Inspired… or just plain crazy?

She wants to spin so badly.

This has been one of the busiest summers of my life. Every time the weather starts warming, I think, "This is going to be the summer we relax and just have fun." Wrong.

I'm not even sure why things get so hectic. I did add story time at the library to our Wednesdays, but…

So much has been put on the back burner. Like this poor baby — my spinning wheel. I picked it up in July and still haven't managed wipe off the dust, let alone get it working. The spinning wheel police are going to storm in and whisk it away citing my gross negligence.

A lot of my time has been devoted to cranking out projects while I still can. Projects for the new baby must be finished before arrival. So far I've cranked out a blanket, sweater and teddy bear. Just booties and a hat to go.

I spent an inordinate amount of time on this broomstick lace jacket from the crochet issue of, Vogue Knitting, for me, then started an Ashley slouchy beret with the left over yarn.

Between bigger projects, I cranked out this kitty hat for Laney and another for a cousin. One more of those — in purple this time — to go. Not to mention starting a Lazy Lily shawl for me and finishing a Flower Girl Shawl for Laney. There have also been a couple spinning projects.

Now I'm thinking I should start making photo prop baby hats. How did I come up with this scheme? Simple. I want one, and while I'm at it, I may as well crank out a few more. Then, complicating things further, I decided I need to design my own?!? The only decision left is whether to make them to sell or donate or both.

Either I'm divinely inspired or certifiably crazy. Let's hope it's the former.

Comments

Evergreen asymmetry

This is a chart I've been meaning to get to for a while. The Christmas before last, I was making a whole bunch of Christmas ornament gift toppers . I wanted each to be unique, so some of the miniature sweaters were adorned with duplicate stitch in traditional knit motifs. I hit a snag with the tree. A row of perfect triangle trees is cute. A single triangle tree is not so cute. A chart for a small tree is not hard to find. One which is not symmetrical is. Enter the sketch pad. My goal was a scraggly tree, which was small, but was still recognizable as a tree. This is the result. As a matter of personal preference, I think this looks best when the chart is turned upside down and is used on a piece being worked from the top. That way, the top of the tree comes to a nice point.

This is what I've been working on leading up to Christmas

After all the last minute rushing and prep, Christmas finally arrived! I hope yours was merry. We enjoyed time spent with family, and it was a happy holiday, indeed. With the gifts safely delivered, I can show you what I've been working on. The big knitting project which claimed not one, but two of my interchangeable cables was a baby blanket for my nephew, Cooper, who will be arriving this spring. The pattern by Marie Grace Smith is one I've been wanting to make forever, but I allow Darren's input on a lot of my baby projects, and he kept vetoing this one. One day, though, I walked into Jo-Ann Fabrics and these yarns just called to me. The pattern recommends a solid color, fingering weight. Of course, the yarn I chose is worsted weight, not even close to the same, but they were the perfect neutrals; it just seemed right. The nice thing about blankets, they are a simple shape, so the yarn weight really doesn't matter. Just knit until it is the right size. This blank...

A project 19 years in the making

Just how does an obsession start? Sometimes even an offhand mention can cast an inextinguishable spark. I just finished one of the coolest projects. Ever! The Icicle Hat , knit from yarn I spun myself. The goal was to utilize a plying technique to produce well defined cables, and it seems to have worked. Exciting! The wool for this project was purchased in January, but it's origins go back a little further than that. An elementary school friend of mine lived on a farm. In second or third grade, her mom spoke to our class about farm life, and she brought with her a drop spindle. It was huge! A couple feet long with a whorl 6-8 inches across. While she knew what it was for, it was clear hand spinning was not this woman's passion. She probably had more important things to worry about. Like, raising her kids and running the farm, for instance. Most likely, she wanted some type of visual aid and the spindle was easier to manage than a goat or some other livestock. I ...

Cricket in a Biscuit

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