I’m trying a few new things this year. After making countless sweaters the last two years I decided as of Jan 1st to keep track of every one I make. Each one would be given a number and listed as to where it goes (not too detailed. Simply listed as commission, con, etsy or trade). So far this year I’ve completed seventeen sweaters, with three more waiting to be washed, blocked and woven (11 finished in January alone). It will be interesting to see how many I complete by the end of the year. This isn’t a challenge by any means but just to get an idea of what I’ve been doing the past few years.

I’m also going with seasonal themes as well. I want to be making the things that I want to make from my mohair sweaters, to knitted pants and sewn pieces. The photo above is an example. I chose two colors that I thought fit the theme for spring for my mohair sweaters. The photo is not the best example since I used filters and such but I absolutely fell for these colors when I saw them. Very fawn like if you ask me. We’ll see how things go.

I’m currently watching two Korean dramas at the moment: Bachelor’s Vegetable Store and History of a Salaryman. One being a drama and the other a comedy. Both very silly (though the drama is based off of a true story… and it’s stuff that just can not be made up). Just by the titles alone I don’t think you’ll be able to tell which one is the comedy and which one is the other. Both are currently still going on twice a week in Korea but I’m watching them on Hulu. Fun viewing I have to say.

Anyway, as I mentioned before new phone so new camera. I actually like this one this time around (and I’m kind of addicted to the Instagram). The photos I’ve taken are rather large so I’m keeping them behind a cut. Just a few things I decided to catch while I’ve been gone. I posted most of these on G+ and instagram so if you’ve seen these just move along… I don’t want to bore you all.

linky linky:

Not sure what brought the urge on but I made another batch. It’s been a few years and I forgot how much I liked making these. What I have are branch hooks made from cherry, peach, juniper and holly branches. The holly was shear luck. As the branch dries the wood shrinks while the bark doesn’t so the two want to separate. Out of all the holly I have I was only able to get one hook out of the batch. The rest will be turned to make acorn charms I think.

New Docs and hand knit socks. This was taken this evening while the Mr and I were on an evening walk to get some ramen. Why is breaking in a new pair of Docs really just breaking your feet?

Fan art by the lovely Camaryllis. I love everything this artist creates and I’ll admit that I’m pretty guilty of reblogging everything she post on the tumbr… with proper credit mind you. I don’t buy a lot of fan art (except t&b… love love) But come on! When do you ever see lhc fan art?… Like never(not like anyone cares)! Seriously, I had to sweep these up as soon as she announced that the set was going up on her shop. Love her version of Niko and Tamiya<3

Mr smoosh face himself. The photo on the right is how he sleeps… and he finds this comfy for some reason. This guy is just too funny to have around sometimes (or most of the time). He never fails to make me smile… unless he’s being grumpy… but even then he’s kind of cute. My parent recently got a new dog. The sweetest golden retriever named Dakota. He and Chan are getting to know each other since they will be spending a lot of time together while we are away at the convention. They are doing pretty good so far but Dakota has a lot of puppy in him and Chan has pretty much lost a lot of his. Luckily Chan is small and has a few hiding spots to run to when Dakota wants to be chased.

I’ve worked on a lot of tough projects because I love challenges but I think this one was the most challenging. Back in ‘09 our friend Nick sent me a link to a R2D2 pattern and photo that was traveling around the net and asked if I could make two for him and Lindsey. It was a simple version so when I saw it my cocky self said “Oh, I can do better!!!!”… And this is what I came up with. So many problems with this one in the beginning. I had knitted the cap several different times. For the first time it really sunk in that if I’m going to knit something in the round or flat that I have knit my swatch the same way since my purls are more relaxed than my knits. So the gauge for each one will be different. I had planned on knitting this in fairisle in the round but found that the floats were too long (was still a bit inexperienced with color working so I didn’t know about twisting them at the time) so I changed it to intarsia (which I personally do not like) but because the hat was going to be knitted flat my gauge was now all off so I had to re-chart the whole thing…. boring details I know. Anyway, it’s done and they were ecstatic. The cap is knitted and the details are crochet and/or sewn. A lot of work and a bit of a struggle but so worth it in the end.

Day 6: What is your favorite piece that you’ve knit?

My favorite piece has to be the sweater above. A 1/3 scaled version of Kate Davies Owl Sweater for Hitomu. A lot of swatching and math was involved in making this one but it was so worth it in the end.

Day 7: Your least favorite?

…This one is a hard one to answer since I don’t really have one. I kind of have this rule that if I find that a project is just too unpleasant to do, then I either don’t do it or I frog it if it’s been started. I will say that I think that entrelac is the devil. I try it a few times and hated it… no offense to those who love it.

Had to make up a day this evening. Finishing up the last of my commissions so far and then it’s Katsucon knitting for the next several weeks. All of my spare time is being spent making sweaters and plushies. I even have a few wooden surprises this year… doll related and not. Pictures to come if I have time.

I honestly do not remember. I learned to crochet really young so I picked up knitting very fast (though when I re-learned to knit years later, thanks to crocheting, all of my knit stitches were twisted). As for how long it took me to make my first knitting projects… I would say several months but mainly because I had to wait to see my grandmother to learn how to cast off. As in the project mentioned in Day 1 my scarf wound up being 11 feet long because I did not know how to bind off. I just kept knitting and knitting.

Is it friday yet?…

My grandmother Elsie was the first to teach me to knit in the early 90′s. She had taught me to crochet when I was really young. After she had taught me I kept it up for a few months but slowly drifted away from it. A few years later I tried to reteach myself and thanks to the interweb was doing okay with it (even though at that time I was twisting all of my knit stitches when I knitted). I don’t drive and here in Baltimore places to purchase yarn were non-existent. Or so I thought… I was told that a few year before a tiny little yarn store called A Good Yarn opened up in the Fells Point area of the city. This completely boggled my mind. A shop that sells yarn and has knitting lessons?! Brilliant! The owner Loraine taught me how to knit in the round on my first visit. From then on I took several classes at her shop. If it wasn’t for that little store I honestly don’t think I would be knitting today.

Ah this one is going to be a boring one tonight… it feels a bit redundant from the last question. Luckily I have two more projects on the needles.

A v-neck style Takumi sweater in cream/white mohair (commission)

and yosd sized pants suspenders made from merino wool webbing and leather scraps. We’ll see how this second one turns out.

Tmi… but my eye has been twitching for several weeks now. At first I was thinking it was my sinuses but after getting some nerve up to read up on it (it is seriously annoying) I found that it could be stress or lack of sleep, maybe even too much caffeine… all of which I’m guilty of right now. Going to bed while it’s still some what early (for me it is). There have been a few nights of me asking the Mr…
Me: can you see my eye twitch?
Mr: no
Me: now?
Mr: no…
Me: how about now?
Mr: NO YOU CAN NOT SEE IT TWITCH!!! *eye twitch*

Emily Dickinson Shawl made from gray Shetland Supreme and a V-neck style Takumi Sweater in Dark teal mohair (commission)

( I have several more on the needles but I’ll save them for tomorrow)

Spent the early part of the day at Nancy’s (Spinnit) house picking and carding some Border Leicester wool I had purchased at the last MD Sheep and Wool Festival. I thought that I could somewhat get away with having to wash it before doing so but soon discovered how wrong I was. It was no where near as waxy as the first batch I had purchased the year before but it’s still very sticky and greasy as I’m spinning it. I’m hoping to make a hat for the Mr with this carded batch but I’m seriously going to need to wash it in hot hot water to get it all out (unless he wants it water proof… and I’m not kidding). The best thing out of it is that I had a great time spending time with Nancy (she is one of the most generous people when it comes to her knowledge of spinning) and my hands haven’t been this soft in ages after having to handles all that lanolin.

My first finished project was an eleven foot, jet black, fuzzy acrylic/mohair, garter stitch scarf. At the time, I was being taught to knit by my grandmother. Due to time she was only able to teach me to cast on and knit so I took what she taught me and knitted away. Let me tell you that black is the worst color to ever practice from when you’re learning to knit… and the fuzziness also didn’t help. You can barely see a thing you’re doing. I started with 25 stitches and some how worked my way up to 32 and down to 24. So the poor thing was incredibly wavy width wise. I was also a tight knitter when I started the thing but managed to loosen up my tension by the time I had finished it. Again, not helping in the consistency department. It was a few months later that I would see my grandmother again to learn how to bind off which was the main reason the scarf was a long as it was. I found the horrid thing right before moving into the place we currently live in and gave it to my cousin. …I have no clue where it is now.