Bad Ass Knitter

I only say that because my mother once casually mentioned to an Aunt that I wasn't very good. Of course I wasn't!
Anywhosie, it's a better title than Things I Have Learned.
And maybe only THING I have learned. And that thing is, cables and fanciness don't look great on variegated yarn. That stuff is fancy enough.
I learned my optimism is more like crazy denial.
I learned my hands will one day take all my hobbies from me. But that I will manage to work until the day before my funeral.

I learned mohair from WISH is not something anyone will like hand working with... it's like hairy sewing thread.

I learned some people don't like dog hair mixed in their knits. I think I always knew this. It just stung a bit more in person.
I am sure there is more. It's been a long year worth of learning.
But I know I love knitting and crocheting and hope I can continue to enjoy it for years to come.

Hat

DPNs are slippery and sometimes just unavoidable. Used with caution!

Richard Hat

I was putting the beautiful gray cables and purls hat into Richards locker and saw the last hat I made him.. shades of blue fair isle.
Awww. That made me smile.

Aiden

Projects

Stuff I keep working on...Aiden's hat...the brown thing...maybe a hood. Crochet purple ..scarf?
I just keep working on things.

Future projects? A stocking hat for Richard and matching hats for Lacieand Linkin.

Why?

I love to knit, crochet and sew. But the yarn is my favorite. Because sewing is such a production. And knitting? Pull it out of my bag and go. Carry it to any  doctor appointment. Whatever! At work, in the car...there I am, needles in hand . And it's quiet. Except for the occasional swear word.
I love that I learned to crochet. It's a totally different art but no less delightful.
I came to it all relatively late but at least I got here. I hope my hands keep up with it for the rest of my life.
I can't help but think I could really do well if I got comfortable following a graph rather than written pattern.
Might give it a go again.

Favorite

It's my favorite kind of knitting project. One good day of work,the new mock cable stitch I adore. For Angela Branch.
In getting info about this hat I realized I know a lot about shaping a hat.

Balls and All

And an unrelated pot holder Samantha and I made.

This was a grueling task!

Family

Of hats. Pics to come. Love the cool time of year!

Wristlets

The pattern I was trying just made me feel like a dunce. So I just made a pair with the mock cable stitch. Making a hat to go with it, seed stitch brim and then mock cables.
Oddly they do make my hands in all their arthritic glory feel better.
So! We keep going.

Yarn!

I have been trying to follow patterns and it's just making me crazy.
Sometimes I feel stupid!

What's Up

Many things and here they are...

The red is Mme. DeFarge's scarf. Lots of things going on with that. The pink thing is a unicorn in the works. Not sure how I feel about it.
Then the purple...it started out as a baby blanket but I did not like how it looked on bigger needles. So I shrunk it to a scarf and have been learning the stitch laboriously.
DeFarge is what has been coming to work with me, and as far as unicorn goes this might be my last one for awhile. It's a hassle with all the fiddly bits and stuffing. Yuck. I really hate the mane and ears.
So there we have it!

Unicorns

Yep. There are more.

Plural

Each one different as I learn new things. Tying knots is fun. Amazing the things you can do with a circle.
As I long suspected crochet is much more versatile than knitting.
Of course knitting will always be my first love. But who can argue with these faces???

Unicorn

My first try at crocheting something other than a scarf or blanket.
Once you figure out how to make spheres and tubes....unicorns are next!!!!

Ilene

The scarf hood found a home. It won't mess up her hair and it's the colors she likes to wear: black and purple.
So good to find the perfect match.

Tails Complete

Melissa Bright Pink

New stitch on the scarf, had to figure out the mock cable on straight needles. Thinking  about blocking it but it is so pretty.

Hurry Hurry

Working as fast as I can. Ultimately I will have both bodies of the blankets done. And still pondering how the actual tail will work. I know I didn't like the first try.
So it's August 5th already.
Hurry hurry hurry!!!

There It Was

Yep. I took off the fins. Going to make it different. The shape was ok just hated the colors.

Dilemma

Well until I saw the photo of Diana's mermaid tail I thought everything was cool. But? Yes. Everything is not cool. I have to fix it. Which means I need to get my ass in gear. Not even close with Nathalie's.
I have got to hurry. No dilly dallying. As I piddle around on the interwebs..
The hardest part will be taking the finished one apart.
*Sigh*
Once the problem is admitted there is no turning back.

Frantic Mermaids

Well. This is what I'm TRYING to make. Sort of. One for Diana and one for Nathalie. Diana's dwn to the tail. Nathalie's about 2" wide. Birthday for Nat this weekend. Ugh.
Might have them both done by Diana's birthday in August.
Got hat and one bootie done for Crystal. Still toting the pjnk rolling scarf about in my bag. And haven't touched the Trinity in so long I am not sure where it is.
So. Busy!

Polyprojectile

Meaning...too many things started!

There are a lot...Melissa Me scarf (hot pink. Will need to be blocked) Crystal's hat and booties for Baby Louis .And the mermaid tail. Which...who knows if this will work or not.
And the brown Trinity stitch. Not even sure what that is!
So. Busy busy busy.
Just the way I like it.

Smaller More Reasonable Beret

Big Beret

Well. There it is.

Saffron

Or...Raspberry Beret.

It's been so long since I tried a new hat pattern. It has mock cabling and so far I love it. Also working on actual rasberry stitch ensemble for Melissa who is one of my favorites.
Finished Jessica's grandbaby blanket booties and hat. Still haven't wrapped it up.
So marginally productive. Three good projects going. I think that's plenty.
But! I have patterns for the butterfly scarf i have started so many times and an entrelac scarf I have failed at. And a baby blanket that looks fun.
So don't shy away from patterns. It's a good form of self testing.

Jessica Grandbaby Blanket

Partly

I have the scarf done. Next...mixed hat maybe?

Keep on Knitting

And crocheting.
Here are my latest pojects I am not making a lot of progress on. But I keep on.

Sad Day

For so many reasons.
My ball winder fix didn't last. Things have gone all bad and pear shaped for me this last week and the winder was just one casualty. And somehow I don't feel I can get another one. Yet. Maybe. If ever.
I was so jazzed by fixing that, replacing my laptop screen! Loving yarn!
Ah yes, gentle reader. Pride goeth before a fall.  Be humble. Expect the worst!
Ah well. I am getting better, even on this windy ass day. Glad to cower in my bed with the scarf I am crocheting. It shall be called Silent Movie!
Hope I can make a hat with it.
Life wiggles on.

For Jasmine's Baby

Badass Knitter

I love this hobby so much. It has taken the place of nearly everything else I used to like: sewing, online gaming, writing bad fiction.  What bliss and utter satisfaction to make something useful.
Of course I take it to crazy limits, as with everything I do. But that's part of the joy.
Knitting has saved me so many times. Dr. Offices, hospitals, long car rides, breaks at work, every day.
I'm not even sure why I wanted to learn in the first place. No one I knew knitted.
Happy accident!
I've been at it over ten years now and still not bored. Plus I finally learned to crochet. And I have made things for everyone I care about.
That is a great hobby.

Katrina and Jessica

Projects complete.
Two hats and booties and some boot cuffs. What next????

Fixed

My ball winder. Ah, yes! I found a post and followed the instructions. Life is good. Phone and good yarn.
I finished Jessica's boot cuffs. Just messing with little projects. So glad to have the winder working again. It slipped off the gear doing the big yarn.
Raining and cold right now. Could go all icy. Nap time!!!!

Relief

After a week of horrible phonelessness I am once again part of the 21st century. I did get a lot of knitting done. Miranda's Thunder hat scarf and half hat. A pair of wrist warmers cabled for Janis. Two hats started for Katrina. On to booties!
Yesterday there was a school shooting in Florida and it really makes me wonder why these things are allowed to happen. Sick and sad.
Don't get me wrong. I love guns. For target practice. Not to hurt people. I'm not sure I could even defend myself. How does someone kill dozens of people?
There has to be an answer besides get rid of guns.

Delivered!

Or picked up. So good to see Monte.

And down to one hat in my locker!

Big Yarn

I was thinking, I have used this stuff before and there's a reason I don't particularly like it aside from the cost. Bit it's what Miranda brought and I have been pleased with the results. Hard on my hands but it goes pretty fast and it feels amazingly soft.

Straight Edge

With the phone stuck in my bathrobe I preserve for myself later the straight edge crochet move. It's not perfect and I am sure I will learn something better someday but it's what I have been using.

The Truth About Cables

I have knitted miles of cables and have tried several shortcuts and variations. But the cold hard truth of it is, they turn out the best with a cable needle and transferring the stitches back on your working needles. They just do. Dammit. But they are beautiful.

My Love of Knitting

I love Knitting so much. And crochet is finding a place in my heart as well. I fear my hands won't last as long as my affection. But I will tie knots as long as I am physically able. I love creating useful and beautiful things for people I care about.
Long live yarn! And my hands.

Miranda's Ponytail Hat and...

Something I have tried before and failed.

 
It was one of those things I saw on Pinterest, a hat made of horizontal rows of cables. I joined with a three needle bind off and picked up stitches for the brim, simple k,p,rib. The upper cable strip is what threw me last time, joining looked awkward.
So! We shall see.

Locker Hats

So now I have two hats for people who don't work with me anymore in my locker. And Matt's.
Undeliverable! Crap!!!!
Working on Miranda's hat.
Some mysterious and annoying pain in my side is making it had for me to concentrate at all. Kidney stone?

Done With...

Ashley's blanket

Ruth's Grandbaby hat

Laura's Yankee colored hat

Only question is...

Ball or no ball?

Ashley's Afghan, Dana's Daughter's Ponytail Hat

Busy...

Blanket Done

Along with the hat and booties. Blanket looks kinda square and small. But there it is.