Learning Curve

Learning new things isn't always easy - especially not for those of us who have the lovely combination of perfectionism and impatience, with just a hint of narcissistic arrogance thrown in. Okay, I'm not that bad, and I've gotten much better in the last 10 years or so. I know I've talked about it before, but it's so true. Knitting and now crocheting has taught me *so* much about curbing my perfectionism, opening up my patience, and increasing my tolerance for making mistakes. For some reason, I've been on this total crocheting jag. I think because I want to make some hats, quickly, and I don't have a lot of time, so crochet is appealing as it's quicker. For some definition of quicker that seems to include needing to rip out 75% of what I'm making. Yeah, insert eyeroll here.

I started a hat for my daughter, realized I'd screwed up the pattern so I ripped it out and made a different one. I finished it, but I really don't like it, and it's not long enough. I don't know why, I have this problem making hats long enough! Then I made the above-picture hat, which turned out COMPLETELY cute, and I think is even the right not-quite-newborn size that I think will be useful for my friend. That's from some leftover craft-store acrylic that I acquired many years ago. I really struggled with the sizing of the pattern - I'm still new-enough at this to not know if the pattern is off or I'm off. Most likely the latter.

So then I found a cute pattern for a crocheted baby helmet-type hat, and I know my-friend-the-photographer would like one. I was knitting her one, and it was going to be HUGE, like it would fit my almost 3 y.o. daughter. So I ripped that too. I'm having gauge issues, apparently. (This, people, is why I don't usually knit items where gauge matters. I'm also paranoid because she told me that the little pink and purple helmet I did was way too small for her 9 lb niece.) So ANYway. I found this pattern, looked doable, found some really pretty yarn, so I waded in. It's really not hard, actually, but now I'm realizing that it's going to be HUGE. The complete opposite of the problem I had with the Bear Hat, which I had to do a 12-24 month size in order to get a hat that would be a bit loose on DD's baby doll. I think before I rip the hat out, I'll shove it on her head (the daughter, not the doll) and if it goes on her head, I'll rip because I do want a closer-to-newborn size. But not tonight, I've ripped out enough today.

Summer is here!

Whee!!!

We've been super-busy here at KWAP, surviving the end of the school year. DS1 is moving on to 1st grade, DS2 will be starting *gasp*Kindergarten! And DD may head off to preschool a bit early next winter, we'll see.

After school ended, we headed up to VT to visit my folks for a few days, which was really fun. At this point I'm quite comfortable doing the drive alone with the kids. DH didn't come with me, he didn't have the time off from work (it was last minute trip) and it was his father's day gift, to be home alone without kids. :) Since we came back, we've started getting into the summer groove: beach and friends. I'm building some reading and housework into the schedule too, and as soon as my friend gets back from RI, I'm getting her baby jogger and I'm going to start the boys running a bit.

I just had an inspiration for a craft project as well. I have a *ton* of kitchen cotton and I want to make a whole bunch of dish cloths, so I can ditch the sponges. I think that has been a plan before, and I did make a bunch but my mom decided she liked them so I gave them all to her. I am going to start off with some crochet, just to get in the groove. We'll see how it goes, I'm tired of sponges that smell like swamp.

FO with PICTURES!!

God, I feel so *together* right now. Kids are all sleeping, dishes are done (note to self, run the dishwasher or there won't be bowls for breakfast tomorrow) and I FINISHED SOMETHING!!! I'm going to go ahead and blog about it as the person it's for just had a baby (I hope! I haven't heard any details yet...) and I sort of doubt she'll be checking in. If she does, well, surprise, honey! :)

This actually was a fairly quick project, as I obviously didn't make the whole thing. This is a fleece baby blanket with a crocheted edging. The blanket is approximately 30" x 36". I then used my slip stitch blade for my rotary cutter and perforated the edges. The edging is done using a C/2 size Boye Aluminum crochet hook, and Coats and Coats crochet thread (100% mrotary cutterercerized cotton) in size 3, probably about 1.3 balls. I used Pattern #3 from Baby's Choice Crochet Edgings for Fleece. It's sort of hard to see the detail of the edging in the black thread, but here's a picture:
I thought the angles of the edging would look sort of funky with the circles of the pattern. It's not your traditional baby blanket, I suppose, but this friend is not your traditional sort of mom. :) I hope she likes it. And if you're wondering why I'm sending a fleece blanket to a baby in Los Angeles, well, I don't want to hear it. I fell in love with the fleece and immediately thought of this friend and wanted to do something for her! My plan is to make a second blanket for Project Linus.

This was definitely an easier project. The one new skill I learned was crocheting through the back loop. I'm not sure of the point of it, but that's what the pattern called for, so that, gosh darn it, is what I did. The whole edging is only 4 rows (including the foundation row), and I'd say the whole thing took....10 hours maybe? Maybe not even that. The two middle rows took the longest, because I did somewhere on the order of 125 single crochets, and about 1000 double crochets.

I think the heavier crochet thread works really well for this edging. I might try a light yarn for the next one (that baby's not born yet, but coming SOON, I hope!), but I do like the thread. And I very much like that too,it's cotton, so no acrylic frying. I won't, however, use an aluminum hook for the next one. They're fine at a heavier weight, but this is a smaller size and I don't think the aluminum could withstand the vigor with which I wielded it, because the thing actually BENT. It's totally still usable but I don't think it's supposed to do that, you know?

I'm excited about this also as a possibility for service work. I love the idea of making one blanket for a friend (there are a gazillion babies being born among my circle of friends this year) and making the other half as a donation. I do think I like the 30x30 blanket size a bit better than this one, but I'm not sure what to do with the extra fleece I cut off. Sew it together into random scarves? Must ponder. I need to send an email to the local Project Linus coordinator and see if they need donations.

A FO with a PICTURE!!

Can you believe it? I found the cord for the camera (it was actually already hooked up to my computer, I don' t know when DH did that!). So, here's at least ONE small sample of what I've been up to.


This was made as a donation for my son's preschool silent auction (this was last year's endeavor). These were knit using Tahki Cotton Classic, no pattern, I just sort of winged them. They were knit using my KnitPicks Options (what else) size 5 needles, magic loop. This is actually the second hat - the first I cast on 72 stitches, which gave me a hat circumference of 12" (I was getting 6 sts/inch), which will work on a very new baby, but not for long. So I redid it with a cast on of 80 sts. I can't remember the length I knit to, about 7"? Then I did decreases starting on 8, every round. I thought it was cute as is, so no i-cord. The socks are 32 stitches, 2x2 rib for the cuffs (about 3.5 inches in length), short-row heel, knit the foot to approx. 3 inches, then the decreases every other row (4/decrease row), and a grafted toe. Very simple and easy, and I had to squeal several times at the cuteness. Can you tell I have baby girls on the brain? :) I may have to bid on them myself.

In other news, because what I really need to be doing is starting a new project, I, um, started something new. DS2 has requested a "green blankie" so we went to Joann's and picked out some Lion Big Fat Chenille (that's not what it's called but I am too lazy at the moment to look it up). He picked the color "basil," which is really pretty. I'm not certain about the yarn, in terms of quality, and how well it will wash, but it was easily available and it's VERY soft and cuddly. At first I was going to crochet something, but I'm not a great crocheter and this yarn is so not a good yarn for a novice crocheter (too fluffy to see what you're doing). Then I just cast on a bunch of stitches and did a random pattern but I didn't like it. So I'm doing YET ANOTHER diagonal eyelet-edged blanket. I've only done a few rows, but I think I'm going to frog it and start over with a slip-stitch edge as I just like that better than the straight garter-stitch edge. I bought two skeins of the yarn, so we'll see how big the thing ends up. It's a snuggly blankie, not an actual "cover you you up and keep you warm while you sleep" blankie, so I don't think it truly matters. But yeah, another garter-stitch blanket. Ah well, they're good zoning out projects.

I also started the second Falling Leaves lace sock. I've not even got the toe done, so I don't feel like I'm in a groove with it. But, I'm in desperate need of socks.

I read somewhere of one knitter's plan to end 2008 without a stash. I so could not do this (my knitting time is so limited) but I think it's a cool idea to try! I can't afford anything right now ayway, and in about 3 months, my knitting time is going to be severely curtailed.

OH! I forgot to mention, I found out that there's an actual real-life yarn store in my new town! AND there's a knitting group at the library, twice a month! If this town had a coffee shop, I think it would be perfect.

It's a mystery.

Why is it that every attempt I make to crochet a hat turns out like a big yarmulke? I'm clearly doing something wrong, but I'm such a novice, I can't even figure out what that might be! Clearly I need to take another class.

Off to do some more Jaywalkers. I'm enjoying them, but man, knitting on such tiny needles is SLOW GOING!

FO: Peapod Hat

I finished this hat just in time (the first picture is a better representation of the color, but you can't see the top detail, hence the second picture, where the color is really off) - the birthday party for the boy is tomorrow! We got him a present for him (beach toys!), so this is really more for his mom. I am really pleased with how this turned out!! I don't take pride in design usually, as, well, I'm not typically the designer! I tend to knit from patterns. I'm a concrete thinker and I'm good at following directions. I know it's just a simple roll-brimmed hat, but like the pumpkin hat, it's really exciting for me when I have a vision in my head of how I want something to look, and the FO actually LOOKS like it! :)

Yarn: GGH Samoa in 94 (Dark Green) and 116 (Mint).
Needles: Knit Pick Options in size 5, 40" cord for Magic Loop
Pattern: My own!
New Skills: Probably the peas and leaf. I looked at a bunch of patterns and sort of made it up as I went along. I don't usually do this (and when I do, it doesn't really work out so well for me most of the time), so I'm happy with it.

I did a gague swatch for this, because I did actually want it to fit the kid. The hat fits tightly on my 2 year-old's head, so I am pretty sure it'll fit a 1 year old. I'm *loving* the Samoa. The yarn is so lush, and just feels wonderful - almost a suede-y feel to it. I love the colors too. Now I just have to find a place to order it from since I've never seen it around here! I bought this yarn of the recommendation of the lovely lady at Wildefiber in Santa Monica, and I'm hooked, HOOKED, I tell you! Unfortunately, I'm also broke, so no more yarn for some time.

Yay for getting something done! I've got another NICU hat almost done, I just need to add leaves to that. I also learned to crochet granny squares today, that was fun! I need to figure out how to incorporate crochet into my crafting life. Oh, and I started another baby blanket from Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille in Painted Iris, and it's just gorgeous! Almost makes me want to have another baby! ;) It's a simple eyelet border diagonal knit, so simple I could actually watch a movie while knitting it. I love this yarn so much.

Bad Blogger!

I can't believe a week has gone by since I updated! Not, of course, that I have much of anything exciting to blog about. I had an interesting dream about knitting socks last night. I think maybe I should stop taking my Omega 3s right before bed, huh. So, basically, I'm working away on Jaywalker 1, and a NICU hat. I am loving this GGH yarn. I have to do the finishing touches on the peapod hat, and once I do that, I'll post pictures because it's pretty seriously cute. I've got a date with my knitting friend tonight (!!), which we've been postponing for months, literally, so I'm excited about that. We've had a couple of days of gorgeous weather, so I've been outdoors a LOT with the boys, so I've been pretty wiped in the evenings.

Blah blah blah. Like I said, nothing too exciting to talk about. I think I need to start the Magic Waves shawl to get that going.

Oh and I'm learning to crochet too!