little bit of crazy leaking out

Oh, that’s right I changed the name of my blog. It’s still in the same place, just a new name. I’ve been using sewcrafty as a screen name for almost 10 years on various message boards, etc., but I was surfing the blog-o-sphere last night and was amazed at how many sewcraftys are out there.

Okay, I’m not sewing as much anymore, so maybe a new name for the blog would be appropriate.

What is the source of inspiration for the name, you ask. My dear friend Jennifer, the woman I blame (yes, blame!) for my sewing and knitting addiction and by way of knitting the whole spinning thing.

When my daughter was very little, a year and a half - maybe two, she suggested I should sew for her.

“Kids clothes are so quick to sew, and they use such small amounts of fabric. Really, you should sew for Bug.”

I already quilted so I had the sewing machine, and cutting paraphernalia, I just needed to pick up a few patterns and some fabric. I made most of Bug’s clothes until she started school.

Two years later: “I’ve been knitting,” she says, “you should knit, it’s so relaxing.” No. Way. Not. Knitting. I still have all this fabric from when you said I should start sewing.

As you all know, I started knitting. I love knitting. Knitting is portable, knitting can be picked up and put down in a way sewing cannot, especially with kids around.

Do you see what a bad influence she is on me?

After starting to knit I met a whole new group of enablers friends. These friends spin. They make beautiful yarn and knit wonderful items from that handspun yarn. “I’m not going there” was my mantra for many months, until, while at Saturday morning knitting, I was talking about how I was not going to go down the spinning path. “Why, not?” they asked.

I explained about the quilting stash, the scrapbooking (did I forget to mention that one?), the sewing stash (I have a serger, an embroidery machine, and enough patterns and fabric to clothe a small third world country), the yarn stash (I have a thing for sock yarn).  I didn’t need a spinning fiber stash, along with the spindles, wheels, niddy noddys, etc, etc, etc, that go along with a new hobby.

This was met with a terse, “That sounds like a personal problem, not a spinning problem.” Gee, you think? I caved and took the spindle class, now I own a wheel.

So, what does all this have to do with the name of my blog? One day while talking to Jennifer I mentioned the “it’s all your fault” thing, to which she replied, “Well, yes, but you forgot to tell me at the beginning of all this that you had a little bit of crazy leaking out.”

I have been knitting, but the kids were home on mid-winter break last week so I didn’t really have time to blog.  Or, maybe, I just didn’t make time would be more accurate.

My parents took the kids for a sleepover on Thursday so I was able to go to the Thursday morning knitting group at VYT.  It was nice to see the gals again, it’s been months since I have been able to attend.  After knitting group I got my nails filled (boy, did they need it) and while wondering what to do after that I drove past the hair stylist’s.  The hair was getting way to long, many days I had been reduced to the twist and clip method of hair styling . . . so chic.  Ended up having 8″ of hair cut off and it’s still down past my chin. 

I drove home, went in the house, realized hubby was going to be working late, kids were with the g’parent and the yarn shop was open late on Thursdays.  Back into the car and back to VYT for some more knitting with a few of my favorite knitters; Amy, Brad and Ellen.  If I start hanging out there any more they are going to put me to work . . . hmm, employee yarn discount. 

While at VYT (all day) I did happen to find one or two things to bring home with me.  First, some Cascade 220 in a bright spring green for a cardigan for Bug.  I’m planning on doing my first steek (eek), an EZ seamless yoke cardigan with some colorwork in spring colors. 

Second, sock yarn, very cute sock yarn.  Do I really need more sock yarn?  Apparently, the answer is:  yes, I do. 

The last thing I brought home is The Yarn Girls Guide to Knits for Older Kids.   I love this book!  I really like the fact that each pattern is shown knit up in “boy colors” and “girl colors”.   Also, following the Yarn Girl tradition, these patterns are knit up at bulky gauges, this means fast knitting folks.  There are many sweaters I want to knit from this book, mostly for my kids but a couple of the patterns would be great for use with the Avalanche Yarn for Dulaan.

Friday I went with the folks and the kiddos to the zoo.  It was nice but I was exhausted by the time we left.  Bubba can be quite a handful, even when the adult child ratio is 3:2.   While surfing blogs I happened across Pat’s blog and saw her yarn inventory.  I had been going through my stash looking for yarn for several patterns in my new book, gee, wouldn’t an inventory be handy. 

I mentioned this idea, of making a yarn inventory, to some of the Saturday morning knitters.  The idea was met with raised eyebrows and wide eyes.  Saturday evening and Sunday morning I sorted and recorded and set up a spreadsheet.  I’m thinking not actually knowing what was hiding in my stash would have been a better idea.  Also, adding up the yardage and converting it to miles was a really bad idea.  Trust me, I know of what I speak.

Iconfirmed that I have to much sock yarn.  I have to many small amounts of yarn, one or two balls of this and that.  I am getting rid of a few things, a friend of mine wanted my Baby Ull for knitting baby things.  I originally bought it for some stranded knitting that I never got around to starting, so it’s hers.  I also matched up some patterns with some of the stash. 

I finished knitting up another Steppe Sweater(pdf) for Dulaan, I’ll post pics as soon as I finish weaving in the last of the ends.  Last night I cast on these socks while watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre: the Beginning.  Now, I like a good slasher movie as much as the next person, but this one was just over the top, so lots of knitting got done.  I finished them this morning.  Nothing like knitting kids socks with dk wt yarn, they just fly off the needles.

pattern: Knitting Pure & Simple Easy Children’s Socks
yarn: Plymouth Encore DK
needles: Clover Bamboo US4
cast on: February 24th  cast off: February 25th 

Now I just need to figure out what to start on next; sweater for me, sweater for one of the kids, socks for me, socks for kids, more Dulaan knitting . . . the possibilities are endless, but I did wind this up today. . .

or here is another view . . .

Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Socks That Rock Heavyweight
Highway 30

 When the chicken starts laying again,

we know spring is just around the corner.

pattern: none - basic 2×2 ribbed hat
yarn: Cascade Pastaza
notes: With the yarn doubled these hats were super quick to knit, each one took an evening.  Each one used up most of a skein of yarn, great for using up those single skeins of yarn sitting in the stash. 

The green hat is knit the same as above, but from Kraemer Yarns Mauch Chunky.

The helmet:
pattern: Q&E Helmet, Patons Kids Hip Hop
yarn: Plymouth Encore
notes: Quick and easy to knit, pattern is written for flat knitting, but, it’s a hat, I knit it in the round.  I don’t think I will knit it again, though the pattern is perfectly serviceable, instead I think I will use Tammy’s In a Flap Cap.

pattern: Steppe Sweater(pdf)
yarn: Avalanch Yarn
cast on:  Feb 5th  cast off:  Feb 8th
notes:  Knit as written, except for doing intarsia in the placket.  I’ll be knitting up more of these, quick and warm.

    

I’m still here and still knitting.  I seem to have gotten a major dose of Knitting Mojo and have been knitting my fingers to the bone.

Oh, I’ve been messing with the blog layout (and will be for a while) so if you see errors or things appear and disappear, it’s just me fumbling my way through the code.

You are The Star

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised.

The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you’re a dreamer, but you’re not the only one.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

January was a month of small knitting projects, for the most part. 

• I started off the month by seaming up a shrug that had been sitting in my knitting basket for six months.   
• 9 hats: 7 for the Dulaan Project, one for Bug and one for Hubby
• 1 skinny Noro scarf
• Tomten for the Dulaan Project
• 11 dishcloths; these are going to be set aside for teacher/bus driver gifts at the end of the school year

I forgot how much fun knitting dishcloths is.  I used several patterns including: Garterlac, the Ball Band Dishcloth from Mason-Dixon, Snowdrops and Lace Leaf from the Monthly Dishcloth KAL and a few 4 Corners Dishcloths from this pattern.  I made a couple of chages to the 4CDC; I didn’t slip the first stitches (it didn’t seem necessary) and I went down to 3 stitches at the corners instead of 5.  The 4CDC is based on a baby blanket designed by Elizabeth Zimmerman and is a lot of fun to knit up.

Although I did make several yarn purchases in January, I did end up knitting up much more than I purchased (by 23 skeins!).  I have to credit a lot of that on the Tomten, garter stitch uses up more yarn than you think.

I have several projects still on the needles:  EZ baby sweater from Knitter’s Almanac . . . umm . . . that can’t be the only thing, but for the life of me I can’t think of what else.

Goals for February:

• learn to spin on the spinning wheel
• knit a blue sweater for Dulaan and Project Spectrum
• knit up a few more dishcloths and scrubbies
• knit at least one pair of socks