I’m one of those knitters who HATES swatching. I’ve been known to make sweaters without making proper swatches first (because I am too lazy/impatient to take that small, yet very important extra step). Happily, this swatch in particular serves a very special purpose, so I don’t mind making it: it’s for the beginner knitting class that I’m teaching at the library later this month!

I’m pretty excited because sign-ups are almost full. I’m a wee bit nervous about teaching the class, but I feel confident in my skills, so I’m not too worried. I’m just glad that I’m able to incorporate knitting into my job–I feel very lucky!

It’s also interesting how having a job that forces you to deal with the public can actually change your personality a bit. I’ve always been very shy, but over the years that I’ve been dealing with people at work, I’ve had no choice but to come out of my shell over time. I’m still not an extrovert, but it’s definitely easier for me to talk to strangers now. Several years ago, I NEVER would have thought I’d have the opportunity or confidence to teach (not one, but three classes!) at my job. Now, it’s really not a big deal at all! What a relief.

1. What are some hobbies you would like to try, but haven’t done so?
I’d like to try spinning yarn. I bought a drop spindle kit a while back, but haven’t gotten around to using it.

2. Why did you not pursue these hobbies?
Honestly, I’m worried that I’ll really enjoy spinning and I do not need to acquire another stash (roving, spindles, wheels, etc)! Maybe sometime in the future, when I have more disposable income.

3. Do you often feel limited by your financial state with how you spend your free time?
I’d feel way less limited if I didn’t have a full-time job! Think of all the knitting and reading I could get done…sigh. I need to win the lottery.

4. Do your hobbies play a major part of your life, or help define who you are?
I’d say my hobbies are a huge part of my everyday life. I’m always reading or knitting something. Sometimes, I crochet and sew. I’m trying to make photography a more prominent hobby, which is why I’m doing the Year in Pictures project. I think I’d be a much more depressed and stressful person if I didn’t have hobbies.

5. Do you have any hobbies you have made income from?
I ran an Etsy shop several years ago (my sold items are here), where I sold handdyed yarn. It was fun dyeing the yarn, but really time-intensive. I was working at the time, so it became a chore trying to stock and maintain the shop. I also had to make many trips to the post office to mail the yarn. It’s pretty tough to be a one-woman operation! Also, since I kept prices pretty low, I didn’t make much profit on the yarn at all, so it wasn’t a very lucrative endeavor for me.

I’ve had inquiries from people wanting to commission me for knitting projects, but I’ve declined. There’s just too much pressure trying to worry about whether they would like what I knit for them. I’ve also had family members tell me I should try selling my knits, but…well, if you’re a knitter, you understand why I choose not to. I like to knit for myself and occasionally for other people, but I’m just not interested in knitting for pay. I think a lot of the joy of knitting comes from the fact that it’s something I LIKE to do, not something I HAVE to do. I don’t want to lose that feeling.

This is the vest/shrug thingy I made for my (grateful for handknits) sis, aka It Almost Caused Death by Knitting Boredom (Ode to Endless Ribbing):

Plymouth Vest No. 26 [@ Ravelry] – I’m sooo happy with the way this turned out. I was concerned initially because I substituted yarn–the pattern calls for super bulky, but my sis (FYI, this is NOT the ungrateful sis) couldn’t find a bulky yarn that she liked. So, I helped her choose a worsted that I could hold double. She picked Red Heart Soft, which was a great choice. I really liked working with it, so much that I went back to Michaels and bought a ball of it for myself. Red Heart gets so much hate, but it has definitely improved over time. This line, in particular, is easy to work with (not too splitty) and something I wouldn’t hesitate to knit with again (either for myself or someone else).

As for the pattern, well…it was easy, to be sure, but the logistics left a lot to be desired. I don’t know if I just have an outdated version–it’s the version that my LYS provided to me–but the thing is, it has *no* schematics or pics or anything other than written directions. That’s fine, but the vest is knit flat and then partially seamed at the end (to create the shrug-like shape). I had NO clue how to go about seaming it. I had to search this pattern on Ravelry and scrutinize other people’s projects to see how the shape is formed. Once I looked at a few, I got it; but I think the pattern should have included some type of rudimentary drawing to help spatially-challenged knitters like me. Eh, it all worked out…thank goodness for Ravelry. Only problem is, my sister loves her vest so much that she is trying to get me to knit more stuff for her, haha. I told her that Christmas is over and I’m back to selfish knitting.

198 Yds. of Heaven [@ Ravelry] – I made this shawlette for kc, who also took the awesomepants pic(s) of it! It was a very quick knit–I think this might be my first shawlette made from worsted weight. I normally stick to sock weight for shawlettes, but had seen so many pretty versions of this pattern, so I gave it a shot. The pattern is very well written–detailed with lots of instructions and clear charts. I have no complaints about the pattern. That’s pretty rare! The yarn was nice to work with; I used Dream in Color Classy. I bought it quite a while back to see what all the fuss was about. It’s a nice yarn, but I can’t imagine using it for a sweater because it’s a bit pricey, in my opinion. But it comes in lovely colorways and has good stitch definition. I’d use it again for another shawlette (and I’d knit this pattern again, too).

I really should have included these two FOs in my 2010 recap post, but I didn’t have pics taken in time, so I’ll just include them in my 2011 recap at the end of the year, maybe. I also have several FOs that either need ends woven in or blocking, and all of those need to be photographed. I am such a procrastinator but I’ll get my Flickr and Ravelry up to date soon enough!

And I knit seven hats (three for others, four for me):

I knit other things (Ravelry link)–and crocheted and sewed things, too–but for whatever reason, I was focused on socks and hats this year. I think that’s probably because they’re small, more manageable projects. For the first half of the year, I was juggling a full-time job while finishing college full-time. So, I didn’t have the mental capacity to tackle a larger project; plus, I just wasn’t in a sweater-making mood this year. Now that I’m done with school, I should have more free time next year for knitting and anything else my crafty heart desires. I wonder what I’ll make in 2011!

That being said…click through to Flickr for project details, or view the corresponding Ravelry project page.

Easy Ripple Afghan [@ Ravelry] – I made this for my mom, who liked it! I have a feeling she probably won’t put this on her bed and instead, it will likely be thrown over the back of her couch, but that’s fine with me because I know she appreciates it.

Chunky Ribbed Hat for Dad [@ Ravelry] – I made up a pattern based on the size of M’s head (who modeled these for me). I’ll post the instructions below. My dad’s very standoffish, but I think he liked his hat. It also matches a scarf I made for him several years ago.

Chunky Ribbed Hat for my Brother-in-Law [@ Ravelry] – I haven’t been able to give this to my brother-in-law yet since he and my sis were out of town for Christmas, but I’m pretty sure he’ll like it. It matches the Steelers Scarf I made him last year. I just hope it fits his big noggin.

So, the pattern–it’s not much of a pattern, really, but I figured I’d post it here since I included it in the Flickr and Ravelry notes. Both hats were made to fit a 23″ head and I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick for both hats on size US 13 needles.

Black hat: CO 56 sts
Navy blue hat: CO 52 sts
Note: I have no idea why the black yarn seems thinner, but it does and it wouldn’t have fit if I hadn’t adjusted the st count.

Both hats:
K in the round in 2×2 until piece measures 6.5″
Beg decreases:
*K2tog, p2* around
*K1, p2* around
*K1, p2tog* around
*K1, p1* around
K2tog around
Pull through rem sts and BO.

Washcloths for my sis [@ Ravelry: N Washcloth, Tulip Lace Washcloth, Ballband Washcloth] – Meh, I really don’t have much to say about these because of the reception I got from the recipient. Suffice it to say, No more handknits for youuuuu.

Not pictured is the vest/shrug that I made for my other sister. Technically, it’s her birthday/Christmas present and since I didn’t get to see her on Christmas, I had a few extra days to work on it. I finished it a few days ago and I just need to crochet a loop and sew a button on it. Once I have a pic of it, I’ll post it on Flickr and Ravelry.

I am SO glad that Christmas is over because overall, this one kind of sucked. I hate the holidays in general, for various reasons (other than being a Scrooge)…I just really dislike the time of year and all the stress, and this year certainly did not disappoint in those areas. At least it’s over with for one more year.

It was rather chilly; quite a change from Thanksgiving day, which was pretty mild.

I love autumn. The leaves are so gorgeous!

We also did a knitting photoshoot of sorts.

Modified 28thirty Cardigan

There’s also the hat-making bender of August 2010:

All the project details are on each photo page as well as my Ravelry, so I won’t repeat myself here. Lately, I’ve been doing so much holiday knitting but now that I’m looking at these pics, all I want to do is knit more things for myself! I’ll be really relieved when the holidays are over.

Malabrigo Sock - Abril

This skein of Malabrigo Sock is earmarked for The Orchid Thief Shawlette by Ysolda Teague. I can’t wait to cast this on! It’s going to be so pretty.

Malabrigo Chunky - Tuareg

I also bought two skeins of Malabrigo Chunky, which will make a nice hat or maybe a skinny scarf? Not sure yet, but I couldn’t resist it.

Spud & Chloe Fine - Bumblebee

Last is Spud & Chloe Fine, which I’ve been wanting to try for months! I have two skeins of this color (a nice and happy yellow), which I’ll probably make a shawlette with.

I also bought a Pretty Cheep Project Bag, which I forgot to take a pic of, but it’s the yellow one in the middle.

This is non-yarn related, but if you’re ever in the Outer Banks area, you must go eat at The Kill Devil Grill. I had a crab cake sandwich, which was really good, but also an apple crisp for dessert that was heavenly! I hope we go back soonish, not only for the great yarn, but also the yummy food.

Aaaaanyway, I figured this year I would start with my parents (who generally are grateful) and figure the rest out later. I’ve never made my mom a blanket, but I didn’t want to get stuck in a rut trying to knit her one because the idea of that just seems so daunting. I know I could knit one on size 35 needles, but I’ve done that once before (for myself) and it was rather awkward because those needles are *huge* and it becomes very painful on the fingers.

So, we turn to crochet. I decided to make my mom a ripple afghan, which I made in the past for M’s mom and she really liked it. Once again, I’m modifying the pattern for super bulky yarn–Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, which I think is a great choice for someone who is going to be machine washing it. Plus, I had a coupon at Michaels, and we ended up getting 10 skeins of yarn–$70 worth–for 20% off. Score! M and I worked out a nice arrangement where he bought the yarn and I’m making the blanket; so, we can claim that it’s “from both of us.”

I’ve been working on this every evening and it really does work up quickly. Each stripe is one skein of yarn, so I’m 30% done already and that’s only 3 nights’ worth of crocheting. My plans were foiled a few days this week when my allergies knocked me out of commission, but I’m going to add another stripe today, at least. It’ll be done in a few more days, I think!

Now, I just need to figure out what to make for the rest of my family. I’m thinking a knit hat for my dad and possibly the same for one of my brothers-in-law. (Florida brother-in-law usually gets a giftcard of some kind.) One of my sisters is getting a knit vest, which she requested and bought me the yarn for (months ago…and I sort of forgot about it, oops). As for Sister Who Gave Away Her Scarf, I’m really not sure what to make…she actually asked for a poncho instead, which makes no sense to me because she still lives in Florida and isn’t a poncho warmer than a lacy scarf?

I decided to build one in order to get better quality shots of my yarn and knitted objects. I found this really awesome tutorial from jyoseph.com and pretty much followed it step by step.

Here are the materials I used and where I found them:
- 5 sheets of Elmer’s foam board (20″ x 30″) from Michaels craft store. They were $2.99 each, but I got them on sale–buy 1, get 1 free!
- 4 clamp lights (5 1/2″) from Lowe’s, $6.48 each
- 60-watt GE Reveal Full-Spectrum light bulbs from Lowe’s, $3.48 for a 2-pk
- 2″ white masking tape from Lowe’s, $2.48
- power strip from Lowe’s (didn’t have an extra one at home–4 lamps = 4 separate plugs)
- box cutter (already had this at home)
- straight edge & cutting mat (already had these as part of my sewing tools)

I wound up spending around $50. Not too bad, considering the results look pretty good! Voila:

Originally, I only bought two lamps but I could tell from this shot that I needed an additional two. The colors look great, but there are some grayish shadows around the edges. (The yarn is Crystal Palace Mini Mochi, btw.)

I bought an additional two lamps (for a total of four) and the result is much better. Still a wee bit of shadow, but I think that’s more because the skein is so puffy and not because of lack of light. (The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Handpainted.)

Here’s another test with all four lamps turned on. (Knit Picks Imagination)

Lastly, I took a pic of a WIP. I think this shot turned out so well since the sock-in-progress is flat (no shadows). (Just a basic toe-up sock; yarn is Universal Yarn Ditto.)

I’m really happy with the results of my lightbox. Now I don’t have to try to find daylight or perfect indoor lighting before taking pics of yarn, WIPs, and FOs. It was easy to assemble and (best yet), affordable! Can’t beat that.

It’s certainly not the most original idea (search: Rainbow Jaywalker on Ravelry), but I finally made myself a pair of rainbow Jaywalker socks. I’ve knit the pattern before, so I thought about making these toe-up to be different. However, there seem to be some fiddly issues with the sizing on the toe-up Jaywalker pattern, so I knit these cuff-down to make things easier.

The yarn I used is Knit Picks Felici. It’s very soft and I loved watching the colors change. However, I noticed a few negative things about the yarn. First, there are bits where the dye is kind of muddy–like there is green on the yellow parts, or orange on the yellow parts. It’s really not noticeable in the pics, but I could point out the spots if I looked for them. It doesn’t affect the general appearance of the socks, so it’s not a huge deal, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Second, I found knots in each ball of yarn. Not cool–especially with self-striping yarn, where abrupt color changes will be obvious. Luckily, both of my knots were toward the end of the toe, so I was able to work around them, for the most part. But I was disappointed because knotty yarn is just a pain.

When I bought the yarn, I noticed that Knit Picks had it listed as a Last Chance colorway. It’s now no longer available on their site. Maybe the aforementioned quality issues are to blame? I have another two balls of Felici in my stash (the Marine Life colorway, I think), so I’m hoping they won’t have the same issues as the Rainbow colorway.

Having said all that–I really do like the finished product! They’re happy and cheerful and I have dubbed them my Rainbow Brite/Care Bear Stare socks. They’re by far the most colorful socks I’ve ever made, and small gripes about the yarn aside, I love the way they turned out.

Footnote: not only is the Knit Picks rainbow self-striping sock yarn discontinued, but so is another rainbow colorway I have in my stash, Regia Nation Color in colorway 5399. I’m puzzled as to why both manufacturers have discontinued such an awesome colorway. Looking at stashes and projects on Ravelry, both yarns seem pretty popular; so why discontinue them? It’s a mystery to me.