Craftiness

$ cd ~meri > Craftiness

Love the one you’re with.

2014.06.09

See, I’ve signed up for the Game of Thrones-inspired Stormborn Shawl mystery knit along [1]. And I’m loving the pattern. It’s clever and geometric and just makes sense. It has unusual shapes in it, and I can understand why they’re there. It’s challenging enough to keep me interested, but not so challenging that I’m spending more time tinking than knitting. I should be having an absolute blast with this.

But I’m not.

All because I’m pretty unhappy with the yarn I’m using.

(more…)

Craftiness, Knitting

Finished Object: Eden Prairie

2014.05.14

Since some people have asked, here is a photo of the completed Eden Prairie shawl, on the very dirty basement carpet.

2014.05.14 - Eden Prairie

 

It isn’t perfect, and it still needs to be blocked, but I’m pretty fond of it. I would definitely make this pattern again. I think this one in particular is being sent to my grandmother as a belated Mother’s Day gift.

Craftiness

But why did the yarn go away?

2014.04.17

I’ve started culling the yarn stash. I’m doing my best to be brutal about the process. I’m getting rid of novelty yarns that I bought when I was but a wee knitter (so to speak). I’m getting rid of the random skeins that I only bought one of, and now have no earthly idea what to do with (10 Stitch Blankets and Bee Keepers Quilts aside). I’m getting rid of yarn in colors that I would never find enjoyable to stare at for hours while I knit. I’m getting rid of lots.

Luckily, I already have a recipient in mind for the yarn, and so I can imagine her (and her daughter) enjoying the new stash each time I get a pang about putting something in the “to-go” bag. I’ve already filled a 13-gallon trash bag, and that’s just by going through the stuff that resides outside of my actual yarn storage bins. (I don’t have a problem. A problem implies a need for a solution, and I fail to see that as necessary.)

But it’s an interesting process, destashing.

Cleaning, Craftiness

I have stuff. Do you want stuff? You should take my stuff.

2014.04.04

I am preparing to do a massive craft destash. I haven’t used a bunch of the stuff in my craft room in the year since Jer and Shamala came down to help me clean the room, and that means I probably don’t need it.

I’m not sure the best way to divest myself of these things. They’re all perfectly good craft tools and supplies, not crap. (For instance, I have *4* guillotine paper cutters. I want to get rid of two of them.) I also don’t want to hold on to things forever waiting for someone from Facebook / FreeCycle / Craigslist to come pick things up (the goal being to make these things go away). Schools are remarkably hard to give thing to. I tried giving a bunch of craft supplies to my local elementary school the *last* time I did this, and there was a whole process, that was going to take several hours that I didn’t have the energy for.

(I know what to do with yarn that I’m going to be rehoming. Unless anyone here has an interest in it, and come get it, or meet me somewhere, I will be taking it to Cloverhill Yarn to offer to friends, and then adding it to the charity knitting box.)

But for the rest of it: What to do, what to do?

Cleaning, Craftiness

Preparing for a new knitting project.

2014.04.02

My dear friends at Cloverhill Yarn have chosen the next knit along (KAL) project: the Eden Prairie shawl. It will be my first foray into the world of intarsia, and I’m both excited and nervous. It’s a beautiful shawl, and I don’t want to mess it up!

I’ve ordered my wool for the shawl (using up the rest of my Christmas present from Jer and Shamala), and am pleased with the color choices (at least, with the way they look online). Here’s the lineup:

All Madeline Tosh Merino Light. From left to right, they are:

  • Dirty Panther (borders)
  • Tern (diagonal panels)
  • Mica (diagonal panels)
  • Robin Red Breast (central diamonds)

Very meri colors, no?

Until this yarn shows up, I still have work to do on the Maple Leaf shawl (2 more corners, all the loose ends, and blocking to go) and the Simple Shawl for Fancy Yarns (almost done with one ball (of two)). I also still have to block and ship Missy’s cowl, Jakob’s present, and Ash’s present.

Never a dull moment!

Craftiness, Shopping

Your mission, should you choose to accept it.

2014.03.12

Hey, fiber nuts (of the yarn variety, that is). I have a quest for you.

I very much want to knit the Maple Leaf Knit Shawl as a gift. I want to knit it for a few reasons. First, it’s a beautiful pattern. Second, it’s an interesting pattern. Third, I happen to have a whole lot of Canadian family-by-proxy, so this would make a wonderful gift for one of them.

I don’t have a lot of money at the moment, but I do have a $100 gift certificate for Jimmy Beans Wool.I’ve been looking and looking until my eyes are crossed, but I can’t seem to find the perfect yarn. This is where you come in.

If you feel like it, browse through JBW, and find me a yarn that meets these criteria:

  • Appropriate color for the shawl (so, a red-based tone; not apposed to variegated, but would prefer tonal)
  • Yardage of roughly 1,000 yards
  • Coming in as close to $100 as possible

I promise pictures of the project along the way, and may even consider a knitted gift to the person who helps me find the yarn I ultimately pick.

Craftiness

PSA: Fabulous yarn on sale.

2014.02.21

A beautiful yarn is on sale today. If I had the funds, I’d be purchasing enough of this in Slate and Cherry to knit up a Dijon. Perhaps someone else can benefit from the sale, though. 🙂

Craftiness, PSA, Shopping

WiP: Harvest

2014.02.14

Three things happened: I remembered that I have a dress form. I remembered that I want to take a picture of my Harvest sweater in progress. And I remembered both of these things at the end of a row. Go me. (Please ignore the disaster that is my upstairs desk.)

[2014.02.14] Harvest

 

Craftiness

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It’s gonna be one of those days.

2014.02.13

(Small context: We’ve had a foot of snow.)

[meri] Today is gonna be a long day. I can tell.
[meri] I’m feeling cabin fever, just from knowing that I can’t go out.
[meri] And layout is slow.
[meri] Also, I have no pony.
[meri] I do, however, have yarn. Maybe I’ll make a pony.
[meri] … I wonder if I have any pony patterns.

This is me, not going to Ravelry.

Craftiness, General

Never a dull moment, part in a series.

2014.02.10

I think I might have overextended myself this week.

  • Today, I was supposed to have three medical appointments (starting at 7:30 AM!), but one of them cancelled on me. So far today, I’ve gone to PT, gone grocery shopping, and ran a quick errand for G. Now I have a few hours until I have to head out to the orthopaedic surgeon, to see if he can figure out why I can’t straighten my left knee. (The physical therapist was quite adamant that, no matter how much she tries to help my ankles, it’s all going to be for naught if I can’t straighten the knee. And I see her point. Thus, the appointment.)
  • Tomorrow, I see a dermatologist, to have him examine a weird mole, and to see if he can figure out why my skin seems to be at war with me.
  • Wednesday, I’m having my car serviced.
  • Thursday, I have more physical therapy, and knit night (and maybe dinner afterwards).
  • Friday is thus far blessedly free.
  • Saturday, the Harvest knit-along continues. (I’m well past the point of having joined my sleeves, and am almost at the end of the increases, for those playing along at home.)
  • Sunday, I think I shall collapse.

Intermixed with all of this is a bunch of layout and design that I have promised people, and little things like eating and bathing and doing laundry.

Does anyone have any spare energy to spare? I think I’m gonna need an influx.

Craftiness, EMRT