Tag Archives: life

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of blogging about it, I knitted more and now it’s more than double its current length and this photo is officially outdated.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.

Distractions.

It’s Thursday! Which is my Friday. Which means that while I’m physically still at work, my mind is already taking a day off.

I’m being torn in two by the prospect of free time. Part of me is relishing the idea of cozying up in bed with Beatnik, Little Birds, and Peaks Island (oh dear lord, I’ve started to refer to them as though they were people..). That part is imagining steaming mugs of hot chocolate and pajamas being worn all day.

The other half of me is imagining speeding off to Jo-anns with the coupon they just emailed me and attacking the yarn section with it. This is the same part of me that just bought two patterns from KnitPicks. Specifically, this one and this one. In my defense, I’ve been looking for a nice bootie/slipper pattern on Rav for ages and have only ever run into booties for babies, which, while they are adorable, could really only fit my big toe and are therefore useless. And the bag is really cute. -squee-

And technically the slippers are crocheted, which isn’t even knitting, so it doesn’t really count as cheating on my current projects.

I guess I’m going yarn shopping.

Hmmmmm now I just have to decide what color to do these in. I’m thinking of doing the bag in a baby blue/lime green combination but I can’t decide if that’s too cutesy/springy for my wardrobe. And I have absolutely no idea what color to do the booties in. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to make eight pairs in different colors. (I’m only half-joking.)

In other news, I went to Border’s last weekend determined to buy a knitting book but left empty-handed because I had no idea what to get. Any suggestions on must-have knitting books? I’m not really looking for anything specific, just anything with nice patterns or good tips.

Needles

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I find it entertaining that while most people’s phone galleries contain photos of pets, infants of relatives, food, kissing pictures, cocktails, and random funny signs, the majority of the pictures on my phone are snapshots of the “tools required” section of knitting patterns.

This whole knitting obsession really only started about three months ago, so my collection of needles is sadly sparse, especially since I was yoinking from my mom’s collection, which I had to leave behind when I moved out. So every time I start a new pattern I pretty much have to run to the store and grab the proper needles.

I know, I could just make a list. But then I’d get to the aisle with the needles and think, “Those can’t be right! They’re practically microscopic*! I must’ve written it down wrong.” And then I’d wish I had the pattern with me.

It’s just easier this way.

But right now there are so many little pattern snippets in my phone that it’s pretty hilarious to flip through.

Hmm maybe this is an excuse to invest in a set of nice knitting needles of varying sizes!

 

*Seriously, does anyone else think US size 1 needles are adorable? Especially in DPN form?

Christmas in France.

It’s my last full day in France! I’m going to peel myself out of bed at some point and head to town for some shopping for chocolates and whatnot for people back home. Tomorrow afternoon I’m off to London again and I’ll be there for a week before going back home.

Not gonna lie, I miss my sewing machine. I saw Deathly Hallows twice before leaving and I am absolutely irrevocably obsessed with Hermione’s entire wardrobe. In fact right before I left I decided that I just HAD to have her fingerless mittens so I did a lot of searching online and found this lovely site called Freshisle Fibers where I bought the pattern. Sadly my first attempt came out too small so I have to retry it when I get home.

Here’s the first attempt anyway:

As soon as I get back and get settled in I have a few projects already lined up. I’m definitely going to be looking into Hermione’s red dress. It’s too gorgeous not to make. I’ve already found some lovely hi-res photos and have been taking mental notes on construction. Then of course there’s that lovely blue/gray-toned Fair Isle hoodie cardigan. I’ve been wanting to master Fair Isle knitting for ages and I think I’ll get myself acquainted with it by making Hermione’s Fair Isle scarf from the Half Blood Prince and go from there. Yay knitting!