Greetings!
It's a well established fact that I have crafting ADD.  I am physically unable to to work on one project at a time.  I don't think that I have ever finished anything without starting something new or spending time with a WIP.  It's fine with me.  It works.  My husband doesn't understand - just like he doesn't understand why I insist on leaving the house at the very last minute - no matter where I'm going (I'm not usually late, but I am never early!)

As I was gathering the pictures for this post it dawned on me that my insatiable desire to try new things is  actually good for me.  Every time a publisher sends me a book to review it's an opportunity to feed my need.  What I mean is ... if I were to only work on one thing at a time from start to finish it would take me ages to prepare for a review.  Working on multiple projects at the same time lets me get a feel for the patterns and in turn the books much more quickly while at the same time stimulating my creative serotonin.  It's my happy way of multitasking!  

Let me show you what I'm working on today: A basic ankle sock from Happy Feet, a book devoted totally to tootsies!  I'm giving the two circ method  a try and hoping that I have finally found the right project for this pretty yarn I won from Danielle at A Stash Addict well over two years ago (more about that later!)

Next up is a little knit pear pincushion from 50 Pincushions to Knit & Crochet. It's my first attempt at knitting something small and round(ish). My initial impression: crocheting small round things is way easier!

And to wrap it up for today it's the Triangle Tulip Shawl from Lovely Knitted Lace. I'm quite pleased with my progress on what the book describes as a "perfect pattern for beginners". The first pattern I tried was a scarf using the yarn from A Stash Addict.  Turns out I'm not quite ready for knitting nupps with skinny yarn and tiny needles!!

Of course there are more, but we can talk about those another time!
Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time friends,
Be Blessed and Stitch & Read with Love!

Greetings Friends!

The recent break in the hot weather has me thinking about fall (my favorite of all the seasons)!  One of the best things about the cooler weather is wearing wraps and shawls.  I have several that are crochet, but none that are knit.  For the past year or so I've been pinning and bookmarking patterns for the someday when I'd finally give knitting one a try.

It's been a while since I picked up the needles so I figured now is a good time to work on my skills.  If you remember, I've only been knitting for less than a year, and my entire repertoire includes one pair of socks, a small stuffed baby toy,  a few pairs of fingerless mitts, oneleg warmer and a scarf and hat that are still in progress. (I have issues with finishing I know!)

I sifted through the mass of beautiful patterns and finally settled on one called Blossoms by the Brook. It's quite lovely and looks like it will keep me interested and be a good way to practice lacy techniques.  It calls for worsted weight yarn and since I have a bounty of acrylics in pretty colors I decided that's what I'll use.  Normally I'll pick a fiber that feels better next to the skin, but since this is my first attempt it seems the wiser choice to use something economical.  If all goes well then a knit shawl in gourmet yarn is in order, but for now I'll stick with the cheap seats!

I have a fair collection of knitting needles.  However, with the exception of a pair of dpn's I bought to make John's socks they've all been donated.  Which means that lots of them have been very well used.  Many of my crochet hooks came to me the same way and they've always treated me well.  I have learned that all hooks are not created equal and to use the same one throughout a project, but I've never had one not work properly because of it's age.  So when I picked out the size 8 circulars that the pattern calls for I didn't think twice about their condition. I used the long tail cast on and set to work.  The first row is usually tight and hard to pick up, but once I get past that the tension evens out and I can get a good rhythm going.  So why after 4 or 5 rows was I still struggling so much??  That's when I took a closer look at the tips of my needles. Well how about that! The finish was worn off and it's clear that these babies have knit a lot of stitches!  What was once a fine chiseled tip is now blunt and dull! Of course I don't have another pair that size so I had to decide if I want to go up or down.  I chose bigger needles figuring that with the worsted yarn the larger stitches would improve the drape of the fabric.

Wow!  What a difference!  Now I get it.  I had the right tool but it's worn condition made it so hard to work with that I could probably use chop sticks with better results!  And so I've learned a valuable lesson.  Make sure your tips have good points.  For a moment I thought that I had lost my knitting mojo, but once I got going with a healthy set of needles it was smooth sailing.  The larger size has helped with the drape and the pattern is proving to be a fun as I hoped.  Now that I'm nearly half way done I'm already picking out the "nice" yarn I'm going to use for my next knit shawl!

I'm sure that you seasoned knitters know exactly where I'm coming from, and may have even enjoyed a chuckle at my naivety! Somewhere deep in the recesses of my brain I know that I've read about points and lace needles and what makes for good easy knitting, I just got so caught up in the excitement of the project that I never even considered that I might have dull needles!

Crochet and knitting are activities that you really learn by doing. Books and videos are definitely helpful but the real knowledge comes from taking the yarn in hand and getting to it.  One of my biggest knitting fears is having to rip out my work, that's why I'm using life lines.  It's another valuable lesson I learned "on the job".  Yes, it's a bit tedious but I'd much rather take the time to run a safety line than have to leave in a mistake (never!) or start over!

So there you have it.  Check your tips!  Working with dull points is frustrating and time consuming.  Don't let shabby equipment ruin your knitting experience.  Thanks so much for stopping and spending a bit of your day with me.

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Greetings!
I'm trying something new.  Knitting lace. 
Guess what?
It's kind of hard.  Well the stitches aren't that hard.  Making sure that you do the right number of them in the right order is a little hard.  But for me, the really hard part is keeping those pesky stitches from sliding off the needles!  Because when one does, I'm sunk.  I've read about ways to correct mistakes, and even had a limited amount of success if I'm just knitting or purling.  But when it happens on something like this I have no idea what to do and my only solution is to just start over.  It's not a pretty picture.
I've learned that if I knit when I'm tired I make mistakes.  So now I knit during the day and crochet at night.  Because if I make a mistake in crochet it is SO MUCH EASIER to fix!  There's no comparison really.

I did discover a way to keep track of which row/stitch I'm on.  Check it out.  I saw this on Facebook a few weeks ago and had to give it a try.

All it took was (2) 4"x6" postcards and (1) 3"x5" postcard, a little scotch tape and an x-acto knife.  The hardest part was making sure that I copied the chart correctly!  I've found it to be a brilliant solution that works like a charm!  I totally recommend giving this a try.

The project that I'm gearing up for is the Earflap Hat from the book Knit Noro: Accessories. I know hat season is just about over, but I want a small project that will teach me some new knitting skills.  This one seems just right.  It uses yarn overs and a knit and pass over technique that creates the center of each triangle.  I often avoid swatching, but this time it seemed extra important.  Once again I'm glad that I took the time.  Not only did it help me determine what size needles to use, but it let me practice the stitches and get comfortable with the flow of the pattern.  Now when I get started on the hat I'll know how to do it and what things should look like! 

Plus I don't have any extra Noro, and if I remember from the one time I used it, it doesn't like being frogged.

Now, about that problem of making mistakes, and not being able to fix them... I've read about knitters who use lifelines when working on difficult patterns.  By threading a piece of yarn through your project at intervals you create a safe zone.  If you do make a mistake you can pull the work out back to the lifeline instead of having to go back to the beginning. Sounds like a great idea to me!  Now at least I can have a little piece of mind, because let's be honest -  I'm going to make a mistake or two or three!

I also found that placing a stitch marker after every pattern repeat helps.  It's kind of tedious, but I know that between each marker I should have 12 stitches.  If I make sure each repeat is done correctly than I know that the row has been done the right way.  Plus, it's (usually) easier to fix a mistake that's only a few stitches back. So what about you? Do you have a trick for keeping your place in the pattern, or for fixing those pesky dropped stitches?  I'd love to hear what you do to make your knitting go more smoothly!

Well folks, the swatching is done and the charts are in their handy dandy holders so I guess that means it's time to cast on!  Wish me luck!  Did I mention that this is also my first knit hat?  I'm either adventurous or foolish - time will tell which!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!