Proving that sewing hasn’t completely trumped knitting for me: I’ve been working on a neckwarmer/cowl thingy, the Razor Shell Neckwarmer, to be specific. I started it last week, got quite a bit done at SnB on Thursday, and it’s close to being done.

Then today, I decided that what I really want to work on is a sweater, so I finally bought the Lucy in the Sky pattern. I have some brownish-goldish Cascade 220 in my stash, so no yarn diets were harmed in the planning of this project. Also, this is one of my Crafty 2009 goals, so I figured it’s a good time to get started!

I guess it’s easier for me to knit during the week since I can do other things simultaneously–like have the TV on in the background, or music or whatever. When I sew, I have to focus intently since I’m still a beginner, and I can’t really concentrate on sewing during the week…so unfortunately, sewing for now is a weekend activity. But I guess that’s a good way to make time for knitting (during the week) anyway, as well as reading.

In my search for my US 6 Knit Picks circs, I found some stashed fabric left over from when I made my fabric tiles–there’s quite a bit left, enough to make some pouches and other smallish things. I had forgotten about those scraps, so finding them was like Christmas all over again, lol.

As if the 52 in 52 challenge wasn’t enough…now I’ve set out to be super crafty in 2009.

Happy new year!

Christmas at my parents’ house went ok. I gave my sister and mom the gifts I made–sister got a Double Cable Scarf, since I promised her a cabley scarf about a year and a half ago…I sewed my mom a table runner:

She likes it a lot, and so did my sister–I might make her one next. I gave my other sister a gift card because she didn’t really ask for a specific gift; also, she is moving to Florida this weekend, so I didn’t think she would have much need for a knit hat or scarf.

Earlier this week, I sewed some curtains for my office/yarn room:

They look much better than the curtains that were originally in there (left by the previous homeowners), and they also match my fabric tiles on the opposite wall. The fabric is by Joel Dewberry and the print is Tossed Flowers.

I did a bit more sewing today–made a checkbook cover, which overall I’m happy with, but in which I see all the flaws and mistakes. It kind of drives me crazy. Being crafty and a perfectionist is not a good combination–I obsess over the slightest things! Anyway, pic of the cover coming soon. I also want to sew a cover for my Moleskine journal…I am pretty intrigued with sewing right now!

Behold, it is Clapotis the Fifth! @ Ravelry

Final thoughts: Not sure if I’ll make another Clapotis or if this will be my last. I’m sure if I say it’s my last, I’ll end up finding some yarn later on that calls out to be made into a Clap…so we’ll see! Loved working with this yarn so so so much, wish I could get more!

More adventures in knitting:

Old Shale Cowl @ Ravelry

I had a bit of yarn left over from making Clapotis the Fifth, so I decided to make a cowl. It still needs to be blocked but I love it!

But wait! There’s more:

Hats for TAPS @ Ravelry

A couple of hats I made for the Ghost Hunters Gift-a-Long on Ravelry. Whipped these up in a day, just need to pop them in the mail.

Lastly, a couple of WIPs:

Yeah, I’ve got a lot of time (and yarn) on my hands.

I know I need to get off my lazy butt and take photos of my current projects–I’ll use the excuse of rainy weather coupled with laziness, however. It has been rainy here in Virginia all week–Tuesday morning on Election Day, I stood in line for 2 hours in the rain waiting to vote. My fellow voters and I were all prepared–we had umbrellas–but the rain that started that morning has continued throughout the rest of the week.

Today I had more car trouble, missed work, had to take the car back to Sears, and it’s “fixed” again. They fiddled with the battery (apparently it wasn’t connected properly?!) and all–cross your fingers!–is well again.

Now, a knitting meme, seen over at knitv:

The official rules are mark with bold the things you have knit at least once, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest. (I’m linking some of the things I’ve done to my Flickr):

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Last week was…interesting.

My car broke and $300 later, it’s fixed. I am officially broke, or something close to it.

Despite being close-to-broke, in my rabid fanaticism excited fandom, I pre-ordered Twilight tickets from Fandango. M and I (’cause you know I am dragging him to see it with me, oh yes) are going to the 7:30 PM show on opening day. The fangirls, they do not scare me, for I am one of them. In related news: this evening we were getting groceries at Kroger and I squealed because they had the mass market edition of the book, on sale for 40% off. I will let you guess as to whether I bought a copy. Lastly, while I was watching Ghost Hunters Live on Halloween night, one of the TV spots came on and I sort of screamed excitedly because Rob Pattinson in HD on big screen TV is SO MUCH BETTER than Rob Pattinson on tiny Youtube screen. Just saying. So, yes: Twilight = me squealing. It’s like my crack. I’m not sure what to do about this.

In knitting, I successfully blocked Clapotis the Fifth but I do not have photos to prove it. With the leftover handspun, I started and finished a cowl and when I tried it on, I felt like I was wearing a necklace. A very large yarn necklace. My gauge was way off. So I frogged it today and restarted it and hopefully it will fit this time. I’m just not having much luck with knitting lately.

Finally, the election is days away and I’m excited but simultaneously apprehensive. I want it to be over, but I’m sort of anxious over the potential outcome. I hope that all our efforts will pay off. M and I volunteered over the weekend and I hope it made some kind of impact, even if only the smallest. I hope.

(P.S. Holy crap, it’s November already!)

Cabled Mug Cozy @ Ravelry

I made this mug cozy as part of the package I put together for my partner in the Outlandish Swap on Ravelry. She has since received her goodies, so now I can post this pic. It’s a quick but satisfying knit–these are four-stitch cables, so they are easily knit without a cable needle. I used Knit Picks Swish Superwash in Squirrel Heather on size US 8 needles. I’d like to make another cozy for myself, or possibly as more future gifts. The cozy is secured at the top with crochet chain ties–basically the only crochet I know is the single chain and I think it turned out ok. I keep telling myself I need to learn crochet properly but every time I say that, I pick up another knitting pattern! Also, you can’t tell from my photo but the cozy has a bottom–basically the mug slips into it, and is tightened with the ties at the top. The pattern photo doesn’t really show this either, but it’s a nice, snug fit.

If you read the text of my handwriting in that photo, you can probably deduce what I wrote. I suppose now is a good time to confess that I’ve dipped my toes in the fan fiction pool, and it’s Twilight fanfic, as if that’s any surprise! (Is that right, is fanfic one word? fan fic? I don’t even know.) On the one hand, it’s wonderful to be writing again, but on the other hand…good grief, can I be any more assimilated into the Twilight universe? I’m pretty far gone, really. I probably require an intervention but I’ll go kicking and screaming. No really, it’s fun and I’m not taking it too seriously. There is some…interesting Twilight fanfic out there (TwiPr0n, more like, haha) but some of it is ok.

Elsewhere in the TwiWorld, last night M and I went to our local Hot Topic store for the Twilight soundtrack listening party. It lasted a little less than an hour, and our store played all the songs except for two. But they played Rob Pattinson’s “Never Think” and I LOVE it. It’s acoustic and Jeff Buckley-esque and made of wonderful. (There are several versions posted on YouTube and they all have excessive talking over them but I’ll deal with it until the CD arrives from Amazon because you know I totally pre-ordered it and everything.) I didn’t like the lullaby as much as I thought I would–it is accompanied by strings so that kind of threw me off. I’m looking forward to hearing it in the film, just the piano version. I had already heard most of the other songs before since they’re not new releases…I was basically there for the aforementioned songs.

This weekend I plan on blocking Clapotis the Fifth within an inch of its life to get as much length out of it as possible. It’s shorter than I intended because I was worried I would run out of yarn, and of course I ended up with plenty left over after I cast off. Figures. It will work out, I’m pretty sure. Also I need to block a Secret Project. I found some interlocking foam playmats at Target which I’ll use as blocking boards. I don’t block things often, so this should be interesting. oh and I chose my next sweater, A Cardigan for Arwen in Peace Fleece, so I think I’ll cast that on this weekend too.