The Truth: What I Really Do All Day

I knit. Well, not really. But I *wish* I could knit all day. So I knit as much as I can. I bought a very lot of inexpensive yarn in China, and am quietly knitting my way through it. Jeff and the children assessed the lot at 3-5 years worth. I gave it two years, and am doing well, just a year into it, although, frankly, I keep buying more, so it's tricky to keep it all straight. There is an excel spreadsheet, but I prefer to spend my time writing and knitting (and swimming and skating and biking and watching movies), rather than updating excel spread sheets. So I am little behind on my calculations.

These are all projects I have completed since the last time I did a knitting update. I can't remember when that was, but I imagine these projects pretty much represent from October to around current. While some of you will be impressed with my prodigious knitting, Jen D. will scoff and you will hear the quiet echo of her "amateur," slide across the ether-net.

I do a lot of test knitting for designers these days. It's not a real job, of course, but it's a nice way to get free patterns and improve my knitting skills. Exactly why I think I need to improve my knitting skills, I am not sure, but one needs a goal, right? And while my goal should really be to learn the days of the week in German, instead, I am knitting my way though my stockpile of yarn.

Cable Sweater

Reasonably successful, although have worn it exactly twice. It was quite a fun knit, and a really lovely pattern, but it is a chunky wool. And chunky wool garments flatter very, very few people.

Shawl Collar Test Knit

Fail! This ended up in the bin. nice enough pattern, but the wool was just dreadful. It was a test knit for a designer, and I used a "merino superwash" that I had purchased in China. Total cost of wool for this garment was around $5US. And I got what I paid for. Really nasty stuff. So, despite the pattern being quite nice, this went for landfill. I salvaged the buttons, of course.

My Own Design

And, look! Here they are - the buttons, I mean! This is a pretty basic sweater with a nice cable down the side and shoulder, so "design" is strong word to use to describe it. I have also worn this exactly once. I do like it. So, perhaps next winter it will see more wear. It's just ... chunky.

Blue Praha

This next thing might be the most beautiful handiwork creation ever in the history of the world. I bought this wool in China three years ago for this very pattern. It took me three years to get around to knitting it. The actual knitting was probably two days, as it is a very simple pattern and it goes quite fast on large needles. I love this. I adore this. I think this is possibly the most gorgeous thing... but I said that already, didn't I? That said, I have worn it twice. It lives on a scarf rack next to my bed where I can see it first thing every morning and last thing every night, and that seems to be enough for me.

Test Knit Scarf

I love this little scarf, made from some gorgeous sock yarn Loyal Reader Debbie sent me for Christmas. It goes perfectly with a little turquuose tank top that I have, so it's a frequently worn item. Although, as I think about it, "often" is relative. I have probably worn this five times, which makes it one of the highest traffic items in my knitted wardrobe. Hmm. I like to knit, but it seems I am not much for wearing knitted things.

Dad's Scarf

Christmas this year included a Hand Made element. The scarf below I knitted for my dad in sable yarn. Gorgeous, soft, soft stuff. The photo does not to the finished item justice. It's a really nice warm snugly scarf for a guy who just retired and moved to South Carolina. Hey, you can't win them all.

Lamb With Sweater

This was what I knitted for Hope for Christmas. Cuter than cute in real life. A little weak in the photo.

Polar Bear

And for Tom, this was actually a FAIL. I knit the blessed thing twice in two different wools and could not get it to felt. I have purchased some felting wool from Knitpicks and intend to pick this pattern up again, knit it for the third time and finally get something that felts. I think then it will be a win. The pattern is adorable and easy to follow. But it needs to felt.

Meandering Vines Shawl

Ah, I love this pattern. I knitted this for Hope's teacher for Christmas. The wool is alpaca that a friend of mine bought for me in Peru. I knitted it in Spain and Morocco, and the yarn itself has been to China. So, it's one of my "Global Nomad" collection. The garment in its many forms has been to more continents than many people I know.

And, look! Here's another one! I do love this pattern. It is easy to memorize, knits up fast and makes a really lovely gift.

 Test Knit Soap Sweaters

This is a cute idea, and with the right wool, I think works beautifully. The notion is that you stick soap inside a little sweater and use it to rub yourself clean. Hope quite likes hers, and Tom has one, but does not seem to use it much. But then again, he's a boy, so he's got a natural allergy to soap in any form. The big problem with these is that the cheap cotton I used to make them stretches horribly. A nicer cotton that won't stretch so much, or a wool that felts, or a superwash may have been a better choice. 

Test Knit Shawl

Fail! Why? Two key reasons.

A. It's red. I am never going to wear red. Why I even bought red yarn, I cannot tell you, except that it was quite inexpensive to buy bamboo in China. So, I bought it in multiple colors.

B. I bound it off too tight, so the edge is wonky. If there is anyone out there who wants this, I will re-knit the edge for you and mail it in June. Seriously, this is wedged into my knitting cabinet taking up space and I would like to see it gone, thank you very much.

Test Knit Summer Sweater

I would like this better if I had dropped the stockinette a bit lower and started the lace under the the bust area. The odd, headless photograph is for the designer. I could probably dig up the original photos that have heads, but, meh. If the point is the knittinAnd g, these photos get the point across.

Same sweater, knit again. And made the same mistake! I am wearing it as I type, so it gets to see the light of day a bit here and there, but the purpose of knitting it was to have a nice summer sweater I could travel with. This isn't going to cut it. *Sigh*

But, I knit one for Hope! She loves it, and I will probably knit more of this sort of thing for her in the fall for layering.

 

And, some socks. Both of these are test knits. Many knitters are crazy for socks, so I have been really trying to feel the love. Alas, it's not happening. I don't like wearing them.

Yes, there are two! I just can't be bothered to photograph the second one.

That's all that's finished that I have photographs of. I knit a couple of nice lace scarves that were donated to school fund raisers, but I forgot to photograph them. Oops. 

And, I have four projects on the needles right now. One is a test knit shawl that is turning out rather well. It's blue.

Another is a shawl project from some sock wool that a friend send me from Alaska. It's hand dyed and called "Orca." Turns out "Orca" in Alaskan means "blue."

I bought some silk from India and I'm working on a really interesting reversible cable scarf. Blue. Really pretty, but quite pilly. I think this could turn out like Blue Praha and live happily on my scarf rack for me to love and admire from afar.

And I have one really pretty charcoal grey hank of bamboo that I'm working on a loosely knit summer scarf. They'll all show up here eventually.

Tomorrow: Canary Islands!

 

Comments

[Debbie Hanson]

ME!! *raises hand* If no one has spoken-up for the red scarf I'd love to have another RR original. Actually, after blue, red is my next favorite color.

LOVE your knitting projects. Wish you'd stop moving around so much so you could show me how to knit one weekend. I'm still trying to knit a square pot holder....don't think any designers are gonna ask for my help.

[Karen W]

Blue....I'm taking a big leap here...you like Blue, right? ; )

Great stuff! Almost makes me want to break out my knitting bag and yarns and start knitting and crocheting again....hang on, its pushing 100....nah, bad idea.

[Donkaloosa]

I love the red shawl! OK, so it seems you like blue. Nothing wrong with blue. I am amazed at how well you knit and how what you call "simple," "easy to memorize," whatever --- they are all gorgeous.

[Monica]

Hope is adorable!

You are a very productive knitter! Love the polar bear, lamb with sweater and blue and grey scarlves!

[Ellen]

@Donkaloosa, knitting is just loops repeated over and over. Sometimes they are frontways, sometimes they are backways, sometimes you add a new loop, sometimes you loop two together. If you think of it that way, it really is easy. :-)

[Ellen]

And Loyal Reader Debbie gets the scarf! Jeff will be in the US in June, so I'll send it off with him. Thanks for taking it! It is a pretty thing, but wasted in my blue, blue life. ;-)

[Debbie Hanson]

WooooHooooo!!!! Can't wait!!! But what do you mean "Jeff will be in the US in June?" Are you not coming for a visit? We can meet for lunch again off I95.

[Donkaloosa]

Never thought about knitting that way --- loops over and over, sideways, frontways, add a loop --- ok, that makes some sense!

[Jennifer]

Darling, "amateur" hardly! Do I not remember correctly that it was you who taught me to knit? Oh, and test knitting; I can help you out with that, or should I say you can help me.
Love your self designed cable sweater by the way.

[Ellen]

Nope, I did not teach you to knit. Tracey, yes. You, no. But I would be happy to end up on your test knitter list. My biggest issue is always finding a wool that will work, so I tend to chose tests based on what the stuff I have in my cabinet.