Taking Time to Plan

I'm lucky to have a student teacher in my room this semester. I think I've mentioned that I'm concerned that I may not be the best model for her, but it's been nice for me to think carefully about what I do in my classroom and to see things through different eyes. She's working on creating units to teach after our students take finals. So far, she's been watching us finish the semester and getting to know my students. I've been sort of envious of the time she's able to spend planning out her work. Actually, not sort of. Really envious would be more like it. Everything goes so much smoother when you have a roadmap to guide you along the way. I'm hopeful that my students will respond well to all that she brings to the classroom when she eventually becomes the lead teacher. I suspect they will. I truly have a great group of students this year.

Tonight in my knitting class we did some planning too. One student is knitting a Knit Swirl sweater and the construction is more than a little atypical. When she started, we talked about writing out the plan row by row, or welt by welt. Having a linear, well written guide to follow as you read the designers instructions can sometimes be a big help.

I know knitters who put the directions into a spread sheet, some copy the pattern and highlight and make notes, and I even made multiple copies one time cut it apart and put each line of the directions onto a 3x5 card and flipped through the stack as I knit. Some use sticky notes and others highlighter tape...Knit Companion is an app that you can use for an electronic map through the pattern, and I currently use my iPad and the Good Reader app to make digital notes and move through charts.

For this knitter, we have a plan.


A welt by welt, and for this section of the sleeves, a row by row plan that she can check off as she goes. Someday soon she's going to have a gorgeous sweater made from Madeline Tosh, and she'll be certain she made no mistakes because she'll be following a plan.

It got me wondering. How do you plan your knitting? What tips and tricks help you through the tricky bits?

Remind Me I Like to Knit

Two and a half hours until I can begin the endless collar.


I do love it, but am so eager to be working on something else. Every pattern on Ravelry looks better to me than this one does right now. I keep reminding myself that when I finish this, it will be my third adult garment that I've finished this year, fourth if you want to count the child sized Tomten.

That's not too shabby, 'eh? If you're wondering what I'm up to for the next few days, I'll be knitting this vest...because I LIKE to knit.

Is Resistance Futile?

I had a major case of startitis this weekend.  I have been diligently working through my list of UFOs and want to cast on something new.  To be fair, I've knit a couple of small little projects in the past couple of weeks.  I've made two cowls and two hats, but those don't really count, do they?  They were fun little knits that didn't really hold much allure.  They were almost cast off as soon as they were cast on.

My friend Kim came over to knit on Saturday, and having spent Friday in my new Philosopher's Wool sweater, I felt pretty darn good about myself, and thought I'd reward myself with a new sweater. But I don't have my swatch knit for the one I think I can finish quickly.  I do have swatches done for two other sweaters. (Ignore the fact that both sweaters will be knit from the same yarn. . .and that I only have enough to make one sweater from that quantity of yarn. . .those details aren't really important.)  Kim had the perfect social knitting project with her.  A simple 1x1 ribbed scarf made with self striping yarn.  Enough interest in the color changes, but simple enough to talk and watch movies while knitting.  I needed such a project.  Since I STILL can't find my elusive skein of sock yarn, I thought maybe I'd cast on a new pair.  (rejected because in spite of how quickly I knit, they are not quick projects and would be bound to be a new UFO)  I thought I might cast on a Jacobus Monkey (also rejected because I don't know what color to knit, and I'd have to wind sock yarn) I thought I might knit a hat for my uncle (rejected because I need to find a pattern, and I'm not actually sure he'll wear it)  Maybe that sweater out of the Greenfield Village yarn?  (rejected because of the no swatching issue stated above)  I downloaded a couple of new patterns from Ravelry, and began to pick out the yarn to knit some significant garter stitch wraps (rejected because I have the good sense not to start a massive undertaking without support, and Jennie says she can't KAL until much later this year)  I thought about a bog jacket and began to plan colors (rejected because my pattern is at my aunt's house)  With a sigh, I grabbed my basket with the Cloud Chaser Vest I started last year some time.  I'd already knit the back and most of the right front.  This surely wouldn't take long, would it?

Let's just say that I hate UFOs.  They suck the life out of you.  I knit all day Saturday, and a few hours on Sunday.  I've got the right front done, and am only eight repeats and some ribbing from finishing the left.  To be fair, it's a lot of knitting on size 4 needles, and I added a significant amount of length to the fronts to account for how I think it should drape and my very tall frame.  Matlie was getting row by row updates all weekend. . .I think she'll tell you I'm at around 74 rows remaining to the fronts (but seriously, who's counting?)  This all sounds well and good, but take a look at that pattern on Ravelry.  Have you seen the collar?  I'm in knitting Purgatory.

When I was out on Sunday, I almost succumbed to the lure of new sock yarn.  I had two really pretty skeins in my hands and was ready to check out. . .and then I put them back.

I did not cast on anything new.

I kept on knitting on my UFO, but it's still a long way from being finished.  I think maybe I'll reward myself with some swatching and a new sweater when it's done, but then I think about my Lloie's cardigan that is waiting for me.  I'll probably be complaining about that in a few weeks, and skipping the new sweater.   I'm imagining the freedom that must come to those knitters who are monogamous to one project at a time.  The idea I could cast on anything I wanted without guilt and forget about the shame that comes with knowing I have so many projects I love that sit unfinished.  I think I may want to be that knitter.  So for now I'm doing my penance.  I'll keep working on these long forgotten loves.

But today?  I couldn't take it.  I only knit two rows.  Not really enough to call progress, but still a teeny bit of forward momentum.  And then I sat down and my sewing machine and made myself a pair of pants.  Take that.  A new project cut out, sewn and ready to wear to school tomorrow if I want.  A balm for my startitis, and a useful way to work through that fabric stash that I typically pretend I don't have since it fits inside the closet so neatly.  I almost walked away from them when the elastic wasn't the right length, thinking I could fix them later. . .but then I got out my seam ripper and made them perfect.  

I think I may be turning over a new leaf.

Party like it's 1954

I live in a small community, and enjoy my quiet neighborhood. The people are friendly, and the houses well kept. Tonight, we had a dinner party with neighbors that was long overdue. It felt a little June and Walt Cleaver, but I realize that time spent with friends over a home cooked meal are rare these days. It was a nice end to a long week, and I hope to repeat it again soon.

Hopefully your week ended just a peacefully, and your weekend plans are filled with creative endeavors that will carry you through the week when it seems like time for creating is tough to find.

All the Things

I was given a skein of interesting yarn for Christmas this year that I've been eager to knit up. It's a bunch of different yarns that coordinate, with a pattern for an infinity scarf made with a mobieus cast on. It's Island Yarn Combo Fibers and is a clever use of the yarn, as you get what appears to be two stripes from each of the unique colors/fibers in the skein. I thought it would be a fast knit, and didn't even bother to wind it into a ball. It's moving a bit slower than I expected (you mean I don't knit at the speed of light? really?) and I'm a bit disappointed it's not done as I head off to bed tonight.



It may be that it's not growing as quickly as I'd like because I'm fondling this yarn--a Christmas present to myself.



My Grandmother worked at Greenfield Village when I was a teen, and I've always wanted to purchase this soft and bouncy merino wool grown at their historic Firestone Farm. In December when I took a trip there to hear some of my students perform, I saw some roving in their gift shop and inquired about the yarn. They brought some from another of their shops just for me, and some finally made it's way to my stash. I have four skeins that I think will be perfect for the Streamside Cardigan. I'm ready to cast on, but haven't knit my gauge swatch yet. Plus, I keep thinking I should finish another of my UFOs before I cast on a larger project like this. Still, it's distracting me.

If the new knitting projects on my horizon weren't enough, guess what arrived today?


Zippers!

I want to cut and sew and draft and revise and sew some more. The colors are fun, and my creative juices are flowing. I want to knit and sew and swatch and. . .I want to do all the things.

It's good that the weekend isn't far off.

Sleep is Good

I muscled through my day today, somewhat in a fog. Not a stitch knit, nor bit of fabric sewn. I'm hoping that yesterday's craftiness makes up for the lack of it today.

At our guild meeting last night, I thought I'd work on a pair if simple socks. I didn't plan things out properly, though, since I made it to the end of the sock, and didn't have the second ball of yarn in my bag to knit. Poor planning.



I actually like this yarn more than I expected to. It's Paton's Kroy that I bought at a big box store, and figured I needed to get out of my stash. It's not the softest yarn, but I like a yarn with a little tooth for my socks. Now if only I could find the second skein...

I tossed the sock yarn cabinet, thinking it was there.


No luck.

I wasn't terribly worried, and figured it was in my basket downstairs, but it wasn't there either. If you see it, will you send it my way?

Yesterday morning when I should have been sleeping, I also worked on a couple of little bags. My friend Joyce had one of these at our guild retreat a few years ago, and I've been thinking of it ever since. When I saw the pattern at a quilt store this summer, I snatched it up. It's called "What's In Your Bag" and I just love it.


That black area on the front may not really show up in the photo, but it's a clear window so you can see the inside.

Two of them went together pretty quickly out of a few scraps I had sitting around. There are some things I'd like to change about it, but love the idea. I ordered a bunch of zippers this weekend and feel a burst of sewing coming on.

Turns out, you can operate an iPhone from the outside of the plastic. That opened up a whole realm of possibilities and really got me thinking. A perfect little purse for your iPhone? It might be right around the corner. I'd also like to see what it's like with a mesh front similar to Namaste's Oh Snap bags.

So I'm curious. Made a bit larger to hold a small project? Smaller for a notions bag? What kinds if things would YOU put in a little zippered pouch? What size is the perfect size? This inquiring mind wants to know.

But today, without a crafty moment of my own, I'm going to catch up on some of that sleep I missed out on earlier in the week. Sleep is good.

Burning at Both Ends

I was awakened at 1am this morning and couldn't make myself fall back asleep. I tried reading, flipping and flopping in bed, and playing on the iPad. Nothing worked, so I gave in and got out of bed.

I will have to admit, that even though I'm extremely tired, that I've been very productive today. There's something to be said for burning the candle at both ends.

Hopefully I can get some solid sleep tonight and entertain you with photos of my productivity tomorrow.