And We Have Sleeves! (Project of the Week)

Hey Everyone!

This past week I have continued to work on a size two sweater. I am now about half way up into the sleeves of the front, I decided to put some shocking pink every fourth row.

Over the past several weeks, I have learned how to use a knitting machine, and while I am getting better, I still prefer my good old trusty knitting needles and the yarn aisle(s) at the (craft) store. There is something about the motion and the rhythm of it that is comforting, and is very familiar to me. Yeah I can whip out three or more sweaters on a knitting machine in a day, but it really doesn’t mean much to me, where as if I spend a week on a blanket for a friend’s new foster baby, that means so much more than just some machine knit garment or blanket. I also enjoy hand knitting the sweaters and hats for kids in need. when I make an entire project by hand, I am putting the time, the effort, and love into each one for the child who will receive it. Learning how to use a knitting machine has really helped me appreciate what I learned how to do by hand over fifteen years ago.

Hats Update

Hi Everyone! 

Just a quick update, In the past couple of months I have knit up nine more hats for children in India. Right now, The hats I have been knitting over the past year I have been putting away for the next time there is a request for hats from a contact in India. You should totally go check out the pictures 

I have been working on a lot of hats lately beings that I have hat the yarn, while I am currently working on a sweater at the moment, I have been working on hats a lot more lately, just because they are small and cute, and knit up quickly. I had so much yarn left over from making a Christmas gift for a friend, that I am making a sweater, then I will go back to making hats again, 

Started Another Sweater (Project of the Week)

Hey Everyone! 

This week, in addition to the tube scarf and the infinity scarf that I have on the needles, I started a size two sweater, with some yarn I had left over from the Christmas gift I made for a friend of mine. I have plenty to make a little sweater, to help get the yarn used up, without being inundated with hats of that color. 

I started the sweater on Saturday before I went over to a friends house for a couple nights, so I did not work on any knitting from Saturday afternoon, until after I got home today. I am working on getting this little sweater knit up. I am about half way done with the body. 

Projects of the Week (November 11th)

Hi Everyone!

It is monday again, which means another Project of the Week Post! well for this week, I will tell you about the three projects I have in the works, so it is more of a Projects of the Week post.

This week I have been working on hats using Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in Dark Orchid. I have the infinity scarf I have been working on using Lion Brand Jiffy Yarn in True Red as my purse project for when I get to work early, or get somewhere early, and I have a tube scarf (aka my knitting in the round project) in the works, using Deborah Norville Collection Serenity Garden Yarn in Gems.

I am still working on hats because I still have quite a bit of smaller skeins, baby yarn, and partial skeins of yarn that wouldn’t make a sweater or go with something I have, and I really don’t want to buy more yarn for sweaters, or other projects to be donated since I have so much around here as it is. I am trying to get as much of this yarn used up as I can before buying any more yarn for projects for kids in need.

I am working to get my infinity scarf done in the next month, before the Christmas events get into full swing. The tube scarf I am making is for practicing knitting in the round, so that I can get more comfortable with it before I try knitting socks again.

For work I use a knitting machine, but I prefer hand knitting, and it is more relaxing, and I enjoy doing it in my free time. I have been knitting with knitting needles for so long that it is second nature to me now, and for the most part, (other than knitting in the round or doing a more complex knit pattern), I can knit by feel, and I don’t have to be looking at it all the time.

Learning to Knit in the Round (Project of the Week)

Hey Everyone!

This week I have been teaching myself how to knit in the round. I figure if I can learn the basics of how to use a knitting machine in about a week, I can learn how to knit in the round.

This past Saturday, I went to the craft store and found some yarn for making socks, and some double pointed needles, and since then I have been learning how to knit in the round while working on my first sock. It is has been interestingly easy, until I got to the gusset, and then I caved and am deciding to wait on doing socks until I am better at knitting in the round. I know I can do it, but given more time, especially given my new job.

Right now I am working on a tube scarf so I can practice knitting in the round, and become more comfortable with the process. I keep trying to learn new things and learn new skills to keep improving on my knitting capabilities.