I have reached the 75% milestone on the Cashmere Ombre Wrap by Purl Soho. Queue the fireworks. I can’t believe this project might be finished within a year. I think when I finish this I am going to have a drink.. maybe two;). Okay that’s it for now.

A funny thing happened on the way to my Ravelry queue. I remembered that I had put Sankaku in my queue. I was looking for a challenge and I found it.  Apparently my comfort zone can kiss my but because after fretting about how to read the pattern and if I had to do wrap and turn short rows I cast on.

So far I have already learned how to do a crochet cast on, do dropped stitches and interpret the pattern( for myself and someone else) I am finally on row 3 and the pattern is starting to progress. I would be lying if I said this will be a quick knit, or that it is mindless, but it does become easily memorizable.

 

I can’t see what is next. I am so out of my comfort zone and to be honest, kinda loving it.

 

 

I probably didn’t say it but I am on a yarn diet. You would not know by telling from these pictures.  Look it is what it is and that yarn was bought in 2015. It was my last big purchase. I thought I might have some feelings about not getting any new yarn, but surprisingly not. I feel strong, and I want to try to knit down stash I haven’t seen for a while.

This month I have managed to knit with Spincycle, Sweetfiber, Fancy Tiger Crafts , and the Plucky Knitter. It has been a lot of fun learning what I like and what I really don’t. I have kind of a large challenge to knit down but I really feel up to it, so I think I will give it a go.

 

Aquisitions:

ZigZag Wings  by Lete

Buccaneer   by Lete

Fuego  by Lete

Meringue  by Lete

Sure by Olga Jazzy

 

Work in Progress:

Sankaku by Olga Jazzy

Bartlett by Michele Wang

Funky Grandpa by Rille

Cashmere Ombre wrap by Purl Soho

 

Finished:

Secret test knit

Pure.Maine by Alicia Plummer

 

I am having a blast with my current goal of trying new things. It has been pretty eye opening. All my knitting mojo that was lost last year is just pouring out of me. Knitting seems fun and freeing  again and I find I want to stay up until 2am in the morning to do it. I started the year with a goal to try something new, which for this month was to learn to embroider or as Tif Fussell would say make a “Woolly Tattoo”  on a knitted item. I joined the “Hatty New Year KAL” hosted by her and Spincycle Yarns. Spincycle Yarns has released a hat which takes one skein of their yarn and had recruited Tif to make ” How to Woolly Tattoo” videos for the KAL.

Well after making the Rosemaling Mitts I was excited to woolly tattoo more items but nervous to try creating something that was totally my own. I know I knit and do a little needlepoint, so I need to explain; most of everything I do is from a pattern (I adapt and may modify things a lot or a little).  The hat was an interesting departure because I thought what I wanted to do and free handed sketched the woolly tattoo.  The process was fun I learned a bit on negative space, scale and  apparently that I have some creativity (pretty mind-blowing for me). Since finishing the hat I have found myself sketching at work while I am on calls and thinking of idea I can add to my finished objects.

It’s extremely weird for me but also awesome because I am getting more comfortable with experimenting with creativity.

Acquisitions:

Farmhouse Flats by Hey Lady Hey

The Royal We by Andrea Rangel

 

Work In Progress:

Cashmere Ombre Wrap by Purl Soho

Bartlett by Michele Wang

 

Completed:

Farmhouse Flats by Hey Lady Hey

Tilly Hat Spincycle Sisters

Rosemaling Mitts

Okay my knitwear got a tattoo. My something new this year was a pair of Rosemaling Mitts by Dottie Angel AKA Tiff Fussell from the new book from Loop. The book was a birthday if from one of my favorite people and I have been wanting to cast these on for what seems like years( totally melodramatic these came out less than 6 months ago).

This project was fun. These knit up extremely quick and checked so many things on my “I want to try it” list:

• Embroidery on knitting
• New techniques ( a picot crochet bind off)
• Using stash all stash yarn
• In my Ravelry queue
• A break from some of my existing WIPs
• A quick knit

I mean what is not to like? The last time I was on Bainbridge Island I stopped off at a sewing store  and bought this traceable paper with an adhesive that would dissolve in water. It helped make a new technique less scary as I didn’t feel comfortable  just “eyeballing” it or basting the pattern on.

I am still having some issues with the french knots that are supposed to be in the center of the flower ( I know how to do them, but they aren’t working) but I  decided to declare them done as I think they are in the “good enough” category until I decide to fix them. I am pretty happy with how they turned out, and I have something new to wear for January 2016.