Blogging in Autumn

Sounds like an expensive landscape painting...mebbe. Ok, maybe not.

So it's been a WHILE since I last blogged. Not too much has really happened. Went perm at my job, knit a whole lotta stuff...y'know, the usual.

I'm super stoked that I'm doing things in my life though. I've become a little more adventurous as I'm getting older and I've really given myself the opportunity to say "fuck it" and proceed with a spontaneous evening. I still need a schedule in my head...somewhere. But I've been trying to let go a lot more and participate in things.

I think this is recently apparent in some of the outings I've gone on. In the past three weeks, I've tried sushi for the first time, seen a show in Boston, seen a local band in Leominster, apple picking in Nashoba Valley, finished a special project and taken on a commission. Some of these things required a level of planning and scheduling, but for the most part, it was more 'devil may care'. I'm happy about that! I've not really ever been so free in my thinking and this is both exhilarating and exhausting...but in a good way. I end up enjoying myself more and really remembering the experience for what it was not things like how much it cost or the gas to get there or the time involved. Hopefully I can stay on this path and take fuller advantage of life!

And then there's knitting!! Holy crap. Xmas is right around the corner. On one hand, I'm super fast at picking out and making presents....on the other hand, I haven't even started yet. LOL. I have some stuff picked out but haven't actually cast on. I have that commission to finish (likely this week) and get out to the recipient, and I have the Stephen West MKAL which starts on the 31st. Plus birthday stuff in there somewhere. Whew...gonna be a busy fall!! Ha.

Speaking of fall, I'm stoked that October is really here. It's about 50 degrees outside, a light breeze, a bit overcast and leaves are falling. The past few weeks around New England have been....wonky. Hot and humid days, stuffy nights. No bueno. The weather now, though, is perfect for sipping a nice heavy beer and knitting into the night. Cold? Yes. But not winter. It's been a long time since I've appreciated autumn in the way that it should be. Being a New Englander since birth, I'm not into 'leaf peeping'. That's so not a thing. Well, it is, but not for me. The leaves turn, they fall off, and as a kid, I had to rake. Now, however, no raking. So I get to watch the colours come and go and just enjoy the overall feel of fall.

I'll end with this: I'm happy. Happy that I'm living the life I have. Happy I'm overcoming life's little challenges. Happy that I'm making changes in my life that positively effect not just my life but the life of my friends and family. Vic and I are happy after eight years and are looking to the future. I'm also really happy that I'm exploring. Exploring my way of thinking, my body (I workout now), my attitude, driving, knitting, crafting, dreams, money.... there are so many things that people get stressed over and I'm taking them on as challenges to overcome. So, yeah, I'm just happy. Of course, if you feel like dropping me a cool million, I'll be even happier, but hey, who knows what the future will bring?

#StartItUpSunday , A thing?

So I just got this idea for #StartItUpSunday. I mean, why not? We have #GingerThursday for no apparent reason, #WIPWednesday for obvious ones, and other random "days" in between. So I'm going to make this a thing. Even if it's something small, or just chores, I think #StartItUpSunday could catch on...mebbe.

Ok, well, I officially started this giant blanket of doom. I need to craft the needles, make all the yarn, and buy more. But this is going to be epic! Here's a link to the pattern: Twisted Sister

According to the designer, you have to knit this on size US 120 needles! Well, those are not mass-produced. So, you can buy them from the designer for $91. Yeah, no. Sorry. That's a bit pricey for a couple of wooden dowels that have been lathed into points. I've already purchased everything I'll need to make them and it's less than $30. Besides, spending that much on them would mean I'd have to actually use them a lot....and realistically, I'll probably only make one of these blankets. Maybe two. But not enough to warrant $91 for just the needles.

Enough ranting, time for needles! Here are the first tests of both whittling and waxing.

Nice and smooth!!

Man, I really know how to polish wood, huh?

Not TOO shabby if I do say so myself! Considering that I'm not a carpenter or woodworker, and I don't have a lathe, this isn't bad! I'm just hoping that I can recreate these results on the other points! Though, there's a possibility I won't have to as my good friend +Hugh Tauerner has friends that have a lathe... I might just be able to save my arms/hands!

Also, the yarn. Three strands of Caron 1lb held together and chained with a Q hook. BORING but important. I'll be getting more colours eventually since this will completely burn my stash of acrylic. I have some other acrylics that I plan on turning into yarn this way as well. This will be one hell of a blanket!

Here's the yarn so far...I have a long way to go, both for the needles and the yarn.

Like I said, long way to go. I only just started last night and started the needles this morning. After completely burning off all the energy I had, I'm thinking that I'll stop for today...

FINISH ALL THE THINGS.

I have FO's!!!!

First things first, I have a job. A real job. An 8 hour, 8-5, sit in a cubicle job. Does it make me happy? Not really. But it's a step to making my life better and it's a paycheck. 

What's really great is that I have the opportunity to learn a whole facet of an industry that I had really only put my toe in; a much larger ocean of knowledge is waiting for me to just drink up!

Given that I have a full-time job, working on projects is limited to time before and after work, the weekends and my lunch breaks. Even with those limitations, I have been able to tackle my long list of projects to finish and start. 

So, enough of that. Here's project number one: Tripartite.

Not the best photo in the world but I'll get a better shot later. Started last August, this is 100% linen yarn, lace weight, by Shu Bui. I really hope this yarn gets softer as I wear it but no matter, I really like this thing. Makes me look like I have bat wings. Also, there are mistakes... Many, actually. I totally lost track of what I was doing when I was working on the second half. Oh well.. non-crafters will have no idea and there are other ways to wear this thing with which I will experiment tomorrow. It's so damn cold in my office!!

Ok, so project number two was just started yesterday. At Granite, where I work, there's a knitting group!! YES A KNITTING GROUP WHERE I WORK!!! ZOMG!! They are donating hats and things to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and they have an open and free stash of cotton yarn that is available to anyone that wants some. I grabbed a small ball of teal cotton yarn for another hat but my first hat used up a hank of cotton I already had. This is in Aracunia cotton (I can't remember the name) but it's lovely:

BOOM!!

So this worked up REALLY quick. Plus the yarn was thick/thin so it seemed to grow a lot. But I was happy to be able to donate a hat during the first time meeting these ladies. They were very nice and accepting. I'm looking forward to going to the meetings in the future.

Lastly, a little more than a week ago, I finished one of my two Find Your Arrow Mystery KAL's that I started! This thing is HUGE at 8 feet long. All worsted weight yarn (over 1000 yards of it!) and made on size 10 needles. After blocking it out, I'm quite in love with it. I definitely see myself wearing it at some point....maybe on the beach after sunset? Anyway:

Well that's it for now!! With each project finished, I'm clearing out my project list. On to the next one!!!

Finish or Frog It?!

Well, after asking, the consensus (all of the two replies) was to make a blog post. So here are the "question mark" projects that I can't decide on..

1. Olan.
Olan is a wonderful pattern. The details are subtle and I like the slip stitches. However, I bought this yarn at the WEBS Tent Sale last year. I cast on right away and made some quick progress...but there are some issues. Some mistakes. I know precisely where they are and that kind of bugs me.

On the other hand, I've cut into that tan yarn and I really like this colour combo. If I frog it, that yarn will likely not be used right away and probably irritate me. It's a wonderfully soft fiber and I'd love to wrap this thing around my neck some day... You can see my dilemma, but I'll take popular opinion at this point:

2. Chadwick.
Ok, so the story goes like this. Chadwick is a Stephen West pattern. I adore nearly all his designs and this is no exception. This one uses slip stitches too and was re-started around the same time as Olan. This was also the second attempt on this pattern as the first one's colour combination was...less than brilliant. Again, I bought the yarn for this specifically at the last Tent Sale and the two colours together work well. The thing is, I don't know if I "feel" this project anymore. The feeling I get when I look at it is one of disappointment.

To further said disappointment, I even got it as a KAL in a community on Google+. While there were a couple that finished it ( +Cailin MacKay ) , I never did. I didn't get much farther than I had already...and that made/makes me sad. To that end, I'd almost like to keep it "hanging around" for when I feel like overcoming that bit of sadness... but then, there are other things I'd REALLY like to be working on, too. Halp?!:

3. Old Forge.
Another Stephen West pattern (gee, really?). This was started on a whim after I got all that lace from KP. I don't think I'd feel too bad about frogging this one and I know I could use those yarns in something else (way down the line)...

I do want to make this pattern though and lace would look all sorts of amazing...:

4. Two at a Time Socks.
These were supposed to be a Christmas present TWO YEARS ago... but I only got to this point and put them down/away. I've already thought of how I could finish these into matching wristers (my word) but I don't know. There's a VERY obvious mistake on one of them but the yarn is discontinued Moda Dea and it's really lovely. I have a couple more balls of it so maybe frogging this completely and making something else isn't such a bad thing? I'll take your thoughts.:

So that's it! Just four. I have a couple obvious frogs so I'll be ripping those out today. And I have a couple obvious finishers that I'll be holding onto (Viajante, Tripartite, Cushy Tushy, and my two FYAMKAL's).

Thoughts/comments very much welcome!!
Cheers,
Kobuu


UPDATE: THANK YOU ALL!!!!
After contemplation, staring, thinking, etc... I decided to just FROG EVERYTHING!! I have all of this yarn now to put away but I feel a LOT better about what needs to be done. I even frogged my Cushy Tushy pants but I'm casting them back on right now. Just a matter of my not being happy with the short rows. That and I wanted to change up the colours.

THANKS AGAIN GUYS!!

Woot a post!

It's been a while since I last wrote a blog entry. Lots has...um, not actually happened. I think the most important thing that's happened is that I've been give contracts to craft! Two, so far, and both for crochet. After the first one I thought I could put away my hooks for a while...but that only last a couple of days. Then I got the second one. Well, I had to get a new hook for that one but that's ok. I'm thrilled to be doing it.

Actually, I've learned some things about myself while doing these contracts. I've analyzed my work more carefully, studied my techniques and tension and really made sure to fit in with the specifications and requirements. I'm feeling much more confident about my crochet abilities and the concept of my craft being something that I claim to be good.

In other news, I totally did the Ravellenics!!! I even got badges!!

That's for doing my Brioche hat!! I so love brioche now, I just need to get some other projects done before starting another one of those..

Oh kay, well, now the beer is kicking in so I think I'll get off the keyboard. LOL.

Take care!
Kobuu

New Year, More Blog

Yay 2014! Of course, we're nearly half-way through January already...but whatever. Things are moving along. Life is always interesting and challenges have their way of popping up when you least expect it. First major challenge is finding a job. Slim pickin's out there for now and the DUA hasn't issued me a check yet. Yeah, TEN WEEKS without a paycheck from a service that I've been paying into for 2.5 decades...

In other news, I've got commissions and a couple of contract knits to worry about. I found out yesterday that my skills will be used for an upcoming book (!!) so I'm just waiting on confirmation, the terms, and eventually yarn. Both of these opportunities will become my primary focus once the supplies are in hand.

As for "Project: Make My Queue 2013", I can state that it was a resounding success! I started with 47 projects in my queue to make. Even with adding, switching, and frogging, it came out to 65 projects!! There are some still in progress too but I can't call them 2013 anymore and are not included in that number. I'm giving myself a big pat on the back for that one! AND that included two sweaters!

Knitting goal for 2014 is to basically knit what I feel but stay organized and, indeed, get more organized. I have a few different queues going this time and I'm using tags appropriately to stay on track. I don't think I'll be making multiples of anything either but my limit of only two pages for my entire queue is still in effect. This will keep me from adding things at random that I know I'll never make. I also plan on doing more designing and colourwork. I think there's an opportunity there that I haven't yet explored.

Completed project count for 2014 so far is 3. Yes, 11 days into the year and I've completed three projects. They were small but still, that's three less things on my queue! This just means I can get back to incomplete projects from the "project wall" and clear out that inventory. I also need to get started on the Master's class since they aren't going to wait forever...lol.

Hmm..so yeah, 2014 is off to an ok start. Better than 2013 when I was near death from the Flu. Ha!

A short blog post for now but there'll be more. I've been pretty good about updating regularly so I'm hoping to stay on that as much as possible. Anyone wanting me to knit something for them, please submit your information and request through the link at the top "Request for Quote". I'll get them in an email and get back to you immediately!

Ciao!
-Kobuu

Farewell 2013, You Won't be Missed

December 30th, 2013... I'm rather glad this year is over. I'm looking forward to what 2014 will bring. I'm hoping that a new job and a new outlook is just around the corner.

Originally I had planned on a long, drawn out end of year recap. Now, however, that doesn't really suit me right this moment. I'd rather be knitting anyway.

I will say this, I'm hoping to blog more. I'm hoping to knit more for my store and, indeed, get more store up and running for real. Etsy is a great stepping stone but I would rather be a knitter for hire than just making supplies for my inventory. I do have a couple ideas for making that happen though so we'll see.

As for life? Well, it's been less than fabulous since getting laid off. Recent law changes in MA have made all the various processes take exponentially longer and thus I haven't gotten a single check yet. Certainly not a very good way to start a new year.

Goals for 2014:

- Get better at sweaters
- Complete the Master Knitter's evaluation
- Clear out all my current WIP's
- Get my store and KFH site up and running
- Design more!

I guess you can call those "resolutions" if you want but I don't particularly subscribe to that whole thing. These are goals and are attainable with focus and diligence. Resolutions always seem to be more lofty and out of reach. I'll stick to this list and add to it as necessary.

That about does it, then! Kind of a pitiful last post of the year but it serves the purpose. I'm glad of what I've accomplished so far and look forward to the new challenges that await!

-Kobuu

#WIPWednesday :: Blogged!

See, I told you, I'd post about my WIP's... lol. There are quite a few though:

1. All the Shades of Truth (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/all-the-shades-of-truth). I actually call this one All the Shades of Blue for...well, obvious reasons. I've been working on this one for a while...really should get back to it.

2. Olan (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/olan). Technically I'm in the homestretch... but I really need to get back to this one, too. It's about time I finished this one.

3. Tripartite (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tripartite). 50% done. This is a project that should be done for Spring/Summer since that's when I'll wear it. 

4. Dublin Cap (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dublin-cap) Yeah... barely started. Lowest on the list, for now.

5. Chadwick (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chadwick) Don't even get me started. I wanted to do this one over October but didn't, wanted to get it done since then, and didn't. It's pretty sad...but true.

6. Batad (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/batad) Started this not too long ago. Theoretically I could finish this before Christmas. Just need to not work on anything else... You know, this list is getting a little long...

The Cheerios container has my stitch markers in it.

7. Vic's Sweater (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mens-big-shawl-collar-pullover) THIS needs to get done for Christmas. I'll be casting on the second sleeve today so that I can then do the collar and get this damn thing put together!

Missing from picture: Sleeve 1

8. Old Forge (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/old-forge). Last but not least! This is the youngest of the projects. Now that it's finally on a circular needle, I should be able to make better headway on it. Sweater first though!

Well... I think that's enough. Time to cast on that sleeve, methinks!!

<3 br="" kobuu="">

Snowflake in a Bottle (Well...Ornament really)

Hey everyone!

I just posted a Christmas present that I came up with. I didn't get the idea from anywhere in particular, just worked with what I had on hand. This is the finished product:

Forgive the messy background but at least you can see the beads! This is actually a really simple project and doesn't really take all that long.

Here are my supplies:

Ok, so the plastic bag is the blocking mat for the snowflake. It's a piece of cardboard with a six pointed stencil drawn on it and then put in a ziploc.
Stiffy fabric stiffener.
The snowflake pattern book.
A couple of short Christmas ornament hangers and a clear plastic ornament. I got mine at the Christmas Tree Shoppe for $1 and you can open it up and take out that tinsel.

The ornament is about 12" around and originally I was going to make multiple motifs to wrap around it. Well, that didn't work out so well. However, I did think that the one motif that I made would fit inside the ball. The snowflake pattern I picked out was 3 1/2" across. The beads were an add-on idea and is not described in the book at all. I used size 10 crochet cotton and a size 7 steel hook.

Once the snowflake is done, and you've woven in all your ends, you'll want to soak it with water. Wring it out and drop in a solution of 1 part water, 3 parts fabric stiffener. If you used full strength, the finished snowflake wouldn't really be pliable and you might crease it rather than just bend it. Pin this to dry overnight on your blocking mat, aligning the points of the snowflake with the points of the stencil.

Once dry, go ahead and open up your ornament and discard that tinsel (who invented that crap anyway). Now, this is a little tricky, carefully, and gently roll up your snowflake so that you can get it through the opening at the top. Don't worry about losing it, it's only going inside the ball and you can easily reach it with your fingers. Let it drop inside, breathe, then get to flattening it out again. This is easily done by putting your fingers in there and pressing the snowflake against the sides of the ball.

After you've gotten the snowflake flattened back out again, use the short Christmas ornament hooks to hang it from the plastic at the top. Seen here in this picture is how I put the two hooks through the same whole but in different directions to get the snowflake to hang freely:

Now that the snowflake is hanging freely inside your ornament, pop the cover back on and voila! A beautiful ornament as a present or for your own tree!!

Let me know if you have questions and feel free to spread this around as much as you'd like!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Holidays!

<3 kobuu="" p="">

Project #MakeMyQueue - An Update (Of sorts)

And you thought I was done. Or had forgotten about it...HAHAHA...

No no, I'm still working on this. Remember I started with 47 projects in my queue. I've added, deleted, switched, frogged and completed a LOT of them. This isn't the rundown post but it's a current count.

Finished projects since January 1: 45!
Holy crap! That's a lot. And I'm not done yet! If you do the math, that's one project every 8 days or so. Not really, but the average. In reality, some only took one day while others took 4 weeks. Even so, I'm applauding myself ::claps:: ok, maybe not really... LOl

Finished #MakeMyQueue projects: 29 (that were labelled as part of this project)
Frogged: 7
WIP: 6
Total: 42
Still to cast on.... well, none. If I get through those 6 WIP's, I'll be happy. Chances are that won't happen though. I'm optimistic but not stupid. Truth be told, I'm tired of Project #MakeMyQueue and I plan on just completing things as I want to.

Today I'm going through my queue, my WIP's and my stash. I've found a few other projects I didn't know I started and I want to start projects not even in my queue! Oi. This never ends. My "2014" queue is already getting too long...

I'm Calling this #NoComNov

Yes, I'm calling this No Commitment November. As in, I'm not doing #NaNoWriMo or #NaKniSweMo, or even #Movember or "No Shave November".

My November is NO. Haha.

Honestly though, I need to recover from CAL/KAL-tober and actually complete some of those things. I'm not committing to that though. I have other ideas, plans, things to do. Like find a job, relax, and knit. I want to actually enjoy waking up in the morning, going through a day without stress and learning to love myself again.

There is one thing that I'm REALLY looking forward to: not being angry.
Everyday I get up and drive more than an hour to work in morning traffic. It doesn't matter if I've had a fantastic night, or got enough sleep, or listen to Broadway and sing in the car. Inevitably, there will be either traffic or some idiot on the road that will sour my mood. From there, it's a quick roll down the hill. While the start of my commute was within the speed limit and cautious, the ending is usually speeding and trying to get off the roads at to the safety of the office. I'm usually grumpy when I first sit down and have little regard or care for the people around me.

The converse also happens on my ride home which can be even longer.

I'm tired of that. I'm tired of having to deal with the types of people on the road at that hour. And I'll admit that sometimes, I'm one of them. And I hate that about myself. There's no reason to drive like that since everyone has to get to work just like you do. There's no sense in "being first" because if it causes an accident in the process, you're either going to be dead or injured AND you're going to basically stop traffic for everyone else! How considerate.

I need the next few days to just be over. Then I need to wake up on the 8th, make breakfast for +Victor Woodroffe and relax.

"I have no closing so I'll just end this with a small bow." - George Carlin

Rhinebeck Madness!!!

So for anyone doubting what I was doing yesterday, it was the New York Sheep and Wool Festival. Up at 5am, to Framingham by 6:30am, bus ride to the gate in Rhinebeck, NY took about 3.5 hours. The traffic getting into the damn festival took more than 45 minutes....but it was well worth it. The whole thing was quite overwhelming once you got through the gates!

We didn't have to stop here, thankfully, since we already had tickets. Really great to have paid in advance and just be able to walk in the park!

At the gate, +Sara Marks and I got our guide book and we started mapping out where we were going.

Ready to conquer the day!

And these little guys were right by the entrance...

Lemurs!!

The food area...

SO MANY PEOPLE!!! This was only at 11am or so. It was a madhouse!! +Sara Marks needed a bite to eat so we took a break for that. While she was in line, I was knitting. What was I knitting? I was working on the Hurricane Hat I started Friday night. 

Remember this??

I don't know if I was sniffing it or cuddling it actually..

Ok, so I worked on this from the onset of the trip to the gates. Between chatting and resting, the rest stop and meeting people, I was still able to nearly finish it before we got there. When Sara was in line, I got to the decrease part... so I just finished it.

Tada! Picture taken this morning, however.

So then we went yarn shopping!! The first place we went was building C to pickup +Mori Gryphon 's Shark Week socks. I didn't take a picture of that but they're adorable. After that was the souvenir tent for +Erin W 's mug and memorabilia. I got a project bag with the logo on it and Sara got one, too.  

From there is was our mission to actually get yarn since up to this point we hadn't yet! For the next several hours it was one gasp after another. Rows and rows of vendors with all kinds of fibers and yarns. The smells of amazing food wafting around. Fried dough! There was just so much to SEE!!

This was just one Vendor space. And evidently my phone can use both cameras at once!

Throughout the day I met up with #Fiberatti from all over: +Petra Cosgrove-Tremblay , +Elizabeth Ives , +Hugh Tauerner , +Heather Zoppetti , +Stephanie D'Annibale !! I met the crew of Ravelry.com and they signed my official Ravelry bag!! (Total fanboy moment, btw) And you can see me on the far left of the group shot from the Ravelry meetup: 

I was getting my bag signed at this point. And my Rav button!!

Eventually they did a big group shot. I caught this one and then made my way into the crowd for it!

+Sara Marks were wiped out from all the walking and browsing and at 5pm, sat and waited for the bus. It was time to head back to reality, drunk on yarn.

By now we were cold, and hungry, and sore...

At the end of a long day, I did end up going over budget. Oh well. My birthday's next month so I'm using that as an excuse. And I didn't go totally crazy like I could have. I was looking for worsted and heavier which was tough. Everyone had tons of fingering and lace!

SO HERE'S THE HAUL::

Worsted weight Superwash Merino from Blue Ridge Yarn (Sara wanted to take this one from me..)

More Blue Ridge worsted in what we're calling "Drowning Zombie"

Dragonfly Fibers "Zombie Apocalypse"!! So amazing!

Briar Rose Fibers Chunky in "Robusta"

And finally, the yarn that put me over budget:

This is 570 yards of superwash merino in this GORGEOUS colourway!!! The yarn is by Tess Designer Yarns. It is so soft and wonderful. I don't know what I'm making just yet but with this much worsted, I can kind of go nuts.

My first trip to Rhinebeck was nearly perfect. The only thing missing was +Zen Alpaca to make the DDA complete...but next year!! I met a woman named Anise from Maryland that said we need to go to the Maryland Sheep & Wool festival, too. Plus the New England one is in November.... Dear god, the yarn.

So that's it! I'm still tired. I need more coffee. And I need to plan my projects!!!

Em-KAL-CAL-Tober Fest Update!

This month has been rather insane with projects...but that's not going to stop me!!

/Begin RANT
What IS going to stop me is a particular Raveler who is taking far too great an interest in every single person's project. This person has been trolling the 114 projects that are participating in the MKAL and making sure no one has posted pictures. I know this because she messaged me directly asking me to remove the picture. I simply responded with 'removed' and left it at that. I'm not happy about my decision but it's Ravelry and I don't want issues.

A few minutes later I got another message. Just a quick 'Thank you' in reply to my previous message. I thought, ok, fine. Done. But I was also thinking that I would probably put my photo back up. Here's the thing.. yes, I know it's a Mystery knit a long, but you've given us a pattern already. Moreover, you gave us a CHART of that pattern. AND the instructions tell you to use that chart over and over until you get to 56"! So... the pattern is basically known. The only part you're saving is the stupid 4" edging which, frankly, I don't care. If you want it to be some big secret, don't give a chart. That's the only way to make it unknown. 

After the last email I assumed that was it. Eventually I'd put my photo up anyway (not sharing to the group, mind you) and finish the project. Not so. This Raveler took it upon herself to message me again giving a dramatic reason why I was to take my photo down and then give me advice about my colour choices and placement. Uh, really?! TROLOLOLOLOLOLOL! GO AWAY!

So, fuck you "stitchnerds", I'm all set. Project frogged, group unjoined. I don't feel that micromanaging over a hundred people and their projects is right. If Stephen West doesn't care, you shouldn't either.
/Rant

Ok, so today I'm working on the #SWMKAL13 since the last clue came in last night!! I got the first three rows done and cannot wait for the bind off. He gave us three that he thought we'd like but I don't really like any of them, so I'll be using Jenny's super stretchy bind off instead. 

I feel a little better...but the knowledge that I'm probably going to get messaged by her again is grating on me. I've deleted my own posts in her group but I don't know if she gets some kind of notification of that. Given her track record of trolling, I would imagine that she's going to go to my project page and see her's removed and wonder why. Gah.

KNIT ALL THE THINGS.

Ok, so this isn't  ...more like  ...

Tripartite: need to cast on side #2
Scallop Hat: Started last night, through one repeat of the pattern; needs 4 more and decreases.
Chadwick: This is for #ChadwickKAL and is getting cast on today...
#SWMKAL13: I still need to finish clue 3.... but it's getting shorter. I'm hoping maybe today, if I can hide out from work someplace..
Lonely Yarn MKAL: Really? I'm going to start another MKAL???? (DAMN YOU +Fiber Babble )

....NONE of that is crochet. You know, the craft where you can get shit done really fast? Yeah, that. Nope. All knitting. I'm running out of needles...

Oh wait, I did start Geoui. But I don't really like it as much as I thought I was going to. It's coming out a little too feminine and I already know it won't block out like I want either. 

Let's see... pictures?

Scallop Hat from last night..

What will eventually be Chadwick by Stephen West

Ok, so...like I said in a comment on a post, I have STARTITIS. I just want to knit EVERYTHING and my fingers actually twitch at the thought of time with my needles. Crocheting right now just doesn't seem plausible. I've got #Rhinebeck coming up with +Sara Marks in October, too! Whew. Someone save me from myself..

Eat.Sleep.Knit

Just going to put this out there that this is my second favourite place to get yarn!

http://www.eatsleepknit.com

Ok #Fiberatti, honestly, this is awesome. For anyone not paying attention to some of my previous posts, EatSleepKnit has a fabulous program: for every yard you purchase, you earn yardage towards their Yarn-a-Thon!!

This means that you earn prizes just for buying yarn. Like points at CVS or other programs! This site was brought to me originally by +Susan Weaver and I've been hooked ever since.

So if you're looking for a new place online to get yarn, great prices and REALLY reasonable shipping, check out EatSleepKnit run by +Erin Walker . Or, just click the link above/below and GO THERE!

Side note: I hope you use my links as they get me a little bonus!!
Take care, Pleeps!
-Kobuu



*Please note, the images on this post belong to EatSleepKnit. I am not taking credit, just using them to promote their image. If anyone has an issue with that, please let me know and I will remove them.

Project: Make My Queue Update!

This project is still going...sort of. Things keep getting in the way but ultimately I know that I can do this. I have 4 months remaining of this year!

I've spent about an hour going through my project binder today sorting out which projects need to get done now versus next year. I'm happy I did since they were kind of messed up and jumbled together. Now I just need to get them done!!

That said, I've been commissioned to make a couple of customized Christmas stockings. Those have obviously taken the front seat of my project to do list. For the first stocking, I worked on it basically non stop for a week.

Nearly complete, I put it down yesterday in favour of working on Tripartite which has taken the #33 spot on my queue. Today I'll work on that while I'm at work but when I get home it's all about the stocking. I really want to turn these out in only a couple of weeks so I need to get back to the grind.

In terms of numbers, remember, I started with 47 projects on January 1st. The beginning of the year saw me really cranking out projects and getting things done. Now, however, I feel that I've slowed way down. Out of my original 47, there have been MANY changes. I can't even remember some of the things that I had as part of my queue that I've since deleted. After so many substitutions, today was the final clean out.  So, final count:

Works in Progress = 5
Queued left to make this year = 7
Total = 12!

That's really doable if I try. There are some pretty big projects in there though like the Deco shawl, Diffraction, and Chadwick. With luck, Chadwick will be done in September as +Cailin MacKay has made me promise to make it the Sept KAL for the Knit-Wits community. We'll see how I do on that. September 13th starts the latest Stephen West Mystery KAL and I am absolutely taking part in that as well.

Overall I'm confident that I can do 12 projects in four months. Excuse me, 13 projects in four months. Provided nothing else captures my attention between now and December 31st. The truth is, though, even if I don't finish my entire queue that I started with, I can feel pretty damn good about completing the 27 projects that I've done already this year just for this project!! AND the other 10 projects that I've completed just because or on commission!

~Kobuu

Merit Badges

So here's an interesting concept, +Knit Picks , in their infinite amazingness, puts out "merit badges" for knitters and fiber-enthusiasts AKA #Fiberatti. That said, their latest one is basically me. As made clearly evident from my Ravelry stash page, my stash is pretty much out of control...

Yes, yes it has.

For more proof, I'll even give you the link:
Pat's Stash

See? 233 unique yarns and growing...

::stands up::  Hi, my name's Patrick. I'm addicted to yarn.

Also, I just found this one, and it's also true.

Yup. I did last year. Not yet this year though...but close enough.