Knitting Lace is Fun

Hey Everyone!

I have spent as much free time as I could could come up with the past few days working on my teal falling leaves wrap. I finally got halfway done. I use two skeins of Patons Lace Yarn for each wrap. When I completed a knit row and purl row and don’t have enough yarn to knit across and purl back on what is left of the first skein is what I consider to be my half way mark. To finish the wrap out on the second skein, I go until I don’t have enough yarn to complete another 16 rows (which is a pattern repeat), and cast off, is when I cast off the wrap and complete the project. 

Here late last year/early this year I had made one for my mom in the same color, but she wanted a knit border around the edges which I did for her. That is how I can tell hers and mine apart, as I didn’t want the border on mine. 

Leaf Lace is a fairly simple lace to learn how to knit. It has taken me some practice but I am getting it, and I love it. It is so dainty, delicate and feminine, and when using a heavier lace weight yarn, sturdier than some other laces.    

 

Yarn shopping

Hey Everyone! 

Today I went to Joann’s to get some more yarn for a special project I am going to be starting. 

I picked up six more skeins of Patons Lace for this project. Four of the skeins are in Vintage and two are in crystal. 

I am going to be making falling leaves wraps with this yarn. 

At this point I don’t want to speak on why exactly I am knitting them up, I know I will speak about it in future posts but it is too soon to talk about who they are for and why. 

Starting Now

Hey Everyone!

I have begun knitting more hand knit items for myself for this next winter. 

I started another falling leaves wrap for myself using Patons Lace yarn in mystic teal. I also have a pair of fingerless gloves I am finishing up as well as a knit for kids sweater I have nearly finished. 

I am super excited that fall is right around the corner. Another month and a half until September is here and all the little kiddies go back to school, then the weather starts to cool off, the rain comes back, then it is Canadian Thanksgiving (it is the same day as American Columbus Day), the leaves start to turn and fall off the trees as it progressively gets cooler and rainier, and then it is our thanksgiving, and it is the best time of the year. I love the way the air smells, and gets crisper. I love being able to pull out my hats, gloves and scarves.    

 

Knitting is more than just a hobby.

Hello my fellow knitters, and anyone else who finds knitting blogs interesting!

Where to begin. That is a task in and of itself. I am currently working on an 8 strand cable scarf (pictured below), and a size 10 sweater for World Vision Knit for Kids sweater. For not having a lot of time to knit, my sweater is knitting up super quick. I have about 3 more inches to go in the body before I do the front sleeves. It is crazy how quick this sweater is knitting up for me, with working full time, and of late full time and then some.

I spent the last hour or so working on updating my knitting spreadsheets that I have going on my computer. I added the columns and formulas I needed for this year. I also did columns and formulas for 2016 – 2020. Beings that it is now almost May, and i had yet to make the columns up for this year, I decided that I might as well just do it through 2020 and be done with that for the next six years.

Knitting is totally my creative outlet. It more than makes up for the mundaneness and lack of creativity I have in my day job.

I have been spending a lot of time this past week watching YouTube videos about knitting, and looking up patterns, as I want to get better, and be able to knit more complex patterns. I tried knitting socks once and gave up while trying to turn the heel. I want to give it another try, and really try this time.

I also have a couple skeins of lace weight yarn in my stash to make another leaf lace wrap/scarf for myself. Now that I have the baby blankets for my cousin and his wife done (I just need to get them shipped), I will have more time to work on projects that I want to work on. I know I have talked about it in the past, about having a personal project and a charity project in the works at the same time, and that is the case 95% of the time. I rarely only have one project in the works these days.

Beings that I have a size 10 sweater in the works, it is nice to have a smaller project to work on, when I only have a few minutes to knit, before I start work, or I don’t feel like working on as big of a project when I am tired after working 10 hours. I would love to be able to get paid to spend time working on projects, blogging about them, as well as craft store adventures and hauls.

Over the next few months, as I get some of my own stashed yarns knit into fantastic projects, and as next fall gets closer I am going to get out more, and go track down the locally owned craft stores here in Portland, and buy some yarn from them and write reviews on the shops, and the yarn for you guys. If my goal to be a better knitting blogger is going to ever come to fruition, I am going to start having to do the work myself. I can’t afford to jump in to it full time, and just make it my career, but I am starting somewhere here and now. I am making this goal happen.

For those of you who read and follow me for my charity knitting projects, rest assured that those are going nowhere fast, and will continue to be an integral part of my blog, and pictures and so on and so forth. I am just wanting to increase my skills and create so much more in the way of fall and winter accessories that are not only cute, but very practical.

Falling Leaves Wrap for Mom

Hey Everyone!

I finally finished my mom’s Christmas Gift. I finished knitting it last night, then washed and blocked it today. She loved it which is awesome.

I used the falling leaves pattern I have used once before and had used teal lace yarn that is like 20% mohair, 10% wool and 70% acrylic. I used the size 4 bamboo knitting needles that I have.

It took me this long to complete it in part because of my job, that I have been at now for almost 2 months.

Infant Hats and Christmas Gifts

In between working on the Christmas gifts that I am working on, that are a bit more complex, and require more attention I have also had some infant hats going at the same time. I have plenty of baby yarn left over from other projects that I am wanting to get used up for a good cause, so I have been using the balls I have sitting over here for infant hats. I currently have 10 infant hats complete. I am looking into charities that get the hats to hospitals and birthing centers in the high poverty areas here in the US. One that I know of – Bundles of Joy, is a group that donates their time and hats to infants born in the Pine Ridge Reservation OB Ward. The reservation is located in South Dakota.

The fact that there are areas within the US where unemployment is over 75%, and whole communities live without electricity, indoor plumbing, sewage systems, and telephones. Seeing infants born into this system where the infant mortality rate is around 5 times the national average is heart breaking. That is why I like using the talent I have been given, in knitting to give back to those who are much less fortunate than I am.

Some may ask, why I do it, when these infants will grow up and are roughly 4 times more likely to commit suicide as a teenager, or join a gang, and if they grow into adulthood 3/4 if not more of them will be unemployed for their entire adult lives, and be alcoholics, and if the alcohol doesn’t get them, another health condition related to the alcohol or poor diet will. While this argument is very valid, My answer is yes, that is all true, but there is also that small fraction of a population that will make a better life for themselves. Do you want to deprive those the opportunity to be able to contribute, or make a difference by letting them die as infants do to not being kept warm? That is why I knit for the infants, and I would love to see each of the infants born into poverty receive a handmade blanket and hat, knowing full well that few of them will be able to rise above the generational poverty.

As for the Christmas gifts I am working on, I am making progress on both the falling leaves wrap and the six strand braided cable scarf. The scarf is knitting up faster than the wrap because it is not as intricate of a pattern, so I am able to work on it while watching YouTube videos, or shows on hulu, or working on other things on the computer. The falling leaves wrap requires more focused concentration, and I can only have music playing while working on it. Both of these will be done before Christmas.

Starting a New Project

Hey Everyone!

A quick update on my falling leaves wrap: I got it finished yesterday evening, and I am just needing to finish blocking it

So with it being done and off the needles I am starting a poncho for myself using Lion Brand Yarns Fishermen’s Wool in Oak Tweed.

I finished it up yesterday as I have been catching up on sleep now that camp is over, and I am able to get back to more of a regular schedule.

Beings that I have been making excellent progress on my newest knit for kids sweater I am taking a little time to start a new personal project so that I will have two projects in the works. At least I am keeping my newest personal project simpler than the last one. I am going to be using the seed stitch on my poncho, and keeping it easy.

Starting a new Project

Hey Everyone!

a quick update on my falling leaves wrap: I did get it finished yesterday evening, and now it is sitting in the washing machine waiting for me to take it out and block it.

That being said I am starting a poncho in which I am using fishermen’s wool in Oak Tweed. I am excited to be done with the falling leaves wrap, and on to something else in terms of personal projects.

Beings that I have made a boat load of progress on my newest knit for kids sweater, and I am not as exhausted as I was on Monday from camp I felt like diving into my complicated personal project, and getting it done.

Did not knit a stitch

Hey Everyone!

I still have my falling leaves wrap in progress, and did not work on it at all this past week. The past two weeks I have been really busy with church stuff that I have not had much time to knit anyway, so when I have been knitting I have been too tired to focus on this project so I have been working on my sweaters for kids in need.

Now that life is kind of back to normal, I will hopefully be getting this project done soon, so I can share it with all of you. I am actually excited to get it done.

Next week’s post should be more interesting, but thanks for reading this update!

Camp means slow going

Hey everyone!

My leaf lace scarf has been sitting much of the week as I haven’t been home much.

I am getting to the point with it where it is almost done which is a good feeling.

Life has been busy which is nice, though i am glad that next week things will be back to normal. Which means I will be back to 5 posts a week