Knitting Away the Summer

Here's some advice for you: don't catch Mono. It is unpleasant and takes forever to recover from. This is the first time in three weeks that I've been able to swallow without my throat being sore.

In other news, I am joining my friend, Spiffy, in some stash busting this summer. I have a bunch of yarn that needs using. Some of it I have had for over a year, and knowing how fast I knit, I think this is unacceptable. Therefore, my goal this summer is to reduce my stash by knitting a lot of projects, at least one a week. Some I will give to friends as gifts, and others I will post online for sale and see what happens. I may even knit a few things for myself!

Spiffy set up some rules for this endeavor, so I will, too, although slightly altered. Knitting does not quite allow the same kind of abundant usage as sewing, especially as I am not fond of making plushy objects, like pillows and toys. And, at times, a project comes up that I simply don't have enough of the right kind of yarn for. With that in mind, here are...

THE RULES:

1) No buying anything. (This rule can be broken if you get a brilliant idea for a project that absolutely can't be completed in the stash, but planned things only, no random buys!)

2) There shall be approximately one project a week. They shall be determined and organized each week to balance long term projects with shorter projects. Stash shall be cleaned up and organized in between projects.

3) Try not to throw anything away. At the end of each week, scrap yarn that is too short even for knitted jewelry will be knit into squares for a blanket.

Another goal I would like to make for myself this summer is to take more pictures, mostly of things that I have made. A lot of times I forget to photograph projects before giving them away or wearing them, thus rendering them beyond my reach, or very worn looking. So, as I knit my way through piles of yarn, I will have my camera at my side.

In the midst of this, I am reorganizing my room. This includes setting up a crafting corner. Once this little niche is established, I shall take and post photos.

The current knitting project list is:
1) Jayne hat(s) (halfway through one, will have yarn enough for another one, maybe two)
2) Aeneid socks (1/4 done)
3) Summer gloves
4) Morgan scarf (started, but at no significant amount)
5) Tarot card bag (needs finishing touches only)
6) Sweater vest
7) Scalloped rib gloves (one glove made; need to find the project to knit the next one...)
8) Knee High Stockings (one cuff almost done... will probably go insane finishing the rest - definitely a long term project, may devote an entire week or two to it)

Gloves and Glossy Yarn

The commissioned gloves are long finished at last. Now, I have a list of projects, including a new commissioned pair of socks. Aeneid socks, to be exact! Inspired by "Hwaet!" by Sanguine Gryphon, one of my friends excitedly announced that I should make a pair with text from the Aeneid. My roommate then promptly commissioned a pair from me. But, I still have time to knit for myself, as the yarn I ordered for the socks has not yet arrived.

Thus, on my needles I have:
- Entrelac headband to match my fingerless mitts
- Second of Lynn's Scalloped Rib Gloves (fully fingered for a change)
- Eleanor of Toledo Stockings

Now, the last item is going to involve a bit of stubbornness on my part. I will finish this project that I cast on Feb 2 of last year. *crosses arms* Or. Else.

Of course, at home I have more things on the needles, but I consider those sleeping at the moment.

In the meantime, look! A glove!

Back to School Blunders

Going back to school always puts a damper on craft time. Because I tend to lay on the credits, and because car space is limited when moving back in, I tend to put my projects on the back burners. But, here are some recent things:

- One whole dinosaur is now sewn to my apron front. Next step is to sew on the others along the hem of the skirt, then suck it up and gather the skirt to sew it all together.
- I have acquired my calligraphy materials, so the Ovid/Firefly poster can continue its progress!
- I have continued work on my remaining two commissions. Thankfully, the weather is still warm, so my dear patrons have not fussed about their late completion...

I have also cooked lots of things. Maybe doodling on homework will commence just to keep my creative juices flowing?

Calligraphy with Images

This is the first draft, and so far the most colorful. For the final draft, I decided to give each quote its own frame, since I couldn't get the letters to play nicely within the same one.

I need to load pictures here more often, don't I?

Calligraphy

I am five drafts deep into an illuminated quote poster for myself. PIctures and more details will follow tomorrow, when I have slept and re-hydrated my contact lenses.

Illuminate Me

Knitting:
- Last pair of gauntlet gloves: commenced, but far from complete
- Other last pair of gloves, not gauntlet: almost done with the first glove
- Wedding shawl: commenced, done with first strawberry
- Stockings: don't talk to me
- Long sweater: hesitating on this one; I'll tend to knit a row then set it aside again
- New! Marguerite's lace collar: planning stages
- Other: various stages of things; lately I've taken to knitting a bunch of jewelry, which is small, fast, and beaded, and it gives me a chance to practice different lace patterns

Tatting:
I have a shuttle... and that's about it. With the proper tool, I have to admit that it is easier, but needle tatting is quite different as far as approach is concerned, even though I understand that the knots are the same.

Sewing:
- Apron of Awesome: almost there! things that need sewing: gathering of the skirt, hand stitching dinosaurs onto skirt and front pocket, entire making of oodles of pockets, and overall assembly
- Hemp cord bodice/vest: materials are in my possession, so all I need is the confidence and sewing machine
- Marguerite's lab coat: have a pattern, need EVERYTHING ELSE

Calligraphy:
That's right folks! I have returned to one of my favorite crafts, now in color! I recently purchased red, blue, and green dip pen ink, and I love it. The inks are acrylic, so my nibs get a bit gooey on larger projects, but that just means cleaning them more mid work than before. Furthermore, this means that my inking won't have to cower behind the application of Prismacolor markers any longer. While I adore my markers, and they have served me well for several years, they don't cut it when it comes to super fine detail work, which is required for calligraphy. When you are working in a frame of 1" by 2", the 1/16" tip seems gigantic.

I have just finished two thank you cards on stationary paper. I am currently wondering why my craft store trip earlier did not include picking up proper calligraphy paper cards... but, no matter. I have enough bristol board leftover for further playing with these beautifully colored inks.

Gloves Galore

I am halfway through the second pair of commissioned Joan Gauntlet gloves. At this point, once I finish the ribbing, the gloves fly by on my needles. The coloring on this particular yarn (Debbie Norville Serenity Sock Weight, color: Sapphire) is a little disappointing. The colors look very nice in the skein, and they shape up nicely for the main part of the hand and fingers, but they pooled awfully along the wrist and upper hand (both times when a larger number of stitches were employed). This was a bit of a disappointment after the wonderful coloring of the other yarn colors in this brand. I am also beginning to worry that the next yarn I use for my final pair of these gloves will do the same, though that yarn is a bit heavier, more of a proper fingering weight than the light fingering of the Serenity.

I have also picked up my Very Long Medieval Stockings knit project again. I am on round 29/55 for the cuff of the first stocking. Each round is 180 sts right now. I think I am a crazy person for loving to knit such projects on such tiny yarn...

In other news, I also finally bought my own US 3 dpns, which means I can continue my Bird and Vine gloves (Fair Isle knitting), as well as bust through some of my growing stash. My goal is to keep my non-project allotted yarn to a single box or less. In the most ideal world, I would only buy yarn I have ideas for, but then the spontaneity of some projects would be lost. I like the ability to stumble upon a pattern or idea, pick up my needles and yarn and then just go with it. I recently had that happen with the yarn leftover from my first and thus far only pair of socks. It is a 100% merino wool fingering weight: Jitterbug by Colinette, so far one of my favorite yarns, even though it is wool, and makes my fingers itch a bit after working with it for too long. There was enough left for me to make a pair of fingerless mitts with a braided cable down the back.

My dearest friend and near other half also introduced me to Old Town Needlecrafts in Manassas, VA. It is a spectacular place for anyone with fabric-working hobbies, whether knitting, needlework, quilting or otherwise. Since the Knitter's Cottage in Fredericksburg has closed, I think I may need to make several trips there once I have used up more of my stash. They also carry AddiTurbo needles, including 4/0 dpns, which I near drooled on. Methinks there is lace and vision loss in my near future.