A new year

I took a look at last year's knitting resolutions, and I think I actually achieved them, more or less. Let's examine the intention and the results more closely.

Quality over quantity. While I don't have any hard data to back up this assertion, I feel like I knit less this year but tinked more, if that makes any sense. With the exception of dishcloths and hats, I didn't complete very many projects compared to other years. And that's okay. I am still struggling with appropriate yarn selection, though. I will definitely continue this resolution into 2017.

Let's be practical. This fall, when I hit upon the idea of knitting *everyone* hats in 'Blaze' (hunter orange), I quickly realized that some people would not want a hat in that color. So I asked before I knit. My daughter said yes, but she wanted a particular pattern. My SO said yes. Son and son-in-law were definitely NO. So now everyone has a new hat in a color/style they will wear. This resolution is a winner.

Break away from patterns. This resolution may be the primary reason I have fewer completed projects this year. I'm not an experienced designer, so have to adapt my ideas along the way, which invariably leads to more knitting but less finishing. When I look at patterns, I may see a design element I might want to steal incorporate into my own style, but otherwise, almost everything leaves me feeling meh. Unless I find a pattern that is utterly intriguing, I anticipate sticking with this resolution as well.

Is there anything new I would like to resolve to do this year? Why, yes, thank you for asking.

Whip those WIPs. I have probably made this resolution before, but this year I feel particularly driven to finish some big projects that are hanging over my head as well as frog some others that are obviously not doing it for me anymore.

Fix what's broken. When the cold weather finally rolled around, I discovered that I HATE most of my handknit sweaters. One has sleeves that are too big, another is in a color I loved at the time and now do not, a third is knit from expensive yarn that pills like the dickens. I think I can reknit the big sleeves, either overdye or bleach the blech color, and maybe felt the pilly one just enough to settle its hash. Fixing existing sweaters is preferable to knitting whole new ones, right? And these exercises will be fun learning experiences (she said hopefully).

What about you? Any new knitting goals this year?

Happy New Year!

I've come to the conclusion that there is no point in New Year's resolutions. I usually make the same ones each year - eat less, exercise more, keep a cleaner house, etc. - and usually fail. Instead of calling them "resolutions", maybe I will refer to them as "habits of the heart", some general goals to strive for without treating them as make-or-break commandments.

Regarding my knitting, here are some "habits of the heart" I am going to strive for:

Quality over quantity: I simply enjoy knitting, and sometimes get caught up in cranking out yards and yards of knitted products without paying close attention to the quality of what I am knitting. Consequently, there are sweaters that are too big and shapeless to wear out of the house, socks too small to wear at all, gloves made of too-stretchy alpaca, mittens that don't match, etc. Going forward, I resolve to pay more attention to knitting with the appropriate yarns, on right-sized needles for the desired fabric, in correct gauge.

Let's be practical: Over the years, I have knit a variety of items that never see the light of day once finished. For example, when my g'daughter was a baby, we could dress her in all manner of hand knits, but now she has opinions and a fashion sense that does not include the sweaters I so lovingly provided. Another example are shawls: fun to knit, not so much fun to wear. Going forward, I resolve to knit only what is asked for or agreed to, in colors and yarns the recipient approves. (The only exception to this is xmas socks - I get to have fun with those.)

Break away from patterns: I developed the habit of slavishly following patterns because 1) that is one way to learn, 2) it is quicker than coming up with my own patterns, and 3) if the results are not so good, I can blame it on the pattern (whether that is an accurate assessment or not). Now I have plenty of sweaters and blankets. Everyone I knit for has socks, gloves, scarves, hats, afghans galore. And I am retired, so time is no longer of the essence. Going forward, I resolve to invent my own designs, experiment with how to construct them, enjoy the journey instead of the destination.

What about you? Are there any knitting goals you would like to achieve this year?

Nary a resolution but many goals

Sometimes I post an end-of-year recap of everything I knit in the past 12 months. With the way I procrastinate and have WIPs/UFOs with project lives that cross years (decades?), this exercise seems more and more pointless. Besides, I didn't finish all that much this year: two pairs of preschooler socks, two scarves, one vest, five pairs of adult socks, two preschooler sweaters (neither of which g'daughter will wear), three hats, one pair of preschooler mittens, and a doll's cape. My excuse is that I was, in spite of retiring mid-year, very busy.

So let's looks forward instead. Here are some WIPs that I plan to turn into FOs in 2015:

• Sockhead Hat - this is my brainless knitting project
• Chunky Sleeveless Sweater - my goal is to master top-down sweater knitting
• Orangy Boot Socks - because everyone has a pair of boot socks except me
• The Gray and the Black Mittens - all that remains is a thumb. ONE THUMB.
• Easy as Pie Blanket - My g'daughter has probably given up on this project.
• EZ Suspender Cardigan - All this needs are buttons. BUTTONS.
• Minimalist Cardigan - All this needs is seaming. SEAMING. NO BUTTONS.

There is a hat in the car that I work on while waiting for one thing or another, a project that I did not enter into Ravelry and whose pattern completely escapes me. Hopefully, there is a note somewhere, to remind me what it is supposed to look like.

There are also some unfinished projects I plan to frog: toddler wear that the g'daughter outgrew already, schmattas that no one I know will wear, etc. I am also eyeing a couple of FOs that languish and give no joy - maybe they will be repurposed somehow.

As far as new projects go, I have a few:

• Stephen Colbert Socks
• Errant Socks
• Danish pullover
• Knit Your Family sweater - My own design, inspired by Ann Shayne's Knit Your Life sweater.

And then there will be the usual xmas knitting. Maybe this is the year I knit felted slippers for all. And I'd like to learn to darn socks. I even purchased the egg for it a while back.

But what about the spinning? you may well ask. Somehow, some way, that has fallen completely by the boards. The woman I purchased by wheel from holds a "spin in" once a month at her shop, and there is a spin in at Teasel Hill Angora Farm whenever a month has a fifth Saturday. Attending these events is part of my get-out-and-about-more resolution, and hopefully they will help jump start the wheel.

Any New Year resolutions or goals for you this year?

All Clean

I scheduled a duct-cleaning today, at 4pm, and ordinarily I would simply have left work early to meet the cleaning guys at my house, but when I realized the cleaning guys would have to actually be able to get to my heat vents, I decided the least stressful thing to do would be to stay home and shovel a path through each room prior to their arrival. Nothing like the prospect of strangers in one's home to turn one into a vacuum jockey.

So, does taking a vacation day to clean house mean I broke my New Year's resolution? Like I said, my goal was stress-relief. And I did sleep in. And while I did not get a manicure, my dog did, or what passes as a manicure at the vet's. And I did get a little knitting done (I love Art Yarns!) And I did take a delicious nap in the recliner. And my sweetie brought pizza. And I am having a really hard time believing I will have to go to work tomorrow (and maybe, if it snows enough, I won't!) So, even though I did a lot of housework, it still felt like a vacation day. And I now have a clean house! (My SO wanted me to take a picture of my coffee table because, well, you could actually see it.)

My SO also brought the following:



Apologies to Spam lovers, but who thinks these things up?!?



I mean, really! A Spam Single necklace?!?

New Year Resolutions - 2008

Last year's New Year resolution - to do something fun each month - was a success, but I want to do something different this year. I'm sticking to the one-and-only-one motif, but this year my resolution is to manage my vacation days better.

Unlike some of my co-workers, I always take all the vacation I have coming to me, but it seems like the past couple of years, I return from vacation more tired than when I left. Several vacations were family-obligation vacations, and with my oldest brother planning a family reunion, there will be one of those this year. But even destination vacations can be exhausting because I am driven by the need to see as much as possible in the time allotted.

I need a vacation just for vegging. Those seem to be camping vacations, where we have to do a lot of prep, but once we are at the campsite and all set up, we can just kick back and relax. The problem is we like to rent a pop-up camper (it's as close as you can get to sleeping outside without having to sleep on the ground) and right now neither my SO nor I have a tow vehicle. If only we could get a rental place to deliver the pop-up to our campsite.

Anyway, that's my resolution, to make better use of my four weeks plus three days of vacation time. What are your resolutions?

Rationalization

I have been busy rationalizing buying those $230 boots: my dad sent me a check for my birthday in October and will probably send me one for xmas, plus I received a 15% off coupon, plus I make my footwear last a long time, and they might not even fit, etc. Over the past several years, I have been migrating my entire shoe wardrobe to Earth Shoes since my lower back does not like switching back and forth between heel heights. So these boots would be an investment, right?

While shopping with my daughter the other night, I ran into the same problem in Von Maur where I discovered they carry Eileen Fisher. I love EF clothes - simple styles, quality fabric, beautiful drape, etc. - but I can't quite bring myself to pay those prices. I just worked my way up from Land's End to Eddie Bauer, and right now, that is as far as I am willing to go (and only with a coupon).

Believe it or not, I also have my limits re yarn. While I am willing to pay up to $20 for a skein of sock yarn, I balk when a sweater pattern calls for $200 worth of yarn; in that case, I might as well buy something from Eileen Fisher! Financially, knitting usually doesn't make much sense, but it keeps me off the streets. Such a guilty pleasure.

Now that we have officially kicked off the holiday season, I have been thinking about New Year's resolutions. Last year I committed to doing something fun each month of the year, and that worked out fairly well. I could do that again, but I think I proved my point and wish I could think of something else that does not involve self-improvement. Any ideas?

Train the Trainer

One surprise I experienced from training our replacements is that I enjoy teaching. Of course, my "students" were engaged and motivated, I did not have to give tests or grades, and my mantra was "I am not a teacher by trade" so I had an automatic out if I turned out to be a poor trainer. Definitely not like teaching in a public school system, but still. I have something new to add to my resume that might actually lead to something new someday.

On a related topic, this weekend is Women's Weekend, and L wants me to teach her how to knit socks. We are going to use worsted weight yarn on US5 needles, in hopes of actually finishing a whole sock by Sunday noon. I am trying to get my current pair worked down to the toes, though, so if we don't finish a sock, I can still show her the kitchener stitch.

WW reminds me of my New Year Resolution, to do something fun each month of the year. I may have fallen down the past few months, unless you consider installing a new furnace and AC to be "fun". Since the weather is still summerlike, I have been enjoying the improved climate inside my house (and the much lower electric bills), so I guess that sort of counts for July. August was my daughter's wedding, which went off without a hitch. The original entry for July was training our replacements, which didn't happen until September. But we did go to a staged version of Stephen King's "Misery" and the gala opening of Sandy Skoglund's "Truth Between Opposition" that month. October is WW. November I am visiting my dad in New England, plus my daughter and son-in-law are hosting Thanksgiving. My son will be visiting for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we'll have to go on a hike or two, if nothing else. So, for the first time in history, I will actually achieve my New Year's Resolution! (Knock on wood.)

I Knit and Knit and Knit Some More

At the last Women's Weekend, almost everyone was knitting, but at this one I knit alone. Maybe it was the 90 degree heat that put off the others, and I have to admit that it is difficult to knit once one's hands get sweaty, but by then I was almost done, so I had to finish. More details here.



These socks were meant to be anklets, but they are actually somewhere between an anklet and a footie. I plan to make myself a pair, on needle size US2, and think I might increase the top by an inch or so.

I don't think I ever expanded my New Year's Resolution (to do something fun each month) beyond May, so here is an update:

June: Another Women's Weekend. See January for details on what this is about.

July: Having fun this month may be unachievable because my department at work will be training our replacements. We won't necessarily lose our jobs; rather, we are being freed to find positions elsewhere, either within the company or without.

August: This one is easy because my daughter is getting married!

September: Tentatively scheduling a vacation for this month.

October: The fall Women's Weekend.

November: ??? (Thanksgiving doesn't count.)

December: ??? (Christmas really doesn't count.)

Sock It to Me!

For one of my New Year resolutions, I signed up for a basic sock class at my LYS, but could not wait, knitted some slipper socks, which gave me an inflated sense of confidence, so I started a sock project on my own, the Magic Stripes sock that uses Magic Stripes yarn (natch!) from Lion Brand. Between the Magic Stripes and the class, however, I've discovered I have a lot to learn about knitting socks.

The Magic Stripes sock has been a real... challenge. I frogged my first attempt because I had not swatched and my brand new size 3 Crystal Palace bamboo needles were in reality closer to being size 3.5. The result was baggy ankles.



I restarted with size 2 needles, switched back to the size 3 for the heel flap because the stitches were just impossibly tight, but otherwise am right on gauge. After my eye appointment, I tried to adjust my knitting posture, and my knitting tightened up, so I stopped until I decide what to do. A few nights later I dreamed that I started to frog the sock again, but when I reached the heel flap, I screamed, "No-o-o-o-o!!!" No way was I ever going to do that heel flap again! (Except when I knit sock #2.)



In class we are using an Ann Norling pattern for adult socks (designer: Deridre Wallace). The first thing I noticed was this pattern is more generic than I am used to. The Magic Stripes pattern makes generous use of markers and instructs the knitter to knit to here and knit to there with precision, so one doesn't have to think too much about what one is doing. The Ann Norling pattern, however, uses no markers, so one has to pay attention to what is going on. This is a good thing.

One thing I learned in the first class was how to avoid that little gap when joining ends in circular knitting: on the first stitch when joining, knit both the yarn and the tail for one stitch, then knit them together on the next round. This makes a small but tidy difference.



The second thing I learned is that watching the colors emerge as one knits self-striping socks is mesmerizing. I'm using Online Klaus Koch Supersocke 100 Tropic.

Since the Magic Stripes pattern uses stockinette stitch for the leg, I decided to rib the leg on the Ann Norling, just to be different. And do they look different! The Ann Norling looks like it is made for an anorexic pixie. Yes, it stretches, but not enough for my leg because I am 30 pounds overweight and I have big calves (but not cankles). The socks may fit my daughter, whose weight is just right. We'll see. I am limiting the length of the leg to six inches, just in case.



The heel flaps between the two patterns are different as well. From what I have observed, the Ann Norling method of slip 1, knit 1 on row 1, slip 1, purl across on row 2 is fairly common and produces a nicely padded heel flap. The Magic Stripes pattern instructs the knitter to slip 1, purl 1 on row 2, which creates a very tight, very dense fabric. I found the heel flap so difficult to knit that I actually wrote Lion Brand to find out if this was correct, and they claim it is. I'll be curious to see how the two heel styles feel and whether one outlasts the other.

Regardless of which pattern I am knitting, I am capable of screwing up. The Ann Norling heel flap was much easier to knit, but while turning the heel, I did something wrong (actually, I was trying to talk and knit at the same time, a hazard of knitting with others) and wound up with a lopsided cup. I started tinking, then decided it would be easier to just frog back to the heel flap. Wrong! I spent the bulk of the second class session recovering from that little fiasco, while the rest were flying past the cup and into the gusset. Once home, I gave it a rest, then managed to get back on course.



I tried Magic Stripes sock #1 on this morning and realized I am much closer to the toe than I realized. These are for my SO, and in the course of making them, we discovered our feet are the same length, Yes, along with big calves, I have big feet.

Cabinwarming Dishcloths

One of my New Year's resolutions - my only New Year's resolution - was to do something fun each month of the year. January's fun thing was a makeup session for Women's Weekend, at the Cabin, which is a real log cabin that has been modernized (i.e. electricity and running water) and is now more comfortably furnished. In celebration of the new furnishings, I brought a pair of dishcloths. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera, so no pix - sorry! To make up for my lapse, here are the instructions:

Dishcloth #1

Lion Brand Cotton color 186 "Maize"
Needle size: 7US/4.5mm
Gauge doesn't really matter

Diagonal structure stitch (multiples of 8 + 2) from Knitting Stitch Bible (p. 36)
K2 border on left and right is separate from the pattern stitch, so I kept it separate in the directions

CO 38 stitches (If using long-tail caston, knit a row or start with row 2)
Row 1: k2, k1, *p2, k2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k1, k2
Row 2: k2, *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 3: k2, p1, *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, p1, k2
Row 4: k2, *p2, k2, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2
Repeat rows 1-4 until length is approximately the same as width
BO
Weave in ends


Dishcloth #2

Lion Brand Cotton color 123 "Seaspray"
Needle size: 7US/4.5mm
Gauge doesn't really matter

Textured stitch (multiples of 7 + 6) from Knitting Stitch Bible (p. 41)
K2 border on left and right is separate from the pattern stitch, so I kept it separate in the directions

CO 38 stitches (If using long-tail caston, start with row 2)
Row 1: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 2: k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 3: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 4: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Row 5: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 6: k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 7: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 8: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Row 9: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 10: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Row 11: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 12: k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 13: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 14: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Row 15: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 16: k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 17: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 18: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Row 19: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 20: k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 21: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 22: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Repeat rows 9-22 until length is approximately the same as width
BO
Weave in ends

New Year Resolutions - 2007

The Parade section of this past Sunday's newspaper had a short, amusing article by Ellen Generes about making resolutions. The serious point of the article was to make resolutions you will keep instead of the usual self-improvement promises that result in a sense of failure by mid-March. What a good idea!

The only resolution I am making this year is to do something fun each month this year. So far, I have January through May covered:

January: Women's Weekend. Ordinarily, a bunch of us get together twice a year for a weekend of no kids and no men. We eat chocolate, drink wine, smoke cigarettes, watch R-rated movies, play cards, etc. This started when our kids were little, and now that most of us have empty nests, instead of being easier to get together, it just gets more and more difficult, especially in the fall. This past fall, we failed to get together at all, so now we are planning a makeup date this month.

February: John Prine, at the Embassy. I'm not big on crowds and crowded places, but when the performers I favor bother to include the Fort on their itenerary, I gotta go.

March: Basic sock class, at the Cass Street Depot. I'm sick of scarves and hats and fingerless gloves, but I don't want to do something big (still burnt out from that shawl and I have some afghans that have stalled), so socks sound like a good alternative.

April: The Fiber Event in Greencastle. If I can't have my own sheep, the next best thing is a fiber festival.

May: A writer's conference, "Zen Connection for Writers," at the Christine Center. I haven't actually signed up for this yet, but will, as soon as I find the brochure. The Christine Center is in Wisconsin, not too far from where my ancestors settled upon coming to this country. So, while I am in the neighborhood, I will visit a few gravesites.

There will also be more Women's Weekends, maybe another fiber festival, a vacation or two (my SO wants to go west this year), and hopefully some other good times in the near future.