Summer Tank

I started the Soleil Tank last May but put it aside probably when i started working on the Aeolian shawl.  Last week I joined a Ravelry group dedicated to finishing the UFO's and they have lots of fun knitters on the group and they are very encouraging.  I pulled out the Tank from it's bag, fluffed it out and figured out where i was in the pattern.  Once i did, i realize just how close i was to finishing - within 3 days i had the thing completed!

Here are some pictures of it unblocked:

The pictures aren't fantastic because of the harsh light but i'll be putting up more pictures when it has been blocked anyway.

This sweater qualifies for 1 of 2 sweaters to be knit up for this year's resolution.

Another pair of socks completed

I finished knitting another pair of socks.  Sherri is right, there is something about knitting on DPNs that makes the socks at least seem to knit up faster.  Whatever it is, I like it!  I like finishing a pair of socks in 4 days - that's right!  4 days!!!

I knit them out of Blue Moon Socks that Rock Lightweight in Petrified Wood colorway.  Once again, I knit the foot purl side out.  It seemed very odd to me to knit the socks so short but I know Winter would like them.  Yes, these are another pair of Winter socks.  :)

Next I cast on some socks for me.

January Goals

Fewer goals for this month:

1. Finish Grandma's blanket
2. Finish spinning and plying wool/silk blend
3. Finish Damson
4. Spin sample of Yak
5. Finish 2 Squares for Basketweave Blanket

The first goal absolutely has to be done and in the next two weeks as my parents are hand-delivering the blanket to my grandma in India.

The wool/silk blend is from Rhinebeck purchases of 2008 so its about time it gets spun up.  Its two 4oz rovings of this dusty rose color roving so I probably won't keep it for myself.  Or I may knit it into a gift for someone.

The Damson is being knit out of Malabrigo Sock in the Persia colorway - absolutely gorgeous!  This will be the first shawl I knit for myself so am very excited to finish it and wear it.

The Yak fiber is for a sweater but I have to spin up a couple of sample yarns to decide what I like best.  I've never spun for such a large project.

On a completely unrelated note, I watched Avatar yesterday.  Amazing movie!  Such wonderful imagination on the part of the creators.  What was most amazing to me was the absolutely stunning use of colors; there were so many shots where I could have just freeze-framed and if possible, copied down the colors into yarns...ooo I want to go see the movie again already! LOL.

December Goals Update

I guess I did not have as much crafting time this month as I only managed to accomplish 2 of the goals I'd set out for myself for the month.  I finished spinning up the bag of alpaca (from hell, might I add) and I finished the Peaks Island Hood (from heaven, might I add).  Smaller goals for January, I think!


Spin up:

• Bag of Alpaca - FINISHED
• 1 skein of meriboo
• 1 oz of yak fiber

Knit:

• Finish blanket - more strips sewn together but not finished
• Start and finish Peaks Island Hood - FINISHED
• Start and finish Convertible Mittens
• Work on Handspun socks
• Work on Cashmere leaves scarf
• Finish setup edging of Aeolian

100 Balls Knit up in 2009!

I did it!  I knit up 100 balls of yarn in 2009.  Remember, when I started this challenge last November because I thought I'd need to cheat in order to make it to 100?  Well, turns out I didn't; I finished knitting my 100th ball of 2009 last night!  YAY!  I'm definitely doing this again next year. 

Looking back at how I did with the challenge, I have to admit, knitting with 2 or more strands is clearly the key to success here!  Not only does it use up stash faster and create a thicker fabric faster, it also creates absolutely beautiful colors and fabrics that are indeed quite a surprise! 

  

Also, I remember not knitting much at all for about 3 or more months during the spring and summer - I'm sure if I had knit during that time, I'd have reached the 100 balls goal even faster!  I'm debating whether or not to up my goal from 100 to 120 or 150.  I am planning on doing more lace knitting next year and that certainly takes much longer than knitting with worsted weight or something else.so.maybe I should stick to 100 for now. 

Something else I noticed last night as I pulled out the Malabrigo worsted from it's bin: I don't have to force down the lid of that bin to close it anymore.  In fact, I see open space at the top of the bin! I'm getting there, folks!  I'm getting there!

Update to Ten410

 I thought of 2 more things to at to my Ten for 10 or Ten410 list.  I'm reordering it because i realized that certain things go together.

Socks #1:
1) Provisional Cast-on (believe it or not, i've never done this one)
2) Short Row toe
3) Afterthought heel

Socks #2:
4) New sock construction (HatHeel)

KP Vest:
5) Do colorwork
6) Steek something

Market Squares bag:
7) Entrelac
8) Felt something

Mittens:
9) Thrummed Mittens

Lace:
10) Block something (Aeolian)

Broken out into 6 projects makes the goals seem not as overwhelming.  The Lace and Market Squares bag projects are probably the longest projects but the rest should go pretty quickly.

Resolutions

I posted a draft of my 2010 resolutions on ravelry and here's what i said.  I'll be working on this and figuring out what's best:

Crafting related:
1) Use up 14 of the 18 items purchased at Rhinebeck
2) Limit purchasing of yarn or fiber to 1-2 items per month if at all
3) Spin up 2 of the 4 bags of sweater quantities of fiber
4) Knit 10 pairs of socks
5) Knit 2 sweaters
6) Knit up 100 balls of yarn

Other stuff:
1) Continue to exercise 6-7 hours a week
2) Continue vegetarian diet
3) Declutter/organize at least once a week


Another thing i read on ravelry is a Ten for 10 plan which basically encourages you to list 10 new things you would like to try in 2010.  I thought this was a very clever idea so here's an initial list for that as well:

1) Do colorwork
2) Knit an afterthought heel
3) Make thrummed mittens
4) Block something (most likely the Aeolian when it gets done)
5) Felt something
6) Entrelac?
7) Steek something
8) Try a new sock construction (probably a Cat Bordhi pattern...HatHeel?)
9)
10)

I can't think of 2 more right now.  that's a lot to do in 1 year regardless!

December Goals

Here are my December goals in no particular order:

Spin up:

• Bag of Alpaca
• 1 skein of meriboo
• 1 oz of yak fiber

Knit:

• Finish blanket
• Start and finish Peaks Island Hood
• Start and finish Convertible Mittens
• Work on Handspun socks
• Work on Cashmere leaves scarf
• Finish setup edging of Aeolian

WIPs Planning and Goals Update

The blanket is finished!  I will put up pictures as soon as I've washed and blocked the blanket (so probably later in the week).

I've been thinking about the number of WIPs I have and how that keeps me from focusing and more importantly finishing the projects.  So i was considering the idea of using slots for WIPs:

Sample knitting: Basketweave sock
Sock: nothing at the moment (using the slot for OFA scarf)
Whatever: Aeolian shawl
Long-term: should be the barn raising blanket (using the slot for the cashmere scarf)

I don't know how practical this method is or how much it will help me focus but I'm going to try it out at least for this month.  BTW, that Whatever slot may get changed to the Aram sweater in case i want to try for NaKniSweMo still but since its already 10 days into the month and I don't see myself having to time to even attempt to cast on the sweater until the weekend, this may not happen.  I may just stick to my original goal of at least casting on the sweater this month.  Speaking of which, here's an update on my goals:

1) Spin up 1 skein of yarn (Gift) - finished one bobbin and about half way through on the second bobbin
2) Finish the granny squares blanket - FINISHED!!!!!
3) Finish OFA Scarf  - working
4) Finish the Edging Setup chart on Aeolian Shawl

Bonus Goals:
1) Start the Aran Sweater
2) Finish Cashmere Leaves Scarf - working
3) Finish 1 skein of the meriboo fiber

NaKniSweMo?

Inspired by the NaNoWriMo, the knitting community has created the NaKniSweMo KAL - National Knit a Sweater Month.  I found the group this morning while just browsing on Ravelry as an attempt to wake up.  Since today is the first of the month, I would be playing catch up but it would be a good way to get some work done on that Aran sweater that has been hanging over me forever!  I haven't decided yet because I definitely want to get the blanket finished this month and the OFA scarf needs to be finished this month so it can be mailed out in time.  Perhaps I will consider at least starting the sweater this month and if the blanket gets finished in enough time then I'll aim for attempting to finish the sweater.

If I recall correctly, the other sweater I knit up took a long time because I put it aside for several weeks but the actual knitting didn't take as long - I had a full long weekend of nothing but sweater knitting and I remember getting about 60% of it done in that time.  I've got the trip to Key West this month so that's a lot of plane and car ride knitting time.  I'll also have the Thanksgiving break (after the Key West trip) for much knitting time since I don't celebrate the holiday and Jenna is probably not going to be around to do a dinner.  Even as i'm typing, this project seems more and more likely as doable in November.  I will continue working vigorously on the blanket but start swatching and such for the sweater and it won't be like casting on a new project since I already consider the sweater to be a current WIP.

November Goals

I've gotta have some goals for November.  I usually just post my monthly goals to the list on Ravelry but perhaps I should add them here as well.  I am considering what would be the best way to track this - adding another panel to the sidebar would mean...another panel in the sidebar and its a bit crowded over there at the moment.  I'll just post updates for this month and see how that goes.

Goals (In order of priority):
1) Spin up 1 skein of yarn (B/G)
2) Finish the granny squares blanket
3) Finish OFA Scarf
4) Finish the Edging Setup chart on Aeolian Shawl

Bonus Goals:
1) Start the Aran Sweater
2) Finish Cashmere Leaves Scarf
3) Finish 1 skein of the meriboo fiber