31 October 2015

Hat Plan for August 2016

A little back story here.
I'm a volunteer for Manchester Pride. 
One of the things I've done for a few years is to be a parade steward. It's not a taxing job, it entails walking with a parade float (one side of the road, and someplace in its designated space) and stopping the watchers throw themselves into the path of the parade, and, also to make sure it doesn't lag too far behind the entry in front. The parade's about a mile and a bit long. 70% of the time it's sunny and there's maybe a sprinkle or two of rain. 
I finally got a hat this year, but to be honest, I don't much like it. It's not truly what I wanted (a natural-coloured straw hat with a medium-wide flat brim) and I ended up getting a woven paper green-and-white cloche-brimmed hat. It did the job, and I made a very nice braided/plaited rainbow ribbon for it. I'll admit, it was cute, but again, it wasn't what I *really* wanted.

So. 
To solve my pickiness (I could look at hat after hat and be unhappy with one aspect or another. Not a solution), I have a plan.

I'm going to knit a raffia one in 2016. I've seen enough crocheted ones for sale that I know it's a feasible project. So, I've got a supplier I can go to (Fred Aldous) to see if the raffia is good enough and (bonus for me) the cost of 500g of raffia will be *much* cheaper than buying a raffia straw hat. I have a hat pattern. I have a plan. Now lets just hope that both I and the raffia are good enough to get it done for the end of July 2016.

Later.

28 September 2015

Knitting and the Hope for 2015. . .

Ok.
I've completed 10 projects this year and I'm in the process of finishing off 2 more.
One (Queen's Garden Shawl) needs washing and blocking and the other one (Lap Blanket for the Cold) needs the ends sewing in and washing and drying (I'm not going to block it - I think it needs to be fluffy for warmth and blocking won't help that, but I'll see when its dry. If I'm wrong, it's easily fixed). They both need to go into the freezer afterwards.

I have 3 (a Purse (Brea Bag), a Jacket/Cardigan (Mermaid Jacket) and a Sweater (V-neck Sweater with saddle shoulders)) that could be finished by the end of the year, but they all depend upon me having sufficient concentration. My insomnia is impairing that concentration and I'm feeling a little bit low and hence, that also impairs my concentration and buggers up my self-esteem, so I'm not fully convinced that I could complete one, never mind all three within the year. I'm really hoping my insomnia does one, and soon. I logically know full well I could do all three if I work on them even a little bit every day, but I just look at them sitting there and I don't want to. It's simple stuff that needs doing:
The Purse needs 3 things finishing - the lining cut out and sewn up (2 day job), the strap to be knitted (a week at the most) and then all the components sewing together (2-3 days) with the hardware and an edging crocheted along the edge (a day). It's a nice bag, and it's been sitting around for too long.
The Jacket needs to be finished, but I don't know if I could wear it. I've gained a bit too much weight since I started it and I think that's also impairing my wish to finish it (The i-cord edging (a week) and the sleeves (2 weeks) are all that need knitting before I sew it up (3-4 days)).
I'd like to finish the Sweater before the cold weather kicks in here. I'd like to be able to wear it at least once before the end of the year, but I can't get the oomph to work on the sleeves (1-2 weeks) (that and the neckline (2-3 days) are all that needs finishing before I sew it up (3-4 days).

I have at least 5 more projects, each of which could be finished within 6 months - all shawls. I've been working on the body of one lately (Cherry Leaf Shawl) since it only needs 3 repeats of the pattern (10 rows each) to compete the body of the shawl and then I need to start on the knitted on border. It'll take about 2-3 months of daily work to complete that, but with the work that needs to be done on the previous projects, it's not likely to be completed this year, which is why I put it into this paragraph. The other shawls are The Spider Web half-hexagon shawl (only the border left), The Papyrifera Shawl with beaded edging, The I Flap My Wings and Glide Shawl and The Saroyan (#2) Shawl. I'm hoping I complete all of those next year, along with two other long-term projects, though I don't know which two at this point. Oh! There's also a Sweater (So Long Duster) that could be completed by the end of 2016, but I don't know if it will. *sigh*

I'm going to go. I feel a little bit better about my prospects to finish the knitting on something else this year, and that's making me a bit more confident about things in general. I think I'm going to go knit on the sweater sleeve I started. It might just help a little.

Later.

21 June 2015

Knitting. Reading. Knitting. Reading.

I'm doing little bits of both often.
I don't seem to have the patience right now to do more than 15 minutes of anything, so doing little and often is working. I've finished projects and books, so its working.

It's better than doing nothing, watching TV and twiddling my thumbs feeling as if I *should* be productive but not actually doing anything.

Off to knit some and read some more. I'm in the mood to start a project, but I'm determined not to until I finish at least 2 more projects. Here's to good intentions. Let's hope I do this.

Later

01 January 2015

2014 Knitting

Projects Finished:

Rainbow Scowl (scarf/cowl)

Simple Garter Stitch Scarf

Maine Morning Mitts 4a

Maine Morning Mitts 4b

Ten Stitch Baby Blanket in Chunky yarn

A Simple Pouch

Cassandra Shawl + (minus edging as I ran out of yarn)

Tudora Cowl (finally finished, started 2008)

Calorimetry Headband #2

Calorimetry Headband #3

Arroyo Shawl

Ditty Bag #3

Wombat Shawl

Cabled Samsung Sleeve (with pocket)

Ten Stitch Twist Baby Blanket



Projects Started (and unfinished) in 2014:

Grey Rhodion Wrap

So Long Duster Cardigan

Lacy Pullover (scoop neck reversable top for Susan)

Quant Headband #2

More Than a Triangle Shawl

Lap Blanket for the Cold

V-Neck Sweater


Projects in Progress at the end of 2014 (yes, there is a difference):

Ditty Bag #2

Beaded Muir

Grey Rhodion Wrap

Indian Shawl

V-neck Sweater

34 leaves Shawl

Nori Shawl

Spider Web Half Hexigon +1

Clapotis #2 (still weaving in ends)

So Long Duster

Lacy Pullover (for Susan)

Quant Headband #2


Luna Flickering Flames Skirt

Prayer Shawl #2

Saroyan #2

More Than a Triangle Shawl.


What do I have planned for 2015? Well, I plan to finish 15 projects, 2 of them being long-term projects. Other than that? Well, let's just see what happens. . .