Yarn Along

Joining with Ginny again this week to share my current knitting and current read...

Yes, it's another sweater. It's from the same book as my Textured Tunic, but this time it's the Short-Sleeved Cardigan with Ribbing. This red bulky yarn sat on my desk for about 5 seconds before I was ready to knit it up, but I kept to my deal of finishing a UFO before starting anything else. So the Textured Tunic was completed last Wednesday night (weaving in ends AND seaming included!) and I started this beautiful red cardi on Thursday. The Textured Tunic still needs buttons though- I'm making a button finding trip this weekend and then I'll be sure to share the finished sweater. I find myself desperately wishing that we weren't in the middle of this crazy heat wave- I want to wear my new sweater!


As for books, I finished Naamah's Blessing 2 nights ago and last night started Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I've heard a LOT of good things about this book, particular in comparison to The Giver which was one of my favorites as a student. I've been reading Just So Stories with my boys before bed and that has been such a pleasant way to end our days.


I'm also still working on my Omelet Shawl one little row at a time. I haven't had much quality lace knitting time lately though- I keep having "stockinette" knitting time, you know what I mean? Lace takes a little more concentration for me and I just can't work with lace while I'm also reading to little boys, or they're building forts all around me. Just one more week of work in the evenings to finish the fall studio schedule and I'm back to quiet evenings of lace knitting.


Do you have certain projects that you can only work on in quiet? I'm better about lace now- it used to be that I could have absolutely no distractions, but now I'm okay with having the t.v. on in the background. I just can't have the boys running around or stopping me mid-pattern.

Inspiration

:: Getting ideas for our school room from this gorgeous playroom/studio.


:: A printable packing list for kids- perfect for my kids ages and a little older!


:: A brilliant post on exactly *how* to go about planning an education full of living books.


:: A mosaic using colored egg shells that we plan to try out soon.


:: A rhubarb syrup recipe I think we might try making tomorrow afternoon to use up the rest of our rhubarb.

Project Triage

We've been busy the past few weeks.

Well, I've been busy. The boys have been playing and making their own fun and I've been painting walls, canning, knitting, making LOTS of lists, getting ready for the school year, working on an updated business plan, re-organizing closets, slimming down the boys' toy options, scheduling the next year in the studio, and generally having if-I-don't-get-this-done-right-this-second-it-will-never-get-done-itis.


It started as a panicky feeling about two weeks ago and after all this work (and not feeling like a lot of progress) I called a halt to it Saturday night and spent a few hours doing project triage.


I think this is the part where I admit that this feeling comes over me about twice a year- it's a "finishing mode" that shows up when my project list hits critical mass (about 50 projects past where my husband would prefer it be). It rather conveniently hits me mid-July right as I go into major planning/scheduling mode for the studio and just before the month I take off from the studio to spend with my family before stepping back to the full time schedule in September.


It looks a little different each time I do project triage, but this summer it's all about index cards, baby:

The Breakdown:

:: SEVEN (!!!) unfinished knits that are over 80% complete and just need that last little push.


:: FIVE (!!!) unfinished sewing projects that are at least half complete.


:: A stack of "house" cards- one room per card with a list of the stuff that has to happen in there, closet re-organizing, painting, re-arranging, decorating, needs curtains... some of these things (like painting) must happen in the summer months while I'm not having clients in and out of the studio five days a week, but some tasks can go into the school year if need  be. I'm mostly concerned with accomplishing what must be done in that month when I don't work.


:: Business stuff. The summer session ends mid-August and we don't start the fall session for a full month. My goal is to be completely set for the fall and spring sessions by August 1 so that all of August can focus on family, house and crafty things.


:: Other projects that are time sensitive- canning is the most timely thingon that list, so that must be done when the food is available. We hit the farmer's market on Saturday mornings so I'm making plans for the next several weeks to get there a little earlier and then focus Saturdays on food.


We're setting up a temporary daily rhythm of school first thing in the morning, (we started very lightly last week and will increase over the next few weeks to the regular amount for the school year) followed by whatever house project is slated for that day. then some time in mid-afternoon to do whatever we'd like together (the pool is the most popular option right now!) and family time starting around dinner time when daddy gets home. I still work some over the next three weeks, but generally only 3-4 hours a day, three days a week.


Saturday is dedicated as "kitchen day" for preserving and Sunday stays (as always) our day for church and family.


And around that is the crafting. After spending some time in the evenings with Brian I've been working towards *finishing* projects, not starting. Some of those knits are ridiculously close to done. And even more staggering? I have yarn for another nine projects all ready to go, planned out, purchased, even wound into cakes. the sewing will kick into high gear once we get into that month long break. I have two little boys in desperate need of some pajamas and other clothing for fall!

The Newbie Knitter's Guide (Part 2)

In case you missed it, Part One (Getting Started) is here.

The Newbie Knitter's Guide, Part Two-

Make it Easy

There isn't much out there that can make learning a new skill super easy (if only there was a magic *learn to knit* pill!) but you can make a few choices along the way to make the process simpler.


Pick a project that doesn't give you the vapors.


Feel a bit ill at the thought of trying to tackle a sweater? Does the prospect of a huge afghan make you feel faint? Then don't choose those projects. Recognize your limits and work within them. There are *tons* of projects available that use a lot of garter stitch (just the knit stitch) and as you feel mor ecomfortable you can try some new techniques. There's no reason to force yourself into new and exciting knitting territory if you dread it- you'll never want to knit again.


So what kind of project should I choose? A scarf, right? I hear that's the first project every knitter should do.


Um, I didn't. I've actually only ever knit one thing that could be considered a scarf and it was of the lace variety. It totally doesn't count as a traditional scarf.


Rule number one here: you don't really have to do anything in any certain order once you know a few basics, and you'll be practicing the basics on any project you pick. My best advice is to go pattern hunting on ravelry and favorite a ton of projects and patterns on there. When you have an idea of what you like read through several patterns to get an idea of the skills required, then decide if it's something you are up to trying.


Remember- the worst thing that can happen is that you have to rip it out (undo your knitting) and start again. You always have a do-over!


Seriously- where should I start?

Okay- a few suggestions:


:: Stella Pixie Hat- a baby hat that is knit flat and then sewn together at the end. This was one of the earliest hat patterns I tried and it is still one of my favorite baby gifts to give.


:: All kinds of dishcloths: plain (plus the options for something a little fancier), with a yarn-over, and two dishcloths with a pattern (the last one is one of the first dishcloths I made)


:: a garter stitch baby sweater: Pie


:: Okay, okay.... a scarf: Merci Scarf


If none of these strike your fancy, I recommend you look around and pick out something that is fairly small so that you can accomplish it pretty quickly. Setting out with the goal of knitting a huge afghan is certainly possible, but that can be one looooooong goal.


Remember: You're new (no matter your age or crafty skill)


Give yourself room to make lots of mistakes without guilt or those sneaky words "I should know by now...". If you spend your knitting time beating yourself up instead of practicing knitting you won't get very far and you won't have the desire to continue learning.


The truth is that even as an experienced knitter you have times where you totally mess stuff up, have to rip out, or make a mistake when you honestly should have known better. Some knitters are comfortable leaving little mistakes in there. I'm not one of those people so I rip out with impunity and go again.


Don't be ashamed of watching the same technique video again and again.


There were knitting days when I just watched the knit stitch video again and again, holding my yarn and frowning. I've done the same with the M1 video, various cast on videos and most recently the different seaming videos as I tried to decide how best to seam my Textured Tunic.


If you're an experienced knitter, what were some of your first projects? If you're a beginner, what project are you planning to start with?

The Newbie Knitters Guide (Part 1)

I received a few qestions about learning how to knit over the past few weeks so I thought I'd share a little today about how to get started. I shared earlier in the week about how I got my start, but I thought I'd also share about the helpful bits I've come across and what I would tell my newbie knitting self now that I have three years of knitting behind me.


The Newbie Knitter's Guide, Part 1 - Getting Started


Learn from great resources.


On the ravelry boards you can read about a TON of different ways that people have learned to knit, but it all seems to boil down to a few certain methods:

1. Books like Knitting for Dummies or Stitch and Bitch.

2. Videos from Knittinghelp.com or youtube.

3. A friend or relative or Local Yarn Store (LYS).

For me it was a combination of books and videos. I don't know many people who knit in real life that are also local to me, so I essentially taught myself using books and videos. I'm pretty visual, so between those two resources I was in great shape.


I have learned a few really great things at my LYS though, including a super stretchy bind-off for socks and also got help with sock construction when I was having problems with my heel turns.


And because I simply can't move on to the next section without mentioning this life-changing site, go right now to ravelry.com and sign up. I'll wait until you get back- promise! If you're on the fence about whether or not knitting is for you ravelry will convince you- online access to thousands of patterns, many of them free, just about every bit of yarn information you could ever need, super helpful forums...

Just go.

Sign up.

Thank me later.

Use decent materials.

Your knitting experience highly depends on the materials you use. Certain yarns and needles are more comfortable than others (and this is slightly different for different people) so it's important that you use materials that offer you the best experience.

In my experience helping new knitters get started wool yarn and bamboo needles are the most forgiving. Wool has a little bit more ease to it than other yarns and the bamboo needles "grab" the yarn a little so that you don't have a heart attack due to stitches sliding off the tip of the needle.

You don't have to spend a ton of money to get started!

I have always been on a serious budget for hobbies- my sewing and knitting purchases come from birthday/Christmas/mother's day gifts almost exclusively- so I know what you're thinking when you're looking at all that yarn and noticing what looks like the very same blue for $5 cheaper. There's a reason that yarn is so much cheaper- you're getting what you pay for, and it's not very easy to work with.


I know, I know-- you don't want to put a lot of money into a hobby you might not stick with. But spend that $5 extra and knitting will be a truly different experience.


For the budget conscious, take a look at Joann's and Hobby Lobby if you have them close to you. Joann's runs regular 40% off coupons in the newspaper and I used these coupons to slowly acquire bamboo needles (Clover brand). You can also find some wool there (I like Wool-Ease). Hobby Lobby also runs good sales on their needlework section periodically and they also carry clover needles. Hobby Lobby has a store brand of wool that I like called I Love This Wool that is a nice beginner wool


If you don't have either of those stores near you another great option is knitpicks.com. They have yarn in a variety of prices, but their Wool of the Andes worsted weight is about $2.00 per ball. Their shipping is reasonable and purchases over $50.00 have free shipping.


I mentioned before that needles are a preference, but bamboo has a little more grab than other types of needles so it is a little easier for most beginners. There are also acrylic needles and metal needles available, with varieties of each type.


I own and regularly use Boye metal needles (I use the double point boye needles for socks) and I have Addi Turbo Click interchangeables that I use as often as possible. I do use my bamboo clover needles some (especially in larger sizes of double points for sleeves and such) but mostly stick with the Addi's now. Knitpicks has a "try it set" of needles that includes 1 set of each type- acrylic, metal and wood- if you'd like to try knitting with each kind.

I'll be back tomorrow with more tips on getting started.

Do you have something to add to this post? Have you found a great starter yarn or a bit of advice to add? Any questions you want to make sure I answer?

Yarn Along

Yarning along with Ginny, sharing a current knit and current read...

I was so sure that I'd have my Textured Tunic finished by this week, but I ended up taking the Omelet shawl with me on our little road trip across the state for a wedding over the weekend instead of the sweater. I did make great progress on the shawl, but I haven't done much on the sweater because of that. I did get a little time yesterday to get pretty close to finishing that second sleeve, but I need another hour or so to finish it.


And then comes the seaming.


I'm a seaming wimp, I have to admit. I can do it, but I seriously do just about anything to avoid seams. I'm trying not to do that this time around. It's only sleeves right? And then weaving ends and adding buttons.


I'm reading a few things right now (Naamah's Blessing and Patchwork Style) but I'm also back to my beloved mitten book. I started looking at mittens back in June but never actually got to them. This time I'm starting to think more seriously towards fall. The boys need a few pair each and I definitely need some... now to decide how much color work I'm actually interested in doing for little guys that may just lose their mittens as fast as I can knit them...

Becoming a Knitter

I've been asked a few times about knitting- how to get started, how to learn new techniques, how to learn to knit lace- and I thought I'd tell you a little about how I got started.

I've been knitting since the fall of 2008. I kind of tried it out once or twice before that but because it didn't work right the very first time I tried it I abandoned it. Maybe I should admit here that I'm a recovering perfectionist. I've been known to be a habitual hobby starter and not so much a hobby stick-with-it-er due to that darned perfectionism, but when I tried again in 2008 I was determined to really learn.

I started with Knitting for Dummies and decided that I didn't want to "make" anything- that set my expectations too high for something I was just learning. So I cast on a certain amount of stitches (maybe 40 or 50) and went for it, knitting row after row after row until it felt automatic.

Then came the endless purling- which I was convinced I would never be good at.

After that I tried a couple of dishcloths- a knitting friend recommended that I try that next and while it was good to learn the yo (yarn-over), I wouldn't recommend using cotton yarn that soon. Your materials really do matter while you're learning and cotton isn't very forgiving. I also turned out a few patterned dishcloths that required knitting AND purling on the SAME ROW and I thought I'd die before finishing one properly.

It was at this stage that my husband said, "Aren't hobbies supposed to be relaxing?" as I muttered to myself and ripped out mistakes only to re-knit and have to re-rip...

But I was determined, so I went forward.

I made a few little baby things, a few projects here and there, and then I read my first Elizabeth Zimmermann book (Knitting Without Tears) and felt like a light really went on. I can't explain it fully, but it changed the way I was thinking about knitting in general:

You can always take it back out if you make a mistake.

If it doesn't work you can just try again.

What a relief! This informs my attitude on pretty much everything crafty now.

So I went for it- mittens, cardigans, sweaters, shawls, scarves- and I know that somehow I'll sort out what I need to know as I learn more about knitting. There have been certain projects that have really stretched me as a knitter and helped move me in a certain direction, but I certainly want you all to know before I start waxing poetic about my knitting knowledge- I've learned everything I know from books, ravelry, youtube videos and the videos on knittinghelp.com. I'm soooo not an expert, just a girl who seriously loves to knit and doesn't mind feeling a little dumb while I learn something new.

So I'm planning to answer some of those knitting questions I've been asked later in the week. If you want to ask something please comment with your question so I can include it in that post!


For more on becoming a knitter:

Getting Started (Part 1)
Getting Started (Part 2)

Strawberry Lemon Preserves

I have to say first that this was the most yummy smelling thing we've made in the last several weeks. My kitchen still smells like strawberries and lemons.

These strawberry lemon preserves were made following a recipe from Canning for a New Generation. I really love this book. Easy to follow directions, recipes organized by season, and it includes recipes for vegetable canning, not just fruit. I have a real thing for cookbooks organized seasonally (Rustic Fruit Desserts got me stuck on cookbooks organized this way) and that makes certain cookbooks trump others in my heart.

Looks like we needed to try to get just a little more foam off the top...

Kristen asked how we were canning our strawberries this year. The plain strawberry jam we canned is freezer jam with a packaged pectin. This is the way we've been making our jam for the last few summers, but I've been reading more about canning without a packaged pectin, and now I'm leaning that direction. The strawberry lemon preserves are the first fruit I've canned without packaged pectin and it was pretty simple.


We have a lot of plans for canning without a packaged pectin this summer, so I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Yarn Along

Yarning along with Ginny again this week...

Back again this week, this time without contortionist photos. I gave Ender a quick talk this morning about how to aim the camera, stood him on a chair and told him to go for it. Not too bad, right?


This is the Textured Tunic, totally unblocked, fresh from being wadded up in a pile while I work on the sleeves. We've been watching all the Harry Potter movies over the last several days in preparation for HP7 part 2 on Friday so I've been working on the sweater every time we watch. We watched HP6 tonight and I made it about 3/4 of the way through that first sleeve.

And yes, my extra skeins are IN my project bag this week. No "out of yarn" emergencies in the last 7 days. We'll see how long until I have to reset the counter.


Reading wise? All I can tell you is what's on my nightstand waiting to be read.


The past week has been a bit of a blur between the birthday party, a husband down with bronchitis, all the strawberrry canning, a child down with pneumonia, and a few organizing projects I should NOT have started while we were in the middle of all that other stuff.


On my nightstand waiting is Naamah's Blessing and Patchwork Style. I've started them both but haven't gotten far. I'll get back to reading after getting through this work week and finishing up a few projects.

Strawberry Jam

Our kitchen has been quite busy the last few days!

We were finally able to get our hands on some strawberries this past weekend and we took the opportunity to restock our supply of strawberry jam. Last year we made 8 half pints thinking that it would be enough since Ender and I are the only serious jam eaters in the house, but Ezra joined us in the jam eating and we gave a few away... so we ran out around February even after trying to be careful in how we used it.

So this year we made jam plans.

And not just more strawberry jam. We checked out a few different books from the library and I ended up buying Canning for a New Generation. Ender and I have been through that book many many times in the last two weeks and let me tell you- that boy has serious plans.

:: Plain strawberry jam

:: Strawberry lemon preserves

:: Strawberry rubarb jam

... and plans for blackberry and cherries and peaches if we should come across good ones.

We spent Saturday making the plain strawberry jam:

And ended up with 7 half pints and 1 pint, just because I ran out of half pint jars.

Total miscalculation on my part.

We're planning another10-12 half pints of jam from the strawberries because as much as Ender and I love to eat jam I think we love giving it away just as well.

Cake Day

Ezra's celebration is on a weekend, but the real birthday came during the week.

But what's a birthday (or any day ending in "day") without cake?

We made Cake in a Jar right after breakfast,

giving it plenty of time to cool for a lovely post-dinner desert.

Add a little ice cream and sprinkles

(or whipped cream, icing, fruit, jam... whatever you'd like)

and it's your own personal jar of YUM.

At least that's what the new FOUR-year-old calls it.

Yarn Along

Yarning along with Ginny...

I *heart* vacation knitting time.

I took the Textured Tunic sweater intending it to be the main project for the trip. Maybe I'm funny like that but I always have to have a backup project on a trip. It makes me sweat just thinking about wanting to knit and having time to knit but having nothing to knit for some crazy reason.


I knit in the car on the way down and got through almost all of the stockinette on the body before the split for the front and back just in the car. Everything was humming along, traffic was cooperating, the boys were happily occupying themselves in the backseat, I was at a really great part in my book- and I found myself thinking that I would certainly make it through the body and at least get started on a sleeve on this trip. And then I let myself remember that the boys would surely get up to go fishing without me once or twice and that would give me three or so hours to just sit on the porch of the cabin and knit... perhaps even on a second sleeve...


I think I would have made it too, but I ran out of yarn.


Yep- RAN OUT OF YARN.


{This is where I remind you of the importance of the back-up project, people. Let me be your lesson!}


I bought plenty of yarn, folks, just didn't pack more than the skein I was knitting off of, because I always have to forget something crucial on every trip. The bright side is that it was only forgotten yarn this time and not forgotten toothpaste or toilet paper.


So the Omelet Shawl received a promotion from back-up plan to priority one. It is now mostly through chart D and after that I have only one {very large} chart E and the bind off to go.

In our stack of reads this week is part of our first block for science this year. I had planned to start with animal study, but Ender has been asking so many questions about skeletons and muscles that we're starting with the human body instead. We would have gotten there later in the year anyway- why not go for it now?


We're starting where we always do by reading and talking and I'm sure a project or two will show up along the way. As we get into it and I see exactly where his interests lie I'm sure we'll turn to homeschoolshare for some printables and maybe a lapbook.


So I have to know... am I the only person to make sure I have a back up project on trips?


I will admit that I rarely get to that second project, but I was so grateful to have that shawl along this time!