New Year’s Resolutions

I finally finally finish the Java socks for Ty. I feel like they’ve taken me forever! I’m certainly not the worlds best planner, but really I need to make sure I know what I’m doing before I convert a top-down to a toe-up when I’ve never done a toe up or a heel-flap and gusset! And although the lonely foot of the first sock sat for months while I procrastinated figuring out the heel, once I sat down and put some thought into it, the second sock practically finished itself. And of course, now I’m an expert.

This moment of triumph inspired my first new year’s resolution of 2012. I will knit a pair of socks for Ty every month of this year. And to make sure I’m not starting the new year off on the wrong foot (haha), the Java socks don’t count, and Ty now calls them his ‘December Socks’. The January socks are started and coming along nicely, thanks to the brilliant fastness of stockinette in the round (with some stripes going on so I don’t get bored). I’ve yet to decide if I’m allowed to get ahead on my monthly sock making, but maybe I’ll wait for the January socks to actually be finished in January before I worry about that.

And for your viewing pleasure: better pictures of my January selfish knitting!

The cowl looks rather brown here, but I swear that it is in fact a pretty green.

Fuse Cardigan update: No joy on finding Shelter yarn in Faded Quilt, both in DC and NYC. Will have to wait at least a week. Boo.

Happy Knitting!

Plans

Because it’s been a bit crazy on my Etsy shop, I’m still trying to catch up, which means that all I’ve knit for the last two weeks has been men’s fingerless gloves. And don’t get me wrong, those gloves are pretty awesome, and the fact that I can whip out three pairs in a week without having to skip work is pretty awesome too. But to be honest, I’m a little tired of knitting stuff for other people, and of not starting all of these new design projects that have popped into my head. So after Christmas my plan is this: knit stuff for me!! (and try to put something new on Etsy at least once every other week).

For these: I have an infinity scarf planned.

For these: an entrelac hat.

And this: finally a new pair of Gabriella gloves, with the gorgeous Tosh DK

All for me! Who could’ve guessed knitters were actually capable of knitting for themselves? Now if only it were January…

Happy Knitting!

You are the only exception

OK, I’ve got Paramore stuck in my head. Not my fault, they’re good!

Well recently my projects have been helping Ashley finish her Christmas presents. Not entirely sure if that’s cheating or not, but I don’t mind helping her out, she got a little carried away with all the projects she had in mind. I’ve dont almost two pairs of gloves for her in about the time it’s taken her to do half a glove. But that’s what practice is for.

There’s still some stuff that I need to put up on my Etsy, and some projects I have in mind for yarn in my stash. I see all these huge knit cowls around the city and that’s next on my list. I was also thing about knitting with I-cord. I have a huge amount of this black wool yarn that I got forever ago in hopes of knitting a peacoat (yeah right…). So I could make a cute scarf or cowl with I-cord, it’d be nice and bulky. My only issue with this idea is that I-cord is a pain to make, and I’m not shelling out for a hand crank I-cord maker if my idea’s not that great.

Stitch ‘n Bitch last week was awesome, lots of new people showed up after they saw the announcement in GWeekly. I was actually very unprepared, because I had forgotten I had put the announcement in and wasn’t expecting a response from it anyway. So I only had one knit kit with me, but this week I am prepared. I have needles and I’m going to make skeins too.

Tomorrow I’m helping out Ellie teach her after school children how to knit. Should be interesting, it’s the first time I’ve really worked with anyone that young. Hopefully we don’t have to be as worried as Ellie seemed to be about the knitting needles being used as shivs, but it is a SE school… I’m sure we’ll be fine.

Happy knitting!

Break time

About a month ago I get an etsy message from someone wanting me to make them the same hat that I have for sale, but in bright orange. They said they didn’t need it until December so I’ve been putting it off, until they messaged me again. Fortunately they liked the bright orange yarn that I had leftover from a hat I made for a friend in high school, it’s not like I use that color often. After they messaged me I decided that I could take a break from scarf making to make the hat for them, it wouldn’t take too long, and I’m nearly sick of the damned buff and blue scarves. So now I’m almost done with the hat, and I keep on thinking of all of my other mostly finished projects laying around. I’m sure I have at least three socks (half pairs), my purple sweater that would be perfect for the current weather, and alex’s sweater from way earlier in the year. I know that I definitely need to get back to the scarves, at least until we run out of yarn, but I’m taking tomorrow off work and not doing anything stressful, so I might try to finish at least my purple sweater. Then it’s back to scarves for sure, if only we had a few more people to help out, or at least someone who knit’s as fast and as often as I do.
Oh, and I also just ordered two pairs of shoes that I’m really excited about. This is on top of the clothes that I bought on Sunday, some nice going-out clothes so that I can look cute at bars. But the shoes are more casual. And I need new jeans too, lesson learned: cheap jeans are cheap for a reason, don’t expect them to last all year. Who am I turning into? A fashionable girl? Who would’ve thought…

As always, happy knitting…

Woah!

So not only has it been freaking forever since I posted (bad Dana!), but there’s actually stuff to report. School’s started, obviously, and been keeping me bored and busy, not a fun combination. Also, Stitch ‘n Bitch has been commissioned by the official GW soccer team fan club, the “J Street Hooligans” (awesome name by the way..), to make supporter’s scarves! We’ve given them nine so far, and we’re still truckin’. They take way too long to make, but I think they’re nice, even if each one is a bit different, depending on the knitter and the week. They made it into the GW Hatchet, and we got a nice picture of our scarves in too, not that we were mentioned… But it was more about the soccer team than the fans. 

Haven’t been knitting much else than the scarves for a while, but I grabbed some lace shawl patterns that I really want to test out. If I can manage to successfully knit a lace shawl in a decent amount of time then it’s not crazy for me to try to make them for my bridesmaids. Other than that I’m just trying to keep Stitch ‘n Bitch alive, had to re-register, and I really need to get some people to help out with postering. I wish I could just find someone who’s a sophomore or something that is really excited about SnB, and wants to help it grow, because otherwise I’m pretty sure that it will die out once Alex and I graduate. But… hopefully if we get some new people this year we’ll find someone useful.

Well… Happy Knitting…