Close Enough

I've been working on deadline knitting, and I'm going to come up short.

A couple weeks ago my son requested a new hat - not necessarily for his birthday but I added that component to the mix.  We're celebrating today so that was my self-imposed deadline.  Yesterday I conceded the hat wouldn't be finished by today.  It's not the end of the world.  His birthday is actually tomorrow, and I'm sure I'll finish the hat over the weekend.  Close enough will have to do.

I did meet one of my deadlines for today.  My daily purpose was baking a birthday cake, and that's what I did first thing this morning.  I'm happy to report the cake is out of the oven and cooling.

We're in the deep freeze this weekend, and I love it.  For me, the bitter cold is absolutely invigorating.  As the cold air was rushing in, I captured this week's color inspiration.

Frozen footprints.

Morning Stripes

After a hectic Tuesday, I carved out some knitting time for Wednesday morning.

I'm working on another stripe section in my Christmas In The City Wrap.  I'm rather smitten with this gray and brown combo.  Don't be surprised if it pops up in another project.

I know many people are slogging through this post-holiday, pandemic world we're living in.  On most days, I'm still using my daily purpose strategy.  Every day I pick one task or activity that I want to accomplish.  It doesn't have to be something that will take hours - small tasks are perfectly acceptable.  What can I say.  It gets me out of bed in the morning.

This morning I was still half asleep when I remembered my purpose for the day.  Note that it helps if you plan the daily purpose ahead of time.  It wasn't long before I was busy in the kitchen.  There was soup in the crock pot before I even had my first cup of coffee.  What keeps you going day in, day out? 

Neat and Tidy

I spent the weekend bouncing back and forth between projects.  That means I don't have any finished objects to share, but I did start something new.

A simple ribbed hat.

I started with a tubular cast on.  This is one of my favorites for a neat and tidy edge.

There are some really good tutorials out there for the tubular cast on, so I won't bore you with the details.  If you're curious, you'll find the method I use here.  It takes a little extra time, but this step-by-step approach is really quite painless - even with a lot of stitches on small needles.  Give it a whirl and add another technique to your knitting tool box.

Separated

I should know better than to count on bonus knitting time.  I thought this was going to be a week with plenty of knitting time, but various interruptions captured the extra time and then some.  I'll have to make a quick recovery because a knitting deadline looms.  

The positive spin is that I separated.

I was finally able to set aside the sleeve stitches on my Albini.  I was getting a little weary of the long rows, so the separation was a welcome sign that I'm making forward progress.  Of course this isn't the deadline knitting that's hanging over me.  Now that this sweater is in a good place, I can easily focus on the deadline project.

I'm not a quilter, but I always admire the carefully crafted collections of colors and fabrics.  This week's color inspiration comes from the gather here window display which features a quilt made with fabric leftovers from masks sewn by the Boston Area Mask Initiative.  

Kudos to BAMI.  To date, they have made and distributed over 51,000 masks.  The full quilt is stunning, but here's a little snippet.

Colorful scraps.

January Giveaway

The giveaway last month was so much fun that I decided to do it again this month.

This time it's a kit for the January sock club.  Each kit contains a full skein of sock yarn plus a coordinated mini.  Note that the colors are a surprise.  The kit pictured here is from a previous installment.  

To enter, hop over to Instagram and leave a comment in the giveaway post.  Mention your favorite sock pattern or one currently on your needles.  If Instagram doesn't work for you, leave a comment here on the blog and I'll add it to the mix.

If you've always wanted to try knitting socks but haven't taken the plunge, I encourage you to enter.  Learning how to knit socks is a great pandemic goal.

The winner will be chosen at random.  Comments will be open through Sunday, February 24.

Calliope

The list of sweaters in my queue keeps growing, so it's good that I finished one already under construction.

Calliope.

I made a couple minor adjustments to the pattern.  I shortened the ribbing on the sleeve cuffs and made the body a little longer.

The yarn is Lillian and Shimmer held together.  The colorway is Sea.

This was a relaxing project to knit . . . not too many details, just enough to keep it interesting.  The finished sweater is cozy and comfortable.

It's always rewarding to finish a bigger project, and now there are empty needles for a new sweater.

The Bright Spots

One thing I've learned from this pandemic (and I've learned a few) is that it's OK to cut myself some slack.  If I need a day off, it's not the end of the world.  Unplug, rest, regroup.  That's what I did mid-week, and I encourage you to do the same if you're feeling overwhelmed.

The world isn't a better place today, but I'm better equipped to handle it.  I'm upright and back to work with my to-do list in hand.  

I'm also making an effort to find the bright spots in my day-to-day life.  I'll be the first to admit that sometimes it's a challenge to find anything with even a feeble glimmer.

I'm making progress on my Christmas In The City Wrap.  A bit of simple lace paired with cozy candlelight qualifies as a bright spot.  Keep an eye out for your own bright spots.

This week's color inspiration . . .

Chocolate on chocolate.

Knitting and Math

For a couple weeks, I've been hunkered down and focused on my knitting.  As a result, I've finished a few things.  That means it's time to start some new projects.  Notice the plural.  I have several projects planned for immediate cast on.

A little math can come in handy when you're knitting.  I started this sweater over the weekend.  I applaud all of you knitters who post pattern notes on Ravelry.  I've made it a habit to skim them before I start a bigger project.

While I was reading notes for this sweater (Albini, in case you're interested), I noticed several comments about the neckline.  I took those notes to heart and made a  few adjustments of my own.  Time will tell if my numbers are on target.

And this is waiting in the wings.

I knit a swatch yesterday and blocked it overnight.  This is ready to cast on, but first I have to do a little more math.

Blurry Cowl

This has been another intense week.  In the midst of so much distressing news, it's important to be stay positive.  Look for things that give you hope.

My little flurry of finished projects continues.

Blurry Cowl.

This project is an entertaining combination of texture, stripes and lace.  If you need a relaxing knit, this might be the ticket.

I used the Lucia DK Bundle in Moon Shadow.  This 2-skein combo includes a skein of Sprinkles.  The pattern sample used a speckle-type yarn in the top section.  I swapped the two types to highlight the texture on top.  This pattern would also work well with two skeins of contrasting yarn.  So many options.

Just a reminder that tomorrow (Saturday) I'll be on Zoom.

Hours:  11:00 - 1:00 Eastern

Meeting ID:  821 1169 0785

Stop by for knitting chatter or just to say hi.

This week's color inspiration . . . 

Dim winter sun.

Tincture

I'm off to a productive start this month with a few projects coming off the needles.  I'm mired in mountains of paperwork, so it's encouraging to have finished projects piling up. 

Tincture.

Slip stitches make this a relaxing colorwork project.  Plus the fabric is cozy and warm.

I used the Marybelle DK Bundle in Moon Shadow.  This is our 

non-superwash base.  It's great for colorwork projects and makes 

long-wearing hats, mittens and sweaters.  Follow the link for additional color options.

Weekend Market

My first Monday of the new year is off to a rocky start.  I've spent hours on the phone with a government agency.  As if that weren't frustrating enough, I had to dash out to fax two batches of documents to said government agency.  That took well over an hour and tested my patience.  It didn't help that the clerk sending the fax pointed out that most watches are faster than a fax machine.  Welcome to 2021.

For your Monday, here's a quick heads up about a virtual market happening this weekend.

New England Fiber Vendors are hosting another market.  It would have been our annual Knitting Weekend at Slater Mill.  Since that's not happening, the Virtual Market seemed like a good way to mark the occasion.

I'll be available via Zoom on Saturday.  Once again I'll be joined by Fiber Stash Dyeworks and Three Bags Full.

Hours:  11:00 - 1:00 Eastern

Meeting ID:  821 1169 0785

This is a great opportunity to chat about samples or colors.  Stop by with questions or just to say hi.  I'm offering free shipping all weekend.  No code needed.  See the Facebook page for details on participating vendors and special promotions.

Now it's back to the phone.  I'm on hold . . . again.