Playing Catch-up

It's been a bit since I've blogged, partly vacation & the holidays. But also because the Blogger App that I've been using on my iPhone stopped working for a little bit and it was hard to write my drafts & upload photos. But, I wanted to say that I'm still alive and well...and even crafting at this point. So let me endeavor to catch you up on a few things.

For trip knitting, I ended up bring four projects -- my cable vest, my Dragon colorwork scarf, a pair of socks, and simple stockinette cardigan.

The plane trip afforded some quality knitting time and I got a whole TWO INCHES done on my Dragons scarf. I had a severe knitting attack and had to tink carefully back to fix my mistake -- hence why I only got two inches done.

The Knitting Companion app makes chart reading So Easy.

I also had a 'to-go' project, which I worked on while we drove around the Big Island of Hawaii or whenever we were at a restaurant. I managed to get a full sock finished before we left....barely.

(I managed to finish the second sock after our vacation.)

But, just before the vacation, I started a new project, and also ended up working on while in Hawaii. It's Watercourse by Carina Spencer. So, my attention was a bit divided between three projects. I completely ignored the cable project that I had brought. It languished in my luggage the entire time.

Why so little knitting? Because we ended up doing a lot of things, especially involving being IN water. And we know that knitting and sea water don't play well at the same time.

I don't mind not knitting as much as I had hoped while on vacation. It was gorgeous and fun. I need to factor those into my next trip knitting.

Vacation Crafting Plans

Vacations are awesome things. They allow you to get some much needed rest and relaxation; free from distractions of work and other life obligations. I love vacations, and we haven't had one in a while, so I'm very much looking forward to this one.

One of the things I love to do on vacation is a bit of crafting -- not a lot, but enough to relax. And what's more relaxing than knitting or crochet? These types of crafts are pretty darn portable, and while you do have to take precautions with your knitting while flying, it's pretty worthwhile to bring "something".

Of course, the hardest part of planning out a vacation is trying to determine the crafting projects that will accompany you on your voyage:

A) How many crafting projects you can bring with you safely. It's a Goldilocks type situation. You don't want to pack too much (that you won't ever get through) and you don't to run out of projects during your vacation. You want just "enough" to last you through your holiday. This part is hard. It's all too easy for a crafter to overpack projects.

B) What type of crafting projects should you bring?

• We're going to be flying to our vacation location, so I will need airplane knitting. I'll have a couple of hours free to work on lace, cables, colorwork, or anything complicated!
 
Cables? Lace? Colorwork?

I have some languishing WIPs so this might be a good time to get those finished. 

• We're also going to be driving around, and I don't want to miss out on some beautiful scenery, so I'm going to want something easy that I can put down at a given moment. Usually that means vanilla stockinette socks, but I could go garter stitch shawls, too!

 

Of course, I did just get some self-striping Halloween yarn, so that might influence my decision. :-)

And of course, there's all the accoutrements that I also need to factor into planning, such as extra needles, stitch markers, crochet hooks, and the whole lot. And as I tend to break sock needles, I want to ensure that I have a back up pair in my luggage.

I also did some research on any local yarn stores (http://www.knitmap.com) in the area, and managed to find one in the entire area, which I will be visiting once we arrive there.

I can't wait to for vacation and get some dedicated crafting time!

Knitting in Seattle

I recently went on a trip to Seattle for a bit of business, but I also had enough time for a bit of fun. I managed to see friends and family, as well as stop by the LYS that was about a 5-minute drive from my hotel.

The place was very nice, well-lit, and had a good selection of different fibers and yarns. The staff were pleasant and very helpful.

I wanted to get something to remember my trip to Seattle, but that was also a specialized item. They had Black Trillium fibers (a local yarn company in Portland, OR, which is 3 hours from Seattle.). After much agonizing on choice, I picked up a fingering weight merino/silk blend in the colorway, "Decay" --- a lovely varigated of greys, purples, blues, and golds. It somewhat reminds me of the grey skies of Seattle with a hint of the sun and blue skies peaking through the clouds.

They also had these magnetic button shawl "pins" that were pretty strong. So, I picked one up.

Because I was travelling, I brought three projects with me (two shawls and a pair of gloves). I ended up working primarily on  Unleaving from Knitty 2012, which I managed to finish!

The pre-blocked version

I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I had about 20 yards of yarn left over (which meant I could have probably knit a longer version), but I can mix it with another similar yarn to make a matching set of gloves or whatnought.

But for now, the shawl is blocked and drying.

I'm finally getting through my backlog of UFOs from 2014!

Knitting in Portland

Recently, I went on a trip up to Portland, OR with my DH, the Viking, and a very good friend to relax, see friends, and have fun.

If you ever have a chance to go to Portland, you should. Knitters are everywhere in Portland. It's so fiber friendly. I don't know how many knitters I ran into whilst there but I have a bunch of new Ravelry contacts now. Plus, it's almost always sweater weather in Portland. Nearly everyone had some form of knitwear, from hats, scarves, to sweaters about. (And I was no exception. I actually got to wear some sweaters there!)

Like a good knitter, I planned what knitting projects to take, because I didn't want to be without (before I even packed my clothes).

1. A project that I could sit, knit, and talk without problems whilst hanging out at the pub with friends -- socks, naturally. 
2. A project that I could knit that required a modicum of attention, but not too much -- a stockinette sweater with short row shaping. 
3. A project that required some concentration for the flight there & back...or when I had some spare cycles to devote to it --- a psuedo-lace shawl.

I finished my socks about half way through the trip. They were perfect for knitting at the pub, at the movie theatre, or when riding in the car for short trips. As an added bonus, I got to wear them during trip.

We did the required stop at Voodoo Doughnuts.

I also brought some extra sock yarn with me, just in case. So once these socks were finished, I cast on another pair, and promptly got about 1/3 of the way through the sock.

While I primarily knitted my socks whilst out and about, I did accomplish other knitting.  I found that I had a few mornings to myself at the restaurant cafe, whilst DH and my friends slept in later than I did. The staff were extremely nice and helpful and let me knit unmolested for quite some time whilst refreshing my tea. This is the 3-in-1 sweater.

Knitting by Friday

In two days, I got a lot of knitting done on the sweater, even with the short rows, during my breakfasts.

Knitting by Saturday

There was also time to knit on my lace-y shawl, (Unleaving Pattern in Knitty), but mostly on the plane. However, I got a good 6 inches accomplished on it. 

A few folks asked me about the app I was using to keep track of my lace & sweater knitting. They were fascinated, and I was more than happy to tell them about the KnitCompanion app, which I reviewed last year. I highly recommend it. It allows me to carry all of my patterns and keep track of where I am in each pattern so I can switch projects as necessary.

I was very surprised at how much knitting I got done on my trip. I thought I overplanned (like usual), but it turns out that it was enough. I had a good combination of down time and activity that allowed for a lot of knitting -- which left me with a chunk of knitting done on two projects, one FO, and one new project! It was a very relaxing vacation.

However, potential tragedy might have struck my in Portland, save for the very friendly town. We watched a late night movie at the hotel we were staying at over our trip (yes, they had their own movie theatre).

While waiting at the theatre lobby for the previous movie to end (and knitting), I dropped my spare pair knitting needles and the hotel staff remembered who was knitting, and found me in the dark to return them to me!!

We saw Army of Darkness that night.

Talk about customer service and memory!

The only thing I did NOT get to do in Portland was visit the yarn shops, only because when we managed to get to downtown Portland, I kinda lost all track of time at the mecca of bookstores, Powell's Books, and by the time we left, all of the yarn shops had closed. 

I'm not sure if that makes me a bad knitter or a really good geek!

I did see a few from the outside, and they did look lovely.  After all, I didn't really need anymore yarn, right? At least, that is what I'm telling myself.

I highly recommend visiting Portland if you ever get a chance. We do have family there, and I will be returning...and next time, I'll definitely be going to the yarn shops!

Knitted Cats

This...THIS is cool.



Ruth Marshall has KNITTED the skins of several small & large cats ranging from tabbies to ocelots to tigers.

I am in *awe*

Top Down No Gauge Stocking Cap Pattern

I finally finished writing up my notes for the stocking cap pattern that I worked on last month using my handspun. The pattern can be found on Google Docs.

You can read more about the evolution of the stocking cap in two previous posts:

1) The beginning

2) The end.

Link to the pattern.

Enjoy.

Travelling with Needles

For those of you travelling relatively soon, Another Long Yarn has some good information regarding travelling with knitting needles since the underwear bomber scare.

Flying with Knitting Needles

Carrying My Knitting -- and the Nantucket Knitting Bag

I'm a sucker for bags...of any sort. I have a collection of photography bags, travel bags, etc. However, I haven't exactly succumbed to getting a collection of knitting specific bags, such as Namaste, Lexie Barnes, and such.

Why? Because they aren't really my style. I don't really like "purses", but rather utilitarian bags that I can carry a book, water bottle, notebook, knitting (of course), and maybe a drop spindle & extra fiber.

Now, Timbuk2 messenger bags or Eagle Creek bags are more "me". And I use those on a regular basis and it fits everything that I want.

For day-to-day carrying projects: knitting projects are placed in Stuff sacks (aka Ditty bags) then placed in the main bag. The stuff sacks are often made of rip stop nylon so needles don't poke out, and the bright colors make them easy to find. I have several in different colors so I can easily grab a project and "go".

In addition:
-- Notions are placed in a small clear plastic makeup bag.
-- Fiber is placed in zip lock baggies
-- the spindles are placed in camera lens bag or wine carrier case (which I found at a local thrift store for cheap!)

However, I did pick up one bag, the Nantucket Knitty Bag, which has worked really well for me thus far. Currently, I use it for long extended road trips in the car or for taking projects with me to "Stitch & Bitches".

The original bag was designed for use by carpenters who need all those pockets for tools, but it works really well for placing all of your knitting & spinning supplies in as well!


(The photo is from the manufacturer site. My Nantucket is black.)
The bag measures: 15" x 10" x 6" with 1.25" handles. You can sling it like a shoulder bag, or close up the top and use it as a back pack. You can also reverse how it zips up so that all the pockets are in the inside of the bag. (I did this when visiting a house with small children).

It easily fits multiple projects, multiple yarn & fibers, and has wonderful pockets for putting in things such as full-size scissors, measuring tape, etc. It's easy to pull things in and out of it, and I can stuff it relatively full without worry.

I've been using it for car trips. For one week-long trip I carried: three sock projects, a sweater project, a hat project, all the associated yarn for said projects; two spindles and fiber for spinning. Then all the assorted tools that got placed in the pockets. It fits nicely at my feet on the passenger side, and the wide open mouth lets me immediately place in a project without any fuss.

When I'm not using it for car trips, it just simply holds yarn or fiber or whatever I'm currently working on at that particular moment, and will often get carried room to room when I'm knitting. (This is an addition to my static yarn baskets that sit by my favorite chairs.....)

The only thing about this bag is that, depending on how full you stuff it, the top won't cinch close all the way, and if it topples over, you might spill your yarn/fiber/projects out. However, I don't normally stuff it that full, so this hasn't been a problem for me.

Overall, it's a lovely bag to use.

Fiber Holidays

This past $WinterHoliday, we drove down to see family in the southern part of the state. So, per usual, I packed up my holiday knitting (socks, what else?) along with two spindles and extra yarn (just in case).

I managed to finish 1.5 pairs of socks on the trip (my socks as well as started a new pair for DH).

But, on the way back home, we stopped by Village Spinning & Weaving in Solvang. What a *wonderful* fiber shop. I walked inside and was really pleased. They had a very healthy selection of coned yarn for weaving and a rather ample section of fiber all neatly bagged and assorted. There was a nice assortment of merinos of various counts, BFL, Jacob, different alpacas, colored tops, and assorted luxury fibers (yak, bison.....). They had a gold wrapped ounce of quivit! Oh, and they had some lovely lovely yarn, but I was there primarily for FIBER!

It was like being a kid in a candy store. I didn't know where to start!

Unfortunately, I had totally forgotten my list of what I wanted, so decided to just go with some pretty fibers that caught my eye. I picked up some lovely soft merino, some nicely dyed merino (purples & dark reds), and a LOVELY mottled BFL (oatmeal, dark, and white). I seriously debated on the quivit, but knew that I had no knowledge of spinning short fibers so it would have to wait. However, the already-spun quivit from Musk-Ox farms was SORELY tempting....But I held myself back.

DH started a lively conversation with the owners about sheep and indigenous species, which tangented onto man's involvment in breeding & environments. They were lovely people and very helpful.

So, now, I think I shall have to make this stop on our trips whenever we go and visit family. The shop was lovely, well-organized, and had a healthy selection of fiber-y goodness, AND the owners are just nice, nice people.

Holiday Trip Knitting

Whenever I go on a trip, I have to plan out whatever knitting I need to bring. We were driving for this particular trip so I didn't have to worry about bulky or packing effectively, but I did want portability and ease of knit, because there were going to be plenty of younger kids (4-7) around for the holidays, not to mention conversations with the adults. So I needed something(s) that was going to be easy to memorize and the ability to knit while talking...or to stop if necessary due to child antics.

Two projects came to mind:

--> a pair of vanilla socks -- two at a time; toe-up; on two circulars. The pattern was a SideStream master sock from New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One by Cat Bordhi.

--> Night Sky Karius shawl -- an easy 8 row pattern with increases in specific areas. Plus, I could use my hand-dyed / handspun yarn (Nightsky handspun)

I started both projects (because I hate casting on in a moving car) and got both to a point where it'd been easy to just pick it up again. I also decided that I would bring two spindle spinning projects as well.

So, I loaded up my Nantucket Knitting Bag (I picked up used on Ravelry) with my 4 projects.

I found myself knitting on the parts of the trip where I didn't need to drive, and during the family get-togethers.

Unfortunately, I had left my generic sock pattern at home (OH NOES!) but some very nice people on Ravelry were able to give me the rest of my Master Numbers (I had my gauge, RPI, and foot sizes, but didn't know the rest) and I was able to finish the sock (sans cuffs) on Thanksgiving Day.

I'm also about 40% done with my Nightsky, knitting most of it during the drive up and down, as it's a relatively easy pattern to memorize. I also managed to get some knitting done while sitting on couches and talking to friends at LosCon. My Nightsky Karius easily fit into my little travel purse so I could leave the large Nantucket behind.

Unfortunately, I didn't touch either of my spinning projects the entirety, but of course, if I had left them at home, I would have desparately wanted them.