Any post is better than no post, right?

And the winner for most inconsistent and unreliable posting schedule goes to ... Drumroll please ... Me!

Probably.

If procrastination earned you a trophy, I'm pretty sure I'd have a cabinet full of them. Then again, maybe not. I'd have to get my act together and pick them up from procrastination headquarters, and when would I ever find the time with all my bouts of ... not really doing anything?

 

 

Instead of giving a project by project accounting of all I've been doing in the past four months - Has it been that long? Really self?? Really??? - I decided to go with a quick stat rundown of projects since my last post

Existing WIPs finished - ummmmm ... none. And I had been doing so well!

BUT

Existing WIPs worked on (which is half the battle!) - 4 - most happy that my Sherlock blanket has one new square and I'm halfway through a pattern I worked up for another.

WIPs frogged - 1 - one of the secret bag projects. It was a sock with a really cool looking beaded pattern, but when I finished knitting the first one I realized it was just Not Comfortable. I may adapt the pattern for a hat band or something though.

New projects started AND finished - 5 - it really helped that Christmas fell during my blog silence. Even with only knitting for a handful of special people, it did give me a firm deadline for those projects.

New projects started and then wandered off from - 1 - and I don't reeeeally count it. It's just a washcloth, and I needed something to grab and work on while sitting around waiting. It'll be there next time I need to sit around and wait to. Washcloths are good that way, they don't judge.

New hobbies picked up - 1 - got a pin loom for Christmas (to me, from me, with all the love in the world - me) I wanted to play at weaving and make some placemats/coasters whatever, but not get as serious as Actual Weaving with the giant loom and all. It's pretty fun, and like those washcloths is easy to pick up and put down so that's always nice to have waiting for you.

 

 

And that's basically it. I'm afraid I haven't been all that exciting lately, which made updating here easier and easier to push off. In keeping with the whole procrastination deal, I have made a couple craft related resolutions. A couple weeks late, of course.

First - to update here at least once a month. Even if no one is reading, it helps keep me on track. Plus, how hard can it be to find a little time once a month, right?

Second - to actually finish the giant playmat that I had hoped to this year. It is soooo far from done. This might be a strain, but I really would like to have it done for my nieces before they are grown and have kids of their own

Third - and this is more me being brave and putting myself out there, than actually being difficult - remember the mittens I made for a swap over a year ago? This year I am going to actually finish writing up that pattern with the tweaks I still want to make, and submit it to the Knit picks IDP program. Washington's screwy sales tax laws make it confusing to try and sell a pattern on my own, but if I go through KP they deal with that bit. I don't know if they'll take it, but it can't hurt to try.

Forth and final - end the year with under a dozen WIPs. You'd think this would be easy for me. You'd be wrong. Yes a dozen is a lot, but I am almost always above that. Even now - with the fourteen I have going right now - there are still a handful of patterns I am having to work really hard to resist casting on immediately.

So there are my, hopefully attainable, resolutions for the year. Wish me luck!

 

 

And it feels weird to have a post with no pictures, so I'll share one of the Christmas presents. The one I. Was most happy with - the dinosaur picked out by BFs nephew (pattern from Huge and Hugable Mochimochi)

 

As you can see, I had a little fun playing around with and posing with this guy before gifting. Even made him that pretend library book to go along with his look of terror -

 

 

Don't worry, he doesn't always look that scared! When his tongue sticks out he looks positively silly, and he can even smile a little -

 

And look at his funny fat tail, cute as can be

 

The first picture has been uploaded to the designers flickr group, so with any luck I'll be back here linking and asking for votes in next year's photo contest. Hopefully - I think he's cute enough to have a chance!

 

 

 

 

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Is there a such thing as Craft-Centric ADD?

Quite a change from last week, when I only worked on one thing. This week I flitted from project to project, with an attention span no better than a fruit fly.

 

Seriously! There is no reason a washcloth should be a WIP after a week, especially when I'd already cast on for it before then...my only excuse is that it's a fancy pattern, that counts for something right? Nice looking and it's sproingy.

 

 

I got this skein of Knit Pick's Dishie for Christmas, and I like how it doesn't hurt my hands to work with like some of the cottons. I like the bold color (it's called Kenai), and feelwise I would compare it to Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton (a plus in my book, it's quite soft)

 

I worked on two toys this week, one is the Hurly burly I'm making for BFs nephew for his birthday. He picked put the pattern, and it's an interesting one that you can turn inside out to change the look on.

 

 

I'm not even half way done, so it isn't much to look at now BUT having it done by his birthday next month shouldn't be a problem.

 

The other toy is one I just started, so (again) it isn't much to look at yet - test knitting a hugable flower doll designed by Kimberly Gintar that I'm pretty sure I'll be giving my my younger niece.

 

 

The pattern should be available soon after testing is finished, and I've heard there will also be a pattern coming up for a cute little watering can.

 

Then there's the lace scarf I started right after Christmas. I'm using the Noro Sekku I got as a prize after the Ravelympics Ravellenic Games. Love the yarn and love how it looks in this pattern. I've already knit far enough that it's too long to lay out flat and still be able to take a good picture.

 

 

The Gypsy Rose Scarf is a simple two row repeat pattern that shows off the yarn well and is a great beginning lace pattern. I'm hoping to have enough yarn for a nice long, loopable scarf. I think I should have more than enough yarn but I've misjudged amounts before. Not July am I new to working with lace weight, thick and thin yarn can be tricky on guesstimating.

 

And I started another new project. One of my favorite Ravelry groups is doing a Baby Surprise KAL. I'm told that through some sort of folding magic this oddly shaped blob of knitting will eventually turn into a baby sweater.

 

 

No, there isn't a particular baby, or baby to be, that I'm knitting it for. It is just that there have been too many times when I've wanted to give a hand knit gift to an expecting friend, but have run out of time before the baby comes. Those 9 months just fly by when you aren't the one pregnant (I have heard that is NOT the case when you're the expectant mom!) I'm planning a couple gifts like this sweater that I can stash away, and have ready for giving so I'm not running to the store and buying whatever at the last minute.

There are some really cute mods for this pattern out there, but right now I'm keeping it simple and just knitting as written since this is my first one. If I like the pattern enough to make more, I will probably branch out and try some of the things I saw on other knitter's projects.

 

I am worrying about the size. I know everyone says it seems big at first, but... It looks really really big! I have a feeling I'll be ending up with a one year size instead of 6 months. Oh well, the good thing about there not being a planned recipient is that there's no such thing as a perfect fit, right? My next one might be fingering weight though (and not in generic baby pastels, I want to work with some color!)

 

In an attempt to clean up my craft room so I can find things (like missing DPNs) and get back to other crafts (spinning, scrapping and attempting to learn how to sew better) I've been spending at least 15 minutes every day in there setting things to rights. Since the first of the year. And I'm not done. This should give you a clue about what a disaster it was.

I'm making progress though, and when I was able to find the top of the main counter I found a scrapbook page started when I was first learning to spin (May 2012). I figured it was well past time I printed the pictures so I could finish it.

 

 

Please excuse the not-so-great scan if the page. We bought a new scanner since the last time I did this, and I haven't worked out how to keep everything in focus with a 3D heavy page. That and unfortunately it still cuts off the edge.

 

The reason I wanted to scrap this - besides the fact I think crafting about crafting is kind of funny - was that everyone says you should keep your very first yarn spun to look back at and see how far you've come. Being that my first attempt was with the tiny bit of fluff that came with my spindle, I was afraid I would lose it. Solution - I stuck some of the unspun, some of the yarn and some of the yarn knit into a swatchlette on small pieces of cardstock. Also, I coiled some of the yarn into a ball and glued it on the page to dot the I in my title.

 

 

Last but not least - Just so you don't think I entirely abandoned the playmat, I still did work on it some.

 

Here is last week again -

 

 

And now this week -

 

 

I filled in the lower road some more, the path near the pond, and the grass above the field. Sadly, not much progress at all.

On the bright side there was all the other crafting and cleaning I got done...

We won't talk about how I discovered there is now a Temple Run 2, and that sucks way more than its fair share of time away...

 

This coming week, I'm going to try to make at least one of my WIPs into a FO. That way the week after I can focus on the playmat again.

 

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Everything is so Hush Hush lately!

The problem with having a crafting blog and having friends with a better than average working knowledge of how to google you is this - you can't really feel comfortable posting about any of your gift projects before the holidays for fear the surprise will be ruined.

Even now, there are a few things I can't post about because they're secret and it is killing me. Seriously. You have no idea.

What I can post about are the projects that have safely made it to their new homes, and are already being enjoyed.

Another Knit a Fantasy Story Update

My project is starting to look more and more like the little scene I had pictured. I still have a ways to go, but the basic framework is there.

 

The road is done, along with the pastures and the yard area in the lower left where I plan to make the gnome home. The river is finished, but I still need the lake and camping area in the lower right. The yard for the house will be in the upper right, but is only outlined right now. I have finished one of the three fields, still have the other two to go.

One friend asked me what the finished field was. I have no idea. Hay? Straw? Wheat? ...Whatever it is that turns yellow before harvest? (golden waves of grain is ringing a bell)

 

She is pretty sure that not having a clue makes me a terrible farmer, but since I'm also planning for lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, watermelons, squash, pumpkins and who only knows what else to be ready in the other fields at the same time I'm pretty sure this farm is not going to be accurate. Of course, once you have a gnome fishing off a pipe cleaner and yarn bridge with a bead bobber I think the claims to realism have all been shot to hell.

 

So anyway, that's how far the basic mat has gotten. I've also made progress on some of the 'extra bits' -

There are two trees and one shrub. The trees have knitted trunks (mainly garter stitch) that have been stretched over different sized/shaped frames of plastic canvas.

I made the bases larger for stability, and stitched loops of yarn to look like grass around the trunk area.

The treetops are pompoms I made and then hot glued to the tops of the trunks. The shrub is also just a pompom with a little glue shot through the center to make it more durable.

 

The house is going to be made with a frame of plastic canvas with a knit cover. The house siding look is from rows of stockinette separated by purl rows. The bottom will be open, the door will be a cut out section, and the windows are just going to be square or rectangular knit sections that I stitch onto the siding.

 

On my first attempt I overestimated how many stitches I would need to cast on for the cover. Guess I'm nit used to knitting so loosely and on larger needles. Instead of ripping back and restarting, I decided to make a new house frame for the larger playmat I'm going to make my nieces. Even though I still need to knit a smaller one to fit the original frame, I want to finish the decorating on this larger house first.

I've secured the knit cover to most of the frame after cutting out the door section. The climbing roses have been stitched on the one side, I'm considering the look of a chimney on the other side which is why the bottom of that is still loose. I still need to make a roof and the windows.

 

That's it for this update. While I have gotten a lot done, I'm starting to doubt whether I can get it finished in time for the mochimochi photo contest without abandoning all my other projects. Just in case I do run out of time, I've tried to take extra nice pictures of the tinies I knit last week.

From her Fall collection I made the tiny pumpkin. Cute and perfect timing, because I had wanted a pumpkin patch for the playmat. This one I tried to make look carved so it can sit outside the gnome home or the house when I'm finished.

 

and the tiny bat (just because it was cute)


 

 

The pumpkin made it onto the Mochimochi blog, so that has to be a good sign...right?

 

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So much for WIP only...

So I had the best of intentions when it came to my plans on going WIP only for my knitting until the end of August...No really! I did! Unfortunately I didn't quite make it. While I made some progress on them (even finished a couple) I couldn't stick with it. The procrastination bug has bit me, and HARD. More evidence is the fact I'm making this post well I to September instead of the first.

The first little hiccup was my tiny gnome. Just one little project, done almost as quickly as it was started. Cute too (if I do say so myself, and this being my blog why shouldn't I?)

 

I'm not sure if he really counts as cheating, because he is part of my KaFS scene. That is a WIP, and a major one. He was a gateway project to more cheating though.

 

Before I knew it I was thinking about all the Christmas knitting I hadn't started yet. With the nieces' big present being for their birthdays instead, that does cut down on what I'm making but I still have a list. In theory it will be a quickish list with most of the projects being smaller BUT ... Well look how good I am at plans! Even small projects take time when you have a bunch of them. The thought of putting them off longer started to stress me out, so...

First present up - the bear for Rochelle. It's her current favorite animal, and so she's getting this toy along with a bear themed book or two.

I've finished knitting the main body/head piece, finished the face, stuffed it and added the ears all within a few days.

 

The legs are knit, but not stuffed and attached. I just started knitting the arms. Once I've finished I'll take a better picture to post.

 

Next will either be a Tangram puzzle (two people are getting those) or maybe doll clothes for Sharee (she's getting doll things - a knit outfit along with some sneakers I bought)

I know I should have stuck with my WIPs a little longer, but I have to admit just making the list did make me feel a little better. I figure if I stick to one present at a time, and still plug away at the the other projects I'll eventually catch up.

---

I have managed to resist the biggest temptation of all - pretty shiny new lace yarn. Courtesy of one of the awesome members of the Sherlocked Team on Rav who sponsored the prize and picked me. THIS I'm dying to use. I really want a floaty bright lace scarf.

I'm holding strong for now, but I can't promise how long I'll be able to hold out!

 

 

Now for a few things I did get done-

Two more squares on the Sherlock Blanket

First up was the Black Lotus Square. Really fun lace square, looks much better in person

With its inspiration

Inspiration pic = gratuitous reposting of series images

 

Inspiration pic = gratuitous reporting of series images

And then the square for (yet another, because I love them so) John Watson jumper. This pattern was actually from the very first month, but at the time I was missing black yarn. It's nice to have finally taken the time to catch up and knit it. I still need to weave in the ends for all those stripes, but I'm saving that for when I need something mindless to work on (like when at peewee football games for BF's nephew)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've done a couple other things, but since they are mostly small (and this post has waited long enough!) I figure I can always update on them later.

 

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Knit a Fantasy Story Update

In another long overdue update, I've made some progress on my playmat.
I had to return that library book, but not before I managed to find used copies of both The Knitted Farmyard and Knit an Enchanted Castle for really cheap. They include nearly all the things I wanted to make from the Knit a Fantasy Story book, even down to using the same photos an wording. The patterns are jumbled around a little, but they're there with the exception of just a few. I'm thinking they must be included in Jan Messent's Knitted Gnomes and Fairies book, but I'm not sure.

Anyhow, this is where I'm at right now- 



I know they say that the camera doesn't lie, but I swear I've done more than the picture shows! Or maybe it just seems that way because that stream was so much more involved than I expected? 

As you can see I've filled in more of the grassy area and made a few small bushes by leaving then yarn in those sections of latch hook longer. I also extended the dirt path towards the stream, which I finished. 
The other major (to me) accomplishment was finishing the bridge. The bridge is 1x1 ribbing, and I've tried to make it 'pop' by threading pipe cleaners through the underside.



I was going to just do that on either side, but ended up adding one through the middle to keep it from pulling or sagging.



I'm happy with how it turned out. Perfect for letting a gnome fish from, I think.

My major design change since my last (and only other...sorry) update is to change the pond itself. The small round pond in the pattern wasn't working for me. I've decided to make it more of an oval, and to keep the shore slightly irregular. I will probably regret having made the outline bigger once I get to filling it in, but I do like the look of the shape much better. 

I'm trying to stick with no new projects until September, but I really need to knit a couple Mochimochi pieces so I can figure out my scale better before I go much further. Is it cheating if I make a mailbox and gnome before then? It would be for an existing WIP after all...or maybe I'm just trying to justify my startitis?

Reason 134 Why My Craft Room Will Never Be Tidy

Remember when I said there was going to be a couple posts about my epic sized WIPs?

This is first one of them.

So there is this book called Knit a Fantasy Story, by Jan Messent. Ever since I heard about it, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. It’s a toy pattern book from the late 80’s, so expect some cheesiness in the photos but it is very worth it. There's a section with a farmyard, a castle and then fantasy creatures. I have a thing for play sets with lots of pieces, and these toys look like a great gift idea.