until the end. At that point, if I am lucky, there will be a visual symphony to share with the world. Or, just my small corner of it.