Getting Started...... Again

Getting started again. For me this feels even worse than all the prep work that goes into initially starting a new project. At least then there is excitement. Something new is being formed. How quickly will I learn the pattern repeat. Is this the right yarn for this project? All of these questions add to the excitement.

Even when the pattern takes time to understand. When mistakes need to be taken out again and again. I try to be patient. I tell myself "This always happens with something new. Give it some time. Everything will click at some point and it will be smooth sailing from then."

Except sometimes it is not smooth sailing. Sometimes a half done project will sit neglected for a time. Maybe it was set aside because of time restrains, lack of yarn, those dreaded finishing touches, abandoned to work on something else, or I dropped it into the black hole that is my knitting bag.

I always have good intentions when stopping a project. I'll say something like "I just need to work on this gift for a birthday or Christmas. I'll pick this back up when I'm finished." Or maybe I'll think "I need more yarn for this and I'll get it the next time I'm in the craft store." More often than not the stopping is not intentional. I put a project down for a day which ends up turning into a week, a month, or even longer. But, no matter what the reason for setting something aside I always find it harder to start it back up again.

Just last Fall I finally admitted that I wasn't ever getting back to the huge yarn eating blanket that I ran out of yarn for over three years ago. I decided that since it hadn't see the light of day since before I was married it was time that I look at it again. Time to admit that I would never be getting the yarn to finish it. Time to take out the stitches and let the yarn have a new life. There is more than one way to end a project. This is why I shouldn't let a project sit abandoned for this long.

A few months ago I was working on a new scarf. It was a Brioche pattern that also used increases and decreases to make an intricate design. I've just started to learn Brioche (see my post on Brioche Knitting to find out how that process went). So, the the project was a little slow getting started. I had to watch and re-watch some videos to remember this technique again. I felt like I had to relearn Brioche before I even got started on the more advanced pattern. But, finally I was getting it. I had the pattern memorized and everything was working out nicely. I had gotten into my groove and it was coming along smoothly.

Well it was until I decided to put it in my knitting bag and take it with me somewhere. And that is where it sat. From that point on there always seemed to be one excuse or another as to why I wasn't pulling it back out of the bag. Excuses such as "I rearranged some furniture and haven't decided on my new knitting spot" or "I'll get back to it when I settle into my new position at work." And maybe for a time those were the real reasons. As the project sat in my bag day after day, there became more and more little reasons for me not to get back to it.

However, the largest reason was my lack of motivation. I didn't want to have to go through the process of starting it again. At this point I had left the project so long that I would have to relearn the stitch repeat. I would have to sit there and read the pattern for each row. This always makes each row take ten times longer or at least feel that way.



However, it had been more than a month since I touched the project. I decided that it was now or never. I needed to find some motivation to get started again. Now for some people this might not be the right game plan. But, for me I tend to be more motivated to finish one project when I have another that I want to work on.


I tend to try not to have more than one project going at a time. So, the excitement of getting a new project started will give me just enough push to finish the old project. And I'm glad that I it did. The project that I was dreading to pick up a second time turned into a lovely reversible scarf. I also proved to myself that I could do a more complicated Brioche pattern. If you are interested in making this scarf yourself you should check out this issue of Kitty®.


Anyone else have problems picking an abandoned project up again? If so what are some tricks you used to get started again? Leave your tips and tricks in the comments here or on my Facebook page Joywithyarn1.

Which Came First?

Sometimes when planning a new project the yarn inspires the pattern or the search for a pattern. At other times the pattern inspires the search for yarn or an excuse to buy some yarn. Then there are those rarer times when it ends up being a combination of the two and it is hard to say which came first. Like that age old chicken or the egg debate.

A few weeks ago I had one of these types of situations when I was looking to start a new project. I had recently finished my first Brioche knitting project and was excited to start a new one (click here to read more about me learning this new technique). Something that would be just a step harder than just the basic Brioche pattern. So, I set out on a pattern search and found a pattern that I liked and thought would be just a bit harder than the basic Brioche. I didn't want to be too ambitious, after all I am still just learning this skill.

Now that I had a pattern it was time for me to search for some yarn. Brioche patterns always look better with two colors of yarn, so I set out to find two colors that would look good together. Sometimes this is its own struggle. I want them to have enough contrast that there is a distinction, but too much contrast that people question why those colors were even paired. After a bit I decided to use some yarn that I had just recently gotten for Christmas. I thought that this yarn would be a good choice because it is self-striping. This would make one of the sides stand out even more than if there were two solid yarns. The pattern used variegated yarn as well, which is one of the reasons why this new yarn came to mind during my search. I pulled out this new yarn and I found a gray yarn that I thought would work well with it.

When in doubt with color choices I tend to lean on neutrals like gray, navy, black, or tan. They work with any other color. This tends to be how I make fashion color choices as well. I sat down with my self-striping yarn and the gray and began to work on my project. But, something wasn't right. I quickly realized that this was not going to work. The colors looked good together, so that was not the problem. The problem was the pattern and yarn combination. This yarn was just not meant to be this pattern.

Would it have worked? Yes.

Was something actually wrong with it? No.

Am I being a bit unreasonable? Maybe.

Something with this yarn reminded me of another pattern the Pioneer Braid Scarf by Hither and Yarn. One that was on my list, but ending up being forgotten about. This is one of the problems with Pinterest. It allows me to keep getting longer and longer knitting lists.

As soon as this project came to mind I knew that I would not be able to use this yarn for any other project. This yarn and this project just seemed belong together.

I am glad that I listened to my gut instinct and changed the pattern. Although either pattern would have paired nicely with this yarn, this braided scarf was the best fit for this yarn.

This pattern initially stood out to me because it is 100% reversible. Unlike other patterns there is no top, bottom, front, or back. I like reversible knits especially scarfs because I know that the end product will look good no matter which way it lays. I personally have a few non-reversible scarfs that I love, however I know which way to wear them. I also might fiddle with them throughout the day to get them to lay "right". This is one reason why I tend to look for reversible patterns when planing gifts. I realized a long time ago that other might not see the "right" and "wrong" sides like I do. This is especially true if he or she is not a knitter. With a pattern like this it doesn't matter. It can be worn in any way. 

One of the reasons why they go together so well is because the pattern uses short rows at an angle which allows this self-striping yarn to be used in a unique way. Rather than producing stripes the yarn looks as though the colors are interlocking. The length of the stripes is almost perfect for making each section different colors which adds to this effect. This pattern with this yarn allows both of them to shine. They come together so well and produce an interesting scarf that is sure to stand out.

Although I am still not sure which came first I am glad that they found each other.                             

A Year in Review

 At the beginning of 2019 I made a knitting New Year's resolution. My goal was to spend more time knitting and have at least six new knits by the end of the year.

As we are rapidly approaching 2020 I thought I would take a few moments to reflect on this resolution. Long story short I did reach my goal and so much more. Throughout this year I have pushed myself to do things with knitting that I never really thought about. For one I started this blog. It has pushed me to produce more. I love that it gives me a space to share my projects and what I love to do.

I also created a couple of original designs that I have posted online. Whether or not people ever use them it is nice to know that they are there. This is something that I would not have imagined doing when I first made my 2019 goals. These patterns go hand in hand with the blog. I would have never taken the time to type them up without having a place to put them. However, I wouldn't have made a blog if I hadn't been working on an original idea that I couldn't find elsewhere. Check out my post This Tie had Me in Knots for the pattern that got me started on this blog journey.

To get a better idea of my knitting and what I have done throughout the year I went back and a list of the projects that I have made. With this list I also added a few questions about the projects. With the help of Google Forms I was able to take this information and get some charts that visually show my year.

Throughout this year I have completed nineteen projects. More than doubled my initial goal. Although I did end up unraveling two of them. Sometimes you like the yarn more than the end result. It is also therapeutic to rip out something that just doesn't look right.

Of these nineteen projects, nine of them were gifted. This is a better percentage that I thought it would be. I can be a bit selfish when it comes to my projects.

I have also focused on mostly short term projects. Ones that take a month or less to complete. However, this might not be the most accurate since I am doing this by memory. I only did three projects that took me multiple months to complete.

    

   

I decided that I would be more detailed in my 2020 knitting resolutions. However, I don't want to focus on a number as that is subject to a lot of factors. Instead of six projects I will focus on the following six goals. 

1) I will design and post one original pattern.

2) I will gift at least 50% of what I make.

3) I will work on at least two large projects (sweater, blanket, etc).

4) I will post at least once a month.

5) I will work on a new skill (Brioche, Fair Isle, or Mosaic).

6) I will keep a better track of my knitting as I finish each project.


It will be fun to see the progress that I make throughout this up coming year. This post will help to keep me accountable.   

Vintage Knitting

Recently I stumbled across a collection of knitting patterns from the 1940s. Seeing this collection got me searching for even more collections of vintage patterns.

"Mrs. Rosevelt's Mittens"
https://www.allfreeknitting.com

"Victory Jumper"
https://www.vam.ac.uk

Here are a few of the collections that I have found. I highly encourage you to check out these vintage knits whether you knit or not. They are interesting to look at. They give an idea of what people were wearing during different eras, I saw at least one pattern that called for knitting shoulder pads to add to the sweater. Some of the names even invoke the time period such as "Mrs. Rosevelt's Mittens" or "Victory Jumper".   

Patterns from the 1940s

Patterns from the 1950s


Patterns from the 1930s-1970s

Apparently a lot of these patterns have entered the public domain and are now uploaded to be used by anyone who dares to try. Some of these have been typed up and other are digitized straight from the original book or magazine. 

Now this is not the first time that I have looked at vintage knits. I just find them fascinating, they give a little bit of glimpse into the past. Back in college I found a knitting pattern for lace stockings. I had never seen anything like them and I had already made socks using modern patterns. I was excited to try something new (at least new to me).

I quickly found out that sizing can be an issue with vintage knits. Even feet and calves where smaller back in the day. To get around this issue was a lot of trial and error. I had to repeatedly try on the stockings while working on them.

I highly recommend trying on vintage projects while working on them to make sure that the adjustments are working correctly. I find that the best way to try on a project is to put the live stitches on a long scrap of yarn. Doing this gives the stitches the ability to move and hang like they would off the needle. I always use this technique when making dresses or tops in the round. It allows me to see the fit without being concerned about dropping stitches. You can also use this vintage knit sizing tool to see how the vintage sizes compare to today's sizing before you start knitting.

Having found these vintage patterns, I decided that I would try to do another vintage knit. Going into this process I knew that sizing would most likely be an issue. With this in mind I looked for patterns that wouldn't need any adjustments. So I settled on this "Little Scarf" pattern.

Reading the pattern I realized that I would still need to make changes. The pattern calls for a decorative crochet edge done with tinsel and little purls. Do I have purls? Do I even know where to get tinsel? Do I own a tiny crochet hook? Since I answered no to all of these I knew that I had to come up with a different plan.

I decided that I would keep the decorative picot, but would do it with yarn and knitting needles instead. I had never done a picot bind off. However, YouTube videos quickly gave me the confidence to believe I could do this. Now just to pick a color for the edge. To do this I made a Facebook poll asking my followers to choose between red and grey.

I had assumed that this would be my only adjustment. I was wrong. One thing about vintage knits is that they had be a bit vague. For example instead of explaining the technique they want you to use to increase stitches they might just have increase one stitch. Sometimes it takes a bit of work to see what technique would lay correctly and look the best.

My rule is to use the simplest first and if it looks good, continue to use it. No reason to make things more complicated than they need to be. But, the adjustments did not stop there. Apparently even necks were smaller back then. Luckily scarfs are one of the easiest projects to try on while knitting.

In the end I was able to finish up the scarf in less than a week. Now I have a cute little scarf that makes me feel like a 1940's flight attendant. I can easily add a bit of class and vintage flare to any outfit.

If interested in trying a vintage pattern I would offer a few pieces of advice:

• start small;
• try on frequently;
• be prepared to make adjustments;
• have fun. 

In the end you will have a unique vintage knit that is guaranteed to impress.    

Little Pumpkin Man

Just a happy little pumpkin. 

Near the beginning of October my manager told our group of four that she wanted to do a pumpkin decorating contest. She mentioned this about a week ahead of time, so we had a bit of time to plan. But, I kept forgetting about it. A few days passed and I still hadn't gotten a pumpkin.

I didn't know what I would do once I did have a pumpkin. I started mentally going through my craft box. What did I have to decorate a pumpkin. I have some teal paint and a lot of wasabi tape. My manager only had one rule. We were allowed to decorate in any way we wanted, but we could not carve or cut into the pumpkin in any way. It just makes a mess and speeds up the decomposing process.

I had my own rule. I was not going to spend any money on this contest, other than the cost of the pumpkin. I have enough art supplies that I figured I could come up with something.

 The Thursday before the pumpkins were expected I had a idea. I could make a pumpkin hat and sit it on a little pumpkin. It would be simple, yet cute. I started searching online and on Pinterest and quickly found a few pumpkin hat patterns. I settled on this pattern for a pumpkin hat from DROPS design®. I still didn't have an actual pumpkin, but I figured I could start on the hat and then use the pattern measurements to find a pumpkin the size of a toddler's head. I found some orange yarn and cast on my hat.

Yes this sketch was on a napkin. 

The next day when I woke up I did a quick sketch of what I wanted the finished pumpkin to look like. I guess it had been in my mind all night as I slept. On my lunch break I got a little pumpkin from a shop near where I work. I don't know how many people bring their own tape measures when looking for pumpkins, but no one seemed to question it.

 I found one close to the size that I needed and took it into the office. I drew a little smile on it and told everyone that my pumpkin was half finished. I knew they would be confused and I thought it would be funny. This was my plan to confuse  the competition.

We were expected to have the finished pumpkins by Monday, so all weekend I knitted like a mad woman. As I was starting on the stem I realized that this pattern did not have the curling vine that I wanted. So I went back to looking for pumpkin patterns. This time I extended it beyond hats. I found this pumpkin decoration at www.allfreeknitting.com and loved the way that the vine twisted on the top. The pattern called for pipe cleaners, which I didn't have. But, I do have paperclips which my husband and I twisted. He had the idea to use more than one to give it a longer vine.

Hanging out with his pumpkin pals. 

Surprisingly I had a bit of time left, so I made a couple leaves using this large leaf pattern that I found on Pinterest. It may have originally been from a site called webmail.meta.ua, but I'm not even sure what language that site is in. Thankfully the whole pattern is on Pinterest, so I was still able to use it. Although it was not planned these leaves curl up and I ended up liking that look. It looks more natural. I don't know about you, but most of the leaves than I've seen are not flat.

I ended up winning the contest, but that was mostly by default. Some people didn't bring a pumpkin in and the only other pumpkin didn't last until Halloween. But, a win is a win no matter how it happens.

My little guy doesn't mind that he won by default. He is just happy that some people thought he was cute. He is still going strong and continues to be a work decoration. Maybe I'll bring him home around Thanksgiving.       

Inspiration while Traveling

 As some of you might know, I just recently came back from traveling to Ghana. We went to go spend time with my husbands family. I was a little nervous before our trip. International travel combined with meeting new people and the language barrier. But, It was the best vacation ever. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Ghana and cannot wait to go again. 

Photo from Google Maps

One aspect that had me very nervous was the flights. I don't have a fear of flying. I was more worried about security and what I would spend time doing on the flights. People told me to take some books and maybe even my knitting. I went back and forth on packing my knitting.

I have heard stories about it not being allowed on the plane and projects being ripped out by security. I did not want anything to prolong that security line. I had also heard about people dropping a ball of yarn on the plane having it roll away from them. Knowing my luck and my tendencies to drop things this would not work out well for me. I ended up taking my knitting, but I put it in the checked bags. 

When I put the knitting in my checked bag, I decided that instead of physically knitting I would allow myself to be inspired while traveling. Once I made this choice it was easy to see inspiration in every little thing. The two areas that spoke to me the most were colors and shapes.

Getting to and from the airport was a four hour car ride. I spent most of these hours staring out the window. Something that I noticed fairly quickly were the buildings and how they were painted. A lot of the buildings that I could see from the car were painted using great color combinations. Some use more expected pairings such as brown and yellow, dark blue and yellow, or gray and light purple. Then there were others that used more unusual pairings such as sea green with a light pink, light blue with purple, or orange and green. Unfortunately I did not take any pictures that could give a good example of these buildings. 

Three examples of fabrics.  

My color inspiration extends to more than just the buildings. I was also inspired by school uniforms and fabric in general. I found the uniforms to be better than any of the ones we have in America. The shorts or skirts were a solid color typically brown. The tops or dresses were different for each school. I saw pink, yellow, and green; just to name a few. Depending on the grade you might have a pattern or a solid top. I liked this idea and the colors that they used if only because it is different than what I am used to. For the fabric the colors are bright and will have either be patterned or striped. Thankfully I did bring back some fabrics and clothes, so you can have a small idea of what I am talking about. 
 

I tend to play it safe when it comes to color. I might have a bright color, but I would pair it with something safer. I would not put two bright colors together. Seeing all of the color combinations and the bright colors inspires me to be more adventurous when it comes to colors. Since coming back I have been looking at a lot of Fair Isle knitting patterns and other ways of incorporating more color. Now I even have a Pinterest board just for color work.

Shapes were another area of inspiration for me. While flying into the Paris airport I noticed the land and all of the different shapes. The fields were not all squares and rectangles that come together at right angles. There was nothing uniform about these shapes. As you can see from this picture, that I attempted to take from the plane, the shapes are all different and join at odd angles. The colors are all fairly similar, so it is the angles and non-uniformity of the shapes that make it interesting.

I imagined this aerial shot as a blanket. It would be monotone, maybe all grays and blues. However, it would be the shapes and the angles that would make it different from other blankets. There would be no set pattern. I would start it off with one shape and then pick up stitches to add a new color that would come at a different angle. This might be a fun idea just to play around with and see what happens.

While in Ghana this balcony caught my eye. I liked the way that the diamonds looked and how it was open and not closed off. I picture this as a lacy scarf or shawl. It would have a row of diamonds going from the bottom to the top. Like the balcony, it would be open. Using a lightweight yarn and having yarn overs throughout the project would give it the same feeling as the balcony.

These are just a few ways that I was getting inspiration for knitting even though I only picked up my actual knitting once or twice during the whole trip. Anything can be an inspiration if you are open to it. Have fun and allow yourself to have some knitting daydreams you never know what new idea they may produce. Inspiration can be found no matter where you are.                         

My Big Comfy Chair

"Who made this big mess?" If you are a 90's child like me then you might remember Loonette saying this phrase at the end of every episode of The Big Comfy Couch. Every time she asked it the answer was the same. She was always the one who made that mess.

For those of you who may not be familiar with this show let me give a quick run down. Loonette was a clown with a clown doll named Molly. Loonette and Molly spent most of their time on this huge green floral couch. This couch must have been somewhat magical. It always had what they needed deep within the cushions, but they still thought it was comfortable. Need a tennis racket, tutu, jump rope, or rubber chicken? Chances are the couch would have it.

However, Loonette would never seem to find what she needed on the first try. This would result in Loonette creating a huge mess that she wouldn't remember at the end of the episode. After some prompting she would realize that it was her fault and that she would have to clean it up. Then she would do what she called a "ten second tidy" and run around cleaning. Click on the video above to watch one of her famous fast cleanings. 

 Me and the mess ended up on the floor. 

Recently I have been relating to Loonette. I have a big red chair in my living room. This chair is where I tend to do most of my knitting. It is close to bookshelf where I keep a lot of supplies. Although I didn't plan it, this chair has become my knitting chair. So much so that my husband is shocked when I choose to knit somewhere else.

I also find myself mentally asking "Who made this big mess?". Of course I always know the answer will be me. And I can also figure this out without an nod from an invisible person. I am the one who let my knitting spread to the back of the chair, the arms, under the arms, and on floor in front of the chair. This happens especially when I am working on chart or need to write down corrections. When I am writing a pattern as I am knitting the mess gets even more out of hand. I guess I need more room and just spread out. Then the laziness sets in. Why would I take the time to put everything away nice and neat when I will just need it the next day. Unlike Loonette I can never do a ten second tidy.

This isn't even all the mess. 

I am even starting to look more and more like Loonette. I draw the line at the red nose. If that happens I might have to loose the comfy chair and keep a neat work area. As you can see from the picture I like to keep all of my supplies close at hand. At times that can make my corner of the living room look like an explosion from small yarn store. I have finished projects, yarn, knitting needles, current projects, scissors tapestry needles, a notebook, and more. Everything I need is right there. Occasionally I might even have to pull something out from under the cushions just like Loonette. This happens even more when I am using double pointed needles. I can never knit with them without loosing a needle or stitch marker for at least a minute or so. 

As you might have guessed, I made a hat specifically for this picture. However, it is a new original design that is a great weekend project. It can also be worn with or without those pigtails. I started it on Thursday and was finished before the end of the day on Saturday.

I am hoping to upload the pattern soon. In fact I like it so much that I am working on a matching infinity scarf. Follow this blog and my Facebook page @Joywithyarn1 to be the first to see new posts and patterns.


 

Purple Flounces

Last night I was finishing up a shawl that I was working on. Some of you might recognize the yarn from my post a few weeks ago. I wrote about the problems that I had when starting it. After a few false starts, the pattern worked up fairly quickly and easily. Although the pattern is simple I had to keep reminding myself to count the stitches. There are several increase and decrease rows that give

the shawl it's shape and create those fun flounces. After all the problems that I had at the start I realized that the time it took to count the stitches after one of these rows was worth it. Better to spend a few minutes counting every ten rows or so than to rip out entire sections multiple times.

This is one of the yarns that my friend was kind enough to bring from Turkey. She sent me some pictures and although I had no idea what I was going to do with this yarn, I told her to grab me two skeins. Something about this yarn spoke to me. I think it might be because it is a wool blend. The wool gives it that fuzzy look. It would definitely be a yarn that I would be distracted by in the store. The "ohh fluffy" kind of distraction.

So, I knew this yarn was coming and I didn't know what I would do with it once it got here. I just knew that I didn't want to throw it in the yarn bin. It was too good for that. No one knows when I might get around to touching some of that yarn. Soon after this I had one of those light bulb moments. There was a conversation at church about how people show love differently. That is when it hit me. I show love through knitting. I had never really thought about this, but knitting is one of my love languages.

After coming to this realization I knew this yarn would end up being a gift. Not long after that I had a person in mind and some thoughts about what I wanted to make her. I wanted to do a simple shawl and quickly found Fairy's Shrug on DROPS Design. The pictures showed a shawl with a fuzzy halo effect that I knew this yarn would produce.

One problem that I had with the pattern is that I didn't like how it looked when knitting it. As I was going along I thought the flounces looked uneven. It hung awkwardly on the needles. However, I kept at it. I have knitted long enough to know that sometimes a work in progress looks different than a finished project. If you ever question how a project will look off the needles, then remove the needles.

This can be done in a couple of ways. 1) You can just remove the needles and try to pick up the stitches. This method can result in a lot of frustration and some dropped stitches. 2) You can thread yarn through the live stitches. This technique is also known as a lifeline. When the needles are removed the stitches are held by that scrap yarn. There is less of a chance of loosing the stitches when you have a lifeline. I will also do this when knitting a top-down sweater or dress. Having a lifeline allows me to try on the project and see the fit before I finish.

As I was binding off I realized that the increases and decreases gave the shawl its structure. It began to curve as I was taking it off the needles. This curve was impossible to see when it still being worked. Now I love the way it looks and think the flounces hang beautifully.
                 
Although I had some trouble with this pattern at the start, I think this would be a great beginner knit. The pattern is simple and does not require a chart which can sometimes be intimidating. If you can knit, purl, and count; you should be able to make this pattern. It does have some increases and decreases, so this is best for a beginner who wants to branch out. The online pattern also has some videos that demonstrate the more complex techniques. This makes the pattern even more accessible to anyone willing to try it.
 

Can I Get A Do-Over?

On Monday I started a new project with some new yarn that just came in straight from Turkey. It feels almost as good as it looks and I just couldn't wait to use it. I had already decided that I was going to use it to make a gift for an upcoming birthday. Although I was excited, I thought I would be a good little knitter and make a swatch to test the gauge.

I am not a huge fan of gauging, but that is mostly because it takes time. I just want to jump in and get started. I guess you can call me impatient. This time I wanted to make that swatch first. This was more than just to test if the recommended needle size would work. I wanted to see how soft and stretchy a finish project might be. I am not using the yarn that is called for in the pattern, so I wanted to test it out first. I wouldn't want to realize after starting the needle size wasn't right and have to start over. Little did I know at that moment that do-over would be the name of this new project.

Since it is a birthday gift I want it to look just right, but I am also in a bit of a rush to complete it. Rushing, I guess I didn't carefully read the instructions. Or maybe I got a little cocky. The pattern is simple and doesn't even have a chart, so after testing the gauge and glancing at the instructions I got started.

First try was a bit loose 

Now starting always seems to be the slowest part of any project. My cast on method of choice has always been the long tail cast on. Now some people have a good idea of how much yarn is needed for casting on in this way. I am not one of those people. I guess. I guess every time and usually I am wrong. This means I have a lot of false starts. I will get down to only needing ten stitches or less and will run out of yarn. But, after all these years I am used to it and will start again and again until I finally get it right. After about three or four times I finally had the right number of stitches and could start the actual project.

Second try has tighter stitches

Fast forward to Tuesday evening where after a closer inspection, I realized that I was using the wrong needle size this whole time. I had mistakenly started using the needle that I used for the gauge rather than the smaller size. So, I started over. For me this in not that big of a deal. I know that problems will happen and mistakes will be made that require a backtrack of some sort. Now let us skip to Thursday. This is when I noticed that I had dropped part of a stitch a few rows back. This caused a small bubble. I had overlooked this mistake because I wasn't looking at it from the right angle. Once I stepped back from it and was picking it up again I saw what had happened. It was not that obvious, but once I saw this bubble it was all that I could see. I was also worried that it would get snagged on something and cause more problems in the future. I am used to similar mistakes and learned a long time ago how to fix them without starting over.

As you can see from the pictures below, I was able to just take this single stitch back down a few rows and then work my way up. I don't let these mistakes bother me because I know that eventually I will get it right. I will learn what I am doing wrong and will understand how to perfect it.

Before (see the little bubble) 

During (working my way from that bubble)

After (see how smooth) 

This leads us right to Friday. I was starting to think over this post and what exactly I would type up. I knew that it would be about this new project and these redoes that I had been working on. Mistakes happen and we learn and move on. But, I wasn't in the best mood and was already frustrated. The last few days at work were not the best for me. One mistake or problem kept building on the previous one. Some of these problems were avoidable and others were not. They seemed to keep coming. By Friday evening I was overwhelmed and knew that how I was feeling had the potential to ruin my whole weekend.

Time to unravel 

This is when it hit me. I needed to learn from my knitting. With knitting I was not worried about starting again. I would not let the problems build on one another. I was allowing myself to be overwhelmed because I was not treating each day as a new day. I would drag the problems along with me instead of fixing what I could and starting again. Rather than problems I need to see opportunities. Opportunities to step back, look at it from a different angle, and start fresh. Opportunities to learn and grow.

From that time on I refused to let this week affect my weekend. I will make an effort to see each and every problem as a learning tool and every day is a day to refocus and start again. Going forward whenever I have a problem and feel overwhelmed I'll have to picture unraveling purple yarn. Maybe that will help me to find joy with mistakes in my everyday life.

Finding Joy with Orange Variegated Yarn

I was gifted this gorgeous orange and white variegated yarn from my parents for Christmas this past year. When I saw it I thought that it could be an option for a top that I had queued. However, after looking more closely at the yarn I realized that it would create stripes. Immediately I decided that this was not the right yarn for that pattern. Stripes, especially horizontal ones, are just not for me. Nothing against stripes or people who rock them. I just knew that this would mean that this top would sit in a drawer and would never be worn. I would still like the top, but would never actually want to wear it.

Disappointed, I set the yarn aside and worked on other projects. Sometimes when working on other projects is when my mind wonders and I end up looking up even more patterns. Does this happen to anyone else? I just can't seem to focus on the task at hand. It's almost as though I can't finish one project unless I have found the next in line. God forbid that I actually spend a whole day without knitting or at least planing a knitting project. As I am typing this I have two WIP, at least ten patterns that have been saved, one original design in the planning stage, and one finished project that I am planning to frog (rip-it rip-it). What makes my mind wander even more is when I am working a simple pattern. One I've done so many times it's muscle memory or maybe it's a simple repeating pattern.

Finished Project

At this point I had already used the yarn for a couple of smaller projects, and I knew that it could not go as far as initially intended. With this in mind I had a couple of ideas and knew where I wanted to browse for a pattern. But, the project I was in the middle of was a gift. Since it was a gift, I restrained myself and practiced self control for once. See, knitting does teach valuable life lessons. Soon after that project was completed I jumped at the chance to go pattern browsing. This might be one of my favorite parts of knitting. All the possibilities and ability to envision this yarn turning into a finished item.

Most of the time when looking for patterns I will go online. Sometimes I will go to my big pattern binder, but most times I am looking for something new so off to the internet I go. At times I will just Google for ideas, but over the years I have found a few favorite sites. Different sites are good in their own ways, but right now my favorite for browsing is DROPS Design. I can and probably will as some point do a whole post about DROPS and the many different reasons to love this site. However, I want to get back to the topic at hand.

On the site I selected three options to narrow my browsing: knitting, accessories, the yarn group. Using this filters I was on my way to browse some lacy knitted scarfs and shawls. Having previously giving it some thought I had come to the conclusion that this yarn would make a nice pop of color scarf to brighten up a day at work. I tend to wear a lot of scarfs inside and out all year round. They are an easy way to add color to any outfit and make it feel more polished. After spending way too much time skimming through the different options I settled on two or three designed that I thought would work. Liking all of them I asked my husband to be the tie beaker. This is how we finally came up with Opaline (see picture on right).

This pattern is easy to follow and has a repeating stitch work that is quickly remembered. With most of the shawl being worked in a garter stitch it knits up fast. I was able to complete the project in about a week or so. The shawl is knit from corner to corner. This made me feel as though I was making quick progress. Also this allows the shawl to be a triangular shape without casting on or binding off a large number of stitches. One can easily modify it to be wider or thinner by increasing or decreasing of pattern repeats.

Stay tuned to see this finished project 

I kept the number of repeats as the pattern states. This gives it a good width without being too bulky. However, if I were to knit this design again I might make a change to the non-patterned side of the shawl. I would want it to have a smoother edge. This would make it lie flatter and give it a more finished look. To achieve this effect I would purl the last stitch on the wrong side row and slip it as to knit on the right side.

On the left is an example of this technique from an original design that I am currently working on. I hope to have the pattern posted before Thanksgiving as a quick men's knit perfect for a last minute Christmas gift. Stay tuned for more information on this pattern.

At work

Everyday 

A Wedding

Overall I love my Opaline shawl and the various ways that I can wear it. It can be dressed up or down and wrapped it different ways. I would be able to wear it to work, a wedding, or just out and about. It is easily integrated into my wardrobe.


The variegated yarn is able to shine. As you can see below, all of the diamonds are different colors. This was done naturally without having to join new yarns and all the weaving of lose ends that happens with stripes. This pattern worked perfectly with this yarn to produce this interesting color work with less effort.

Colors vary with each diamond

Happy knitting everyone. May you find some joy with yarn as you go throughout your week.