Project round-up post for 2010

Well, it's been a so-so busy year. I've finished more projects than I started, but there's less long-term projects "still in progress" than there was last year (I think).
If I'm lucky, I'll be able to decrease the long-term projects (slow "forgotten" ones) even further in 2011 - one way or another.
One thing I really do need to do on the internet for my knitting in 2011 is to find another free photo hosting site other than Photobucket (What a terrible site. I can't reactivate the photos I have on there. Bah.). I've many photos that need posting.

(Markings as follows: *internet pattern. ^magazine pattern. " book pattern)

Finished in 2010:
Catnip Mouse*
Rose Flower (3D flower for hat decoration) "
Black Silk Scroll Wrap (FINALLY!!!!) *
Multnomah Shawl (with extra repeat) *
BS Johnson Hat *
Market Bag 1 (it works very well)*
Gypsy Shawl ^
Grey Snow Rose Shawl (a.k.a. Lumiruusu)*
Crow Print Shawl(ette) (full pattern knit with fingering yarn on smaller needles)*
Quant Hair Band *
Baktus *
Winter Reading Shawl *
Vortex Hat (times 2) *
Feather and Fan Diagonal Lap Blanket*
Saroyan "shawl" (a scarf with 3 extra repeats in the increase (and corresponding decrease)section)*
Torreyana Shawl *
Rainbow Shawl *
Eyelet Wrap (Vogue Accessories Book pattern)"
Mario Netbook Case (with handmade wood "buttons") *
Bamboo yarn Dishcloth (own pattern)
Lacy Baktus *
Eyelet Cowl (Vogue Knitting Pattern)^

Started (but not finished) in 2010:
Patchwork Jacket ^
Orenberg Shawl ^
Maelstrom/Vortex Circular Shawl *
Basketweave Diagonal Lap Blanket *
Lace Capelet (Vogue Knitting pattern)^
Bamboo Circular Vest (knitting finished, ends need sewing in)*
Lace Wrap Cardigan (Vogue Knitting Pattern) (this could have been finished 2 weeks ago, but I didn't want to do the blocking needed) ^
Felted Slippers *

"Long-term" projects still unfinished in 2010:
Kimono Sweater (still not spun that silk yarn *grr*) *
Endpaper Mitts 2 (need to re-cast-on the second mitt - it WILL get finished in 2011) *
Prayer Shawl 2 (still waiting on dye - it's getting tiring) *
Clapotis 2 (not bad, just boring) *
Basic Socks (can't seem to want to re-start that second sock) ^(leaflet)
Flickering Flames Skirt (not a bad, boring or difficult project, I just don't know why this isn't finished) *
Lace Leaf Scarf (this is seriously boring -I think this will be frogged in 2011) ^
Knitted Kitties (Really, I've got to knit more of these - I just don't want to) *
Market Bag 2 (I've just got to buckle down and finish this, and I should, considering that the first one works nicely) *
Tudora (I'm still waiting on just enough scrap Noro Kureyon yarn to finish it) *
Secret of the Stole II (Knitting V. slowly on this) *
Mitered Vest/Jacket (I'm bored with this - don't know why, as it's charming and quirky and I really like the colour palette I'm using. I'll figure out how to get started again on this.)
Dappled Lace Kitchen Curtain strips (I'm sort of scared of this project) *
Hat and Scarf Set (I'm still trying to figure out a pattern to finish the cap part of the hat, using vertical stripes knitted in the round to the crown)
Gothic Lace Mohair Scarf (This is a non-entity of a project. It just goes into limbo even while I'm knitting it. It's NOT a boring lace pattern, and the yarn is quite lovely, but it's just. . . blah.) "
Cherry Leaf Shawl (I'm 2 repeats away from starting the border. But I'm scared of the border. Weird.) "
Spring Blossoms Shawl (This was actually in limbo. I'd forgotten about it until just now. I'm hoping to get another ball of the yarn I'm using so I can make it a repeat or two bigger.) ^ (leaflet set)
Cotton Squares Blanket (I crochet a couple blocks together a week. Slow but steady work. It'll take a year or two (or three) to finish this. *sigh*)
Apple Tree Leaves Lace Wrap (This needs working on and it's actually a beautiful lace pattern, but it's a bit boring to work on) "
Spider Web Half-Hexagon Shawl (I'm coming to the end of the first section. I knit a couple rows a month. Not enough, but the yarn's a bit intimidating.) "
DROPS B13-19 baby Jacket (I'm knitting erratically on sleeves) *
DROPS 111-27 Lace Jacket (I'm knitting erratically on it, I'm just being REALLY slow. It's a nicely challenging pattern.) *
Le Cardi Toddler Jacket (Knitting finished, but the seaming and ends need sewing - I just DON'T want to sew all the ends in) ^
Icon doll (This is likely to stay in limbo for years as it's a vanity project) "
Poppy Flower (I don't know why this isn't finished, I just need to knit/crochet a simple disc and sew the petals to it and each other - it'd take a day (at most) to complete) "
Squashy Blossom Flower (It's my own pattern, but I've forgotten what I was doing. I'll work it out eventually)

Techniques learned or first done in 2010:
Knitting a round shawl on circular needles (Maelstrom/Vortex shawl)
(In 2009 I forgot (I think) to note that I'd knitted a square shawl on circular needles (Spring Blossoms Shawl))
Shaping a garment (Lace Wrap cardigan)

I've listed my resolutions for 2011 in the last post, so that's done.

So. . .good luck to me for the next year.

A crafting resolution or two . . .

Ok, the first resolution is that I've decided, in line with my fervent wish to decrease the amount of clutter (crap) in the house, that I will start projects that use my yarn stash.

There's over fifteen (15) carboard flip-top Ikea storage boxes of yarn in my craft area.

I realise I'm a sucker for yarn, so I'm certainly NOT going to say I'm not going to buy any new yarn in 2011, but the list of projects I have or think of in the future, I WILL think of the stash yarn first.
That stash pile has GOT to get smaller.

The other resolution is to finally re-start work on my spinning, braiding and weaving in 2011. I originally got the equipment to finish projects and to increase my knowledge.
To start this, I'm going to take a spinning class in February (I've already talked to the teacher, and somehow I've got to get my spinning wheel down to the class) but I promised I'd take the class - once it goes online, I'll run down to the shop and book (and pay for) a place. I have silk top, flax top, wool and linen fibre to spin and I want to get them done.

I'm not saying that a huge amount of work will get done in the year, but I'm determined to complete a braid, a part of a woven piece (to finally get the loom useable would be something!), a decent amount of spun fibre (the minimum is about a 50g ball in total fibre spun) and a box of stash used in knitting.

It doesn't sound like much, but it will be a start, and if I complete those things in 2011, I can do even more in 2012. I deserve it.

Go me!

I am knitting furiously (for me) on a lace wrap cardigan - knit half a size too small. I don't know yet if I love it, and at the same time I hate it. I hate it for being so knittable.
This frantic knitting goes against my being. I am, by nature, a procrastinator. I'm (somewhat) lazy and flighty, and I don't spend a lot of time on one thing. I find I'm thinking of the cardigan as an alien being, stroking my soul and making me do things contrary to my nature.

I deeply love it as well. I want this cardigan to be perfect in every way, so I can coo over it and wear it every day (once it fits me). It seems a bit strange to be paying this much attention to an item that won't be able to be used as soon as it comes off the needles/blocking pads, but I'm knitting it for the smaller, healthier me.

I suppose that this also means that I'm really happy about being healthier. Which I am.

I want that time to be here MUCH sooner than it should be.

Music and Knitting

The music first:
Last Night (3rd Dec) I was watching Cecilia Bartoli @ the Bridgewater Hall. Astounding. She sang Castrati arias with a Baroque Group (forgot name of group), and it was wonderful. the music and her voice carried all over the hall, and it was unmiked. *whee*. I booked a ticket to see a counter-tenor (sorry, can't remember his name at the minute) singing more baroque music, and I'm SO happy.

Onto the knitting. . .
The knitting umph is back. I don't know when it came back, but so far, in addition to the other stuff, I've knitted a cowl (used last night due to the snow and general cold weather here) in Blue Manos Classica yarn, a circular vest (got to sew in all the ends and crochet around the armholes before I *lightly* block it) in Aqua Rowan Bamboo Tape and though I'm nibbling on other projects in an erratic rotation, I've started on a lace wrap cardigan in a neutral grey Texere White Rose Mohair yarn. It makes me happy to see it in progress. So soft.

Other stuff:
I'm losing inches around my body through a combination of diet and exercise. In 8 weeks, I've gone down a cup size and my clothes feel generally looser. I'm ecstatic. I've got to sign up for the next round of Yoga and Tai chi classes and the first chance I get, I'll be signing up for aerobics classes in order to get me fitter in general. Whoo! Go me!

Later.

It's gone. . .

That frenzy of knitting on projects past, present and future has disappeared. I can't quite pin down when it went, but I think it was about 2 weeks ago - when I started 3 seperate classes (not OU classes). 1 was the evergreen Choir, and the other 2 are Tai Chi and Yoga. My brain must have shifted and pushed knitting out.
I knit for about an hour a night right now, and it feels "not enough", but I can't make myself work anymore than that.
I'm joining a knitting group either this week or next, (the old one I was running died at the beginning of summer and I just don't want to re-start another one right now) in order to restart my "frenzy", and while I realise it might not work as well as that, it should make it easier to knit more than I do now.

*crossing fingers*.

Later

A bit overjoyed

Today, this isn't a post about my crafting - it's about me.

I'm delighted. I've gotten a ticket to Orff's Carmina Burana (and another choral piece). Now it's a wonderful thing to go see it performed, but in this instance, I'm going to be in the chorus. Soprano Section.

*EEEEE*

*squEEE*

There's 2 conductors (one of whom is Mark Elder, and the other one is good as well), the Orchestra is the Halle and the place it's in is the Bridgewater Hall.

I'm going to have another happy dance and do some private gloating movements. . . again.

*grin*
Later.

Another quick update

Well, I think I'm going to exceed the (self) planned limitation of my "patterns-on-the-go". At the end of July, I had 12 patterns I was actively knitting:

Maelstrom Shawl
Spring Blossom Shawl
Black Basketweave lap Blanket
Patchwork Jacket
Beech Leaf Shawl
Pink Eyelet Wrap
Verena Exclusive Orenberg Shawl
Spiderweb Shawl
Simple thin black sparkly Scarf
Black Drops Cardigan
Secret of the Shawl II
Candleflame Lace Skirt (that's sort of the name . . .)

(there's 18 more that are hibernating)

and 6 I was in the process of finishing (sewing in ends, needed to block, etc.):

Rainbow cape - sew in ends, wash, lightly block
simple Doll - seam & stuff
Torreyana Shawl - sew in ends, block
Toddler sweater - seam, wash
Saroyan "scarf" - block
Grey Snow Rose shawl (Lumiruusu) - reblock

Within the last few days, I've finished the Saroyan "scarf" (blocked it) and added one more project - Vogue Knitting Lace Capelet in sirdar baby bamboo.

Just to even things out, I might be adding another pattern in a couple days - Lacy Baktus. I've wanted to start that for a while.

I think that of ones I'm working on, there's 3 that could be finished in a month if I concentrated a bit more on them (Patchwork Jacket, Simple Scarf & Pink Eyelet Wrap), and there's 3 that I don't know when will be finished - they're all shawls (Maelstrom, Beech Leaf & Spring Blossom), and I want to be a bit flexible about the size - I have enough yarn within each project to be able to do that. The rest. . .well, they'll be done when they're done.

Later.

A frenzy of knitting for the forseeable future. . .

I've never been one for doing a single thing at any time (for the most part, anyway - e.g. one can't sleep and type meaningfully - as far as I understand it , anyway). So I have multiple books I read, and multiple cross-stich projects in various stages of completion, among other things.

It works exactly the same for my knitting. I really don't know how many projects I have going, and to be honest, I don't want to know (I have a ravelry account and the vast majority of my projects are on there, but there are a few that slip through the cracks). But I also have projects I WANT to do, so I get the yarn and/or the pattern, and put it to one side to do later.
Sometimes, I really want to do a particular project *now*, so I start it as soon as possible. I also have a list of future knitting projects, where I want to do it a certain way, but don't have it together yet.
*deep breath*

. . . is there a point to writing all this? . . .

Anyway, I think what I'm trying to say is that at this point in time, is that I don't think I'm going to stop knitting for any considerable length of time (one or two days, maybe, but no longer than that). Right now I can't see me being at a point where I get "knitters block" (so to speak).

I have enough projects on the go that I WANT to finish and enough projects I could start tomorrow (that I really DO want to start tomorrow, but won't) that I'm full up with things to do. *grin*

You know what . . .It feels great!

Later.

Frogging and swatching

Well, I bit the bullet last night. I frogged two projects that had been in hibernation.

My Debbie Bliss Sophia Sweater (I'd only done 1/2 of the back) in the Rialto pattern book - knitted in Sirdar Snuggly baby bamboo yarn. The pattern was fine, but the yarn wasn't worjking with the pattern. I was getting more and more irritated at the yarn as time went on.

So the sweater is gone (not the yarn).
I immediatly started swatching with the Sirdar yarn for two projects - the Capelet out of the spring(?)2010 Vogue Knitting Magazine and the Torreyana shawl out of Knitty.com online magazine. I'm not sure, though. I actually like both of them, but there's something similar in the lace pattern (there isn't, really) about both of them. I'm being picky. I'm going to knit one or both of them. At this point, I'm betting both.

The other project frogged is a baby hat. Last year, I tweaked a nice, very simple pattern to match a baby sweater and I screwed up the hat. I'd left it alone out of shame, but that's gone. I'll re-cast it on in the same yarn. Someday.

I've also finished a couple projects -
a "Reading Shawl" in two types of sock yarn (it's cute, but, it's not - It will work once the weather gets colder) it's been washed and blocked.
and that Baktus I wrote about in the last post. It needs washing.
Both of them need photos taking.

Later.

Busy Me

Been knitting like a fiend (well, it's a lot for me . . .) I've finished 2 more shawls (one's drying right now) and I'm rather happy.
The 2 I've completely finished (ends woven in, washed and blocked) are The Snow Rose Shawl and The Crow Prints shawl (a quick knit in DROPS alpaca -Dark Indigo).

I've recently started a Saroyan in British Breeds Guernsey 5-ply (Conifer)
I've got plans to start a Lacy Baktus once the Baktus (2 posts down -or so) is finished, as I want to use that same needle/cable.

What I'm Not Happy with is Flickr. Even though I understood at the beginning of my free membership I had a limit uploading every month, apparently there's now a limit to the number of photos on my site. Grrr.
I can't buy a Pro Account - I don't have a way to pay them in USD for it (I don't do paypal). I don't know a solution to this as yet, though I'm sure I'll find one eventually.
*sigh*

Later.

Sorry little socks

I'm coming (albeit reluctantly) to the conclusion that I've not got the brain for knitting socks.
I want to. I really want to, but aside from my intial knitting foray, I've not completed a pair of socks in 5 years.

I knit a sock - or part of a sock - and my brain gets disgusted. I have parts of 2 pairs (1 single socks and the first third of one) hibernating in this house and I cannot make myself knit any further on either of the pairs.

Again, I'd really like to knit socks. I LOVE woolen/natural fibre socks. I've seen hundreds of glorious sock patterns (lots of free ones) and my hands itch to knit them - but I just don't.

It's not the complexity - I'm well versed in knitting lace, cables, entrelac, intarsia, plain stocking stitch. I can knit yards of scarves and shawls (as can be seen in earlier entries, I've got 6 on the go, all active.). Some of those shawls are on lace yarn (mohair, even)
I can happily knit in the round - I love knitting sleeveless mittens and I like knitting hats.
Double pointed needles are fine as well . . .

So what is it with the combination of fine yarn, double pointed needles and sock pattern?

I don't know - but I'm completely stumped. A bit frustrated, too.

Later this year, I'll try to finish another sock. . . but I'm not that confident I'll do it.

*cross fingers* I do, though.

Later.

Finished knitting

I've finished 3 items this month - a Shawl (Gypsy shawl), a wrap (the black silk scroll wrap) and a shawlette (Multnomah). They've all been washed and blocked. Photos are up as well.

The knitting is done on the Grey "Snow Rose" shawl, but I've ends to weave in. That is NOT being fun at all with crochet cotton. Once it's done (and I'm over halfway finished), the washing, starching and blocking will be a breeze.

I've replaced two of the "missing" projects with a sweater (Patchwork Jacket from Knitting Magazine 072) in blue DROPS alpaca yarn and a "scarf" (baktus) in green-blue-purple Meilenweit Cotton Fun sock yarn.

Later

Better weather on the way. . .

I've not been journaling, that much is obvious.
The thing is, it's been cold.
Very cold.
Cold enough to freeze finger and toe tips.

But, spring is here, and the weather is getting warmer. So I'll be journaling a bit more frequently than lately.
Not much more, but at least once a month as "usual".

In a bit of last-minute, before-I-go news,
I've finally finished the black silk scroll shawl. I've ends to sew in (feels like a hundred), then it's to be dry-cleaned, then blocked, but I'm HOPING to get it all finished and photos up by May.
I've also started on a new shawl - a swedish - I think - one, called in English "snow rose" (I've only 21 rows to go) . A couple of photos have already been posted (grey lace "blob" thing).

*grin*


Later.

Year end roundup - delayed by cold

It's freezing in Manchester. I access the internet from my bedroom, which is unheated. Right now, it's 40F (5C) in here. To me, brought up in centrally heated houses and in the Western United States, I'm COLD!

So this is going to be as short as possible.

I made real baby clothing. Sweaters/Cardigans, really, but it's a start. It was fun.

I continued work on old patterns and started a few more.
I made a few quick patterns, like cat toys and a hat.

That's it.

Later.