Tag Archives: aidez

Mental blocks

I think I’m stuck in a bit a creative hole.

Take this scarf for instance. It’s the Guernsey Wrap pattern by Brooklyn Tweed and I started it in February and then kind of abandoned it. I picked it back up again a few weeks ago and finished it all except for just blocking it. It’s been a full week and for some reason I can’t bring myself to get up off my lazy bum, soak it, and pin it out. It just sounds like so much work.

Guernsey wrap Then there’s this sweater. I knitted the front and back pretty quickly and all that’s left is the sleeves, but I feel stuck. Want to know why? Because I have 1.5 balls of yarn left and I’m pretty sure I’m going to run out before I finish, and I don’t want to get super sucked into it and then run out of yarn. Except I haven’t ordered more because I’m not totally sure that I don’t have enough. (I probably don’t.)

Fisherman's Daughter progress

There’s also my dotted Archer that’s been in the works for two weeks and I accidentally effed up one of the yoke seams and for some reason ripping it just seems like too much work for my whiny self. So that’s been on hold too.

So even though I’ve been actively trying to finish existing projects before starting on the shiny new ones, I decided to ignore that and start a new sweater instead. The last time I wore my Aidez I kept thinking how cute it would look in red, and I happened to have the perfect shade of the perfect weight of yarn. I clicked my needles happily for a few hours the last few days, vaguely remembering that there was an error in the way the cables were written but not totally able to recall what it was. I’m sure you can spot the issue in the photo.

Aidez #2 progress

Anyway, I thought about attempting the ladder-y thing to fix just the cable direction but then I decided that the ribbing is too loose and was always going to bother me and I might as well start over now. So yeah, riiiiiip.

After this, there will be finishing of all the projects. Promise.

(Realistically though, that’s probably all going out the window in a few days when my Christmas knitting yarn arrives..)

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A is for Another Archer And An Aidez

Aidez + Archer

Aidez + Archer

Aidez + Archer

Aidez + Archer

Aidez + Archer

Aidez + Archer

Aidez + Archer
shirt: self-made, pattern here // sweater: self-made, pattern here // leggings: self-made, pattern here // glasses: Bonlook // necklace: Modcloth

Today’s post is a two-for-one!

This sweater is one I made aaages ago and sort of forgot about it. It was pre-dSLR and pre-knowing-anything-about-how-to-photograph, and apparently before I had learned that taking outfit photos in a dark room with the shutters closed isn’t terribly effective. Anyway, you can find all the sweater info in this post. I’ve been thinking of making another one and I’m thinking maybe a dark red.

Next up, my latest Archer! Funny story about this one. I was perusing an online thrift shop and they had a ballerina pink silk button-up top from JCrew that was absolutely gorgeous and I needed it. Except my bank account started crying and then I remembered that I had just inexplicably without a project in mind purchased rayon challis in the perfect color and was also itching to make another Archer.

Let’s just say this one was not nearly as fun as the other ones. I always get distracted by how soft and pretty rayon challis is and forget what a bitch it is to sew with. Let’s just say it’s a damn miracle the shirt got made, and we’ll be rolling up the cuffs on this one. It’s a tiny bit embarrassing. I was able to French seam this one though, and I love that every little seam is neat and hidden.

In other news, last week I decided not to do Christmas knits this year. Yesterday I realized that I came to the same conclusion last year and then was overwhelmed by guilt the week before Christmas and ended up spending a full week knitting nonstop. SO I ended up buying yarn for ten people’s presents to get started early. I may have also bought yarn for three presents for myself. (How did that happen?) I feel so accomplished except that technically I haven’t even started yet. Yikes. Christmas knitting really needs to be started in May.

PS Epic apologies for taking ten years to respond to comments. I absolutely love hearing from you guise and I got totally sidetracked this last week due to life and things. 

PPS I am in a very silly mood today. I think maybe I had too much caffeine..

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Finished Project: Aidez

Aidez

Pattern: Aidez by Cirilia Rose
Yarn: Lion Brand Chunky in Wheat, 6 skeins (I think)
Started: April 22, 2011
Finished: May 12, 2011

Ravelry page

I’m pretty terrible at posting photos of FO’s, I know.

This sweater was my I’m-tired-of-staring-at-forest-green-and-doing-one-kind-of-cable-until-my-eyes-and-fingers-are-bleeding-simultaneously project whilst I was scrambling to finish Boyfriend’s birthday present on time. I wanted something interesting without being too complicated to be a side project, but also something quick. Why I didn’t choose a hat or mittens or even socks is beyond me.

Aidez

It’s a little thicker than I thought it was going to be, but I think that will end up being a good thing when I move to the Boston, or as I’ve been referring to it, the Land of Ice and Snow.

My only gripe with this pattern is that the designer made an error with the lattice cabling in the back, and made the chart/directions in the pattern match her mistake. She points it out clearly in the photo but I would’ve liked another mention of it in the directions as you begin the lattice work. Maybe a huge red “THIS IS INCORRECT” next to the row in question so I wouldn’t have ended up ripping out eight inches of cabling because I didn’t realize I was recreating her mistake.

Aidez

I love when sweaters look tons more complicated than they actually are.

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Temptation

Guess what is sitting in my backpack next to me, 99% finished save for stitching completely finished sleeves onto the body and smirking at me because I have 3 more hours until I can go home from work? Yup, that would be Aidez.

I felt like such an idiot on the subway this morning. Usually when I work on projects I’m spread out over at least 5 square yards of space and it looks like a tornado hit. This morning as I sat on the subway, I was attempting to slip stitch my finished knitting pieces together (do I mean slip stitch or am I having a brain fart?) while keeping all three pieces on my lap and not poking the people squashed up against me on either side as I pulled the plastic needle straight upwards repeatedly through the seams.

Good thing I was too tired to care, and the nice gentlemen on either side of me were passed out and didn’t notice when I accidentally flicked loose yarn bits at them.

Tonight I’m finishing this sweater*, and tomorrow I’m going to San Diego!

Hopefully somewhere in between there I’ll be able to squeeze in some photos.

*Perfect timing too, since the new yarn I ordered from Knitpicks gets here on Saturday and I’ll be officially “allowed” to start a new project!

But more on that later.

I’m going to be so toasty in Boston.

I’m on the brink of drowning in WIPs.

I think I’m going to need to impose a rule for myself. I’m now officially only allowed to start one new project for every WIP I finish. As in off the needles, pinned to the ground, and waiting to dry.

Oh but look at this lovely squishy circle scarf I just found!

-headdesk-

Actually this might not be as difficult as it sounds, seeing as how in all reality most of my WIPs are only a few hours away from becoming FOs.

Take Aidez for example. I started this one only a few days ago and I’m already done with the back and nearly finished with one of the side panels. I could definitely finish the whole thing this weekend if it weren’t for the Super Secret Project. Although at the rate I’m going I’ll probably finish it anyway while the Super Secret Project weeps under my bed.

Aidez progress

Sidenote: I was so excited about knitting this that I took a picture so I could blog about it. Except I was so excited about knitting it that instead of blogging about it, I knitted more and now it’s more than double its current length and this photo is officially outdated.

Another sidenote: I have a huge box of awesome amazing looseleaf jasmine tea at home that I’ve started bringing to work in a small ziploc baggy. It pretty much looks like a bag of weed.

Going back to WIPS (my mind is kind of a disorganized arena of clutter today, can you tell?), I’m going through my current projects in my head and I mostly just have really stupid blocks on all of them.

-Beatnik: finished back and sleeves, 20% done with front piece but the fifteen different cable techniques requires constant checking of the pattern which means I can’t really be doing much else simultaneously.

-Peaks Island: I’m currently missing the motivation and brainless mood required to complete 9″ of pure seed stitch.

-Little Birds: I think I just have a mental block against fingering weight yarn right now seeing as how I’ve been primarily working on a bulky project and it would just feel so slow in comparison.

-Super Secret Project: It’s just the looming deadline that’s getting to me, so of course I keep procrastinating. Makes perfect sense, mm?

Anddd it’s time for another mug of tea because my eyelids are getting droopy.

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