Where do I start? That’s the thing with a blog, if you don’t update often enough. It starts becoming a daunting task, you keep falling further behind so then you think, where do I start? Do I just pick it up again like I was never gone, or do I do a full update?
For several months after Iceland I had a lull in my knitting. I lost interest, I still knit often, maybe not daily, but somehow the fun had worn off. In fact, I started a post about it:
Predictable.
I tend to have this problem: I get into something (such as a new hobby). And I obsess over it. It engulfs my life and I drop everything else that I have an interest in. It becomes my life. Every free minute is poured into said hobby. And when I can’t be doing the hobby, I spend time online researching it, posting on boards, learning all I can. And then at my pinnacle of my obsession, when I feel like I could spend my whole life just doing this one thing…Something happens. It’s like somebody flipped a switch, and the lights suddenly went off. I loose my drive, my passion quickly evaporates and then my life goes back to normal until I find the next thing to obsess over.
I swore this would not happen with knitting. I want knitting to be part of my every day life, I want it to be a lifelong hobby.
And then I went to stitches west. It must have been the yarn fumes. Or perhaps it was this pattern.
Lovely yak down and cormo sheep. Diagonal opening. Shorter sleeves. A little lace. Whats not to love?
It turned out a little bit on me, unfortunately. (I’m still working the nerve to throw it in the drier for a few minutes to see if it will shrink). It’s alright, I still love it and the most important thing… I got my knitting mojo back. The Monday following stitches west was a holiday; I cast on the sleeves. 2 Mondays after that the cardi made its debut. It went quick, about a week and a half to knit, and a few days to finish up and dry.
I think my “yarn diet” also contributed at my lack of enthusiasm in knitting. I did slim down my stash in the past few months, but after all my stitches west purchases I think it’s close to what it was at its “worst” (and by worst I mean bad in the boyfriend’s book, good in mine!).
Since my last true update I have finished quite a bit of projects, so a quick rundown:
The Ruby Safire (blogged about as WIP)
Dark Red Hederas. (blogged about as WIP)
The urchin that only took me 4 tries (blogged about as WIP)… I’m glad I finished it because it turned out to be the hat I wear the most. I had a near catastrophe almost loosing the hat a few weeks ago. I had no idea it was missing until I saw a crumpled black knitted thing by my car one day… my first thought was that some bum lost his hat by my car, and then I realized it was MY hat. It had been sitting out there for a few days and had been driven over and covered in mud during the rains. A good soak and it was as good as new.
The damn blanket that took me a million years. A month to crochet up all the squares and almost a year to crochet the border all the way around. I love it though!
The clapotis in Uruguyan yarn bought in Iceland. Love this malabrigo silk/merino yarn, but boy does it pill.
Lubov from the Brave new Knits book. Made it skinnier and a little longer. Although the lace stretched quite a bit and it turned out to be about 8 feet long!
OpArt blanket for the dog (destashing the cheap acrylic!). I think this is the most used and loved piece of knitting I have churned out yet.
Bee fingerless gloves I knit up during our disneyland trip. I need to get a completed picture. The black ribbing along the top is extra long so I can have it folded down when its not so cold or unfolded up when I want to cover my fingers.
Monkey socks… I thought I had a finished picture but I need to dig it up. I wanted to get these done to wear to my Cookie A class at stitches (I know, dorky). Reclaimed this yarn from a messy shawl attempt I blogged about a while back, it worked much better with the socks.
Spiral cowl also knit up during my disneyland trip. Cute pattern that I saw a Erica from my knitting group work on, shipped off to mom.
Felted kindle cozy for Mike for the kindle I got him for his birthday. He never asks for anything knitted so I was happy to make it for him, yay!
Hedgerow socks… I needed a simple pattern to take to stitches and I thought they looked cute. I need to stop knitting red socks.
Wheew, quite an update. I have a few WIPs… but I’ll save those for later.
Wow, that’s quite an impressive round-up of finished projects! They’re amazing…I love your Safire (of course) and REALLY love the Alice cardigan. Wow. The crocheted blanket rocks, too!
You’ve made some really awesome projects! Love how you added your own twist on Ruby Safire. OMGosh, that square blanket. What perseverance you have. I would have gone bonkers. Love your OpArt for your dog! Talk about pampered and well loved.
Thank you!
And yeah, my dog is quite spoiled đŸ™‚