37 posts tagged “33 in '08”

Well, I've been putting a lot of thought into the knitting that I've been doing over the last year. I've gotten a lot better at it, and I think the stuff I make turns out quite well. I've gotten better at photographing my projects and keeping track of my yarn. To keep the good times rolling, I've decided to make a list of goals for 2009. Resolutions are for suckers. These are things I will do.

1- Major stash-organizing. I have little room to work with at my house, seeing as my bedroom is only 9'x10' (thanks, roomies!). The result is that my yarn gets shoved in big rubbermaid containers in a hall closet. I forget what I have in there and it's a major pain to get to. So when I get some $$$ I'm going to invest in some storage for my yarn. While organizing I'll need to do some ...
2- Major stash-busting. One of my big rubbermaid containers holds a ton of acryllic yarn from Warm the World, a non-profit that makes blankets. I can't explain why, but I just can't get myself to do the work. Maybe I am that big of a jerk/selfish knitter. Either way, the yarn should go somewhere that will use it. So I'll probably box it up, plus some extra acryllic stuff that I will never use, and send it back to Warm the World. That will clear up a lot of space.
3- Learn intarsia. I really want to get into colorworking, and I feel like my total avoidance of projects involving colorwork is keeping me back. I'm pretty sure my LYS will have some sort of class at some point. I may ask the owner about it.
4- Do more weaving. I took a weaving class back in August and it was awesome. The owner of Hill Country Weavers reminds me every time I go into the shop that I should keep it up, and I agree. HCW has three properties, one of which is a house filled with large looms and warping umbrellas that are open and free to use. So I think I'm going to make a rug for the hallway outside of my bedroom. I'll use up some acryllic yarn and scraps that I have from old projects.
5- Start selling projects on Etsy/etc. I've made plenty of things because I like the patterns. But what should I do with them? I think I'll try selling stuff. I would naturally give full credit to the designers and would only look for reimbursment of material costs. I think that's reasonable and fair. I don't want to get in trouble with copyright but I'm not really trying to make a profit. If I want to make a profit from this then I'll need to stick with #6.
6- Design more original projects.  I've made one original pattern and it has over 100 projects on Ravelry. I think that's pretty good! I've been asked by two different people to think up stuff from various knitting magazines/online zines so I'd really like to do that. Hopefully I can budget myself time to design and test stuff out this semester.
7- Learn to spin. I know there will be spinning classes at HCW, so whenever one pops up I'm going to take it. That will involve, at some point in the future, probably buying a wheel. We'll see about that. I can't really afford that and if all goes according to plan and I get a teaching job in the UK after I finish my PhD I won't want to bother with trying to sell it/move it/whatever. But I definitely want to learn how.
8- Knit at least one project from every knitting/crochet book I own. I have quite a few, and this will be a good test to see what I should keep and what I should sell.

I think that's a good list of stuff to do, and it seems pretty reasonable. I'll keep track of the projects I finish for the year, like I did last year (62!), but now that I know I can have a large output of quality/cool items I don't feel like I have to challenge myself in that way. This year I want to streamline and learn new things. I admit, though, that forcing myself to make so many projects this year has really improved the quality of what I make.

Here's the list of what I did in 2008:
- Pineapple Hat
- Amigurumi Bear
- Amigurumi Squid x2
- Quant
- Womb
- 2x2 Ribbed Hat
- Amigurumi Raindrop x2
- Amigurumi Whale
- Birds of a Feather (amigurumi bird) x2
- Cthulhu Baby Bib
- Aramis (sweater)
- Tudora (cowl)
- Katamari Earmuffs
- Biscuit Pillow
- Adipose (Doctor Who, stuffed animal) x2
- Smocking Stitch Mug Cozy (by MK Carroll)
- Garter Stitch Mug Cozy
- "Cashmere" Cowl by Purl Bee
- Triple Cable Muffler
- Train Tam
- Lopi Lace Scarf
- Brain Slug x2
- Aspen Cowl
- One Skein Wonder (shrug) x2
- Parallelograms Scarf
- Twirly Top Toque
- Calorimetry x3
- Stella's Hat
- Rose Red x2
- Sunray
- Reverse-Bloom Flower Dishcloth
- Rose's Wristwarmers (Doctor Who)
- A Nobel Cowl (my original pattern!)
- "Cashmere" Neckwarmer by Kim K.
- Woven Scarf x2
- Amigurumi Ninja
- Beech Wood Cowl
- Clapotis x2
- French Press Cozy
- Wedding Shrug (improvised pattern)
- Amigurumi Lion
- Spring Beret
- Gooseberry Hat
- Baby Hat (from One Skein)
- Rib & Cable Quarter Gaiter x2
- Urchin
- Abalone
- Propeller
- Fence
- Give a Hoot Mittens

So that's 50 unique projects and 62 total projects. Pretty good year, I think.
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I was going to do some retrospective additions of posts about things I've been working on, but thought that'd be pretty lame. So I'll just post some pictures.

mittens blocking

Part of a set I'm making for a friend for Xmas. We have yet to exchange gifts so no details or real pictures ... yet.

sideways cloche

I got a Borders GC for Xmas so I bought Boutique Knits by Laura Irwin. I legitimately want to make every pattern out of that book. I can't say that for many knitting books out there. This is the sideways cloche and I love it. There are a few things I'd do to change the pattern next time (and I'm pretty sure there will be a next time. 1) cast on less stitches, probably 38 or so. 2) use a provisional cast on and use a kitchener stitch to seam the sides together. 3) seam the sides first, then pick up the stitches for the top with dpns and work in the round.

Yarn I picked up from Knitche the day after Xmas. The Katia Peru is what I used for my cloche, and that Louet Gems will make me another Rose Red by Ysolda Teague. I'm casting on that badboy tonight.

Yeah, I'm overdue for my #1 Trek episode post. If anyone out there in the internet is really waiting for it is only something the internet knows. For my own satisfaction it will come either later tonight or tomorrow. Trekkers probably already know what it is.

This post is actually about something I've knit, which is actually the prime directive of this blog. So here we go.

abalone

abalone

Abalone by Woolly Wormhead. This is out of the book Going Straight, which I promise is not a political or social statement. It's just a knitting pattern e-book. All of the hats are knit straight using short-rows, rather than on circular needles from the bottom up. I want to knit all hats like this now. I used Plymouth Yarns Boku, which is a fantastic variegated yarn and really looks great with this pattern which called for Noro Silk Garden.

I also finished Urchin by Ysolda Teague.

urchin

It only took two days to knit, which is awesome because I love instant gratification. Another hat knit straight with short rows.

Right now I'm working on Propeller from Woolly Wormhead's book Wee Woolly Toppers. So cute.

Back to Sunday Night Football (go Ravens!).
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p.s. I'm hat 59 completed projects in 2008. I've noticed that I have gotten exponentially better at knitting this year, and I think it's because I have done so much of it. The work is paying off.

I seem to have gained a few new cousins over the last two years, so I made them hats for Xmas.

Hey I made something.

spring beret

spring beret, detail

My latest project.

yet another calorimetry

Which I say because I still don't really know anyone in Austin, so I just sit around at home listening to records, watching movies/baseball, and knitting. I guess it could be worse? I really need to meet some people, though.

Here are some pictures of knit things.

cabled cowl

This will eventually be a cowl. It's a bit slow going because I'm ADD when it comes to knit projects and following two charts at the same time is a bit of a pain. It's going to look flippin' awesome when it's finished, though.

rose red 2

This is another Rose Red by Ysolda Teague. I made one back in July, but I made the mistake of packing it in the box that the moving company lost. So I'm making myself another one. Same yarn, same pattern, same size, same everything. It's still blocking at the moment.

rose red 2, blocking on a 10" record

I have been knitting, even though I haven't posted in a while. I'm in a stretch of largish projects, so I'm basically just chipping away at things at the moment.

This has been my project on the bus:

shoulderette

For something a bit less intensive I just made this cozy for my french press.

french press cozy

2 comments

Hopefully this will keep my coffee warmer for a bit longer in the morning.

I am just so proud of myself. I was working on this great capelet pattern on my own, no pattern or anything. I used top-down raglan calculations, cast on, worked back and forth for an open cardigan style, did kfb increases, 2x2 ribbing, the whole shebang. But then it was a GIANT. It was seriously so big and droopy. I don't understand how. My gauge must have changed as I knit. I thought, what the hell, blocking will help, right? No. It didn't. So then I said, fuck it, I'm felting this badboy.

wedding capelet/shrug

As always I have a few things on the needles, but the memory card for my camera broke two weeks ago so it's been hard to document correctly. Also, blocking takes forever. BUT. I finished my Clapotis.

clapotis