I have been steadily working on four projects this week. I am happy to report that I am keeping up on the eight rows a day on my Scottish Hap and finished row 340 last night. I WILL be done before the end of the month. I have learned to cable without a cable needle so that is making the rows go much faster.
Mostly this week I have been working on my double-knit hat. It is slow going, but at least now I can read my knitting and don't have to look at the chart and the instructions every time I come to a direction to increase or decrease or cable.
I think it will be a bit too big for me, but I am going to find a decorative button to put on the brim to cinch it up a bit. I was worried I wouldn't have enough yarn to finish this, but now I am certain it will all be well. This is definitely a pattern where you have to 'trust the pattern' and 'follow the instructions' and since the pattern comes from a Craftsy class I bought a few years ago, I had to re-watch some of the instructions to remember that good piece of advice!
I also have Alisdair Post-Quinn's book EXTREME DOUBLE KNITTING, and so for the first few rounds of the pattern I had to have it handy as a reference. Both his Craftsy class, and his book are fantastic if you are into double-knitting. He takes it to a whole new level.
I love this colour combination. The teal is some possum yarn from New Zealand that my son gave me a few Christmases ago, and the Cinnamon is an Ancient Arts dk yarn. Ancient Arts is one of my very favourite yarn companies. And they are Canadian to boot!
My third peace cowl is at repeat number nine AND i just found a little bit more of the leftover DROPS alpaca I am making it out of so I think it will be a good size once all the yarn is used up.
Lastly I am on the last lace repeat of my Nurmilintu. I am just knitting until the homespun is used up, and then it needs a good washing to soften it up and to get rid of some of the lanolin, and of course a vigourous blocking. It is harsh wool to knit with, but I have a sweater made from the same wool and washing softened it considerably. On the plus side working with this wool by hands are sooooooo soft!
So that is my week - despite having the flu for two days of it!
I am off to my writer's group now. I had an epiphany the other day. If I was a serious writer I would wake up every morning and want to write. I would want to finish this editing my novel and get it published. Right?
However, I am a serious knitter. I wake up wanting to knit, and when I am out and about doing errands or visiting I often think about how I will knit as soon as I get home. I think 'I should go for a swim, because when I get home I CAN KNIT." Or maybe I am a serial knitter?
Serious knitter. At about eight or so hours a day - I would say so!
I would love to hear in the comments things you are passionate about that take up lots of your time and still you wish there were more hours in the day.
I too think about knitting or crocheting all day. I am trying to figure out how to knit while making dinner, doing dishes, doing laundry, making beds, taking a shower......you get the picture.
ReplyDeleteand sweeping and vacuuming. It is looking pretty scary around here.
DeleteI love how organized you are to have a goal of so many rows a day for your hap. I need to think about doing that for some projects. I love the teal and amber together! Yay for possum! A New Zealand book blogger I follow told me she knows an Australian woman who always buys a possum sweater or cardigan when she comes to visit.
ReplyDeleteI have to do so many rows a day because I want to be finished by January's end to be entered in a prize draw - so mercenary on my part!
DeleteI think my hands would fall off if I knit that long...lol! But then look at your beautiful projects and your progress...amazing! Your hat is a work of art and good for you with goals for it all.
ReplyDeleteI love knitting but I have to balance activities as one of the things I love about being retired and a recluse is that I can do a little of this and a little of that. Knitting/crocheting is my reward so I will do a little housework then knit a few rounds, then go do something else and sit again. In the evening I want mindless handwork as that is when I watch podcasts. I try to get things done but I'm not too strict with myself other than getting the house ready to sell as that is my passion right now! LOL!
yes, I often think if I do such and such then I can knit!. It is a great motivator.
DeleteYou clearly enjoy knitting and you make lovely things. I've just started knitting a blanket for my future grandson. Hopefully I'll get it finished in time!
ReplyDeletewell if not - there is always his first birthday!
DeleteAs I have said before, you both exhaust and shame me. You have so many talents and passions, and so much discipline. I just allow myself to be a total slacker. And I merely dabble inexpertly in various things.
ReplyDeleteI read your fb and blog posts - you are definitely not a slacker.
DeleteI love the colour combination of the teal and bronze - feels very archeological to me... if that's even a word.
ReplyDeleteOn the criteria you list I suppose I'm more excited about painting than knitting. But I find knitting very relaxing - almost like meditation, so that I can think through all my problems and priorities.
I read something the other day about how wanting to accomplish something is more than just imagining how rewarding it would be to have accomplished it, but being driven to do the hard work to make it happen.
yes, my knitting has improved so much since I retired and can really spend the time on it. The hat pattern I knit a few years back and it was very tough - now I can read my knitting it is going much easier.
DeleteThat is a fabulous hat, and so good in your colours.
ReplyDeletePossum wool is very popular here in NZ. It has such a good warming quality and is so so soft.
I am a serious freeformer in crochet & embroidery. It is what drives me from the moment I wake up. I'd willingly be a recluse if I could (but I'd probably miss going to my local craft groups and catching up with like-minded friends).
I think the hat is going to become a cowl if I can figure out how to keep the pattern without decreasing for the crown. I can never do anything simply these days.
DeleteIt looks as though everything is coming along beautifully for you with your knitting projects
ReplyDeleteI would say that I am a serial blogger, and I am sure that doesn't surprise you at all! :-)
No, the energy you put into your blogging astounds me. I bow to you, oh blogging queen!
DeleteOh Wow - that hat is beautiful! The colors and the design. I can't wait to see it completely finished. Your thoughts on being a serious writing vs. a serious knitter are interesting. I'm not sure it's all about how much time is devoted to a thing that makes us serious about it. I have not felt the freedom until recent years to crochet as much as I do, but I'm giving myself the freedom now. But honestly, I still feel like I'm playing with it - even when I go to bed thinking of colors or a stitch pattern, it all feels a little like play to me. And for me, play is not all that serious. Though truly... I know others would look at what I do with crochet as pretty serious stuff simply due to the time I spend thinking about it and doing it. For me, wrapping my mind around creative pursuits and what they mean in our lives is a bit complicated. I think the different attitudes and feelings about creative pursuits are due to how our minds have been trained and how much freedom we've been given (or allow ourselves) to pursue them. All I really know is that I'm just trying to enjoy my freedom right now to simply play and explore or just do crochet (and to a lesser degree, knitting). Just feeling free in this has been a serious endeavor for me. Getting free is a work unto itself.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful reply you have written. Yes, I agree with you - it is about the play for me too, and ironically enough I went to my writer's group and came home so inspired to pick up the editing process again. I think I just lost my mojo for a bit and that happens from time to time with knitting too.
DeleteLove the colors on the hat! Can't wait to see the finished product...as a fellow teacher, you know much of my time is taken up with that..lesson planning (although this year I've done most of that at school) and correcting (I procrastinate with that)...I spend a lot of time on Facebook and Instagram...when my hands are good...I craft...but I haven't been reading as much as I used to...
ReplyDeleteYes I know how much time teaching prep and marking take - wait till you are retired - it is awesome how much time I have for knitting now.
DeleteWell done at keeping up with the hap, hope you are nearly there now. I love the colours in your hat and I'm sure there will be a way to make it fit. I would knit all the time given the chance. Luckily my boys are very understanding!
ReplyDeleteYup only 16 rows left! and I turned the hat into a cowl so fitting isn't a problem now.
DeleteWhile you were madly knitting away with great steady progress, I was taking a break and hadn't picked up the hook properly until February. You can be proud of your productivity. Happy holidays for you! :-)
ReplyDelete