I cut things a little close this year but the annual ornament tradition continues. 2009 saw a stocking, 2010 had mittens, and 2011 got a stocking hat. 2012 gets a cuddly and portly house complete with doors, windows, our initials, the year, and a smoking chimney. The ornament has a high profile spot on the tree and makes me smile every time I walk past.
I hope you’re enjoying the holidays with lots of food, good company, and piles of finished gifts. Cheers!
Something amazing has happened. All of my Christmas knitting, at least all the stuff I had to make for other people, is finished. In the 6 years since I learned to knit, this is the first time I haven’t had to give out IOU’s or show off stitches still on the needles. Bonus, today isn’t even the end of the world.
To celebrate I’m giving in to the urge to cast on something fun for myself and completely without a deadline. Over a year ago I bought a kit to make Mousie by Ysolda Teague and it’s been sitting in my stash until today. I’ve got grand weekend plans of doing as little as possible, knitting a cute mouse, and enjoying good company.
If you’re still in the throes of holiday knitting, I wish you speedy needles, tangle-free yarn, and errata free patterns. Good luck. I’m cheering for you.
My love for lists is no secret. To-do lists, grocery lists, and check lists have all served me well over the years. Now that there’s only a week until Christmas, the handy list is keeping me sane. This weekend, I was able to cross 3 things off the to-make list. Awesome. This great and powerful list also tells me there’s only 3 things left to make which is great since the list seems so much longer in my head.
Another thing that’s keeping me sane on the knitting front is ignoring all those last minute requests. I’m just filing them away as future gift ideas and not worrying about them in the slightest. Less stress and more sleep that way.
Also keeping the stress down is knowing how much I’ve already accomplished. These 2 hats were added to the list late in the game but finished with time to spare. Never underestimate the strength of simple hats, nice yarn, and manly colors. Add in some entertaining movies to stave off boredom and you’re good to go.
Pattern: Squared Away Ribbed Watch Cap by Oftroy
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash - Grey (900) and Navy (854)
Needles: US 6 (4 mm)
Dates: Dec 5 - 16, 2012
This is the second and third time I’ve knit this pattern and seems to be my default guy hat. It’s simple but the squared decreases add a nice touch. It’s good travel knitting and good tv knitting which is great since 9” of ribbing gets tiresome pretty quickly. Totally worth it though.
Now that my Christmas cards are in the mail and winging their ways across the States, it’s time to show off the goodness inside: origami ornaments. I like to make ornaments every year for the tree and add them as special touches with friends’ gifts. This year, I’m taking a break from knitted leaves, birds, stockings, mittens, and pom-poms for origami. There’s no lack of holiday knitting around here and origami is a nice change. The ornaments are much faster to fold than to knit, easy to make, and just the right size to mail to friends across the country.
There are tons of instructions for origami stars across the internet and I fell for the Robin Star by Maria Sinayskaya. This video helped clear up some of the more complicated parts of the folding and assembly. I used 3” foil origami paper and the completed stars came out 4” across. The only thing I changed was to tuck the “triangle”, that is normally folded behind all layers, under the last layer to hide the paper’s wrong side. Once all the stars were folded, a hole punch (an awl would work too) and some craft thread quickly turned the bunch into ornaments.
After folding 20 of these stars I have a few tips :
Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started.
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How is it December already? My internal clock says it should still be October or the beginning of November at the latest. It seems like I should be just starting my 5K training instead of in Week 9 and not having all that much to show for it. Last week, I should have gone out running 3 days a week. The weather was wonderful and the park nearby but I spent the entire week sick. Again. My lungs were trying to climb up out of my chest any way they could. Didn’t succeed though. So, here it is, week 9 of my training, the supposed end date, and I’m no where close to being able to run a 5K. Am I frustrated? Yes. Am I giving up? No. Assuming the weather cooperates this week and leaves my lungs alone, I’m going back to my laps.
I’m going to keep pounding the pavement and working towards running a 5K in December but not as an Incremental Project. It’ll be a nice goal to keep running in the background but I have a larger goal in sight. January 2013 really isn’t as far away as it seems and there’s a lot I want to take care of before the year is out. So, my Incremental Project for December is to finish projects, tie up loose ends, and start planning for next year. Weekly posting on this topic will probably be slim but, rest assured, I’ll be hard at work. 2013 is going to be awesome and I want to be ready for it.
I love chopsticks. Have for years and I’ve got quite the collection now. I have chopsticks made of wood, plastic, metal, and ceramic. I have lacquered chopsticks, orange chopsticks, and red chopsticks. The collection has chopsticks that say Happy Birthday, that are inlayed with Mother of Pearl, and others that are decorated with ukiyo-e samurai. I took a selection of these off to college with me. Based on the look on my roommate’s face, you’d think eating fruit cups with chopsticks was weird or something. Also part of the collection are several sets of plain, black chopsticks. They sat in the silverware drawer for years and I always picked more decorative pairs instead. Well, I found a much better use for those plain jane chopsticks: storing singles.
A chopstick and the shaft of a spindle aren’t that different. The two share similar and compatible lengths and diameters. Both have been sanded, perhaps finished with paint or stain, and are smooth to the touch. A finished cop - the mass of single wrapped around the shaft - slides easily without snags or tangles along both. A chopstick is more durable than a straw and can even be used as part of an improvised lazy kate. As a bonus, chopsticks are fairly cheap and come in a range of styles so you can afford to pair up all your spindles with a few sets.
To transfer, all you have to do is slide the cop off the spindle and on to the chopstick. If the spindle has a tapered shaft, slide the cop onto a straw first and then the chopstick so that the diameters match. With the chopstick full of proto-yarn, the spindle is free and clear for more spinning.
I have grudgingly come to terms with the fact that Christmas and all the deadlines associated with it are less than a month away. All of my knitting, spinning, and general crafty time has been dominated by holiday making. My needles are full. My spindle is heavy. My hands keep cranking out ornaments. As all consuming as it is, I’d rather be working on all this now when I’ve still got some time to spare than waiting till the last minute. Still, my brain rebels every once and awhile and I make something for myself just to take the edge off of the ever looming deadlines.
Say hello, again, to the little robin cross stitch. He’s not an amorphous blob this time and actually looks like a bird. No name yet but he’s been great at keeping my hands busy during audiobook and podcast sessions. Best of all, no deadline. If I finish him in December, great. If he doesn’t end up on the wall until January, that’s great too. So, if you’re like me and already feeling a bit burned out by the holidays, do something fun for yourself before diving back into the mess. A happy diversion really helps.
Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started.
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Simply put, last week’s 5k training was golden. The weather saw fit to be warm and sunny. The park wasn’t too crowded and I made good time. I saw this really weird looking spider. The fact that I only noticed him because he mysteriously appeared on my hand isn’t important. I followed all the prompts from my training app without too much grumbling. Plus, my headphones managed to stay in my ears most of the time. The best part though was that I finally noticed some progress. After spending 3 miles walking/running, I was sore and thirsty but not completely winded. All the cardio seems to be paying off. Let’s hope the trend continues this week.
Another Thanksgiving has passed and I hope you had a great day even if it was just another Thursday. Now, Black Friday is upon us. As someone who has worked retail on this frenetic day, there is no way that I am venturing anywhere near a mall or major shopping center today. I might not even leave the house which sounds like a great idea to me. While I’m here, have a hat...pattern.
The Keep It Simple (KIS) Hat is a slouchy hat with a garter brim and simple Fair Isle stripes. It’s meant to be a match for the Keep It Simple Mitts which I designed way back in November 2010. I can’t believe it’s taken me 2 years complete the set. This hat follows all the guidelines I set for those mitts: a simple pattern in worsted weight yarn, a little color work to keep things interesting, a nice use for all those leftover bits, and a quick, attractive knit. I knit the larger size in just 3 days.
The first pair of mitts, I knit as a gift but this first hat is all mine. I’ve already put it to good use on a few cold, windy days. Thanks to all the different colors, it’s a great match to all of my coats and a large percentage of my hoodies. I love the versatility.
The Keep It Simple Hat
Worsted Weight Yarn; Main Color(140, 160 yds), Contrast Color (9, 12 yds) per stripe
Shown in:
Valley Yarns Stockbridge (Main); (Contrast) Patons Classic Wool, Knit Picks Swish, and Knit Picks Merino Style
Sizes: Small (20”) and Medium (22”)
Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) 36" circular for Magic Loop or Double Points & 16” Circular
Gauge: 20 sts = 4” in stockinette
A few day ago I bought a magazine and a kit to cross stitch a cute, little Robin in a round felt frame. With an audio book for company, I’ve worked on it intermediately starting with the pink, then the red, and, next, grey and white. I know it looks like an amorphous blob right now but every stitch makes the small bird perched on a branch more visible. With a little patience, dedication, many more stitches, and some blood - the needle has a taste for my blood, I’m sure of it - there will be an adorable Robin decorating my walls.
This Thanksgiving, which is traditionally a time of reflection, family, and stuffing oneself with food; I’m thankful for my family and friends along with the goodness that is yarn, the internet, burritos, and a cosy knitting nook. What’s near the top of the list though, is the chance to start fresh. I’ll be taking a lot of small steps which, like the Robin, will look like an wiggly blob at first but eventually turn into something great. I’ve got patience, dedication, and people to back me up. Hopefully, I’ll keep all of my blood.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving or Thursday, where ever you be. If you’re working “Black Friday” on Thanksgiving, from someone who’s gone hoarse working the registers at 1AM, I wish you patience, caffeine, and a powerful 1000 yard stare.
Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started.
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Last week there was daily stretching, regular workouts, and a fair bit of walking. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much in the way of running. At least, I’ve managed to establish a nice baseline of things to do whether I run or not. It’ll probably be a really solid routine if I ever swing a kettle bell into the mix. Maybe next year, which isn’t as far off as I’d like to think.
This morning I woke up, got dressed, and was out to the park before I could talk myself out of the whole thing. There were a few warm-up laps before I started the 5K app counting and then got down to business. I didn’t skip any of the prompts or cut out early. 15 laps later, I’d managed to cover 3 miles in 35 minutes which isn’t my best time but I’m happy with it all the same. It’s a good start.
Finished and back home, I was sweaty, thirsty, and just a tiny bit sore but I was happy I’d forced myself out for a run. Happiness and excitement is much better than the grumbly attitude I had waking up this morning. That joyful little boost is enough for me to look forward to Wednesday and even Friday. You should probably remind me of this Wednesday morning though so I’ll get my butt out the door.
Dear Spinning,
I’ve missed you. After I finished up that last skein of handspun, I had such grand plans. I was going to spin a soft, grey single of alpaca and wool. I picked out several bumps to practice fractal spinning. I was looking forward to spending more time with my turkish drop spindle. I was even contemplating pulling apart the silk hankies to what how they spun up. I fantasized about wheels. Unfortunately, transitional relocations, travel, knitting, and a number of other projects got in the way.
The good news is that I’m finally back. The other day I pulled a batch of purple top out of the fiber stash, split it up, and paired it with one of my favorite spindles. The end goal is for a few hundred yards of fingering weight 2-ply. The first single is turning out riotously purple and a little bit hairy which is just fine with me. Won’t be long before I start the second single either.
Totally enjoying the purple fluff,
April
Can I still call this pair ‘The Denver Socks’ even if I only knit on them for a few minutes in the hotel and waiting at the bus stops? When I cast on for these socks before leaving home, I thought I’d be knitting on the plane, at cute cafes, and generally killing time between awesome. Turns out, 6:15 AM flights are not conducive to knitting nor are large, flying sardine cans with no elbow room. Ended up just reading a book, The Night Circus, on the flight back. At least, I didn’t have any problems getting circular needles on a plane at either airport.
I’m not disappointed by the lack of sock knitting, or any kind of knitting, while I was on the trip. 4 days isn’t a much time as you would think and I was busy filling it up with walking, museums, shopping, food, an aquarium, and general explorations to notice much. I wanted to experience a new place and all the sights and sounds that entails. I could knit at home after all. Now that I am home and back to my usual routine, the socks are steadily growing. I’m keeping it simple with some 3x2 ribbing and a pair of afterthought heels. I’m still calling them ‘The Denver Socks’.
Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started.
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Last week the weather was cold, windy, cloudy, and occasionally wet. So, I slept in and morning runs just didn’t happen. Neither did afternoon runs despite my best intentions. I’m blaming the rain. Now that the excuses are out of the way, I can say that the week wasn’t a total waste of training since there’s more to running than just running. There’s also stretching.
Back during September and my walk everyday challenge, I got into the habit of regular, daily stretching. At first, I just worked over my thighs, hamstrings, calves, and ankles. Couldn’t walk or run if I pulled something after all. Over the past months, the routine has expanded to start with my neck, end with my ankles, and cover everything in between. My flexibility has increased dramatically and I’m more relaxed sitting in front of a computer or during long knitting sessions. Tense shoulders are detrimental to both of those activities and worth preventing. Half the time, the stretching turns into a mini-workout for my arms and abs even if I don’t make it the track. I’m not a total slacker.
This week’s goal is to keep up the stretching and get back to running again. The weather looks pretty decent so I won’t be able to use that as an excuse. Just need to find a really annoying alarm clock now.
Things started out simply enough. My mom was going to her niece’s baby shower and requested a cute baby hat. But only if I had one in stock. I didn’t and decided to remedy the situation promptly. So, I started perusing Ravelry with a few ideas in mind: simple, slouchy, eyelets, and baby sized. There was nothing quite like I wanted so out came the sketchbook, the calculator, the needles, and the yarn. After more swatching, ripping, and pages of notes than I’d like to admit, I had a simple, slouchy, baby sized hat with eyelets. Knit from the top-down too.
Mom headed off to the baby shower, hat in hand, a few days later and I kept knitting. Soon there was another baby hat, a toddler hat, a kid hat, and an adult sized hat because I wanted one too. I wore it to the breast cancer 5k, hiking in the woods, all around town, and even took it to Denver with me. It’s warm, it’s comfy, and it looks good. What’s not to love?
It’s only been two days since the Bearded One and I flew out of Denver for more familiar turf and I’m already coming up with reasons to go back. One, the most I saw of the Rockies was driving into and out of the city. Must explore the mountains. Two, there are actual seasons. Three, Denver was such a fun, vibrant, and walkable city. Four, I just want to experience more of Colorado.
On the first full day in city after breakfast, I just wandered around, walking from interesting building to interesting building. Eventually, I bought a sketchbook and a map so I could plan and record the trip. I carried it all over the city to tasty restaurants, on the bus, through the aquarium, and in search of yarn. I wrote down directions, bus schedules, souvenirs, and places to visit. It was my daily log that I updated in my hotel room and while sipping tea at the Tattered Cover Bookshop (awesome indie bookshop, by the way). That book is my trip in lists and I’m duplicating a few here.
The Colorado State Capital Building
An interesting building because it's surrounded by a parking lot in the middle of the city. Definitely not the norm.
Heran, I think, a Sumatran tiger at the Downtown Aquarium
Denver's streetlamps
Moon Jellyfish at the Downtown Aquarium
Last week was a great adventure. On Wednesday the Bearded One and I took a plane to Denver, CO and spent 4 days exploring the city. There was an aquarium, awesome buildings, shopping, tea, great bookshops, yarn (more on that later), and walking. So much walking. The first real day I had in the city, I covered 10 miles on foot. The next day, I figured out the bus schedule. All totaled in Google Maps, I walked about 20 miles wandering the city. My legs hated me at the time but now we’re back on friendly terms.
Now that I’m back on my home turf, it’s time to start 5K training again. My ankle feels great, my legs are cooperating, and I’m back to my normal oxygen levels. I could do without the ever present humidity though. Walking 20 miles around Denver, even if I was just shuffling down the sidewalk, let me know what just what I’m capable of and that my ankle is back in working order. Time to stop making excuses, feeling sorry for myself, and just starting running.
Hopefully, by the time you read this, by the magic of time zones, and if the SquareSpace servers hold out against Hurricane Sandy, my flight will be landing in Denver, Colorado. I cast on for a new pair of green ribbed socks just to keep me company on the plane. To keep the socks and their needles company in the bag, I printed out a sheet of paper from the TSA website that declares knitting needles permitted on aircraft. Otherwise, I’m going to be really sad I didn’t pick out a book to read on the plane. I’ll let you know how that goes.
If you’re on the East Coast, I wish you the best of luck in fending of Hurricane Sandy’s last hurrah.
Oh, and Happy Halloween.
Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started.
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Another week, another post, and the routine continues unabated. Wish I could say the same thing about 5K training. Two weeks ago, I went for an impromptu run without enough of a warm up and now my ankle doesn’t like flexing. I tried ignoring it at first but decided that was a horrible idea. So, this past week, I didn’t try to run or even go for daily walks. Just the usual day to day jaunts, a hike through Bankhead National Forest, and lots and lots of stretching.
My ankle is much better this week and I hope it’s ready to tromp all over the city of Denver. The 5K training is still on hiatus this week but I’m not giving up. When I asked for advice about running a few weeks ago, I heard “Don’t Wimp Out,” and from SillyLittleLady, “It might not always feel good during the run, but you’ll always feel good after it!” I’m taking those both to heart and, when my ankle feels like cooperating, I’ll be ready and willing to start from scratch.
Totally couldn’t help myself. Plus, the whole “It’s a trap!” thing is an internet mandated requirement whenever Admiral Ackbar is involved. Also, go watch the Admiral Ackbar cereal skit. I’ll wait.
Every so often, “Your tongues cannot repel flavor of that magnitude!” floats through my mind and I can’t stop laughing. Whose tongue would be able withstand a combination of marshmallows and imitation crab meat, after all? Silliness aside, it’s time to get down to the serious business of knitting a Star Wars alien admiral.
Pattern: Admiral Ackbar Sock Monkey by Carbonscoring
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes - Persimmon Heather, Cloud, Coal, Silver, and Turmeric
Needles: US 4 (3.5mm) DPN’s
Dates: Oct 9 - 25, 2012
Ackbar was knit as a gift and I really, really wanted to keep him for myself. He’s giant, floppy, cuddly, and has such a great face. I’m going to have to knit an Ackbar clone just for me once all that pesky holiday knitting is out of the way. He can guard my desk and warn me of traps.
The pattern description says that the knitting will be a “cake walk” if you’ve ever knit socks before and it’s true. Since the pattern is adapted from a sock monkey, the head and mouth are sock toes and the the butt is a heel flap and gusset. The knitting was pretty easy and mostly stockinette. You just have to obsessively count the rows and be prepared to spend some time sewing up the face. You can find a full list of my mods on Ravelry.
Gotta love a Mon Calamarian man in uniform.
Hi! My name is April Klich. I write about knitting, spinning, and straight up making with a focus on playing and finding joy in the process.
