It's the shizKNIT!!! discussion

Let's see.... for me seven rotating projects at a time...

1."Rock-A-Bye Baby" blanket from 100 Afghan Squares to Knit for my little guy Corbin.

2.stitching a Bucilla wall hanging for Christmas

3."Zigzag scarf/mittens/hat" by Linda Cyr from the 2002 Knit It! magazine for my first boy Keegan. The hat instructions are T R I C K Y! Have to follow closely!

4."Birds" blanket from the Color Bright Creatures pattern book by Anne Halliday, as a gift for my girlfriend's little boy born last October. (*yikes*) - it's one of those crocheted blankets that has 142 panels to it....., she's a good girlfriend.

5.Summer Sampler by Sandy Orton, she's such a cool designer.

6."Sonoma Mountain Wrap" from Simply Shetland 2 with Plymouth Tweed. Fortunately this is a colorful project, so I was able to get all the colors they make in this yarn.

7."Aran Texture" sweater from Casual Classics by Leisure Arts for my brother-in-law Jimmy.

Blue hat for a donation project, pink sweater for my 5 year old, pink scarf for her too, a deep red lace scarf for me (the first thing for me!), a rainbow funky skirt for the 7 year old from Knit Cafe, and an apron. Most are based on several patterns and my own adjustments.

WOW! I am impressed! I wish I had the concentration for all of those projects at once! Right now, I am only working on two things: a baby bonnet for my granddaughter due at the end of March and a Booga Bag purse which is a cute and simple felted purse in shades of brown and pink. I have 6 precious grandsons ranging in age from 10 months to 8 yrs, so I've knitted a whole lot of boy's items. I am excited to be working with PINK fiber for a change! If my concentration was better, I'd definitely have a few more projects on the needles. Your WIP's sound fantastic!

Michelle - did you love working with Lorna's Laces? It's so soft isn't it? And the COLOR!!!

Congratulations! When's the arrival? I love all the great things you've got on your plate. When I don't know where to start, I work on something for a week, then I switch to another project and work on that for a week, and so on, that way I feel like I've got all my bases covered, I can get my feet wet and still feel like I'm progressing.

I'm knitting a Noni bag, and I'm cheating and crocheting instead of knitting a wrap for myself -- I need it NOW and I need to be able to drop it and answer the call and whims of the five-year-old so crocheting is the only thing that will work.

I LONG to have enough quiet time to make an Aran cabled sweater. Alas, I suffer from being Fluffy and that would be a LOT of yarn. :-)

Lori
Lori Anderson:The Store
Lori Anderson:The Blog

Currently, I'm making this sweater:

http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/K...

In black, which is boring, but I realized that I don't have a nice, lightweight sweater in black.

I've already made one in a multi-colored merino (I adapted the neckline to be a v-neck), and while the various colors show off the lacework nicely, the sweater doesn't look right (i.e., my "taste") to me, and I've decided that it is shorter than I like a sweater to be. That said, it is mine and I'm going to wear it. Anyway, that's why I decided to use the pattern again, but this time in a solid neutral color, and I will be added 3-5 inches to the length so that it hits closer to the lower hip.

Just finished a Harry Potter scarf for a friend, i am now knitting a silly scarf for myself with Cascade Cloud 9, I am patiently waiting for HAT ATTACK to start so not beginning anything else at this time!

Hat Attack is a game where you are given a "target" to "assassinate" and you "kill" them with the finished knit hat you send, hopefully before your assassin gets you! So it is a fast knitting contest. Maybe you heard of Sock Wars, well this was inspired by that.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hatattack/

ETA: I guess sign up ends today so if anyone is interested...go soon!

I just finished a boatneck sweater with striped sleeves. The main project I'm working on now is Rhapsody in Tweed, a cabled pullover for my husband. I've knit the back and about 1/4 of the way up the front. I have a bunch of other projects either hibernating for some reason that I will someday (soon, I hope) pick up and finish or waiting in line.

Almost done with Hat Attack hat! Yessssssssss!

I have finished the baby bonnet and the purse I was working on.....now I'm making the Juliet sweater from zephyrstyle.com. I love it's shaping and the look of it (very figure flaw forgiving)!

I'm working on the Peacock Shawl by Fiddlesticks knitting. I'm using a lace weight zephyr. I really like fiddlestick's patterns I just finished The Long Paisley Shawl and their charts are awesome.
Shiloh

I just finished up a stole for my mom from a vintage pattern called "crescendo". Now I am doing a simple scarf with a slipped rib pattern for dh. I have the yarn for a Clapotis for me to start next. I have 2 projects hibernating right now - a backpack to felt for ds, and the Lizard Ridge afghan from Knitty.

I just finished a cowl neck Audry Hepburn embellished sweater for my sister. A knitted cap for my nephew. I am working on the entrelac sweater in Knitscene and the Annetrelac socks from Interweave knits gifts issue and an afghan for my other sister.

I'm working on my 3rd pair of socks on 2 circular needles with some wool from Knit Picks. I am also using their circulars and love them. I just started knitting a little over a year ago and love it! I crocheted for years before that.

I'm finishing up a tiny yellow and blue baby cap in Debbie Bliss's baby merino blend. I'm also trying (I'm going to have to rip it, I've been knitting WAY too tight) EZ's Very Warm Hat in Cascade 220. At this rate it'll be tight on my 2 year old.

At the moment I've got UFO issues...I think it's the onset of spring. All I want to do is start new projects!

Off the top of my head I know I've got a wayward fingerless glove in an odd little lacy stitch I think I made up, but someone's probably put it in a book somewhere before...an adorable pair of baby overalls in Dreambaby that unfortunately got abandoned and the intended recipient has long since outgrown them, a cute little tank called Askew from Knitty.com in a gorgeous colorway of Noro Silk Garden, a bamboo lacy tank from last Spring's Interweave that I haven't looked at in far too long, and I was so inspired by the Noro that I've started Lady Eleanor stole in the same colorway, #224, with lots of jewel-y purples and some vibrant greens.

A malabrigo Short puffy sleved, double breasted, circle shaped sweater. so I can look like a deranged madam from 1910.

hahahhaaa ;)

funny -- deranged madame~

love it.

I just dyed some of my own homespun with Kool-Aid. It was tropical punch flavor and it made the wool a beautiful, bright coral pink. Once it was dry I started to knit a little handbag for my daughter, which I'm going to felt when it is done. The color should stay during the felting process, according to the tutorial I did, since I fixed it with steam. I will let you all know how it goes...

I'm really excited about this project as it is the first one I've done start to finish i.e. I spun it, dyed it, knitted it, felted it. The only thing I didn't do wa grow the wool myself. Thank you, anonymous sheep in Oregon.

Hi Ivy,

To dye the yarn, I first wrapped the yarn loosely around the back of a chair, then took that skein, soaked it for a few minutes, then put the skein in a glass bowl of koolaid (with a splash of vinegar in it), and left it there to soak for a while. Then I covered the bowl in plastic wrap, and nuked it in the microwave for 3 minutes. Voila! BEAUTIFUL coral pink yarn. After I rinsed it in cold water, I hund the whole skein up from the laundry line outdoors with a little weight hanging off of he bottom so it wouldn't bunch up. It took it about 2 days to dry. There might be better ways of doing all this - this was my first time and I followed koolaid dying tutorial online, and then hung it up like I remember seeing it done in Ireland in a spinner's studio years ago.

Here's a link to some mittens I made with homemade Kool-Aid dyed yarn.

Mittens

Sounds like you had a little more discipline than I did Vanessa making the one color, I ended up bringing home every flavor they made. Sheesh!

Hi Christy,

I tried the link, but it took me into a page with several projects rom several different people, so I wasn't sure which was yours! Can you repost the link?

I probably would have tried every koolaid flavor under the sun, but my local store only had the tropical punch flavor in stock, so I was forced to be monochromatic. I am looking forward to trying other colors too!

I also just let my children dye some of my homespun with squirt bottles filled with Paz Easter egg dye. A much more muted effect than Kool-aid, but fun for them! Not sure yet what I'm going to make out of it.

Hey Vanessa - hmmmm so weird, I just tried the link myself and it took me right to them (might be b/c I posted the link...) they're called Stop and Go Mittens, not sure if that will help, but here's the link again

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/BabyT...

That's a great idea, the Easter egg dye, did the homespun take the dye ok? Sounds like a good stuffed toy idea!

Weird. Maybe it is because I am not a member of the community, but the link took me back to a page with a bunch of other projects including Helloyarn's magnificent mittens, jaywalker socks, mermaid fingerless gloves, but no stop and go mittens. Hmmm...

The homespun took the easter gg dye ok, but it is a much more "pastel" effect than the kool-aid. Stuffed toy is a cool idea - I'll let you know what I eventually turn it into.

Yep, unfortunately you'd need a log in to get past the front door. :( If you're not on the wait list i'd sign up. It's pretty fun : )

Other ways? Personal Blog? Flickr?

Thanks for the idears Andrea...

hopefully this will work out...

from Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/23807411...

from one of my blogs
http://www.babytoes.shutterfly.com/ac...

Finally managed to see them! Bee-yoo-ti-ful mittens! You have inspired me to go buy some more kool-aid.

Good advice Andrea - I will sign up so that I can see other inspiring projects.

I'm excited. I just took a hat knitting lesson last night and am learning how to knit in the round. Its going to take some time getting used to those needles but so far I'm loving it.

Currently, I am finishing up a baby blanket. I took the mom's favorite color combinations and put them into a blanket. I'm doing a garter stitch for it. I'm a beginner so it's really simple for me. I have to say, I'm completely addicted to knitting.

I have a shrug from one of last year's Knitters on the needle. I'm also working on one of those "potato chip" ruffles scarves for a friend of mine. I've been in a bit of a knitting slump and paying more attention to my beading.

I think we all hit knitting slumps at times, especially if we are busy!

Lately I've been crocheting more than knitting, but I just came across a dishcloth pattern that I want to do so I'll be digging out the needles for that one. I have crocheted two baby blankets for a boy and a girl and I'm starting on one for my mom. But I've also got to work on a baby quilt for my cousins son who is expecting a baby girl which just throws me for a loop because I remember holding him when he was a baby! (and it was 30 years ago!!!)

I find myself working more enthusiastically on smaller projects. I guess it's because I can see the end in sight. I'm particularly fond of making fingerless mitts, especially ones made on two needles since double points tend to give me agita.

I would love to try fingerless mittens but I don't feel that my skill level is there yet. I just need to finish this blanket so I can send it off and be done with it.

As far as crochet, I'm intrigued by it. I've tried it and had little success. I'm hoping somewhere down the line I pick up my hooks and have something accomplished.

I think learning to crochet is actually easier than knitting. I taught myself to crochet from a magazine years ago. And when I was teaching my fourth graders to knit or crochet, they tended to pick up crocheting more quickly. Not to say that crocheting can't be complex, because it can be very complex.

I started working on a basket weave patterned scarf. Great practice for me with knitting and purling in the same rows.

I'm working on the February Lady Sweater...loving it! Also working on about 7 pairs of socks...but those are always going on in my house, I'm a sock addict.

I've decided to work on all my WIP's so I can start a new project and not feel bad for having projects langishing in the dark Yarn Closet. Is anyone else doing something like this??

Kristi wrote: "I've decided to work on all my WIP's so I can start a new project and not feel bad for having projects langishing in the dark Yarn Closet. Is anyone else doing something like this??"

I'm trying to do some work on at least one old project for every one I cast on, this is mostly because I started feeling guilty about saying I was only going to work on old patterns and then casting on new socks etc

Kristi wrote: "I've decided to work on all my WIP's so I can start a new project and not feel bad for having projects langishing in the dark Yarn Closet. Is anyone else doing something like this??"

I think I may do this as well and quit buying new yarn for awhile until I finish what I have.

I got yarn for my husband's christmas hat, but that's my cut off until I have my WIP's done...they are all making progress, I'm so excited to see that they will all get done!

Kristi wrote: "I've decided to work on all my WIP's so I can start a new project and not feel bad for having projects langishing in the dark Yarn Closet. Is anyone else doing something like this??"

I keep telling myself I'm going to do that... Haven't been particularly successful though. I'm getting projects done, but also buying, starting more...

Entrelac socks, purple shawl, B4 bag as part of a class to learn continental knitting - these in moving along. I have a couple of sweater projects that are UFOs, languishing and awaiting my attention.

August is officially going to be "Sock" month for me. for me this means finishing the socks I have in progress (6 I have planned to finish) so I can start the ones I have in mind for christmas.

I'm planning on Sept being "Sweater" month. Hopefully I can finish my Feb Lady Sweater and make some really good progress on my Torino sweater.

I'm working on an Aran cable cardigan. I figure since I started it now, when it's 103 degrees out, I'll be done by the time it's cold enough to wear it... in about three months!

Does anyone else take this long to finish a cardigan?! Wish me luck!

Anna wrote: "Does anyone else take this long to finish a cardigan?! Wish me luck!"

lol...I've had one sweater on needles for 4 years. The other is more interesting, it's been being worked on for about 6 months off and on. Got lots of projects going on at once tho, so that may have someting to do with my slow knitting...

I think 3 months for an Aran Cabled Cardigan is amazing!! Yay!

Kristi wrote: "Anna wrote: "Does anyone else take this long to finish a cardigan?! Wish me luck!"

lol...I've had one sweater on needles for 4 years. The other is more interesting, it's been being worked on for..."

Thanks Kristi!

I took a year long break last year, but the only thing going right now are superbowl scarves, and they are actually crochet.

Dana * wrote: "I took a year long break last year, but the only thing going right now are superbowl scarves, and they are actually crochet."

"Superbowl scarves"? Forgive my ignorance - what are those? They sound very interesting.