March!! Its March!! Its the middle of March!!

Ok, I know February is short, but what the heck!! I totally did not see where it went. Not much happened obviously! So project wise...

Yep, progress, but no finished objects. I have had some issues. I have had to keep myself from casting on everything that comes to mind. I MUST finish these commissions!!

I made progress on the Cadence Socks. They are sitting at the toe decreases.

Cadence Socks at the toe decreases. ALMOST THERE...

I had to rip out the 36x36 mitts due to them being too small. Ready to get started again. They are going to be beautiful, but they were not going to fit. I have the same measurements as the person I am doing them for (or roughly anyway) and they were NOT going on my hands very nicely. Too stretched for color work mitts. So, going up an needle size should fix that issue.

36x36 Mitts FROGGED and ready to be started again!!

I started and frogged a Vodka Lemonade for myself out of some wool from Bindigo Mills in Australia. I liked this, but the fabric was just to stiff. I didn't think I would wear it much. It is not technically frogged, just in the pond to be, so I may still change my mind. But for now, I am not going to be working on it.

Vodka Lemonade - FROGGED

I started a Vodka Lemonade for my grandma in Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks in Oyster Heather. Really should get back to this. She is not expecting it any time soon. She is realisitic about how long a sweater takes, but should would like it before Fall this year. I think I can manage this.

Vodka Lemonade for Grandma :)

Started another commission piece, Melisandra Socks. I received a skein of STR in return for this. It is pretty. Not sure what I am going to make with it... Hitchhiker or something along those lines...

Melisandra Socks in Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs Strychnine - Gothsock in Multipass

I have been bitten by the Featherweight Cardigan!! I was able to purchase some Wollmeise Lacegarn in the Fritzi Frizzante color way. Its beautiful!! But this is what I have been working on instead of my commission knitting!! What is wrong with me? Ain't it pretty?? I NEED to put this down and work on the other stuff above, but I just can't. I swear I am trying. Maybe after I get to splitting of the sleeves I can put it down for a few and finish up the above projects... Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, I am actually almost there, I am at 38 of 45 sts for the front pieces.

My Featherweight in Fritzi Frizzante Wollmeise Lacegarn. LOVE IT!!

I have also started a tunisian square blanket. I am trying to have enough squares at Christmas time to be able to put a blanket together and give away if I so choose. Or to have one for me and my SO.

So, there has been no cross-stitching and no spinning for February and March is not shaping up either. But I am starting to REALLY want to spin. I may do that this next week as I will be staying home one day to receive some packages.

What?! Its February 1st!!

Ok, so what happened to January? Who stole the month of January? Ummm... with this rate, I may want to start on Christmas stuff now, as I may not realize that it's tomorrow...

So, Lets see, January, what did I do...

Well New Years was uneventful. Shawn played Boarderlands with Adam, via the internet, on the PS3, while I was thinking of changing where my blog was, how it looks and making my goals for 2013. A few days later a box arrived with my new Tunisian Crochet hooks!! I started a blanket for SILs foster baby with Lion Brands Pound of Love and the J hook. I had started a blanket for baby back in December after Christmas, but have changed my mind several times since then. I am going to stick with the Tunisian blanket.

Then came going back to work (which consisted of 1 day then the next few off... Strange schedule of mine, but it works. That weekend was my 31st BDay. Had a great time with Amy, Robert (Amy's Date), Adam, Shawn (DD) and me. Was sloshed on 3 shots and 4 mixed drinks, then we went to have breakfast and after dropping Amy and Robert off, we headed home. So, not such a bad start to the new year. (I had even cast on for a hat for myself as a BDay present).

Then after the epic BDay, which the next two days may have been a hangover may have been me getting sick, I had the flu. Crappy week of it. Was starting to feel better on the Friday, but stayed home from work to be rested and ready to go Monday. Come Sunday night/Monday morning I end up with vomit sick. So, there goes another week of feeling like crap and worse.

Not much crafting was done during the 2 weeks of sick, but I did start and finish a few projects. I didn't have much brain power so that limited what I worked on. Also didn't want to pass on the sick, so didn't work on projects for baby or the commission I have either. I finished my hat, a pair of fingerless gauntlets and a cowl during those two weeks. I didn't really feel like knitting most of the time, but was able to work on some personal and simple ribbing projects for myself.

Cowl, Hat and Fingerless gloves knitted for myself.

I finally get to go back to work the following week. Still not feeling so great, but I am sick of my bedroom and I need to get things done there. I had started another cowl (these are using up a present from MIL for Christmas 2012). I have finished that cowl, but I don't like it and I am going to frog it and find something else.

The weekend before I went back to work I went through my fingering weight tub and made sure they were all on Ravelry. This is part of wanting to have my stash up on Rav and to knit from it this year. I know there is more that is not up and I will go through the tubs a few at a time and see if I can get it all up there. This way I just have to search for patterns then see if I have some yarn for them to use.

Here is the yarn stash tubs. 

During the stash diving/picture taking, I found some projects that are not finished. I am going to take pictures of them and start deciding if I want to frog or finish them. I have a few that are single socks left over from my test knitting that need to be finished as well as some that I started for myself.

This was just the Fingering weight box. I still have many others to work threw and I know there are more projects to add to the Frog or Finish pile. I first want to work on the commission knitting and the Tunisian Blanket before I really dive into the Frog or Finish idea. I am also still working on the Stash knitting. I have made it through January with out buying yarn or roving. I am happy with myself.

I have also worked on my Pipers Journey Shawl. I have completed the first ball of yarn and I am getting ready to add the second and figure out when I am going to stop with the garter and add the boarder. I believe I am just a few rows from that point, but will do a count and make sure I have enough added to make the boarder even.

I have stared a sweater for myself. I am excited to be working on it. The yarn is from Bendigo Woolen Mills in Australia. It was brought back by a friend who visited another friend over there. When she visited us, she was working on a sweater out of the same yarn and I loved it. I like the sweater, but I don't think I would have finished it since I would have had to knit the cable separate then sew it on. I am not a pieces kind of gal. Though I may want to do it in the future, its in my library. I have chosen to do Vodka Lemonade. A person in my knitting group is also doing this sweater and we have agreed to push each other to get it finished. It is from the top down and I have finished the collar and I have 3" of 11" for the raglan seam done. I am enjoying the knitting on this.

Vodka Lemonade sweater.

I was commissioned last year to knit a pair of socks and mittens for a lady on Rav and she would weave me a scarf. She has mostly finished the scarf, it just needs to be "blocked" and some fringe work. I on the other hand have not touched my projects for her for a bit. Christmas had some thing to do with that. I have vowed to get these finished, which means I will be putting the sweater and other projects down until these are finished.

Cadence Socks

I had also started a pair of socks last year with the hopes to wear them for Halloween. Yeah, that didn't happen. They haven't been touch in forever. I would like to get them finished in the next few months.

I have frogged, or plan on frogging, a few projects too. Or at least plan on doing it. First up is the cowl that I finished, It just isn't right. I will frog this and knit something else up. I frogged a cowl that was being knitted in Lorna's Laces Shepard Sport in the River color way. I just wasn't liking the way the color was turning out on it. I do plan on casting on another cowl, but I am just not there yet. I also had started the Hope Shawlette by Stefanie Japel in Lorna's Laces Soulmate in the Flamingo color way. I just wasn't excited by the way the color was turning out. I am going to frog this and do something else with the color way. It was purchased as "Boobie Month" kit.

Frog it pile. I still have to do the cowl and the shawl.

There has been NO spinning in January. I have been itching to get back to it, but some things have to be finished first and I was not in the mood to spin while I was sick.

Must finish this so I can get started on other stuff.

Project Goals for February:

1. Finish Cadence Sock.
2. Finish 36x36 Mittens. Then packaged and ship 1 & 2 to Commission in Washington DC.
3. Progress on Vodka Lemonade.
4. Progress/Finish? on Tunisian Baby Blanket.
5. Choose yarn and start Afghan Blocks (5 minimum) and plan for the rest of the blanket (I worked out that I would have to complete 5 blocks a month plus 4 others to do the big afghan by the end of this year. I didn't do the blocks for January, so those will be added. It will be 5 blocks for February and 6 blocks a month for the rest of the year.
6. Spin up the roving that is on the wheel and start on some Loop Bumps.
7. Work on some cross-stitching.
8. Purchase and set up the Victory HAED cross-stitch.

Yep, so bad at this!

So, it looks like my goal of actually writing...

Yep, gone the way of the ... Well, lets not point fingers and call myself names, thought I do deserve them, sometimes.

I have been just test knitting away. I have completed three other socks and I am diligently working on a wrap.

I have been working on some personal projects as well just to have a break in between.

I have completed one Hermione's Everyday Socks in the Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball in U Boot color way, plus one stripy sock without the afterthought heel in 3 Ewes Twisted in Fiber in the Viva Las Vegas color way. I have started another of the stripy socks out of 3 Ewes Twisted in Fiber in the Golightly color way, they reminded me of some Lilys I had just gotten (I cast this on for a sock to knit a doctor/dentist appointments). I completed a Magrathea shawl by Martina Behm, I have also stared and frogged about 4 Trillian shawls by the same person. Nothing wrong with the pattern, just wrong with the yarn.

I think somewhere in my pile of projects is a two different DayBreak shawls by Steven West. Again, nothing wrong with the pattern, just with the yarns I keep choosing. I have started and put aside a Modern Log Cabin blanket. I do want to finish it for my bed. I do like the colors. I have started and fizzled on a felted hedgehog, for my nephew, I really should get back to that. I had an idea to do them for the kids for their birthdays this year. I have also started a Piper's Journey shawl. I do want to get this finished as well. I have a Beekeeper's quilt stared, you know those dreaded hexi-puffs are here too. I have been on a kick to use up my kitchen cotton since it had taken over a complete tub out of my stash!! I have a few done that I have thrown into a box that I can grab to give as gifts if I need to.

I have queued up a Calligraphy Cardigan and Wonderland Socks to knit for myself.

I have been commissioned by a friend to knit a baby blanket for her daughter (same age as me). The colors are not something I would normally put together, but I think I can make them work. Hot Pink, Black and Yellow. I have decided to do a Neat Ripple baby afghan with 4 to 6 stripes of Hot Pink, then 1 black, 1 yellow, 1 black, then back to hot pink.

Oh and to top it all off, I have decided to knit sweaters for the 5 kids in the family... WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!!!

Not only all the above, but I have added a Trindle Spindle to my collection and have been spinning away on some roving that a friend got me in Austraila. It's purple and spinning lace weight singles. I just love this thing. My cat on the other hand has issues with me spindling. I am not sure if it makes a sound he doesn't like, but he acts like it's a big dog or something to come and attack him. Its funny.

I have signed up for the CloudLovers fiber club and my first shipment is on its way. I also have a giant order from Knit Picks on the way. with over 9,000 yds of fiber. Mostly for the sweaters for Christmas. I did buy some red yarn for a Clapotis for myself. I have been on some strange kick of wanting a red scarf of some kind, and why not have one of these as well.

Yep, I have lost my mind... :) Just check out that list on the left there...

January 2011

Where did the month go? I am not done yet. I still have lots of plans for the month of January and it is ending today. Well, I have made some progress on the bits and pieces for this month.

I have finished my Koi Garden Shawlette. I have finished my swatch hat for my HPKCHC Herbology OWL. My proposal was reviewed but since I am doing the pattern myself, I had to add the design drawings to the proposal and now I am waiting on the decision. I am STILL working on Grms scarf. Not sure if I will have it done in a week. Here's hoping. I still have to write up my "homework" for Charms class. I am going to use the shawlette and some creative story to make it work for the scarf I just was not able to cast on this month. :(

Tomorrow (Well, 9 pm PST) Nerd Wars Starts!! Yeppy!! I am still deciding if I want to do a dissertation in that group (like an OWL). I have not decided just yet. I am thinking of something to do with spinning.

I have been spinning a little each day. A friend of mine sent me some COOL rovings from Australia. I wanted to be able to give her the choice of having some of the yarn that came out of it when she (possibly) visits later this year. :)

Well, I hope that January has treated you better reader and that you are caught up on what ever it is that you needed to finish this month.

Time is not on my side

I have been working diligently on projects this month, yet I seem to have bitten off more than I can chew.

My sister needed help getting moved into a place from mom's house. That was easy while the kids were in daycare. That was the biggest thing that has happened this month, yet the end is near and I have really nothing to show for an entire month.

Not knitting, not crocheting, not even programming.

My desk is cleared. The Christmas tree is in its box (too heavy for me to put away). I have planed and started BF's sweater. I have test knit a shawlette (still working on it). I have gotten the yarn to start another test knit, a cardi. I have done a gauge swatch for said cardi and started a sleeve, but had to rip back because I was not paying attention (use stitch markers next time). Starting sleeve again today.

Nerd Wars is starting in a few days on Ravelry. I have yet to even finish one project for HPKCHC (The House Cup). I was trying to think of a way to make the shawlette work for one of the classes. Not to mention that I have been "stalking" a first year and have yet to even work on that project. Its a beautiful lace scarf. Maybe I can come up with a story that will work the shawlette into the likes of the scarf. (But will cast on for said scarf later.)

Not to mention that mom had me order yarn and knit a scarf for my grandmother for her birthday, Feb 8!! That is not even any where near complete.

The test knit for the cardi is due March 1st. I can put that off for a few more days, but then will HAVE to start. I need to finish this scarf for grandma first, before I work on anything else, or at least before anything else is started.

So that leaves the current projects at:

Shawlette Due(Jan 31st)

Swatch for BF's Sweater & Proposal Due (Jan 31st)

Nerd Wars - Tournaments start Feb 1st!! (Will have a new project there)

HPKCHC - New Classes - Feb 1st (Will have a new project there)

Scarf for Grandma Due (Feb 7th)

Nerd Wars - New tournament - March 1st (Will have a new project there)

HPKCHC - New Classes - March 1st (Will have a new project there)

Cardi Due (March 1st)

BF's Sweater Due (March 31st)

Nerd Wars Dissertations Due (April 30th)

So... I am not sure how this is going to look soon. But I am working on things, lets just hope that life lets me keep track of February better than January.

Not to mention I have to do taxes as well... Yeppy.

2011 Resolutions

So, it is yet another new year and I am still doing the same things, well, mostly the same things. That means yet another list of un-meaningful resolutions. But hopefully since this is out in public, I can keep myself a little more motivated... We will see.

2011 RESOLUTIONS

1. I am going to really put some time in on my spinning wheel this year. I paid for it, I should use it. Plus, my friend sent me some AMAZING roving from Australia!! The purple braids are beautiful. Then you go to the bags and OMG!! soft as melted butter. I rolled in them for a bit :) I am not sure what kind of fiber they are. But most definitely very beautiful and SOFT!! Got to make sure I spin these with some experience!! I would love to make something out of them, but just not sure what!! Needles to say, I need to return the favor. Road trip!!

2. I am going to knit from my stash. I have five, count them five, well, maybe 6 or 7, plastic bins full of yarn in the garage and there is still MORE in my house. I have been watching the show "Hoarders" on A&E. OMG!! I know that my house is not as bad as the people on the show, but I do feel that there is just way to much stuff that is just taking space in our house.

Little side note here: Our house has two adults that have lived there most of their lives, MIL and BF. So it is full of their stuff. Then we have a roommate that had a house before he moved in. He is really good about being only in his room, but I think that is not fair, he has lived here long enough that he should be apart of the house, if he wants. Then we add me. My stuff is the most visible and I really don't have that much, but it was the last stuff to add to the house so it is on top of everything. Or was anyways, now it is mostly in the garage and my office area.

3. I am going to make a GIANT effort to keep my house useable this year. We tend to start stacking things in corners and by the end of the month, we loose that area to STUFF!! Not any more.

4. Work on getting the garage into a useable area. I don't have to park the car in there. But it would be nice if I had the choice to. Or at least a good storage area. Organized and neat.

5. Work on programming for the MAC and iPad/iPhone/iPod. I don't have school anymore, so I should actually be doing something in the programming field.

6. Either get a programming job or work on our home based business. One or the other needs to start making money.

7. Live life, laugh often and love hard. Enough said.

8. Actually try to blog this year. See how it goes. I would like to actually have my thoughts out there in the world instead of just being in my house, in my head or going through other peoples ears.

9. I would actually like to make our house, our house. I know that is redundant, but if you knew me, you would understand. (See note above). I would actually like to have some nice things that belong to us and not BF's mom or sister or father or anyone else in the family. I would like to look around and see us, not "his mom's" house. It's not like his mom lives here every day, well at the moment, but not sure how long. She is here maybe 4 to 7 days out of an entire month. I think it is time to make a home or move.

There are other resolutions, but they are on a more personal level and I do not feel like sharing with the public on those.

Crafting:

I am knitting/crocheting projects for two groups. One is the Harry Potter Knitting/Crochet House Cup (Hufflepuff) and the other is Nerd Wars (Dumbledore's Army). I am deciding if I want to be captain in the Nerd Wars group. It would be different, but do I have the time? Really?

Birthday:

Yesterday was my 29th Birthday. I don't feel any different than when I was 21. Is that how it actually is supposed to feel? Am I really supposed to just go year by year and not really feel any different than the last 8? What am I going to accomplish this year to make it different? I need to feel a change and for the most part it started last year and is continuing. Where is my life going? Is there going to be kids or am I satisfied with having my Niece and Nephews?

These type of thoughts were going through my head as I tried to sleep last night and really couldn't. Why is my birthday so close to the new year, it sucks because one's mind is always looking for a way to change the next year, then bam, my birthday shows up and screws with my head, makes me start looking about my entire life instead of just one year. What the heck is up with that?

Closing Thoughts:

Well I believe this is a good start. Hopefully I will be writing most days. I really don't do much at the moment. But soon I hope that will change. I will defiantly start writing about my knitting, crocheting, spinning and hopefully the thoughts that run though my head. I DO NOT guarantee that I will not complain, I will, though, try keep it to a minimum and let you know before hand.

I would like to start writing my column again, but I just don't seem to have any ideas on what to do with it. I will look into that and see what I can come up with. Maybe it will just be a weekly blog thing that I can learn something new and let you, the reader, know about it. Well, that is if anyone reads this thing. It will at least keep my stash of notebooks down to a minimum.

Well, that is the end of this entry. I am going to work harder on keeping track of things. I just hope life doesn't get too busy.

Happy Knitting! or what nots. :)

A new year, a new start

For the most part this blog, though very neglected, has been for just my column that has been published in The Columbia Basin Farmer. Since it is a new year and my life has seemed to calm down again, for the time being, I think it is time that I actually start writing some more.

So I will start off by how I got involved with writing Needles and Hooks.

I worked for our weekly local newspaper, The Othello Outlook, and one of the previous editors approached me and asked if I would write a column. I did not have the time at the time to put that much into a column and was not going to put something out there just to be published. I told her I would think about it.

I worked on my first column off and on for about a year before I approached anyone about it. By that time there was a new editor and I was not sure if I would be able to pitch it right. I decided that a weekly column was still out of my time range so I settled for the then monthly publication, The Columbia Basin Farmer. Well, little to my knowledge the publisher was changing the time frame for the its publication to every two months (6 issues a year).

That time frame worked well for me. I was still attending college at the time and was only happy to have more time to work on it. So the pitch went extremely well. He was more than happy to include it. So that was the birth of Needles and Hooks.

As you can see, I have neglected to place all of them on the blog, but that should change here shortly. I am in the process of getting the master files of the publications (the ones that have actually been edited) and now have the time to post them.

I will start to actually write some more knitting content and soon spinning. I have gotten a drop spindle from a friend far far away from me for Christmas. (She is so sweet.) So, with the new drop spindle, the book Respect the Spindle, and various videos from the web, I should be up and spinning in no time. Wait, its that time thing again. I really got to think all the things I want to do through more often.

Ok, so the good part of finally graduating (got the diploma on the 19th in the mail) is that I have some free time to knit and spin. I have actually queued 70 projects on my Ravelry page. This is not good, not at all!!

I have 18 actual projects planed out. Yarn and everything. I have done a stash busting/organizing/cataloging the last few weeks and should now have an idea of where all my yarn is. The worst part is that I really should find a pattern for most of it and get it out of the storage bins. (Not much room in my house.)

So here is my project list so far, I hope you can read my short hand.

PROJECTS THAT HAVE YARN AND HAVE BEEN STARTED:

~ Amy's Socks: Twisted Stitch Socks in Aussi Sock, color no. WS07 Pink.

~ Darla's Gloves: My own pattern in Drops Alpaca, color no. 6360 Denim.

~ Felted Bag No. 2: Just needs the handles knit and felted.

~Hexagon Blanket: Using up some Red Heart in my stash.

~Lena's Bag: Knit Pick's Sipalu Bag in Pallet (Frog and redo).

~ Amy's Scarf: My own pattern in Aussi Sock, color no. WS26 Blue Dream.

~ Joey's Blanket: Little Girl's Favorite Throw (the stitch works well for boys too) in Pound of Love color no. 110 Denim

PROJECTS THAT HAVE YARN AND NOT STARTED:

~ Emma's Blanket: Little Girl's Favorite Throw (the stitch works well for boys too) in Pound of Love color no. 102 Bubble Gum.

~ Wrapped in Ragg: Mary Maxim Kit, for Christmas 2010 for myself.

~Knit Pick's Karin Tote for myself.

~Prismatic Scarf in yarn given to me by a friend in Australia, The Knittery, color Moonlight.

~ Jaywalkers in Noro, color no. S240 (another gift that came from Australia).

~ Monkey in Happy Feet, color no. 18 (black and grays).

~ RPMs in Happy Feet, color no. 26 (blues).

~ Nutkin n Happy Feet, color no. 25 (pinks with some lime green).

~ Vinnland in Araucania, color no. 310 Ranco Multy. (Another gift that came from Australia).

~ Navie in Aussi Sock, color no. WS05 Charcoal.

~ Endpaper Mitts in Patons Kroy Socks, color no. 54042 Gentry Grey and 54044 Mercury.

PROJECTS WITHOUT YARNS:

~ Outside In Socks

~ Springgrass Socks

~ Boyfriend Socks

~ Celtic Braid Socks

~ Clessidra Socks

~ Hendra Socks

~ Firestarter Socks

~ Baudelaire Socks

~ Zonki Socks

~ Knotty Gloves

~ Log Cabin Square Afghan

~ Celtic Braid Afghan

~ Serenity Shawl

~ Evangeline Gloves

~ Gir

These are just the patterns that I got off Ravelry or were in kits that I requested for Christmas, or was requested from my niece (she wanted another blanket). I have 59 books that have made it on to my Ravelry page and a few more that didn't, all on knitting or crocheting. I have yet to go threw them and pick the patterns I want out of them. But this seems to be a good start so far!!

Well, I think I am done for this post. I will write at you later.

~ Danie

Taming the yarn monster

I would like to approach this subject with a word of warning … There is no right way to organize YOUR stash. Each stash is unique to each knitter. Just think of it like your “yarn-print,” there are no two alike.

There are many ways to organize a stash. You can organize by brand, weight, color, project, etc. Do you look for color first? Do you find the pattern first? Are you one of those people who finds the yarn first? Basically, the best way to organize your stash is to make it simple for you to find what you are looking for with as little hassle as possible.

Stashes have a way of multiplying without your knowledge. When I first started out, I had the yarn, the needles and the pattern. That was it. It was simple, to the point and I had no problems keeping it in a small drawer and bag.

Somehow, it has grown over the past two years. It has multiplied and I have no idea how it happened. I am just simply running out of room. And to be honest, I have no idea what I have anymore.

There are the projects I am currently working on and the few that I have queued, but that is all I know about. There has to be a better way to keep me more organized so I don’t buy more of the same yarn. I can say with some certainty that I have yet to double up on yarn, but how long is that going to last? Needles on the other hand have multiplied without warning and I now have 4 sets of size 0 dpns. I do not use these often and have no idea how I got so many.

Some knitters and crocheters organize their stashes methodically. They know every detail of everything they own or at least, know where to look to find out that information. They know what size of needles they have, how many of that size, the material they are made out of and where they are. They know all the information about each skein they have, as well. Some even have all of their patterns and ideas organized.

How about those of you who organize your stashes by projects. You have a pattern, needles and yarn ready to go at all times. Your biggest decision is which project to start next, right? What an easy way to manage your stash.

Another way is to organize just like a yarn shop. Now, I know what you are thinking, “I do not have that much yarn, why would I go with that way of organization?” Well, there are some people who do have that much stash to call their own. Sadly, I am not one of those people, yet.

Others just don’t care and work with what they have, what they are getting next and whatever suits their fancy at the time. This is how my stash is at the moment. But in the spirit of the new year, I am going to get some organization into my stash. Whether it kills me or not is yet to be seen.

I am going to start with a methodical approach and get all of my stash written down in a knitting journal. I bought a graph paper notebook that I am keeping track of some basic information on my current projects.

I have another little notebook I could just keep track of my stash in. I can also keep track of other yarns that I would like to buy in the future, whether they go with a pattern I like or I have seen them on the shelf or in a magazine. This way, I can take it on shopping trips and know what I am in need of, what I already have and what I would like in the future. And maybe, write down some more.

OK, enough with the wishful thinking and on to more particle advice on stash management.

One way to keep your stash a little more under control is to store it where you can see it. All of it, not just the stuff you want to use soon. If you can see what you have, you are more likely to use it and less likely to buy more. Note the “less likely.” You will buy more but just more of what you like instead of more that will be stored away.

Another tip is not to buy yarns just because they are on sale. If you don’t use the yarn, you aren’t saving money on your purchase. These yarns are either sold for a loss or even given away to get them out of your stash.

Go through your stash and get rid of the yarns you don’t like or you don’t see yourself using. It is almost punishment to be knitting or crocheting something with yarn you do not like. Also, it will make your stash an unexciting lump of stuff and not an enjoyment.

Everyone has that odd ball left or the bits and pieces of yarn that didn’t get used. If there is no use for them later, get rid of them. Either give or sell them. These will also pull down the enjoyment of your stash.

A good piece of advice on stash organization is not to buy yarns to “make you feel better.” These yarns can have the opposite effect. They will be reminders of the bad day you had when you bought them.

Do not buy yarns with the idea that “they may not be there next week or they are the latest fashion.” These tend to be the ones that just sit in your stash and become the next nagging stash-buster giveaways.

I hope I have been able to help by giving you some ideas to start with. While there are just as many ways to organize a stash as there are people who knit, making it work for you is the only way to organize YOUR stash.

Or you could just give it all away and start over. I don’t really see myself doing that, either.

I enjoy discussing my yarn habit, sharing local and Internet resources and meeting fellow yarnsters. I can be contacted by e-mail at wovenpixel@yahoo.com. Please visit my blog at wovenpixel.blogspot.com or find me on ravelry.com as wovenpixel.

‘Tis the Season to … PANIC!

Every year since I learned to knit, I have made that sad mistake of making a New Years resolution of “I am going to knit-crochet my Christmas gifts this year.”

There’s that promise to yourself that you are going to work on them all year long and have them completed, maybe even with plenty of time to spare.

I have seen a change in the many of the popular Web sites for our craft. Many of them have started helping people by giving them ideas for gifts.

This is great!

They are also offering ideas earlier in the year. Their knit-crochet alongs (KALs-CALs) bring people together to help each other along. I have seen some new ones with “last minute” gift ideas for projects.

As for me ... Yeah, I didn’t really make anything ahead of time again this year. But I found a few projects that might help.

To start off with, I found a pattern on the Internet for a bath puff. Now, tell me how many women (and even men) you know use these bath puffs? Just about everyone I know does.

The Web site is strngbn.tripod.com/puff.html. This simple crochet pattern can be easily altered to make a bigger puff. I just added another row of double crochets to the pattern.

How many people do you know who get their coffee to go — either from “mom-n-pop” coffee stands or the brand name places?

Again, I know plenty.

Now, think about that hot coffee to-go cup and the little sleeves they sometimes put on them. Yet again, with another Internet search, I found a quick crochet (or you could even knit one) pattern for a coffee sleeve at shala-beads.livejournal.com/121994.html.

I found many other patterns with a general Google search for crochet coffee sleeves. I created the one that is pictured in The Columbia Basin Farmer.

That’s just two quick, fun things I found. I found them on a site called Crochet Pattern Central at crochetpatterncentral.com. There is also one for knitting at knittingpatterncentral.com.

These two sites offer a collection of links to patterns all over the Internet. What a great way to find something simple to crochet or knit for a quick Christmas gift!

From these sites I gathered some ideas that might be just the thing:

A quick project to crochet or knit is headbands. I use one every day. Though it’s not seen in public, it is used.

How about trying jewelry? Bracelets, necklaces and rings are quick and easy to do.

There is always the easy standby: a washcloth. I know as knitters or crocheters, we sometimes think of a washcloth as either a baby gift or a beginners project. But, do you remember how quick you can crank them out?

What about a skinny scarf? They’re back in style again.

A different way to knit a scarf would be to cast on for the length of the scarf, instead of width-wise. Or how about some stash busting and creating a crazy scarf? Spice up those winter blues with some bright colors in a variation scarf?

For the little girl in your life, try Barbie clothes. There are many free patterns and it’s a great stash buster.

Also for kids, there is always play food. Or for a baby, there are animal wrist toys.

I have two words for you, cell phone. Hmm, let’s try this again with three words … cell phone case. Need I say more?

How about a hat? Who can’t use a good hat? A Web site I found at www.crochetandknitting.com/articles/art118.htm gives you the basics for a crochet hat for adults using double crochet stitches. It also gives a pattern for a granny square hat for a child.

Let’s not forget the pets. You could create a sweater for a dog. Try this Web site www.crochetnmore.com/dogsweater.htm. This Web site even has instructions for altering the pattern to fit your dog.

Now for the cat, you could just give them the expensive ball of yarn they keep stealing out of your stash. You know the cheap yarn just isn’t the same.

How about a catnip toy? You can find a pattern for them here www.jpfun.com/patterns/free/miscellaneous/f114005catnipmouse.pdf. You don’t have to put the catnip in the toy. I am sure the cat will enjoy it without — especially if crafted from the aforementioned expensive yarn.

You know the saying, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime?” Well, let’s apply that to knitting and crocheting. Why not give the gift of learning to knit or crochet?

You can contact me by e-mail at wovenpixel@yahoo.com, visit my blog at wovenpixel.blogspot.com or on Ravelry.com as WovenPixel.

Check your gauge: Three of the dirtiest words in knitting

Authors Note: This column also applies to crocheting.

Have you ever spent hours knitting a sweater only to find out it did not fit? Either it was too small or it ends up being large enough to fit multiples of you in it.

Well, did you check your gauge? Was it correct? Did you check your gauge while you were knitting?

Gauge is very important if you are trying to make something that will fit.

When you are knitting a garment you want to wear, or to give as a gift, you want to make sure your gauge is correct.

The definition of gauge is the number of stitches and rows per inch. Usually, you see this written out as so many stitches and rows equals four inches.

Gauge is not a math test, it is not there to annoy you, it is there to help you.

Every knitter is different and gauge is to help make sure the garment fits, instead of having to look for a way to get rid of it.

If you are going to spend hours creating a beautiful garment, why take a chance that it will not be worn? Gauge is the key to being happy with your finished garment.

Some patterns use the finished size of the knitted garment while others use body measurements to help you decide which stitches to follow. In order to tell which type they are using, you knit a gauge swatch. An entire pattern is written around a gauge swatch, so why shouldn’t you check to make sure yours is correct?

A half stitch, more or less, could alter your garment drastically.

Gauge should be a continuous effort and checked as you knit. There are many factors as to why your gauge changes. Was it a stressful day at work? Are the kids driving you up the wall? Have you been knitting for several hours? Since knitting is a form of relaxation, your gauge relaxes, too.

The types of knitting stitches you use can also affect your gauge. The main characteristic of ribbing is to “pull” in your knitting. This gives you more stitches per inch. Cables pull at your knitting, as well. Purl stitches are generally looser than knit stitches.

Projects are created for specific yarns and you may have to substitute the yarn. You need to know if it is suitable for your pattern. Does the gauge of the yarn match what is in the pattern? Do you like knitting with this yarn? Is it fuzzier than you first thought? Creating a gauge swatch gives you an idea of what is going to happen with the finished garment.

How do you measure your gauge swatch? Gauge is truly measured in the middle of your swatch. The first few stitches, cast on and bind off rows are different since you are creating an edge to the fabric. Make your swatch wider and taller than the area you are trying to measure. Gauge should be used to become familiar with the pattern stitches and yarn, knit until you are comfortable with what you are learning.

I once was told you should measure your gauge swatch before and after “finishing.”

Once you have bound off your swatch, toss it gently onto a flat surface. Let it sit there for a few minutes to relax. If it curls up too much, you are allowed to gently pat it flat. It will be a more accurate gauge if you do not pull and stretch your fabric. Stretching, even the teeny-weeny tiniest bit, can throw off your gauge and you will be knitting on the smaller side.

Grab your trusty gauge measurement tool, scrap paper and a trusty calculator. Count the stitches over three to four inches then divide the stitches by the number of inches. This will give you an average gauge. This is more accurate than counting the stitches in an inch. If your gauge turns out to be more stitches per inch than you need, try larger needles; if less, smaller.

Now, you can proceed to the “finishing” of your swatch. This must be done. How else are you going to know when you wash the yarn that it pills or felts or drapes badly?

However you are going to treat your final garment, hand-washing or machine-washing, is how you should treat your swatch. Do not wring or stretch your fabric after you have washed it. This stretches the stitches and we do not want that. Blocking, though a column unto itself, is basically to help the fabric lay flat, not to stretch it.

Let your swatch dry all the way. Do not try to speed up the process, this also distorts the stitches. Be patient, it will dry. Then repeat the measuring steps above.

If you do your homework, a gauge swatch, you will enjoy those hours, days, weeks or years it took to knit that garment and be able to wear your masterpiece in the end.

Danielle can be contacted by e-mail at wovenpixel@yahoo.com. Please visit my blog at wovenpixel.blogspot.com or find me on ravelry.com as wovenpixel. I enjoy discussing my yarn habit, sharing local and Internet resources and meeting fellow yarnsters.

Going public with your projects

It’s that time of year again. Funnel cakes, giros, space burgers, cows, rodeos, demo cars, kiddy rides and the smells of fair.

There is an area at the fair that many of my readers know about.

Let us imagine together. You walk in and the first thing you notice is the colors. Actually, you may notice the cooler air, then the colors.

Pinks and purples. Browns, blues and blacks. Lets not forget the whites, yellows, greens and every color in between.

All colors in various combinations and patterns. Welcome to the Craft Barn at the county fair.

Someone has to create these lovely pieces of art, but who? Well, you, of course. Each year, just before fair, you are able to enter your projects into categories. They have to be created in that year between fairs.

Many county fairs now have web pages you can visit to see their fair books, exhibitor guides or whatever it is they call them. These guides tell you about the categories you can enter items into the fair.

First off, you have to find the department and section you are going to enter your project(s) into. Second, you find within that department a class your project applies to. Then, it is as simple as filling out the exhibitor’s form for that fair.

These are placed around the Craft Barn and displayed for visitors during the fair.

So maybe you don’t want to enter into the fair. Don’t worry, there are other places you can enter you projects.

Many of the craft magazines and web sites offer contests you can enter. Not to mention if you have a guild in the area. For the “tech savvy” readers, there are also podcasts and blogs that hold contests.

There are many different kinds of yarn craft-related contests. You can design your own pattern. Name someone else’s pattern. You can knit-crochet along with a pattern that is revealed in parts. And many, many more.

I encourage you to have fun in whichever contest or fair you are comfortable with. Part of the excitement of knitting and crocheting is being able to share your work with others.

Since I am encouraging you to enter the local county fairs, I thought I would share the project I intend to enter this fall. I knit an afghan.

The pattern is a second-place contest winner from Mary Maxim. The pattern is called “Twin Trees Afghan” and was designed by Shirley Rhyne.

I chose to knit this pattern using Bernat Satin Solid yarn in the Star Dust colorway. The finished afghan measures 44 inches by 53 inches and is knit with almost 2,500 yards of yarn.

This afghan was a big project for me.

When I first got the pattern, I was wondering what I had got myself into — it was overwhelming.

There were four solid pages of small print detailing each panel to be knit. The two side panels were to be repeated on the other side of the blanket, two sets of the smaller twin trees and then the two larger trees in the center.

The intricate design of the twin trees and the side panels made for quite an interesting project. I enjoyed working on the afghan as much as I enjoyed watching the pattern unfold.

While I have dreams of winning a ribbon, my fondest hope is to garner feedback that will help me become a better knitter.

You can contact me by e-mail at wovenpixel@yahoo.com or visit my blog at wovenpixel.blogspot.com. I enjoy discussing my yarn habit, sharing local and Internet resources and meeting fellow yarnsters.

Blanket your neighbors in kindness

When someone says the words “Charity Knitting,” what comes to your mind?

I think of little old ladies, sitting around, knitting mittens, hats and socks for orphans in some cold distant country.

Well, that may be true, but there are other groups that serve people right here in the United States. One of those charities is Warm Up America!

Warm Up America! (warmupamerica.com) was the yarn child of Evie Rosen from Wisconsin. She wanted to help people in need here in the U.S.

Rosen started by asking people she knew, customers of her yarn store and her community, to knit or crochet 7-by-9 inch squares that would later be joined into afghans and donated.

Countless volunteers from all over the U.S. help to keep this charity going. These volunteers donate their time to knit or crochet the original squares, join these squares to make afghans and either donate them locally or send them off to the Foundation Headquarters, which will also join the squares and distribute them.

Each afghan resembles a patchwork quilt and also represents the different people who make each square their own.

Warm Up America! afghans are given to people in need.

The American Red Cross, women’s shelters, children’s hospitals and others are recipients of these afghans of love. Many communities complete afghans in the spirit of “neighbor helping neighbor.”

The Columbia Basin Farmer-The Othello Outlook has a basket for donation of squares, yarn, needles or even completed afghans. These supplies are then passed on to a group in the Tri-Cities that is working with Warm Up America! Pictured in the upper right corner is the basket with supplies that were donated last September.

Another charity to look at is Project Linus (projectlinus.org). Project Linus’ mission is to provide blankets or quilts to children in need. They are comprised of local chapters and many volunteers, “blanketeers,” across the U.S.

Project Linus accepts all styles of blankets that will then be given as gifts to seriously ill or traumatized children (0 to 18 years old).

For Project Linus, the blankets need to be homemade, washable, free of pins and come from a smoke-free environment (due to allergy reasons).

Project Linus has a few chapters in the Columbia Basin. By going to the Project Linus Web site and clicking on “Chapter Listings,” you will be able to get in contact with someone in your area who can help you find where to donate blankets.

Don’t forget your community also has people in need. If you want to do some charity knitting or crocheting there are many ways to help. Go to any church, hospital, nursing home or shelter.

Please remember, there are many people in the U.S. who are in need of the loving care that goes into charity knitting and crocheting. The care and compassion that goes into the making of your project(s) offers a message of hope and compassion to whomever the lucky recipient may be.

You can contact me by e-mail at wovenpixel@yahoo.com, visit my blog at wovenpixel.blogspot.com or on Ravelry.com as WovenPixel. I enjoy discussing my yarn habit, sharing local and Internet resources and meeting fellow yarnsters.

*Published in The Columbia Basin Farmer, May/June 2009 Edition.

Knit-along: Spring tulip scarf with Cathy Glaesemann

I have asked Cathy Glaesemann, owner of the Country Yarn Boutique in Moses Lake, to be my surrogate knitter for this column. I recently sat down with Cathy to learn about her knitting life and her store.

Glaesemann has crocheted since she can remember; one of her granddaughters requested her first knitting project, a ballerina sweater from a Mary Maxim catalog.

“It was the first thing I ever knit,” Glaesemann said. “One of these days, I am going to make another one, because it was my first one and it wasn’t perfect.”

Her granddaughter still has the sweater to this day.

While at market to find yarns for her store, she has met many wonderful people, including writers and designers we see in magazines and books.

Glaesemann started a gift shop in 2003 and enjoyed the experience the store brought her. Being an avid knitter, no yarns to be found and the encouragement from friends, she started carrying yarn in her gift shop.

“Pretty soon there was more yarn than there were gifts,” she said. This is how Country Yarn Boutique was created.

Glaesemann offers a variety of services at the yarn store. The store is open Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

However, with a request in advanced, she is willing to open the store on the weekends. There are knitting and crochet classes, private lessons with Glaesemann, tea, coffee and various goodies to enjoy.

There is also a Sit & Knit on Thursday afternoons with other knitters.

Plus, all the beautiful yarns and notions you could ever want.

The Sit & Knit group and Glaesemann would love to extend an invitation to you too.

“Come feel and touch and enjoy the yarn shop,” she said. “Enjoy the aromas, the company and have a cup of coffee or tea.”

Find the full pattern download here.

E-mail me at wovenpixel@yahoo.com, visit my blog at wovenpixel.blogspot.com, or on Ravelry.com as WovenPixel.

*Published in The Columbia Basin Farmer, March/April 2009 Edition.

Knitting: No Longer Just Grandma’s Pastime

There seems to be a craze out there. Mothers, sisters, girls of all ages and some guys, too, are picking up the knitting needles and learning to knit or crochet.

Have the times changed enough to accept that a person, of any age or sex, can sit in a public place and knit?

The public is becoming more understanding. People just want to get away from that computer every now and then. They need something that is different than playing video games, watching TV or reading a book (which everyone should do more of).

Have you noticed that TV has started picking up on the knitting bandwagon? A few of the prime time TV shows have their stars knitting on the air and it’s not just the “Golden Girls” anymore.

In the bigger cities that surround our small town, I am seeing the younger generation picking up the knitting needles and taking them in public! Before, it was taboo to be young and knit in public.

Now, it seems that everywhere you go, you can find a young person knitting.

Knitting was reserved for the home; you did not bring it out in public until you retired from working, which was when you were considered “old.”

My name is Danielle Evans, I am 26-years-old and I am studying to become a computer programmer and the deadlines are stressful.

I use knitting to get away from it all.

I have had to travel from our small town of Othello to Moses Lake to find a knitting group. I go there almost every Thursday to knit. We don’t bash our significant others (rarely ever) and we don’t really talk about politics (just when they really tick us off).

Mostly, we just talk about what has happened over the last week, ask silly questions and listen to everyone respond.

Even though I do not gripe about work or the latest squabble within my family, often, I really feel a lot better when I leave.

Of course, that could be the countless balls of yarn and accessories that I buy each time I am there.

The atmosphere of knitting something, a pair of gloves, a scarf, a blanket, whether it is for you or for someone else, contains a sense of accomplishment. It is overwhelming at first, but by spending a little time on it every day, it seems to fly off those needles.

Every time I put down the needles after finishing a project, I have to pick them back up to start something new.

Though it was once thought taboo, knitting is now becoming popular.

Go to Barnes and Noble in Tri-Cities and see if I am kidding. I know of a group that meets in Richland once a week to sit in the chairs, drink coffee, knit or crochet and just talk with each other, whether it is about a project they are having a problem on or just to shoot the breeze.

I started knitting in 2004. I am self-taught. I was down in Richland for a summer internship and one of my roommates knitted.

My grandmother crocheted when I was little, so I knew the basic idea of what was going on, but my roommate’s knitting fascinated me and I have been fascinated with it ever since.

I dare you to go to a local yarn shop (this does not include the big blue building down the road), go in and touch the yarns and feel the differences. It is a feeling you will never forget.

What is a good yarn shop? You know when you walk in, that feeling that you have been there before. That is a good yarn shop.

The Country Boutique in Moses Lake is the yarn shop that I go to. It reminds me of my grandma’s house when I was a child – warm, friendly people, who know the meaning of “there is never a stupid question.”

Do not go back to a shop if there is not someone who offers to help you. Finding the right yarn, needles and other supplies is hard enough when you first start out, let alone when you start a major project.

This is why smaller yarn shops are in business, they love the people. Yes, they want to make money, but the craft is what drives them to stay open.

This column will become a craft-along. I would love to involve you. I would enjoy writing about other crafts and also including a craft-along, but I will need your help. Send me your ideas, comments and suggestions. E-mail me at wovenpixel@yahoo.com, visit my blog at wovenpixel.blogspot.com,or on Ravelry.com as WovenPixel.

You will be the driving force of my column (and trust me, I need all the help that I can get).

*Published in The Columbia Basin Farmer, January/Feburary 2009 Edition.