Project: #MakeMyQueue Week 7

Another week has passed. I'm well into this project now so there's no going back. Luckily, one of my queue items was the #FebCAL for the +Crochet Along on Google+ group on Google+. I did this in only two days but on a size 'S' hook and three strands of acrylic, it's no wonder it moved so fast!

I present, the 5 1/2 hour throw:

Like I said, it worked up REALLY fast. It's super squishy and despite the extra large gauge, very warm. It's Vic's new blanket for TV watching.

I also started "All the Shades of Truth" but I'm calling it All the Shades of Blue. A while back I got a mess of KP Palette yarn in an assortment of colours. After playing with combinations and yardage requirements, I've come up with a recipe for this scarf. There are two sections where you need 420yds of yarn. Each ball of Palette is only 231. Clearly if I only use one colour for those sections, I'd be short. BUUUT... a little creative thinking revealed a solution. Using two colours, in two-row stripes each, I will in effect combine the yarn totals giving me more than enough to finish those colour sections. As you can see, I've already got this down and it's working up beautifully:

The dark blue is the first section, the grey will be all outlines and borders and the two blue stripes is the next section. Throughout this pattern, the sections don't go in order. You have to pick your colours and then follow the placement in the pattern. This gives the whole Frank Lloyd Wright effect. Now, with bi-chromatic stripes, those sections are going to have a lot more movement and character. Can't wait to get to the next section!!

So that's really it. Slow week? Not sure. No real #hexie work done but maybe next week (this week). Should probably get back to work now. LOL.

-Kobuu

#MakeMyQueue : Weeks 5 & 6

I really need to get back into doing this once a week because I can never remember the beginning of two weeks ago!

So week 5 & 6. Well.... I got a couple more things done but new random things got in the way. Not really in the way but they took precedent over my queue work.

The first thing was a hat for my uncle. He's technically my great-uncle, but still. He's in chemo right now and this is the second time he's gone through it. The doctors assured him that he's going to lose his hair this time so I made him a hat to keep his noggin warm!

According to my aunt, his favourite colour is green. I used KP WOTA Chunky in "Rolling Hills" for the green variegated and Navy for the blue bands. I thought that just a green hat would be boring and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. That's going in the mail tomorrow with a card.

The second thing was just yarn. Yes, yarn. A few weeks ago I pulled out my stash in an effort to reorganize it and completely reconstruct my Ravelry inventory. Great in theory....time-sucking in practice. After many entries to the online database, I still haven't made it all the way through and I have a LOT more to go. The good news is that I'm discovering some yarns that I had completely forgotten I even had. Things like: 

Yes. That is 463 yards of flaming fingering weight amazing!!! I bought this last March thinking I was going to crochet socks. Yeah...that never happened. Now I think it's going to be a shawl of some kind. Just need to find the *right* pattern.

I did manage to get TWO more things done for #MakeMyQueue though:

Scrap Happy

Bicycle Wheels

Top, Scrap Happy hat is exactly as it sounds. All I did was use nicer scraps from my basket. The top is Malabrigo, then KP WOTA worsted, Jojo Land Rhythm and finally MadelineTosh Vintage. I actually used them all up but the hat's a little smaller than I'd like. It's also not exceedingly warm so right now, with snow falling, it's kind of useless.

By way of an opposite, Bicycle Wheels is made with Lion Brand Thick n' Quick. I'd never used this yarn, ever, so I figured what the hell. Well....I'm just kind of ok with this. It's far to large, sits weird on my head and is kind of heavy. I may frog it but truth be told, I don't care that much. I used a coupon for the yarn so it was only $4 and it's part acrylic anyway. Meh. Also, I don't know why this pattern is called Bicycle Wheels. I guess because the purl loops look like tires? Not sure. But whatever, on to the next project!!

So that's it for now. I've started my 13th project from my queue which I'm calling "Hex-Tris" for obvious reasons:

This is such a fun pattern that I'm addicted to making these little #hexies , a hashtag that +Sabrina Benton and I are using and trying to trend...

Stay tuned for more!!

-Kobuu :)

#MakeMyQueue Weeks 3 & 4: Flu, New Years, Flu...

The beginning of Week 3 was a bit of a mess. Between New Year's and Vic getting sick, knitting happened while at the hospital waiting for his tests. I worked mostly on Bolting as I really wanted to get that done. Now that it is, I can move forward with Project: Make My Queue.

Bolting, blocking

Me rocking Bolting in its enormity!

Then, as Vic's illness began to subside, I got the flu. After a trip to the ER, I got the meds I needed and slowly recovered. Of course, being sick basically sucks the life out of you and I had NO drive to knit or crochet at all. I did cast on a project but after the first 100 stitch chain, I put it down and never picked it back up. LOL

So Week 3 was a bust...but we move on. Week 4 was a LOT more productive since I took a couple extra days from work and focused on some of my goals. Yes, MakeMyQueue was important but I also have an unruly stash that needed to be reorganized. This task started with the purge of the closet to the living room floor. I needed to visually take in how much yarn I have.

Whew, yarn stash (just the non-acrylics!!)

Next was deleting my entire stash from Ravelry and starting over. Skein by skein, new pictures, listings, details were added to the online database. Now, with just over 70 entries, I've gotten a bit in...but I have a LOOONG way to go. Until I'm done, the floor looks like a ball pit of yarn!

The rest of Week 4 shifted back to my queue. Now that I've seen some of the forgotten yarns, I was able to use up some that had previously no purpose. The results? Two more projects off the queue.

First was Ovate (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ovate)which called for Malabrigo Rasta which I did not have. I substituted 4 skeins of Cascade Nikki (held double) to make this:

I really like the pooling that happened even with two strands held together! Never thought it would come out so well.

Then, just finished, is the Nala Slouchy (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-nala-slouchy):

While this was an easy pattern, the band construction was terrible. Also, the pattern was written rather poorly and I had to add an extra 12 stitches at the beginning just to make it fit. I think I'm going to stick to top-down hats as they seem to fit better. I'll wear this tomorrow as it's going to be a bit warmer so I won't need something super heavy but it is not my favourite hat. The yarn is Bernat Mosaic and for an acrylic, it's super soft and look at the colours!!! Noro much?!

Well that's it for now! I've started Chadwick and Metalouse but I'm not gung-ho about them just yet. Eventually I'll get them done. For now I'm having too much fun eliminating things from the list!!

-Kobuu

#MakeMyQueue: Week 2... also Christmas

Week two, as most of the world knows, was also Christmas week. While Project #MakeMyQueue is still going strong, it was difficult finding time to knit while gorging on holiday foods, opening presents and getting drunk. My holiday was filled with family and laughter and my mom's amazing cooking which came out fantastic despite not having a stove in the house. Thank the heavens for wonderful neighbours!!!

Bolting

Metalouse

The two projects I'm working on right now are Bolting and Metalouse. Bolting is leftover from previous WIP's and Metalouse is the next project in queue. Going through my queue, I'm realizing that there are a LOT of shawls! While this isn't necessarily a problem, it will significantly slow down my wiping out the list.

But I think that will reflect positively in the finished pieces. I'm going to take my time and let them just happen. I don't have a need to crank out projects at lightning speed. I know that if I wanted to, I could. I've already done 100+ projects over the course of 2012!

2013 is going to be a "me" year. While I still plan on knitting and crocheting like a crazy person, there are certain areas of my life that need reinforcement i.e. job, personal, etc. Giftmas always seems to be a burden and I think next year everyone's going to get either the same thing or something small. That will allow me to focus on my projects and then also my life. We knitters need a break every now and again and I think that time for me is now. The things I make will probably be mostly for me and my store. The store is going to be a bigger priority and I think I'll be designing more as well!

This is exciting and scary at the same time.... so bear with me but it's going to be a great New Year!

-Kobuu

#MakeMyQueue - Week 1

Well I meant to write this post earlier but I never got around to it. After the first week of Project: #MakeMyQueue, I have completed three of the original 47 projects. This brings me down to 44 remaining!

Those three projects are as follows:

 

Project #1: Whimsical Elf Couture Cowl (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/whimsical-elf-couture-cowl).

This pattern worked up fairly quickly as I used Cascade 128 in Charcoal and Rowan Colourscape Chunky on size 10 1/2 needles. The buttons were a huge bonus as I got 6 of them at Joann Fabrics for less that $3! I knew that I was going to use the same yarns for Project #2 so I needed the extra buttons for that.

 Project #2: Marie Cabled Slouch (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/marie-cabled-slouch).

A crochet pattern, this one didn't work up as quick as I wanted. The pattern was a bit of a bitch and took some work and frogging. Eventually I figured out where the pattern wanted to go and was able to crank this out. As you can see, the colours match perfectly to the Elf Cowl and I'll be rocking that ensemble for Christmas festivities tomorrow!

Project #3: Cobblestone Mats (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cobblestone-mats).

Front

Back

This pattern was done in black and white acrylic. I've wanted to make these for a while but never got around to it. Honestly, for being such an easy pattern, I thought it kind of sucked. The directions call to use 4 strands of fingering weight yarn held together. Ok, well, that's going to use my good yarn to make nothing more than coasters. Not acceptable. Two strands of worsted is the same gauge (sort of) and so I made this. I don't like it and it doesn't look like the cool cobblestone mats in the pattern, so screw it. I made one. I'm calling the "project" done.

Going into week 2, I've cast on Metalouse by Stephen West (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/metalouse).

Colour choices are KP Felici Sport in Recess for the Main Colour and Stroll Fingering in Peapod for the Contrasting Colour. I didn't get much done, as you can see in the picture below, but at least it's started.

Also, I'm working on Bolting, also by Stephen West (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bolting). I'm really wanting to wear that one this winter if I can. The fourth of 5 skeins is being added tonight. Progress so far:

Thus begins my #MakeMyQueue project! I'm hoping to blog about it weekly so stay tuned for updates!!

-Kobuu

MAKE MY QUEUE

Wow...2012. What a year. I can't remember a lot but there's been some pretty nice things that have happened. Most importantly, as of today (12/20/2012) I have completed 100 projects this year!!!!

A HUNDRED PROJECTS!!!!

You can see my Rav projects page here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/kobuu if you want the proof but still. A hundred projects?! HOLY CRAP! First one was completed 2/13/12. I don't remember why I didni't make anything before that but I do know that at that time I was recently unemployed and rather depressed. Once I found the Hook 'n' Needlers of Worcester, my knitting really took off!

Completed 2/13/12

Completed 12/19/12

Originally I was going to post pictures going all the way back to the beginning but I don't really want to at this point. I have Ravelry for that! LOL. Really I am prepping for my next big goal that makes Ravelers cringe: making all the things in my queue.

Yes, three days ago, I came to the conclusion that I was going to "make my queue". I sat for about an hour, went through my queue project by project and really came up with a concise list of 47 projects that I really wanted to make. I figured that few people had ever done such a thing as to knit all the items in their queue so here was my chance at doing something cool. My 2012 goal was to knit 100 projects and I'm going to beat that again later today when I finish the hat I'm working on. But the "make my queue" project is going well so far!!!

The rules are as follows (but I made them for myself and feel that bending them is ok...)
1. Knit/crochet the next project at the top of your queue
2. Do NOT give up unless the pattern is completely hopeless
3. Do NOT add anything to your established queue. Once you start, no more deletes or adds!
4. You can still buy yarns or patterns but they can't make it to your queue (see 3)
5. KEEP GOING!!! Start more than one. Don't jump around, go in order! Keep yourself motivated by looking at the number of patterns going down.

The thing is, most people that are on Ravelry, myself included, have always just added things to their queues and said I'll make that some day. Well that day is here!! It's time to take those queues by their horns and tackle them to the ground. No longer will you feel oppressed by the ever-growing list of  to do! YOU WILL DO IT!!

Well that's my goal anyway. I'm already on the second of those projects so I'm hoping to be down to 45 today. That's going to be a bigger project so it'll take some time.

More as it progresses!!!

DO IT ALL - NOVEMBER

HAPPY NOVEMBER!!!

This is going to be a BUSY month for me!! Let's run this down:

First there's No Shave November. This is also called "Movember" in the idea that you grow a month-long mustache in support of Prostate and Testicular Cancer. While I cannot actually grow a mustache, I'll be support the cause and grow what I can! You can make a donation and support the cause on my "Mo Space" here: Kobuu's Mo Space

Next there's the #NovKAL hosted by Knit Along on Google+. This month's pattern is the Grace Lace beret which I'll be making a little bit longer so it's more like a slouchy hat for me. I am currently waiting on the yarn for this so I'll be starting this a little late...

Pattern is here: Grace Lace Beret

Then there's the #NovCAL which is 5 weeks of hat patterns hosted by Crochet Along on Google+. I am, however, only doing one hat. I will not have the time to do 5 in a month amongst other things. The pattern for week one was the Phannie beret which I actually made a few days ago (yes, in October).

Pattern is here: Phannie

And a picture! (Or two..)

Finally what I've been waiting for..... #NaKniSweMo!!!!!!

This is National Knit (a) Sweater Month!! Here's the breakdown:

I'm doing Brigade for Vic: Brigade Pattern

I'm going to be using Wool of the Andes Worsted in "Cobblestone Heather" which from the KnitPicks website looks like this:

 

I have 15 skeins of this stuff on hand for this sweater!

Today is Cast On Day. You can check out all the progress in TWO places. First there's the Page that I'm hosting: NaKniSweMo

And there's a Ravelry Group!: NaKniSweMo on Ravelry

Ok... I need to get back to work so that I can go on break later and then cast on!!

Take care, yarnies!

-Kobuu