A Little Yarn On The Side

4 days left to finish January's project! Rows and rows of mind-numbing edging, followed by sewing the silly thing onto the sweater. Why exactly did I decide on one project every month?????

I have finally found a way to finish the baby blankets from last weekend, and I prefer to look at it as exploring my options rather than getting my tail kicked by the serger. I resorted to decorative stitching which I think looks rather nice. When I bought my sewing machine 2 years ago, I wasn't sure if I would use the decorative stitching capabilities, but I use them all the time. In a few more years, I might even be willing to admit what I paid for the machine.... The January sweater is almost done--as is January--and what have I done?????? Joined a lace knit-a-long. The good side is that when it is done I will have used up 2100 yards and 5 hanks of yarn. The bad side is that those 2000 yards really don't take up much room in the stash & when all 5 are gone the only thing I will have accomplished is that the rubber tub containing lace yarn will be LESS overflowing. What I need are a few KALs involving bulky-weight yarn--where is the Mystery Afghan when you need it...

The original plan was to have two projects a month--one knitting and one sewing--and by concentrating on one project at a time, I would have more finished projects and fewer Works in Progress. I'm sure that plan would work, just perhaps not for me. On day 24 of the Year of the Stash I have come to a realization--if I can make it an entire year without adding to the stash, it doesn't really matter HOW I make it the entire year. So, while I am still suffering through the never-ending garter stitch edging, (Trust me--it's more mind-numbing than it looks), and the bizarre tie-dye shawl, I have started a poncho for my sister's birthday. Sticking with my regular habit of being totally divorced from reality when it pertains to my hobby, her birthday is in about 3 weeks. There is a chance, though, as it's worsted weight wool and size 11 needles. A slim chance, granted, but if I weren't generally delusional about knitting, how much fun would the blog possibly be?

...that a sweater really doesn't seem that big until you start working on the edging that goes all the way around it????????? Stay tuned for the adventures of the never-ending 9-stitch garter-stitch strip......

Today this appeared at www.elann.com: http://www.elann.com/productdisp.asp?NAME=Elsebeth+Lavold+Silky+Cashmere&Cat=NEW&ProductType=5&Count=1 I love the sweater, the yarn sounds fabulous (though REALLY expensive), and I'm on a stupid self-imposed yarn diet! What moron thought this up?? Oh wait, that would be ME. A smarter person would stop checking visiting their website--I realize this, but then a smarter person probably wouldn't restrict themselves from buying yarn, nor would they buy more yarn than they can use. It's a vicious cycle when you give up on rational thought.

OK, this really wasn't "taking an easy shot just for the yardage." This really was a project I wanted to get done this year: It's a nice fleece throw for fall. And, if it makes it more of a project, between hemming it and doing the decorative edging, it took about 2 hours--some of which can be chalked up to user error, but even with the best sewing machine, decorative edging around an entire blanket takes a REALLY long time. The pink cardigan is done except for the edging, which is a mind-numbing 9-stitch strip of garter stitch which will be sewn onto the sweater: Thinking that I knew better than the designer, I did try knitting the border on, but she was right--that doesn't work. It only took me about 10 minutes to come to that conclusion, which is good for me. Usually it isn't until I'm halfway through the project that I discover that the instructions I decided were "stupid" really had a purpose and now I have to rip back because I am tota...

Yesterday it hit me--an entire year without buying more yarn or fabric! No www.elann.com, no Joann trips, no fabric.com....Not that I have any shortage of either one, but it is a lot of fun to go to the store & pick out new projects....In fact, far more fun than making them, which is the problem. But I am making progress! The January cardigan is down to just sewing on a sleeve and adding the border around the edges, and it will be done! Monotonous, oops, I mean monogamous, knitting really pays off! The count now stands at 13 balls of yarn down and 7 yards of fabric (I've been working a lot this week).