organization

I am a planner.
I'm not one of those people that just goes with the flow entirely, and I'm definitely not one that is afraid to put something down on paper, but I wouldn't consider myself a control freak either. Just a planner. I like planning, I love researching, and I really enjoy making lists and checking off items as each task is accomplished. I think this quote says it best: "Good luck is a result of good planning." I'm not sure who originally said this, maybe it was off of a fortune cookie (???) but at any rate, I intend to improve my luck this year through better planning, or shall I say "good planning." Well... at least the luck that I can control which is in regards to my hobbies. Everything else? Well... we'll just leave that to the maker. Another quote I really love, again from who knows where *sigh* is "When humans plan, God laughs"... think about that one ;)

So, I didn't go all hog wild on my personal resolutions list this year - I kept that list short, sweet and attainable. Emphasis on attainable, because I know you know what I'm talking about. All that "make a million dollars this year" and "purchase my own private island" stuff... well, I decided to leave that off the list this year ;) I did however make myself two separate lists. One for personal goals, the other for projects I'd like to complete before the year was out broken down according to the particular hobby - sewing, knitting, spinning. Each hobby has about 5 items which I'd like to focus on, anywhere from a specific project I'd like to finish, to learning a technique or just spending more time doing it, but realistic. No more of this knit 4 sweaters talk. Being unrealistic sets you up to fail every time.

In regards to the project list, I told myself as long as I was able to check off one or two projects from each section before the year was out, then I'd consider that successful. Any thing in addition to that would be a welcomed bonus. There are no gold stars, patches, tubs of ice cream or anything like that for me completing projects... just the reward and sense of accomplishment I get from knowing that I kept my promise is enough for me. I really, really loathe empty promises. I am a person of my word... what's that saying, "word is bond" or "my word is my bond" which means, my word is good, 100% valid and backed up, all the time. If I say I'm going to do something, I will do it, and lists help me keep my word. They are visual reminders of what I said I would do. On top of that lists = accountability!


In addition to list-making, I also really enjoy organizing. This is the left side of my brain which strives for order. My first task of the year was to begin getting all my knitting "stuff" in order because it is seriously all over the place for lack of proper (and attractive) storage. I'm talking critical mass over here. Hence...

 DPN (double point needle) Case

 The outside of the case

I finished this bad boy yesterday (the 6th), and here we are on the 2nd week of the new year, and I've already managed to check off one item from my craft "to do" list.  :)  Yay me! Here is a link to a page I used for inspiration/ideas on construction: here. These cases are super basic and totally customizable... you don't need to be a master seamstress. Just requires a little patience and planning (yup... planning). I tweaked a few things size-wise (not intentional... just had to improvise), added a couple of details that I like (bias tape, covered button and an elastic closure), and used interface for stiffer/sturdier fabric. Overall I'm very happy with my case... so happy in fact that I didn't put it through the wash to remove all my chalk and pencil markings on the fabric. I just tossed all the needles inside! :D If you want me to do a tutorial, let me know. I did document my steps, but I'm sure you'll be fine... ;) Please be fine.

Back to organization...
Organization is definitely something I've been striving for for the past couple of years since I finished my Bachelor's in '08. My (now) husband and I had been living in our current house (prior to graduating) for just shy of a year and because we both had hectic school and work schedules, we left most of our lives in boxes. After I graduated and found myself out of work (hell, I'm still out of consistent work, ugh!) my first task was to get to cracking open all those boxes. Now, keep in mind, this is the 2nd home I've lived in since I moved out of my parents house, so I carried my entire life with me when I moved out. I had stuff from elementary school, high school, you name it. Boxes I had of clothing and shoes I haven't worn for years. That stuff all went into the trash/recycle bin! Hey... I'm not one for the sentimental. It's all just stuff anyway. I tossed like crazy, recycled, donated... but finally I was free. Visual clutter is the worst to me. I feel like it really has a way of stifling creativity. If you subscribe to ideas of energy and how it flows and all that good stuff... clutter is the ultimate blocker of energy. If there are too many obstacles for energy to get around then it will get the hell out of Dodge and pass you on the way out!

Sometime around the end of Summer (last year) I was fed up with clutter again (maybe it's seasonal), and I decided to go through all "stuff" that was hobby related, organize it and de-stash, because apparently throwing out all my clothing wasn't enough?! And I did. I didn't just focus on my knitting stuff... I went through my sewing stuff as well and got rid of fabric I would never use (anything that was not black lol, kidding?) and ultimately separated my fabrics into 2 large see-through plastic bins: Apparel and Crafts. I then organized all my sewing notions, patterns, etc. and cleaned up my "to do" sewing bin, tossing out/donating what I knew I was never going to get around to finishing (or starting for that matter), pulling out all the "to be hemmed" pants and placing them in a separate labeled box that says "hem me" and placing the "to finish" items in my line of sight, right next to my main sewing machine so it was at arm's reach. I figure if it stares at me enough, I'll eventually get sick of looking at it and just finish the darn thing already!

I've been using an over-the-door shoe holder for several years now to store my large cones of sewing thread, but I have also recently started placing other sewing items in the shoe holder like jars of buttons, safety pins, wooden spools, stuff like that. My holder is ultra low-tech, I think I got it from Target ages ago for like 5 bucks, it's really pitiful and cheap looking - just clear vinyl with bias tape around its 20 shoe slots and around the entire edge of the holder and it has 3 little hooks on the top where you insert the metal hangers, but I swear, it is one of my most useful organizational tools I own, and it's practical as hell. I don't see why you can't make one of these yourself (new project!) and use the label maker to label each slot to your hearts desire! Love labels!!! Anyway, I save glass jars (of all sizes) from pasta sauce and garlic usually ;), clean them up really well, remove the labels, and use them to store all kinds of small items. These jars are also really great for gift items like pre-made cookie mix recipes, pre-made drink recipes, etc. and even craft swap gifts. Sure the Ball jars are more attractive, but these are already paid for! All you have to do is fancy it up a bit by covering the lid with fabric or craft paper, add a cute little hang tag onto the neck of the jar and you are done! I've even made a few pin cushions out of the small garlic jars.

Cute!!!

They are the perfect size for almost anything really, and the bonus is that they are in "see through" containers which helps me (and you!) to quickly identify what I have on hand and what I need more of. I'm emphasizing "see through" here... it's a little contradictory because if you can still see all this stuff, then it can still be considered visual clutter, even if it is organized in a very clean, tidy way, but see-through for a crafter/hobbyist, I feel is essential. It really helps to remedy that "oh crap, I don't have [fill in the blank item that you are always out of right at the end of a project] and now I need to run out and get it" thing. A lot of the times, I find that I have the item on hand, I just don't know where the hell it is! You know what I'm talking about. It also curbs the need to stockpile as if you are waiting for the apocalypse! I know those JoAnn Fabric sales are tempting! Keep that money in your pockets folks. You will thank yourself one day :)

Last note on the over-the-door shoe holder... (because you haven't heard enough about it!)
In the past, I have also started storing random skeins of yarn in the holder as well. The slots are just the perfect size for those small skeins of Lily "Sugar 'n Cream" and the like (stuff that isn't as attractive to fiber-loving insects). If you are needing an organizational tip (a free one at that!), the over-the-door shoe holder would be a great way to organize your knitting projects (if they are small projects). You could easily print out your pattern and tuck it into a slot with the respective yarn and grab a project as needed! Socks, anyone? You can also put small wip's (works-in-progress) or ufo's (unfinished objects) here in an effort to finally finish up old projects.

Ok, well, as usual, I've forgotten the main purpose of this post, but I do hope that I've helped you with maybe starting to not to think so negatively about planning and organizing! I hate to say it, but especially in this type of economy, it is helpful to be a little more practical, a lot more frugal, and really try to use what we have, and buy when you need. I am no different than any other hobbyist out there... I've stock piled in the past out of lack of experience (boy is being a rookie expensive!) as well as being a sucker for a good sale or a beautiful, soft skein of yarn or a fantastic patterned fabric, and I have my own set of regrets regarding that. But there is no time to feel bad about past decisions. Only time to learn from them and make better future decisions!

Now onto my next project... organizing this monstrosity of interchangeable and fixed circular knitting needles that has been sitting inside of 2 old wooden cigar boxes for the past few months! The vinyl pouch that my interchangeable set came in didn't hold up at all (no surprise here) and unfortunately my needles have suffered and have been left without a home... plus... it's just looks sloppy as hell! How's that for visual clutter :P

Until next time...

2010 [long-winded] Wrap-Up

It's been a few months. Sorry for the few month hiatus!
So lets dive right in... grab some snacks cause this is a long one. 

Apologies in advance to any grammar sticklers out there for any typos/run-ons/incomplete thoughts... you know, the kind of stuff you expect from my blogs! Hahahaaaa Oh, lighten up, geez!

[sewing]

2010 was not a particularly productive year in terms of sewing. I really wanted it to be, but you know how it goes. As you might remember, I started the beginning stages of my own personal block (pattern), in hopes that eventually I would get around to making myself some clothing this year, but I ran into a few snafus regarding fit (around my bust!). I'm on draft #3, and this feels like it's the one, but this is something I'm never too sure about. Next year, I will finish the 3rd draft and if it works, I will be on my way to a new wardrobe!

Besides my own wardrobe enhancement, I'd also like to work on sewing some organizational items (read that as quick, non-commitment type projects) like storage cases for all my knitting needles and accessories that are all over the place. 

This brings me to the latest (holiday) fabric stash enhancement, brought to me, courtesy of my thoughtful husband who finally got the hint after all my yearlong complaining about not having enough cute fabric to make projects from the "I Heart Patchwork" book. Complain enough, and you shall receive!

Hubster also picked me up a copy of "The Practical Guide to Patchwork"  Which I LOVE!!! Looks like I can't complain now... must get busy next year on cute projects!

This is one of the projects from the "I Heart Patchwork" book that I was able to complete this year. It was part of a holiday gift swap that my knitting group has every year. I thought it would make a nice little project bag. Because the weather was funky, I was unable to get a picture of what the bag looked like out of the pouch, but just imagine a small cloth grocery bag, with striped handles, that folds up into its own pouch, and I'm sure you wouldn't be far off.

[crocheting]

That one thing I was working on... you know, that blanket that I started at the end of '08 because it was so cold in the house? Yeah... it's still there. I got an electric blanket in the meantime. I'll get around to seaming this blanket... eventually :D Damn you seaming!!!

Some finished stacks of crocheted granny squares... ugh!

[knitting]

My knitting definitely took a turn for the best! The old saying is true: Practice makes perfect :)

I completed (2) pairs of fingerless gloves, (1) toy, (3) hats (which included one for myself that FITS which was made from re-purposed yarn from another hat that I didn't like) [see photo below], (1) shawl (that I managed to knit about 3 times!). I learned a new technique with each project (and a lot more patience) which was a goal I set for myself at the beginning of the year. 

 [knitting highlights] 

 A successful year of hats (and a cute bunny for good measure)!

 This hat was the biggest sigh of relief this year... 

The dreaded "Jacques Cousteau Hat" which I knit (no exaggeration) 4x at various times throughout '09 and '10! Third time was a charm, and I proceeded to end the year out by knitting one more as a xmas gift for my dad :) Masochist, much?

Another Christmas gift - the "Saroyan" shawl for my mom.

 

And yeah... there is a story here. There is always a story, right? Well... basically I knit this [damn] shawl about 3x. See a pattern here? It takes about 3x before something actually works out properly for me! Whether it's me misreading a pattern, or tripping up on a new technique, or me needing to go down a needle size or 2 because I'm not liking how an item is knitting up/loose knitting, it's always something. I don't even get mad about it anymore, it's just something that I've accepted as coming along with the territory. 

 

Anyway... the original pattern I attempted was called the "Cedar Leaf Shawlette." The pattern I actually completed is called "Saroyan." Both patterns are the "same" in the fact that both finished shawls look almost identical once completed. The only visible difference is the way the stockinette stitch is positioned on the body of the shawl - horizontal (left-to-right) on the CL and vertical on the Saroyan. The construction is also much different on the latter. And by different, I mean easier! Easier for me, at least. ;)

 

The CL uses short row shaping to create a gentle curve along the body of the shawl (so it fits nice and smooth over the shoulders), and then you pick up stitches around the edge of the body and knit the leaf border onto it; the Saroyan uses increases and decreases for it's shaping and uses a series of increases and decreases to create the leaf border, but it's done in one swoop. No picking up edge stitches! I was so committed to the CL, I really didn't want the pattern to defeat me, but it did. Ugh. Lesson learned. I should have known better when I had to cast-on over 100 sts (twice, might I add) for the CL that it was going to give me heartache! I worked on the CL way too many hours. On the flipside, I finished the Saroyan in about 3 days which was about 9 hrs total (including blocking) without focus. Just picked it up while watching various tv shows (Young & the Restless, anyone?). This is a pattern I will absolutely do again. My only change would be to make the body much larger. Instead of the 10 leaves shown in the pattern, I would probably do almost twice as many (depending on how much yarn I had) so I could really wrap the shawl around like a scarf and have it really drapey. The yarn I used for this project is Malabrigo Silky Merino in the Purple Mystery colorway. Very, very pretty. The pattern ate up a skein and a touch of new skein. Wish I would've made it longer... oh well.

Another win was this fabulous specimen of Malabrigo Worsted with the color name of "VAA" or what I'd like to call "very amazingly awesome" which is a mixture of beautiful, deep teal blues/greens.

The skein went from this...

To this...

And then to this - A cute little cloche :)

You may call this determination, and it is. My husband just calls it being Kim (neurotic). I'm not neurotic, I just like to do things right, even if it takes me a few tries. This is how we get better, no? I did have to make a few minor adjustments on this hat, to fit my wild woman hair into it. I picked up a ton more stitches (I think 114 total) and then had to recalculate the decrease rows (which was a pain), but it worked out! Ok, I'm not even going to front, I had my husband figure that mess out cause I just didn't want to be bothered. I showed him the original and broke down what I wanted/didn't want and let him plug it into an Excel spreadsheet, and boom, magic! The hat is still "puffy" but not slouchy. And because I knit on US 5 needles the fabric is a lot stiffer and less drapey then it would have been if I used size 7 needles. So more warm (hopefully) and less pilling (please?). Time will tell. I will say... I have worn this hat at least 5x since I made it... so in my book that is successful!

Oh, and the bunny...

This little guy was just in time to meet it's new recipient who was born in September :) What a fun project.

Mr. Bunny. So cute :D

Next year I will have realistic knitting goals. In 2010, I really wanted to push myself, so I set high goals like "knit 4 sweaters" but the reality here is, if this was a goal I wanted to accomplish, and I actually had experience making sweaters, things would've worked out much better! But I have not made any sweaters and I have an affinity towards finer gauged yarn, retro styles that are typically done in finer gauged yarn, and hard to memorize patterns! So, I probably should've known how this resolution was going to go! You live, you learn, right? Anyway... my sweater is almost there. I was on a roll before I got caught up in holiday knitting, but more than likely, this will be something that gets finished up in the earlier part of the year, rather than the last week of the year. Luckily, I'm still in love with the pattern and the color, so I know that once it's done, I will love it and cherish it (if it fits)!

Speaking of my sweater, here's a little refresher on what it's turning out to be...

 From this itty bitty thing earlier in the year...

 To this piece that is a little bigger, by the end of the year...!

Talk about progress ;) 

It should be done by the early part of next year. This picture was taken towards the end of Summer... so my future sweater is actually a touch larger than it is in the picture above, and the color from the first photo is more true to what the yarn looks like. I'm at repeat 11 on the body out of 12, after round 12 I work on the chest decreases and then the sleeves. Final step is seaming it all up and blocking! Whoo hoo! The end is almost near! Sheesh.

BUT, since I am a planner... I will say that I'd like to do another sweater (or 2) in 2011 as well as a number of hats for myself! Sweater or two, because I already purchased the yarn and patterns months ago for said items. The sweater patterns these times are clean, simple, and on worsted weight yarn ;) Emphasis was put on "myself" because I've been knitting stuff for everyone else since I started knitting at the end of '08, and now that I'm better ;) it's time to reap the benefits of all that practice! Ok, that's my 2011 resolution. Be more selfish with my knitting!

[spinning]

I've spun 3 skeins so far since acquiring my new buddy Renaissance for my birthday. Well... one still needs to be plied, but I'm still counting it as I plan on having it plied this week! With each try, my spinning is looking better (thank God!!!). Talk about a relatively short learning curve. I'm not one to follow technique much, so I'm just doing what feels right, and if what I'm doing looks okay, I keep doing it. I definitely want to condition myself to work more on my technique and learn more about the wheel mechanics. My approach has always been if it looks like yarn then does it really matter what I did to achieve it? But yeah... it kind of does. The more I know, the better and more efficient I will be at producing the yarn I really want for specific projects.  

[fiber highlights]

aka... 3's a charm!!!

 This soft, fluffy Polwarth... [above]

Became this lumpy/bumpy skein of thick and thin mess :\ Ugh!!!

This luscious, black BFL... [above]

 

Became this, pretty good looking skein! :D

And here is the last item that will be completed before the year is out (better hurry!).

It's already off the wheel and very well rested. Just needs to be plied.

This is merino that I purchased earlier in the year. It will be plied and is more than likely DK weight (what, are you surprised?), and will possibly be made into a shawl/neckerchief depending on how much yardage I have. If it's too much teal (is there such a thing?) then I may just mix it with something else... who knows.

Next year I want to spin the fancier (more expensive) stuff from my fiber stash which I was competely intimidated to use because I'm still a newbie at this spinning thing. I didn't want to mess my fiber up, or waste it, especially considering that a lot of the vendors tend to do one-off colorways. I'm continuing to enhance my fiber stash (love Etsy!!!) with lovely colors that I would never dream of wearing in real life... that would mean, anything that is a color. But I've realized, I'm not one for spinning with the "natural" colored stuff. I was much happier the 3rd try when I moved to teal. Spun 4 ounces while watching season 1, disc 5 of "Brothers and Sisters."

Quick side bar regarding black... I'm an all black, all day, everyday kind of person. Not goth at all, I just usually default to black. I occasionally step outside the norm and toss on a colored t-shirt (usually a dark color), but my hope is that through my hobbies, I will branch out and enjoy the rest of the color spectrum. It is working, because I actually can't stand knitting with black at all! I only really enjoy knitting (and spinning) with the vibrant, saturated colors. I will always love black. I won't use the "it's utilitarian" reason, although it is. Honestly, It's easy, always looks sleek and polished, and allows me to get dressed quickly without having to worry about matching! So anyway... what was I talking about?!

[teachable moments]

Last, least, all that good stuff. Ok... so what have a learned? In short, I've learned a lot.

I learned that there is a color I prefer almost as much as black (is it possible?!)... and that color is teal. If you are on Ravelry and you look at all my stash (fiber and yarn) that I have recently acquired, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. It may be seasonal. Around the holiday season, our palette changes, and suddenly there is an over-infiltration of jewel tones in the market place, so more than likely, I'm just vibing off this. Around this time, I also tend to like anything in rust tones... similar to the changing Fall leaves. I love these colors. During the Spring/Summer... I don't know... nevermind, maybe it's not seasonal for me :D I like jewel tones year-round, and I'm always like, why is there no copper available! Where is all the teal?! Ooh, a black t-shirt! :D

Regarding stash... I'm learning that I prefer not to use singles to knit with. Plied yarn is the way to go for me. Unfortunately, that means after I use up what I have (which is at least 15 skeins), I more than likely won't purchase anymore Malabrigo Worsted or Silky Merino. I know, I know... it gives me the sads too, but the pill factor drives me up the wall. I feel like singles just aren't as durable as I really want them to be, and I like to knit items that I know are going to wear well, considering how much time it takes to make them! BUT thank you Malabrigo for introducing your new Rios line :D Best of both worlds, worsted, plied and superwash! My next sweater will be out of this. More on that later ;)

And, last, regarding stash... I'm finally at the point where I've settled on what type of yarn I prefer to work with (DK) and that helped me significantly when I went through all my yarn bins and de-stashed. I was able to get rid of 1 large bin of yarn, and another large garbage bag of yarn that I donated to a thrift store. I vow to only buy yarn in colors I absolutely love, to knit from my stash as much as possible, but to also allow a splurge every now in then if I have a specific project in mind for it! I think that's totally reasonable.

Oh... last word...
Under each photo, I've linked each project to their respective page on my Ravelry project page. All the handspun is there too if you'd like more info on that. No links, because... yeah, I'm tired!

So... until then, I wish you all a very happy, healthy, productive new year!

The best is yet to come :)

And the winner is...

Well, look who decided to jump into the back seat of my car on the way up to San Francisco last week.

I decided to keep her. Her name is "Ren" which is short for renaissance (not the other 1/2 of Ren & Stimpy, although that would've been awesome!). I'm sure I have intelligent readers, so I'll let you fill in the blank on the meaning behind the name ;)

Picking the perfect wheel wasn't really a hard decision. Actually, it was pretty easy. The wheel was already decided on weeks ago (everything worked out nicely on paper), and on hold for me at the shop. When we walked into Village Spinning & Weaving, the wheel was already set up for me and ready to spin on. The owner (actually, one of the owners, John) gave me the usual quick intro to the wheel and it's parts, set-up/fold down, let me spin on it (which was a breeze! I made yarn!!!) and then we stared at each other for a few minutes, because the wheel was designed to be simple.

We got all of our "business" handled in probably less than 10 minutes! :O The wheel was designed by an engineer (mechanical) so the ultimate goal is function. Form (imo) was not sacrificed by function - I find it appealing to look at. And like a typical engineer in a conversation, there really wasn't much to talk about hahaaaa So I felt a little robbed because I guess in my head I expected a little more foreplay and the damn wheel just left me hanging. Done showing me what was up before I even got started *sigh* Hope that's not to graphic for you, but it was the best description I could come up with at the moment :D

Anyway, there was no need for any explanation at all, everything on the wheel is pretty intuitive, and this is ultimately why I picked it. I was not in the market for something frilly or fussy. I sure as hell was not in the market for something that had a book of instructions that I had to read through! Boooorrrring!

I did however, to be fair, try 5 other wheels for good measure. I mean, I couldn't really just spend 20 minutes in that shop and then leave. I had to the side trip worth my time (and money). I spent a total of 2 hrs in the shop, which is exactly the amount of time the d.h. and I had budgeted. Below are the wheels I tried (in order) along with a quick little synopsis on my likes/dislikes.

• Ashford Traveler - 
• Felt cheap - construction-wise and aesthetic-wise
• Noisy - could've been the user (nah!) but I kept telling the wheel to sshhh while I was trying to concentrate!
• Ornate - there is just way too much going on visually with this wheel for my liking. Less is more.
• Kromski Mazurka - 
• Top heavy (equating to a high center of gravity) with a small footprint = tip overs are inevitable
• Ornate design (not my taste)
• Kromski Minstrel - For the record, this is similar to the above wheel but has a larger footprint & wheel.
• Less ornate, kind of.
• Sturdy - as mentioned above, larger wheel, larger footprint
• Easy treadling, easy to start spinning
• Quiet - purred like a kitten
• Old school features (same as wheel above) - leather bearings - were interesting to play on
• Schacht Matchless -
•  Aesthetics - Clean & simple. Maybe a little too simple. Looked super plain in person. Not in a bad way, I just thought it would look a little more like the price tag attached : \
• Beefy, Sturdy & Heavy- I like something I can sink my teeth into. This wheel felt solidly built.
• Challenging - this wheel made work for that yard of yarn I spun on it. Treadling was a workout (could've been the settings) but all in all, I liked the feel of the wheel.

 And last, certainly not at all on my register but the owner insisted I try it:

• Majacraft Suzie - Daaaaammmmmnnnnnn! All I have to say here is that I'm glad I tried it!
• Quiet - Not even a hum out of this wheel. Just silky smooth spinning.
• Easy breezy, smooth treadling - What a dream to spin on for a rookie. Made me feel like a seasoned pro! It's the kind of wheel that helped an insecure, rookie spinners self esteem. Me likey!
• Aesthetically - On a scale of 1-5 (5 being orgasmic) this wheel is barely registering at a 1, but it functions. It's not aesthetically an eye sore to me either, it's just kind of meh. I'm totally indifferent about its appearance. I tend to lean more towards function over form. If I get both, then that's even better. So I said all that to say that it looks "aight" lol
• Construction - Up there with the Lendrum; Designed by an engineer (aerospace) for his wife, so it's got nice details that a regular spinner who likes to take their wheel on trips would appreciate like a built-in, rotating handle. After I saw the handle, I was done lol Very clever. There are also metal details on the wheel that are all kinds of "high tech"  and aerospace looking. They were at the back of the wheel, so they didn't bother me either. The only concern is the material it is made out of - New Zealand Rimu (soft) - which from what I've heard dings easily. I'm pretty particular about my possessions but I don't know if I can handle a wheel that can't take a nice knocking around. And I do have to rambunctious dogs in the house : | Something's bound to get banged up!

So all in all, I had a very successful trip to Village. Unsuccessful if you count the money I had coming into the shop, and the amount of money I was left with once we departed lol. [That's ok, I saved up months in advance, putting aside a little bit each paycheck. It was not a spur of the moment purchase! I very seldom do those anymore.] I even left thinking about how I was going to fund the 2nd wheel, and I don't even know if I like this whole spinning thing yet! From my review, I'm sure you will be able to figure out which 2 wheels (minus the inclusion of a Lendrum saxony *drool*) will be in the running for 4th sibling (first 2 are the dogs, slowpoke!). Let's not get ahead of ourselves though :D But a girl can dream.

We strapped the Lendrum into the backseat like a passenger and we were on our way to S.F. Once I got into the room, I immediately plopped down on the couch, kicked my shoes off and started spinning. How fun!!! The d.h. even hopped on for a spin, and was successful! He's totally fascinated with this whole spinning thing. Easy, breezy. I'm very happy with my purchase! No regrets at all *phew*

 [There is no vodka in the orange juice in case if you were wondering ;)]

I also got way ahead of myself (per usual) and played with different ratios (8:1 and 6:1 on the standard flyer) to complete fail! So, yeah... I put the drive band back to the original setting (10:1), and everything was great back in spinning land. [Side salad: I'm not going to show a picture of the current bobbin, because it is truly a mess hahahaaaa This is the practice round... you know... the "art" yarn stage :D] I've also decided that I'm going to need lots of practice before I start jumping around and playing with the different settings. Perfect one first, then move on to the next. I need discipline! Otherwise I will be all over the place and discouraged with this new hobby. I'm using "The Intentional Spinner" as my reference and have played around with a couple of drafting techniques (short draw, aka "inch-worming" and spinning from the fold). Who knows if I'm actually doing either right. All I know is that I'm producing singles, so to me, that is a success! I'm also starting to get a feel for coordination... well, the treadling is working out ok, and the drafting is working out ok... but remembering to move the thread guide, yeah, that's another story *doh!* Woolee Winder, anyone? hahahaaa I should start saving now! But for now, we deal.

I also grabbed a few bags of fiber to play around with for when I figure out what I'm doing lol! Clockwise from the top left: Brown Cotton (meaning, undyed/unbleached), Bast Bamboo (soft and shiny like silk), generic Merino (teal), generic Merino (multi color - Mojave - d.h. picked this), and Polwarth top, which is what I'm currently spinning. Gotta love a med-long staple fiber ;) The Polwarth is somewhere between 4-5" long, so I'm finding it very rookie friendly. I also have a few bags of fiber at home (BFL,Jacob, and Finn).

Anyway... till next time!

Pattern #2, or more prattle... you decide.

Second assignment - Shirt
I'm just gonna toss this out there...
I have a tumultuous relationship with making shirts.

They feel tedious and monotonous to me... there are so many friggin' pieces that you have to remember to make, and of course, there is so much double and triple checking or 'trueing/truing' that you have to do to make sure the pieces fit together. Not to mention all the possible lumps and bumps that you have to remember to adjust when you are fitting - that is, unless your chest and back are the same (if you are 13!). And don't get me started on sleeves.

The finished product, if it works, makes me warm and fuzzy for a hot minute, but then I remember all the drama it took to get to that point, and I start hating shirts all over again. Same goes for pants.

So for our final project, being obtuse as hell, I picked the red one to duplicate because it's got lots of stress-inducing nonsense beautiful details on it:



The image is from an old Glamour magazine (I think Fall '07 or '08) and the dress is Gucci. Actually, both dress are Gucci.

I'm gonna skip showing you the pattern on this one.
Who cares anyway?! We want to see the end result! It's the American way!!!

Here's the muslin... (which I should've ironed)
Tweaked just a bit from the above image - same pleated front but wider pleats, tweaked collar, omitted the ruffles/pleats within the collar (I'm a masochist... but not THAT crazy), widened the placket, added additional fullness in the puffed/gathered sleeve and a similar yoke. The back has pleats and a yoke as well (was that redundant?).

 

Because I get really nitpicky *cough((anal))cough* when things I've made sit in front of me too long, I had to tuck this away after my teacher saw it and approved it. She liked it more than I did, but that's how it always is for me.

But I will STILL be making a few 'minor' corrections to the pattern. For sure on the sleeve, it's just too much/too big, even for me ;) When I tried the muslin on, it reminded me of a leg of mutton. That's totally NOT the look I was going for. And the collar/placket area is kind of [really] bugging me... I really want to extend the collar all the way to the waist and just add buttons or hooks to the bottom portion of it and belt it (like in the original picture), but I know in my head at least, that it won't lay right. And I'll get docked for not having both elements... like I care!? ;) I also have to remember, if it comes out ok, that I will probably wear it [in the privacy of my home, of course ;)]... so I have to pull back in the modesty department ;) I keeps it PG-13.

I'll be working on this, this week(among what feels like 300 other things) in a lightweight cotton fabric as it's due on Friday. And of course, I'll post pictures of it when it's finished [3 months after the fact].

Birthday Crawl

So I'm still in recovery mode [haven't gotten off the couch today and I've been awake since 7am!!!], but I will say the d.h. and I had a GREAT day yesterday on our little day trip to Solvang! We also managed a 5 store yarn crawl [initially supposed to be a 7 store crawl]. Not too shabby!

ETA: I got off the couch... moved around, and now I'm back on the couch ;)

I feel weird (to put it mildly) about taking photos off all the places I visit... Unless of course, I'm actually being a tourist. But I did come back bearing lots of goodies :D

Here is the yarn crawl for 8/21:
[Crawl including 3 other shops, but we were dead tired after a long day of walking, shopping and sitting in major traffic coming home!] I know the image below might be a little too tiny to see much detail, but if you look at the map, and see the rough distance traveled... well, you'll get the idea.



So...
Below are the results of my top 3 favorite stops on this trip.

Anacapa Fine Yarns [Ventura]


This color is called "Roanoke Gold"


VAA 51, no color name


Village Spinning & Weaving [Solvang]

So...
I told myself I wouldn't do this. That is, start another hobby. But, with as much free time as I have, this was simply irresistible. Once I was in the shop, the owners husband and wife John and Marsha were SOOOOO nice and helpful. I even got a lesson on fiber and spinning :D Glad I made the trip!


4 oz Jacob Top


4oz of Blue Face Leicester [Black]


4 oz of Finn Top


And of course, a spindle!

If I can stick to this, and learn it well, then I'll work my way up to a wheel. Rapunzel? But for now, this is a very economical way to start my new hobby.

Loop & Leaf [Santa Barbara]


Madeline Tosh Worsted in Sequoia...I don't get the name :\


Madeline Tosh Worsted in Chamomile...a.k.a. A little taste of Sunshine!


Fleece Artist - BFL Socks in 'Peacock'...Of course, with a name like that...


Schoppel Wolle - Zauberball in '(?)' :D isn't it obvious?!


Rio de la Plata - Sock in 'Sparkling Grape'

Loop & Leaf is awesome by the way. Lots of great stuff here. Some stuff I recognized, but I'd say about 95% of the store was brand new to me. I hadn't heard of many of the brands there, so that's always fun finding new things to touch and [eventually] knit up!

Of course,
After a long day of not being home, I can always look forward to coming home to very unhappy, bitter terriers! Some "genius" decided it would be a good idea to toss the phone book into the yard, and the dogs [of course] took that as an invitation for a game of 'let's see how quick we can shred it all over the lawn'. Riley then proceeded to attack a lost roll of t.p. when she came in the house. Guess someone was really mad LOL

Process...

Wow.
My new craft of the week is definitely something for someone who is a bit neurotic, a bit obsessive/compulsive, and clearly it's a good match for a multi-tasker who needs something to do while watching tv.

No wonder I eventually gravitated towards crocheting granny squares. It was gonna happen sooner or later. I just decided to give in after I came home from class on Saturday and Michael's [the craft store silly!] was calling my name, coaxing me to park my car, hop out in the rain and make this ridiculous (and might I add, completely unecessary) purchase. Like I don't have enough projects going on?!

So... this is what I did while watching Season 2, Disc 2 of Carnivale on Saturday and during parts of the Grammy's on Sunday. Um... did I just confess to watching the Crappy's on Sunday? *doh* I knocked most of it out on Saturday. But yes... what a process this will be.

Anywho, now I have 49 +/- tiny little squares that will eventually get sewn together to make one fabulously WARM blanket.
The swatch [below, left] is ultimately what each granny square will look like (just differnt color variations). And as the magazine says... this project is 'Real Simple'. *sigh* and I am really corny. And I will NOT apologize.

The squares [below, right] are round one.
Pattern is here and FREE!!! [You might need an account to access it].

Will [of course] post my progress...

 

And by the way... this is TOTALLY the perfect way to spend a rainy weekend - chillin' on the couch, sippin' on tea, dogs resting on my legs keeping me warm and crocheting or knitting, while vegging out in front of the tv. Pure bliss, you don't even understand. That's a little piece of my heaven.

Oh...
And new toys! Yay.
Who doesn't love bright, shiny new toys. ESPECIALLY when they end up saving you a lot of time and money in the long run. So these are interchangeable knitting needles. Basically... you just change the tips out depending on the gauge you need for a project, but it saves you the headache of not only coughing up $$$ every time a project asks for a needle you typically would NEVER use BUT it also kills any excuse of why you can't start a new project ('Oh, well I don't have the right needles...').

Oh, and for the non-knitter, Circs are good for pieces that need to be done in the round (body of a garment, sleeves, hats, cowls, socks...) or large pieces that end up weighing a lot and become uncomfortable/awkward to hold on straight needles (think blankets).

Observe...


So these are the nickle-plated interchangeable circs from Knit Picks. I know, I know...it's a bit sacrilegious for someone who is a self-proclaimed, avid wooden needle user [say that 5x fast], but I found that these needles are quicker/easier to use rather than the wooden varieties I've come across.
[left < >right: Needle Tips, Additional Tips + Interchangeable Cords, What it looks like all Attached.]

  

No wonder it takes so long to finish anything...

Especially when you work for a few hours straight, and then realize you've made a STUPID mistake and have to 'rip it' all out and start over.
For you non-knitters... this is not only called an 'Oh $hit' moment, it is known as 'frogging'. As in 'rippit rippit'...*sigh* Yeah... I know.

  

Below is the project I'm working on.
A nice, soft, chunky short-sleeved sweater by Debbie Bliss. Looks challenging, yet easy.
This is my first project for MYSELF, that is not a scarf.
I even made a GAUGE before I started! You know I'm not playing around now...



  



And where the needle is...
Yeah, that's how far BACK I had to remove my stitches.
Every time I make a mistake, and realize it a bit into the work, I die a little inside. If nothing else, knitting has given me even more of a reason to be completely neurotic, but it has also taught me a thing or three about patience.

It really IS a virtue. I'll keep you posted on my progress [IF I can get past the first 24"!] Argh!!!

Oh, and just because we all love cute, furry things...
The two things that keep me from climbing up the walls (even more so than usual)-

Miss Riley (L) + Mr. Tinsley (R): *warm and fuzzy thoughts*

  

Last post today, I promise...

Ok, so I have a new obsession (yes, another one): Collecting Vintage Pyrex!!!

Here a couple pieces I found at a local thrift store over the weekend
cheap and in VERY good condition)and the pink one had the lid!!! *mouth wide open*: