Oh Shknit!

Gorgeous, huh? Thanks to Frankie for permission to use her photo.

There were a couple that I wanted to do first, but when I thought about how I reacted when I first saw this designer’s patterns.  Frankie Brown was originally brought to my attention via the Knit Picks Podcast, and I was FLOORED when I saw her Ten Stitch Twist pattern.  Please go check her out.  She has some amazing designs, and they look like they would be a blast to create.  As soon as I can afford some long-stripe self-striping yarn (she used 14 balls of Kureyon, eek!) I am going to create this masterpiece.

I think the most commendable thing about Frankie, though, is that she offers her patterns for free but asks that if you like her work to please donate to the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation.  A clever designer with a big heart.  How much better does it get than that?

At my old job, that I lost in March of 2010, I listened to podcasts all day long when I worked.  I was able to keep up with all the podcasts that I enjoyed.  Once I lost the job, I went into a bit of a depressive/lazy/unmotivated mode and dropped the podcast listening.

Well, the last few months I have gotten back into them.  I have so been enjoying catching up with what seems like old friends, and finding new friends too.  I have gotten ALL caught up, from Episode 1 through current, on both Stash and Burn and KIPing it Real.  I am working on Never Not Knitting and Knitmore Girls right now.  I am totally digging Alana (I am so sorry, I know I just thrashed the spelling of your name), and her expertise, and I love the banter back and forth between mom and daughter team on the Knitmore Girls podcast.  Stash and Burn was an old favorite, so it was really nice to get caught back up with Jenny and Nicole, and the next ones I work on will be She-Knits…I have always really enjoyed Sharon and her talking about her ginormous family and her successes with her knitting business through the past years.  I feel like some of these people are old friends, as creepy-stalkerish as that might sound, but I don’t think that I am the only one that feels like that.

But yes, I am a proud podcast whore.  I listen when I’m cleaning, when I am trying to go to sleep, while I’m surfing online…any time that I can.  And I found some more today.  They are gonna wait til I am caught up on my oldies but goodie.  I find that every podcast I have subscribed to fills a different niche that makes me enjoy it thoroughly.  If I am not feeling it, I just don’t listen.

Support our podcasters, they do work so hard and don’t get a red cent for us.  They are an integral part of knitting community and have brought many together that would not have done so had it not been for them sharing their lives with us week after week, year after year…

Vogue Knitting has all of their patterns on sale for $2.99 through Friday, February 11th.  Now is the time to get those patterns you have been wanting but not willing to pay $6.00 for!  Wahooie!

I swear, that place is the devil for me.  I can spend hours in there easy, just petting yarn.  I bought enough yarn to make Arielle and it is dreamy and I can’t wait.  Except the thing is that I have to.  Just having a baby, my mom has been making some nice comfy dresses and tops for me to wear while I heal from my C-Section and had me measure my hips and bust yesterday.  DEPRESSING.  And too big for the largest size.  So I could knit it on larger needles or adjust the pattern using percentages, but I have decided that will be my one treat for myself when I have lost some weight.  I have already lost 10 lbs. and it has been just 2 weeks, so I can’t wait to see what I can do when I actually get the OK from the doc to start exercising.  I love love love that top but think I will love it even more when I have a better figure for it.

I have a couple of other things on the needles, I am currently knitting Askel for my son.  I am about 8  inches into the body.  I am knitting that in a 100% superwash merino in a great royal blue.  I am omitting the stripes because I want it to be a little more versatile.  Little man is so excited about it and I am LOVING the neverending stockinette.  I know that drives some people batty but I can knit in the dark, at the movies, wherever and I don’t have to think and it’s so damn soothing.

I am also working on my FIRST shawl using Noro Kureyon Sock for the FIRST time.  I just started it tonight.  I bought the Noro today at JBW…it was on sale and I figured it was now or never that I would be able to see what the hype with Noro is.  It is scratchy as hell, which reading I had already expected it, so I didn’t want socks.  I figured a shawl would be good, so I am knitting Multnomah because I love the way Noro stripes with that pattern.  I am pretty excited about it.

I started a couple of other things but they are things I am really going to wait on.  I ripped out what I had already started for both other projects because they are more form fitting so once again, I want to be able to wear them and feel good so I am waiting.  I have been listening like crazy to the Stash and Burn podcast, and they were talking about Space Girl, and I have some gray Cotton Fleece that will look great with it, I think I am going to do it in a short sleeve to layer.  I figure that is something that can still work even if it is a little bigger.  Damn cute sweater.  So after I finish my son’s sweater, I am going to cast on for Space Girl.

I have also joined the Sock Stash Knitdown 2011 in the Stash and Burn Ravelry group.  My first project is going to be the Multnomah shawl that I JUST BOUGHT SOCK YARN for, but nevermind that.  I have a pair of socks on the needles, plus a couple of babies on the way that I am going to knit this cute sock and hat set for newborns, and I have some socks I just won’t knit socks with, so that’s where that will go.

I have also decided that when I don’t have a ‘thrown in my bag brainless knitting’ I am going to grab some of my softer acrylic yarn and circs and make a shit-ton of baby hats to bring to the local hospital.  That charity project warms my heart more than any other does, and it makes me happy, so that is something I can do to help and get rid of some yarn that I won’t be using for anything else.  Lots of my other non-baby acrylic is going to go to a local nursing home.  I am over the acrylic, have been over it, just haven’t taken the time to go through the tons and tons and tons of yarn that I have.  I really need to though, because getting rid of it is going to make me feel good.  I could keep maybe 7 or 8 skeins for the baby hats, and the rest is outta here.  Just thinking about it makes me feel better and less cluttered.

So anyways, that’s it.  I have decided that I am going to get 2 more books, and the new IK (the Spring ’11 one…it’s the best one I have ever seen, I ADORE it and want it right now), and I’m done with yarn and yarn-related purchases for quite a while.  I have enough knitting to keep me busy for ages, and I just want to start getting through it!

My life was sort of turned upside down in June, and then even worse in October, with the finale the middle of January.  The last 6-7 months have definitely been the worst of my life.  I have had to deal with things I never thought I would have to, have had to make decisions I never thought I would need to, and have dealt with loss I never could ever fathom.

I have always related to people that say that knitting has kept them sane, has been therapeutic, etc., but I have never really truly understood that until now.  I have always said that I knit so that I don’t kill people, and it’s been something that makes people chuckle, but I feel that if I were to say that now, I might scare people because I won’t  be able to laugh when I say it.  Not that I have been close to murdering anyone, but my emotions have been so very close to the surface and I feel on the verge of losing it sometimes.  Frequently.  Postpartum depression tops it all off, and makes for one crazy gal.

I relate now more than ever to the comment that knitting has helped me stay sane.  Has helped me keep it together.  I feel like when I am pulling loop through loop that I am accomplished, productive, or it just keeps me from thinking about the things that make me super anxious or sad.  The never-ending stockinette on the sweater I am working on for my son, which would usually lead me to cast on something a bit more interesting, has been my savior.  Knit, knit, knit, round after round.  I made the biggest size I could, it will probably even last him this winter/spring and next because of the size, but that stockinette soothes me like nothing else can right now.  No medication, no prayers, no nothing.  One might say my faith is not strong enough, but right now I am taking relief and comfort where I can get it, because it seems to come so infrequently these days.

Podcasts have been helping me get through my evenings and nights, also.  When I go to bed my brain won’t stop, and it’s the only thing that keeps me from crying myself to sleep.  I fall asleep listening to the comforting voices of Jazmine, Gigi, Jackie, Nicole, Jenny, and Brenda.  Thank you, ladies, for making my nights easier and falling asleep without struggle.

If I see a little manic in this blog, that is perhaps why.  It is something else that is distracting what I inevitably have to deal with, but won’t do until I feel like I am able to.  There are a couple things that need to happen before I can even think about that happening, including some physical healing and getting my son and some issues that have come up with him straightened out.  Once that happens, I work on me.  My  mental state, and working on learning how to deal with life and the things that come up, because I know that this is not the last rough patch I will have, and not the last stumbling block that will stand in my way.  I can only be the best person I can be, and most importantly the best mother that I can be, if I can get my brain sorted out and learn to deal with things.  This year WILL be better than last year.  I WILL get my shit together, I WILL be able to deal with whatever comes my way.

If there is anyone else struggling right now, here is to the light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how far down that tunnel it might be, and for life getting a little easier for you.

Until next time,

J

I finished the Gap-tastic Cowl.  I love it.  I used Ironstone Colorchanges yarn, which I had no idea what to ever do with.  But I am sticking with my resolution…using that yarn I have always been afraid to use because I didn’t want to ‘waste’..well wasting is letting it just sit and never be used.

I loved knitting with this, and as much as I abhor seed stitch I actually enjoyed it with this project, because the colors turned out so neat the way they changed as I went.  There were sort of long color changes, so a knit-in-the-round cowl was really a good way to go.  I knitted them on slightly smaller needles but cast on more stitches.  I wish I would have cast on even more stitches, and there will be another cowl in my future, that will be longer.  Probably 5 inches longer, preferably.  It does fit over my head like a hood though, which was my main goal.  I wanted something I could cover my noggin up when my ears felt like they were gonna fall off.

And PICTURES.  Do you believe it?

Excuse the re-re self photos, but I had just cast-off and was doing a happy dance because I actually FINISHED SOMETHING.  Love it.

I am trying to resurrect this.  This will be anything and everything knitting-related that has happened or brought to my attention for the last week.  Make sure you follow-up on these posts, because there will be links to techniques, pattern and book highlights…you just never know!  Some will be free, some will not be free, but whatever I put here I feel worthy of sharing!

Bear with me please while I try to decide how I want to do this.  To limit myself to shorter Friday Favorites, I think I am going to do categories or themes.  Otherwise I could really go on and on.  I will tag my Ravelry favorites with FridayFavorites for the ones that I put up here as Friday Favorites, so you can see all of them at once.  Don’t know if that helps, but there you go.  I am jawsie on Ravelry.  Feel free to add me if you would like, also!

So, without further ado, this week’s Friday Favorites!

Since it is still winter and will be for a couple more months here, that will be where I head on this week.  Here goes nothin:

Gretel – Cost:  $5.00.  Simple sweater with nice detailing at the top of the front, with side buttons.  Knit in the round from the bottom up.  I love, love this sweater.

Waiting for Spring Sweater

Audrey in Unst – Cost: $5.00.  A vintage-inspired cardigan with lace detailing at the top of the sweater.  It was originally designed as a shorter-length sweater, but I have seen others that have made it longer and it really is a flattering knit.

Honeybee Cardigan – Cost: $6.50.  Once again, a shorter sweater, this one actually a cropped one that looks SUPER cute as is on certain bodies.  I have seen this one made to go past the hips and those FO’s were the ones that really made me fall in love with this one.  The lace pattern taken all the way down on the longer versions is so beautiful.

Leaving – Cost: $8.00.  This sweater is gorgeous.  You have the option of creating this as a cardigan or a pullover, and both are equally beautiful.  I lean toward the cardigan just because I am more of a cardigan gal.  The center back and front have a leaf motif, as do the cuffs of the arms.

I think I am going to stop there.  This is new to me but I want to have a blog that is full of content, not just excuses and bitching about how I can’t keep my focus on any one project.  I am kind of picky when it comes to purchasing patterns because there are so many amazing free patterns out, but I am all about supporting our knitterly designers, and I will do so when I really love a pattern because I want them to keep creating these beautiful knits!

So bear with me…if you have any ideas to make this blog more interesting, one you would read, or content I can add, I would appreciate it.  As far as I know nobody even reads this, so I liken it to talking to myself as I do while I sit here (crazy much? haha), but it is also a diary of sorts just for me to keep track of my knitting and why I am/am not finishing projects.

So if you are out there, let me know!

Until next time,

J

I guess I didn’t stop to figure out how I am supposed to knit with the attention span of a gnat.  Percoset does that to a gal, I guess.  I did decide on a sweater, finally.  Strangely (ok, not so strangely maybe) I ended up picking something totally not on that list from my last post, but one I have been wanting to knit for quite a while.  Shalom!  Need I say more?  I am actually making it a cardigan, with either long sleeves or 3/4 length.  I am on my last of the 3 increases and twisted rib sections.  That’s when I think things will get tricky just because mindless knitting is my friend right now.  I am using the Berroco Vintage that was originally purchased for the Metro Cardigan, but it likes this project much better I think.  It is turning out beautifully!

I don’t know why I am bound and determined to not just knit this as the pattern states, and modify it heavily, but these are modifications that have already been used, so hopefully it will work out as I have it in my head.

Ig  haven’t hardly been doing any knitting.  Just a few rows here and there til my eyes are crossing and I pass out mid-stitch.  I will get some pictures when I get home, which will hopefully be tomorrow!

I have  sweaters worth of Cotton Fleece that I can use.  I have some other various yarns that could make me a vest or short sleeve pullover or cardy or something.  I am going to have surgery and will be off my feet for a couple weeks at least and I want to bring this knitting with me to the hospital and get going on something substantial since I will have the TIME.  I have spent about 6 hours total going through Ravelry, flip flopping back and forth, trying to decide if the Cotton Fleece is going to work for this sweater, or that sweater (my main concern is it stretching and pulling because of the cotton in it…it’s weight is it’s own enemy).  There are so many beautiful patterns out there, I just can’t decide.  I have (I think) narrowed it down to:

Ditto

Oblique

Sundrop Cropped Cardigan (a non-cropped version)

This version of the Tree Jacket (which I happen to have that same yarn, colorway for)

Primrose Path (love the assymetrical goodness in this, I just don’t know if I have a good yarn for it)

Olivette (if I could figure out how to knit this in worsted it would probably be my pick)

Cece

Eastlake

Ogunquit

Badia

Dunedin Vest (love, LOVE, LOVE this – I am not sure I have the rght kind of yarn in my stash though)

Diamonique

Vine Lace Vest

Damned Twist Collective does not make my choices either.  They have so many pretty designs and it took me forever just to decide on the few that I did from there.  Then you have the IDP’s from KnitPicks, and the patterns from Webs…grrr.  It’s different when I am at home and can just dig through my books, mags, and yarn…but I think the reason I am SO indecisive is because what I bring I have to work on, or not knit at all, which will drive me nutty.  Granted it would probably be 2-3 days tops I’m there, but I knit every day.  I’m not much of a TV watcher and I think watching judge shows all day would make me crazy!

Right now Olivette and Sundrop Cardigan are at the top of my list, with Sundrop winning because I have SEVERAL yarns I know I have enough of to knit it.  Who knows.  In 2 minutes I might change my mind, so I will just stop now.

My brother’s friend that got the Vogue gloves received them today and LOVES them.  What a relief.  She actually lives in Central California, but is leaving tomorrow on vacation to New York (which I didn’t even know about!) and so the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

That’s about it, really.  I have been listening to podcasts like crazy and just trying to stay off my feet.  I have a pair of socks I am working on but I haven’t knitted on them in 2 days because I haven’t been feeling so hot.  I will probably work on them some tonight (just a plain 2×2 rib, on the heel flap of sock #1) and probably get at least the first sock done before I go in the hospital.

That’s about it.  I babbled about all the sweaters I want to knit yesterday, I feel like that is all this post is about.  It’s all the knitting I have been doing the last couple days though!  Drooling in indecisiveness!

OK, so I have huge monkey feet (no offense to any monkeys intended).  I had turned the heel on the first Jaywalker and was working on the decreases to continue onto the foot, when I noticed this gaping hole and I could NOT figure out what I had done.  So I took the needles out, ripped it back  or so rows, and decided now was a good time to just try it on for size.  I COULDN’T FIT IT OVER MY FLIPPIN HEEL!  Granted, I am swollen as hell because I am 38 weeks pregnant, so I had my mom try it on because her feet are much closer to my ‘real’ feet size.  She couldn’t either.  I was in love with how they were turning out, too…

So I did look for other Chevron patterns that I could use, but I am going to wait.  I think I am going to get a more solid color sock yarn and just knit something lacey.  It stretches more, and frankly, I have been working on this sock so much lately (for me) I just need a break from this type of pattern.  I was very happy with how it was turning out, so I don’t hate you, oh ripped Jaywalkers, but we must part for a bit of time.

Finished the gloves for bro’s friend…will post pics of that tomorrow, they are going out in the mail and they are outta here!  WOO HOO!  Also need to post pics of the kiddo with his minion, which he has slept with since I made it for him…he loves it.

I also was working on a Grumpasaurus tonight for my son using LB Magic Stripes in black, white and red (his choice), and it turned out looking like poo.  I realized this when I was just about done with his body, so mommy is making an executive decision tomorrow and picking some solid colors for his wee Grumpy dinosaur.

I am the hugest fan of Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, and it’s killing me not to watch the episodes from this season, but I have my C-Section scheduled soon and I figured that would be a really good thing to do while I was recooperating from that.  I wasn’t sure how droopy/drugged I would be and wasn’t sure about the knitting, but TV watching I could handle.  If I can knit, great, I will when I’m watching my shows, if not, no biggie I still have something to do.

That’s about it, my so-called life!