I'm running amok

For the past two-three months I have carefully controlled myself from having more than four truly active projects.  I admit there are four hibernating from the end of last winter.  Most of my knitting this fall has been deadline knitting: baby gifts, store samples, and holiday gifts.  As I have said before, I am a selfish knitter.  I've had this growing urge as I see all the lovely new yarns/samples come into Westport Yarns and after the pageantry of the Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival.  I WANT TO KNIT SOMETHING FOR ME. ME, I TELL YOU.

I have crossed the line and am running amok.

I was handling myself well, maintaining my self-restraint (all the while collecting yarn for new projects). Only after finishing one, would I allow myself to cast on for the next.  How else will I finish if I spread myself too thin in the project department.  This was all well and good until my sister asked for my help.

She sent me a picture of yarns she bought at Rhinebeck with a message asking if I knew what patterns she was using for them.  This is a fair question, I take notes and since this is my "thing" I tend to have better recall.

Our conversation went something like this...

 

  

This was the "sexy gradient" named Edge of Temptation.  The names of the colors from left to right are: Temptation, Provocation, Persuasion,  Devotion, Passion, Obsession, Seduction.  We had a lively debate with our friend, Jennifer, on whether we agreed with their order. But I digress....

I found the patterns she was looking for by looking at her favorites.  I figured it would trigger my memory.  It did and I was able to solve the mystery.  

However, one pattern leads to another, and while I was looking through her favorites, I came upon Butterfly/Papillion. I was gobsmacked. 

© MarinJa knits

I was captivated by the pattern picture.

It should come as no surprise that not only have I downloaded the pattern, I have purchased the yarn. The project requires fingering weight yarn: one skein of a contrast and 4 skeins of Milli Colori Baby (or equivalents).

I'm still committed to finishing my holiday gifts first. As these are all secret squirrelly projects I have cast on for two projects I can knit around the family that will not arouse curiosity or suspicion.

© Tahki Stacy Charles, Inc.

Vivacious Hi Lo Pullover in Falkland Aran (Aran:  100% Wool - Falkland, 197 yards) and

my Fallen Halo in Artyarns Cashmere 5 and Cashmere Glitter.

However, it gives me joy thinking of this butterfly in my queue, like a chrysalis waiting to open.

Crafter, Know Thyself

Do you read the Ravelry Home Page?  You can pick up all kinds of information. Last Thursdays Tip was "Crafter, Know Thyself"  posted by oharethey on June 2, 2016. 

It was all about what you can learn about yourself as a crafter by doing an advanced search of your project page in your notebook. When I think about it, it reminds me of one of those quizzes on Facebook or in Magazines.

Here is what I learned about myself:

Not surprisingly, I've knit the most projects in purple.  No shocker there.  What was interesting was that it wasn't by a landslide. What I mean is that after that, blue and gray are the runners up for most projects knit.

These numbers reflect how many projects I've worked on since joining Ravelry in 2007. That's approximately 28 projects a year - give or take.

Clearly, I do like my accessories, don't I? 74 sweaters is not to shabby either.   To be clear, I don't own 74 sweaters.  There were gift-knits in there.

It appears my "go to" yarn weights lean towards Aran and Fingering, followed closely by Worsted and DK.  Interesting that Lace and Super Bulky weights are on practically on even footing.

Judging by how many projects I have knit with #5 needles, I now understand why I have about a dozen fixed #5 circular needles. I'm guessing that every time I went to find a #5 needle it was otherwise occupied in a project.

No surprise here.  I'm a very happy knitter. I'm sure your curious about the project I was very unhappy about.  It was a Jacket knit with super bulky yarn. Don't remember why I was so very unhappy with it.  I do remember frogging it.  Thing #2 got the yarn.

Project status speaks for itself.

This refers to color work. For now, I am a mostly single-color knitter.  However, the "1" color used doesn't take into account if the yarn is variegated.

You can go deeper into some of these categories. It was a fun exercise.  As I write this, I began to wonder if you could search your favorites as well.  There is.  I'll save that for another day.  

If you do an advanced search, I'd love to know what you learn about yourself as a crafter.  Was it what you expected?  

A trip to the Library

 

You may or may not be aware that your Ravelry notebook has a library feature. Over the course of the summer I cataloged all the magazines and pattern booklets I owned into the Ravelry library.  Although it was a somewhat tedious project, it is paying off. 

Recently I was searching for a project for 5 skeins of Malabrigo Rasta (super bulky, 100% merino, 90 yards) that I want to knit into a garment. 

 My sister and I both had the same yarn in our stash. She just knit up hers in a flash. The pattern is called Sophisticated Twist, she modified hers to have sleeves. Now it's not that we are competitive, it's more "if she knit with her yarn and it knit up fast, I want to knit up mine".  The inner child lives on and she sometimes whines.

As much as I liked hers, it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. I was doing a filtered Ravelry search and this is what I checked off for pattern availability. I want instant gratification, I don't want to have to chase down a pattern only available in print.

I found the Cropped Cardi from Knit.1, Fall/Winter 2008.  Lo and behold, it was in my library!  I own the magazine!  My summer of tedious cataloging paid off. 

In keeping with my resolutions, this will stay on the back burner until I finish one of the fab 4 I'm currently working on.  I may swatch though ~ just to be ready to cast on. ;)

Purple Swap

I received my purple swap package from the Purple Rules Group on Ravelry. This is the second time I participated in the swap. It's fun to send a care package and even better to receive one. In the package (wrapped in purple tissue paper of course) was: a super bulky ribbon in pinks/purples, blue mohair yarn (second favorite color), purple zipper pouch, scissors, buttons, pad of paper with magnets, heart magnet, and a lavender sachet. Thank you, Katie.

TGIF

Claudia and Elizabeth arrived the same time. Elizabeth joined a travelling bear group on Ravelry and made this dress without a pattern. While we were together, she worked on the bear's backpack. Each person in the group will send off a bear that will travel through the group. When each person in the group receives the bear, they will chronicle the bears activities before sending it off again. Very cute. Bear needs a name though!

She worked on her grandson's cardigan this week. It's the Bulky Neck Down Jacket, #249, by Knitting Pure and Simple. The yarn is Torino Bulky. Cute stuff. She's going to adjust the pattern little, in the picture on the pattern on the collar is curved and done in garter. She's going to knit it in a rib pattern with a straight collar.
Elizabeth finished connecting the first strip of five flowers for her Kaleidoscope collar by Artyarns. It looks great. Today she sent me a link to the Garnet Hill website, check out this scarf. We are on the cutting edge of fashion!

So, Elizabeth is making an Icelandic sweater that will require steeking. A knitting feat I do not have any desire to attempt. Elizabeth said, "I am not afraid of scissors or of ripped back a sweater". Later she added that lace and the idea of a lifeline is a bit intimidating.
Claudia brought in Arucania bulky cotton yarn. She wanted to find a lace pattern to knit a cotton blanket. She settled on a slanting open-work stitch in the Harmony Guides Lace & Eyelets book (p.22). After working up a gauge, she liked it so much that she's going to make a scarf instead.

My Purple Swap Came!

Crystal aka nursepickle on ravelry sent me an awesome package. Look how she wrapped everything individually in purple tissue paper.

I've been waiting and waiting all month for my Ravelry purple swap. I sent mine out at the beginning of the month.

Friday night I wandered into my husband's home office only to find out that my purple swap had been sitting in his office FOR DAYS! It clearly was addressed to me and said purple swap on it. Sheesh. Rodney Dangerfield said it best, "I don't get no respect".

It was a truly joyful experience to receive my swap and open each item. I had my family sitting on the edge of their seats. :)
She sent my favorite purples and purple combos. I think I even have some purple softwist in this same colorway at home to add to. She included the Fall issue of Interweave Knits. I love the big purple pen. I will not be at a loss to find it one my crazy desk. All in all really thoughtful and gave me a great big happy purple feeling. Thanks Crystal!

Dwarf Bread: Food or a Weapon

As I've mentioned before, everyone who joins ravelry finds their own groups to join (there are a phenomenal amount of interest groups).

Anyway, my sister found a group of people who share her (our) pleasure in the Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett. They are sci-fi fantasy books with a laugh out loud dialogue and characters.

Sadly, the author (who is in his 60's) has recently been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers. Members of this Ravelry group that love his books are making an afghan for him, and each participant is making an afghan square of a character in one of his books.

My sister, who came late to the group signed on as an alternate an got accepted to make a square.

I'm really exicted for her and proud of her. It's got to be really special to take part in something like that. There are people from all over the world making squares.

Here's her square:
After this picture was taken she embroidered some words on it. That was almost her undoing!

What is Ravelry you say?

The best way to describe Ravelry is like facebook for knitters/crocheters but so much more!

Ravelry is a place for knitters to keep track of their projects, their stash, their needles, their books, and see what your friends are doing too.

Ravelry, a social networking site for the fiber friendly or fanatic as the case may be.

Ravelry lets you search for patterns, find our about other people's experiences and join groups/forums of shared interests (in addition to knitting).

Like knitting it is completely addicting and before you know it, you'll realize you're spending more time on Ravelry talking about knitting than you are knitting. As you get acclimated, you spend a slightly more reasonable amount of time.

Click this link to join Ravelry

Here's the thing though. Ravelry is run by a terrific couple who are doing much of the work on their own. So, when you sign up, you will get an invitation number. It may take a week or so to get your invitation. In the meantime, you can think up your "username". Once you make it, you can't change it.