Craftie Allie

May 19, 2013
by Craftie Allie 2 Comments

046 :: An Update, Featuring WIPS and an Increased Stash

Oh gosh, things got HECTIC a few weeks ago for me. Finishing up my first semester of grad school(4.0, by the way), my work load increasing, finishing up my knitting class…I just got overwhelmed and did not really spend that much time online. I have been contemplating some blog changes and hope to get started on that, soon. For now, I thought I would show that, yes, I do still exist, and, yes, I am still knitting.

I recently spoke of my growing stash of Northbound Knitting yarn. Well, I have since used up some of that yarn…and also added more to it. Oops! This post is just to show you what I have been working on. I have a nice review post planned once I complete these projects.

First up is Trivium by Lisa Mutch of Northbound Knitting. This pattern comes with three items: cowl, hat and fingerless gloves. I have completed the cowl, sans buttons and blocking, and will go on to the hat next. This is a lovely pattern, easy to remember and really fun to knit. The yarn I am using is NBK’s Merino DK Singles in Nocturne, the first skein of NBK yarn I ever purchased. I love the subtle color changes from white up to dark grey. And it is so wonderfully soft! I am happy that I will have this set ready for when cold weather hits us once again. I’ll need to order another skein (oh darn!) to knit up the fingerless gloves but I do believe I will need the complete set this winter.

This week, I have also started my first shawl for myself, another lovely design by Lisa Mutch called Flawed. I plan on doing a review on this pattern and yarn, so I don’t want to talk about it too much but I do want to show it off because it makes me SO HAPPY!

Flawed, close up.

I will say that this has been a blast to knit and the colors are knitting up so beautifully! I cannot wait for this to be off my needles and to share it with you guys!

My boyfriend is adorable and will always text me when I get mail. Whenever I receive mail from Lisa, he will text me to let me know that I have “yarn. Canadian yarn.” I think it is adorable and now dub every day I receive a Northbound Knitting package as Canadian Yarn day (I have at least one a month and they are my favorite of the days). Yesterday, was Canadian Yarn Day.

Canadian Yarn Day.

The purple is Lisa’s BFL/Silk Fingering in the colorway Velvet Underground. It is so amazing in person that I don’t even know how to put words together. My favorite color is purple and this just…is the best purple I have ever seen. This will become another shawl by Lisa.

The bottom skeins are Lisa’s Superwash Merino Sport and the colorway is Skeleton Key and oh my gosh. I have been wanting this colorway for a while now and seeing it in person, it is just breathtaking. Lots of gray variants, which I just love. I have a pattern picked out for this MAYBE. I cannot decide for certain just yet, though.

Although not from Northbound Knitting, I purchased this beauty yesterday while out with my mom. We went by my local yarn store and noticed that it had a going out of business sign. This has really saddened me. I knew the owners were looking to sell but I was really hoping someone else would purchase the shop. The closest yarn store to me now is about 30 minutes away, in a town I honestly never go to. But I suppose I will be making some trips out there in the future now.

I had not planned on buying anything when I went in. But learning the sad news, I just couldn’t not buy something. I have been wanting to try Madelinetosh, which they did have some in stock but no colors that really spoke out to me. I saw this Malabrigo when I first entered the store and can picture it knit up into a lovely shawl (I think I’m finally on a shawl kick…).

I’m going to go by the yarn store again this weekend after pay day and pick up another skein or two. It breaks my heart that this is happening but I know the ladies who own the store are ready for changes. I can’t really blame them.

I’ve noticed on Ravelry a new group has been added, for local knitters. These are people who have been attending the yarn shop’s knit nights (which I haven’t yet been able to attend, sadly, but had hoped to join this summer). They’re working on meeting in different places so they can still knit together. I’ve joined and they’ve invited me to join. I cannot attend this week due to us going out of town the night they are having it but I hope to join next week. I really need more knitters in my life and hope that I can make some new friends through this venture.

For the most part, that covers what I’ve been doing for the past few weeks. I am also still working on my surprise knit, which I hope to have done this week. I’ll have to wait until the present has been delivered before posting pictures, though. I will say this: it’s turning out rather cute!

April 25, 2013
by Craftie Allie 6 Comments

045 :: 4KCBWDAY4: Color Review

Day 04 of the Knitting and Crochet Blog Week is upon us! Oh, I hate that these last few posts have been written late at night; I’ve been just too busy during the day to get the posts done when I would like. And today, my allergies are so bad that I’m lucky to have sat down and wrote something.

4KCBWDAY4 Colour Review

What are your favourite colours for knitted or crocheted projects. Have a think about what colours you seem to favour when yarn shopping and crafting. Only after writing this part of your post should you then actually look to see what colours you have used in your projects. Make a quick tally of what colours you have used in your projects over the past year and compare it to the colours you have written about. Compare this, in turn, to the colours that are most dominant in your yarn stash – do they correlate? Now think back to your house animal – do the colours you have chosen relate to your animal in anyway – if you are in the house of peacock, for example, are your projects often multicoloured and bright?

I love color but I don’t tend to vary my color choices. Knitting has helped me step out of this somewhat and I’m hoping to be more adventurous in the future. My favorite colors are purple, grey and maroon. When I am searching for yarn for me, I am always drawn to these colors. But I try really hard to not pick them.

I recently made a post about my Northbound Knitting stash. In that bowl, there is the grey, which is a huge favorite of mine, but also some greens. I am not a fan of green, but I find I buy a lot of yarn with green in it, like my Sunday Swing Socks.

What I love about knitting are the bright vibrant colors I can find in various yarns. It is hard sometimes. I have to think, wow, these colors are great…but will I wear it? I took a chance recently with the Varia hat (which I still need to do FO post on….)

Here is where I feel that I am at: I love color. But I am still scared of it. I need to venture out more. Maybe that should be another goal for this year.

As for my color choices relating to my house…I don’t really think they do. It’s hard to picture Bees being anything other than yellow/black themed, but I do enjoy the stripe look.

April 24, 2013
by Craftie Allie 1 Comment

044 :: 4kcbwday3: Infographic

4kcbwday3 Infographic
There are many ways of conveying information on a blog; text and images being the two most widely used. Many infographics combine both these elements to provide a visual way of presenting text information.

I love this prompt and I really wanted to do something cool for this. But I just got home. And I’m tired. So here’s a quick chart of what I did today.

Oh…Wednesday. I’m ready for bed, but I’m going to try to sneak in some more rows.

April 23, 2013
by Craftie Allie 10 Comments

043 :: 4KCBWDAY2: A Mascot Project

Today is Day 2 of the Knitting and Crochet Blog Week project and here is my prompt.

4KCBWDAY2 A Mascot Project.

Your task today is to either think of or research a project that embodies that house/animal. It could be a knitting or crochet pattern – either of the animal itself or something that makes you think of the qualities of that house.

Alternatively it could be a type or colour of yarn, or a single button. Whatever you choose, decide upon a project and blog about how and why it relates to your house/creature.

A mascot…for a bee? Hmm. Well, first let’s check out Ravelry, it seems like the best place to start. Typing in just the word “bee”, I end up with over 1000 results. That’s quite a bit. When I think of mascot, of course the first thing that comes to mind is little animals, like this guy.

Picture taken from the BEE Knitting PDF Pattern by Eteri Khodonashvili Ravelry page. Click the picture to be taken to Ravelry.

How cute is that guy? Now, as cute as I find this guy, this is not something I would personally knit. I’m a process knitter that must flit from project to project of things that interest me. And well…this doesn’t really peak my interest. Not just this one, knitting animals in general. Maybe one day I will venture into the knitting of small toys. Until then…I think I need to continue searching for a mascot. What about stripes? I love stripes, yes, but don’t particularly enjoy yellow and black together. Again, interest not captured.

Picture taken from the Bee At Home Ravelry page. Click the picture to be taken to Ravelry.

Well, isn’t that lovely! This shawl features a honeycomb-esque pattern, something related to bees that isn’t a toy or full of yellow. I am someone who loves shawls but quickly gets tired of knitting them. I think I just haven’t found the right pattern, one that is a step up from garter and/or stockinette stitch but isn’t so complicated that it stresses me out while working on it. This one seems like it might fit in the middle. And I love this blue used in the picture above. There is a self striping one on the Ravelry page that is lovely, as well.

Realizing I enjoy the honeycomb look a lot more than bees, I’ve changed my search to “honeycomb”. 325 results. Two of which are in my queue.

Picture from the Honey Cowl by Madelinetosh Ravelry page. Click the picture to be taken to Ravelry.

I love cowls, yet I’ve not made myself one. Actually, I’m realizing that aside from a couple of hats and socks, I haven’t made myself much of anything. Must fix that soon. Anyway, I am in love with this cowl. I love the textured look of it (I’m a big fan of textures) and I even like the green in the picture above — and I am not the biggest fan of green.

I almost picked this for my mascot. But then, as I was going through my results, I came across another pattern in my queue. I was so surprised at myself for not thinking of this immediately when trying to come up with a mascot for The House of Bee. It must be my mascot.

Picture taken from The Beekeeper’s Quilt Ravelry page. Click the picture to be taken to Ravelry.

The Beekeeper’s Quilt! Of course! I’m sure you’ve seen tons of these little hexipuffs around the knit-o-sphere. This is something I have been wanting to start for a while now and just haven’t done. I like the idea of an ongoing project, I like the idea that even on days where I am just worn out, I could sit and work on these little puffs. I like the idea of using up scrap yarn. And I really want to make myself a blanket.

I think I’ll finally buy the pattern this week and get to work on it this weekend. I need something to represent my knitting House, after all.

April 22, 2013
by Craftie Allie 4 Comments

042 :: 4KCBWDAY1: The House Cup

Another post so soon? Why, yes, because I just learned about Knitting and Crochet Blog Week and I just MUST participate!

Today’s post will be about which house I belong to, reminiscent of the houses in the Harry Potter series. Reading through the descriptions, I find that I fit into more than one house (unlike with Harry Potter — Ravenclaw all the way [okay, maybe a little Slytherin...]). If I had to choose just one house, though, this is the house that I feel best suits me:

The House of Bee: Bees are busy and industrious, but can flit from one interesting project to the next as bright and shiny things capture their interest.

I’m a process knitter. I enjoy the act of knitting. That is not to say I do not enjoy finished projects, for I do. I especially enjoy finished projects that will be given to others. But I have slight ADD, if you will, when it comes to knitting. For one, I never feel like I have enough needles. Must own multiples of each kind, just in case another project comes along with that strikes my fancy that requires a needle that is already occupied.

Saying this, though, I am happy to say that my WIPs are usually under control. Soon, I will go through all my WIPs and probably prove myself wrong, but as far as I know, I only have 5 projects going on. To others, that may seem like a ridiculous amount, but for me it works. Usually, I have one project that requires me to pay closer attention. Right now, the only project I have that really needs my attention is Hermione’s Everyday Socks.

Hermione’s Everyday Socks in Knit Picks Handpainted Stroll in Frosting

I also have a plain pair of socks, which is just a must. Best travel knitting there is.

Vanilla Socks in Knit Picks Felici in Too Cool

And the garter stitch baby blanket that I mentioned a couple of posts ago.

I’m planning my next WIP already. Once school is over, I want something more challenging. Some colorwork or double knitting, maybe some lace. Something that will require my attention. Because, even though I am a process knitter, I do like to challenge myself. And it has been too long since I’ve challenged myself knitting-wise.

April 22, 2013
by Craftie Allie 2 Comments

041 :: Stash Teaser Featuring Northbound Knitting

One day this week, I am going to sit down and write down all the posts I wish to make and figure out a schedule. I am hoping to get back to regular posts next week since all of my assignments will be turned in by next Tuesday.

Today, I had hoped to stop by my local yarn store and make use of my $20 off I have only to be reminded that, alas, they are closed on Monday. Maybe I can stop by tomorrow. I’m in need of some needles and yarn.

Wait..did I say I needed yarn? Well, I must be crazy because look what came in the mail today!

NBK Knitting Superwash Merino/Nylon Fingering in Verdigris.

Beautiful, beautiful yarn. This yarn is hand dyed by the lovel Lisa Mutch of Northbound Knitting. And let me just say, Lisa does an AMAZING job. Currently, her Etsy shop only features her patterns — none of which I’ve knit but look fabulous! She posts on Twitter and Instagram when she does yarn updates and I always look forward to it. I’m starting to build up a little stash….

I’m waiting for the perfect patterns to knit with these. The colors are all so glorious and the yarn feels amazing. Soon, I will find patterns for these. Because I’ve decided to add a knitting goal for the year: To match up patterns with at least 80% of my stash. We’ll see if I can do that.

April 18, 2013
by Craftie Allie 3 Comments

040 :: I See The End

My first semester of grad school is coming to a close. 4 classes, 2 assignments and then I can enjoy summer. It has been a rough couple of weeks for me, but I have finally gotten caught up on everything and hope to get everything as close to done as possible by the weekend.

Work is getting busier. I am getting new kids weekly now. I’m going from almost full time to completely full time (and possibly then some [full time is 16 kids, I may be up to 18 in the next couple of weeks which is awesome]). Work is going well and I am excited that when I will be my busiest, I won’t have to worry about juggling assignments and attending lectures.

I’ll still have my knitting class, since university gets out a few weeks before the public schools. We’re starting hats this week and I’m hoping the kids will enjoy these last few weeks. This adventure was not what I expected. I have way more kids than I can handle — up to 17 knitting students — and under an hour to teach them. Needless to say, we haven’t gotten very far, what with supply issues and kids dropping and new kids joining. I’ve had 3 new students this month alone. I know some/most/all of these kids are upset by this class. I know I am. But I am doing my best to accomodate them and try to get them knitting. Luckily for me, I have 4 students who already knit very well. I’m going to have them aid me in re-teaching students casting on and the knit stitch this evening. Next week, we will start the hats. I hope we can get to actually starting the hats this evening but I’ve learned to not be so completely optimistic in regards with time.

I have been knitting and I hope to take decent pictures soon. I finished a pair of socks for a friend but forgot to take pictures. I’ll have to see if she posts one and steal it. And I did knit a practice puzzle piece for a blanket I’ll be making a friend soon. I’ll do a post about that soon.

Looking incredibly forward to the summer when I can concentrate on work and knitting. I need to do some selfish knitting fast.