Write It Down, Get It Done

December is turning out to be the month of getting things done. I love it!

Quite a while ago, I began the sweater below. It's from a Rowan magazine, and it's a Martin Storey pattern. It appealed to me because I love anything with a cable, I loved the oversized aspect of the sweater, and too, I had yarn that would work. 

In progress. 

I finally finished the knitting!!! For those of you who knit, you know that the knitting is one thing, the putting it all together is another :/

The sweater is basically together, all I have to do is a bit of steaming, and then sew the cable to the hem. I have a pair of wool tights that I made using my own pattern, and a fabulous pair of over the knee boots. The boots look more gray in the picture. They are gray, but with a green undertone. I plan to get the piece finished up today, so pictures of me in the sweater will follow soon. 

The yarn I used as you can see in one of the above pictures is from Lorna's Laces. The warehouse is opened maybe 2 or 3 times a year, and small batches of mill end yarns are sold. I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase an entire bag of this yarn, so I had plenty for the sweater. While the ply and stitch count is the same as the Rowan yarn, this yarn is a little less drapey, so my collar doesn't come down as far on my shoulders, which I really like as it turns out, so all's well that ends well :)   
  

Quite a few years ago, I came across THIS pattern for knitted and felted clogs from Fiber Trends. They are so easy to knit, so I ended up knitting a boat load of them as gifts for friends and family. They LOVED them!!! In fact, all have been worn completely out, and all have been asking for more. 

My husband is one that has been asking for a new pair. I finally got a new pair done for his birthday. You should have seen the look on his face when he opened the gift :)

Even if you are a novice knitter, these are quite easy to make.
They are huge once the knitting is completed. 

You will need access to a regular agitating washing machine. The slippers are put in and allowed to agitate in hot water. It takes about 45 minutes. When they come out of the machine, they are fuzzy as you see below, but beautifully shaped. 

 A bit of a hair cut, and the slippers look fabulous. 

Now to get them off my husband's feet so I can sew on the leather soles. The leather soles are a must if you have tile, or hardwood floors. The slippers can be, well, quite slippery! You can find the leather soles HERE. 

When I finally get a project completed that I have allowed to languish, I always wonder why I didn't get to it sooner. A question I have yet to figure out. 
But, I will say this...
Back in January of this year, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2018. While there are things I have not accomplished, I have been amazed with all that I have. The trick was to make attainable goals. I listed things as small tasks that would end up as big projects being accomplished. 
Last year, I read the book, Write It Down, Make it Happen. It has had a profound affect on me. I highly recommend it to anyone who has dreams and goals that they would like to achieve, and yet has a difficult time making it all happen.

This year, I am adding a little something to my daily routine,

It's a simple daily task of recording what was important about your day. I love it! So often we have accomplishments that just become part of the fog of our past. Once I receive my book, I'll share a little more. Look for it on one of my book review videos :)

Have a wonderful day, and I hope it includes getting something done that will make you feel fabulous!

Rhonda  

Kinda Making It Happen

Back in April I shared that I have a goal to complete 12 knitting projects this year. Well, it's September 1st, and at this point I have only completed 3 pieces. I'm just a bit behind ;) Ya gotta be optimistic!

After the lace shawl that I completed, I really needed to do something that was less monotonous, and faster. 

The sweater below from Rowan, a Martin Storey design was on the list and I thought it would make a great next project.     

A few had asked to see my progress, so here it is, front, back and 1 sleeve. At this point, I am very happy with how it is turning out. One more sleeve, the neckline and the cable and woo-hoo!!!, it's finished.  

In my original list of 12 items, I had mentioned a bag. 
It's done in some leftover Rowan Tweed wool that I had. At this point, I need to sew it up and I would like to lightly felt it to give it a little more body.

Here's how it was knitted. The top portion is actually a band that will turn down. The tongue at the bottom of course will be the bottom of the bag. I have enough of the yarn to knit handles, but I'm just not sure if that's what I would like. 

Not quite half way to my goal. Oh well, just keep trying :)

Cables, Seeds, and a Sweater

A big thank you to all who have commented on the post I did yesterday. I love reading your thoughts :) 

Anna asked if I would post more info on the sweater I'm knitting. She said that she is looking for a new project to keep her hands busy while watching television. Since she asked, I thought that more might be wondering as well, so here's all the info:

The sweater is actually featured on the cover of the Rowan Magazine Number 46.

A number of things caught my eye. First of all, the cable around the hem of the tunic. 

You may remember the sweater I did a few years ago, I'm a nut for cables!!! 

I also loved the simplicity of the pattern. I think that the stitch throughout the tunic is a seed stitch. I always have to look up the names of stitches. Anyway, it's a very simple to do stitch and perfect for an easy knitting project that will also travel well. 

As you can see below, the design is by Martin Storey and it's called Halifax.   

And last but not least, I had the yarn. 

Lorna's Laces is based in Chicago. The owner is so very gracious about opening her warehouse and hosting an ends shopping day. She will usually do a wonderful presentation on her process of hand dying her yarns. Be warned though if you do attend one of her sales, it's quite tempting to walk out with bundles! 

I was actually fortunate enough to be able to purchase an entire bag of the yarn I'm using for the sweater. Below is all of the yarn info. The Rowan yarn that was used for the sweater is Cocoon. It's also a bulky yarn and has the same stitch per inch as the Lorna's Laces Sheperd Bulky. You can find other colors of the Lorna's Laces Sheperd Bulky HERE at Love Knitting. 

What attracted me to the yarn was the color combination and especially the addition of the teal blue. It's my favorite color :)

I wasn't sure how the color combination would knit up, but I'm quite happy with how it is turning out. I'm especially excited about getting to the point that I can add the neckline. I think it will come together quite nicely.

I'll keep you posted with my progress. 
Happy Knitting!
Rhonda

Write it Down, Make It Happen

A quick update on the sewing adventure that Helen Haughey and I will be hosting in June. All of the information will be up on the blog first thing tomorrow. I'm really excited as I think it is going to be such a fun experience. 

It seems that if you are creative, it's rare that you enjoy doing just one thing. In the past, I've shared that I began at an early age doing embroidery and hand sewing. That lead to knitting, crocheting, and ultimately tatting, taught by my grandmother, and all of which she did beautifully. While I love to tat, my first passion after sewing is probably knitting. Crocheting has a never been a real passion, just something I know how to do, but not super well.

Quite a few years ago, I met and became friends with a wonderful woman who had the most incredible knit shop in Houston. This place was simply amazing. Friends of mine in Chicago were always surprised to hear me say that I waited to do any yarn shopping until I got back to Houston. After all, Houston is not exactly the sweater capitol of the United States. Maybe a few light weight wool sweaters, and cotton pieces, but not the heavy duty things we need in a colder climate. But, my friend carried it all. Her shop was like a knitting wonderland. And trust me, my eyes would glaze over when I entered the store, and all memory of the projects I had waiting at home seemed to magically jump right out of my head. 

Life seems to take twists and turns that we never really expect, and the same held true for my friend. She had never wanted or expected to have a baby, but as fate would have it, she became pregnant and her passions changed. She no longer wanted to run the store, she wanted time at home with her child, and who could blame her? 

Her closing the store was probably a favor to me as well as I amassed quite a collection of projects. A few years ago, I learned of Lorna's Laces and that she has a warehouse sale on occasion, not the same as my friend's store, but this too added to my collection. And it also doesn't help that Lorna's Laces is merely blocks away from my home :/

So this year I decided that I am not purchasing anything new, I MUST begin to thin the stash. My goal is to finish 12 projects by the end of the year. I'm already behind. But, if I have nothing else, I do have blind faith :) 

I began the year with this scarf project from Rowan Yarns. If you subscribe to their magazine, you get a free project(just what I needed!). This is the first time that I have not been happy with a Rowan yarn. It's the Rowan, Alpaca Colour yarn. If you look at the picture below, you can see how the yarn does not have a consistent color. The dye lot was the same on all the skeins. 

I decided that I would weave a small cord of coordinating yarn through the lacing, so I purchased a yarn that picks up the darker color in the yarn. I'll also use it in the fringe. So much for thinking that I had a project finished.

The next project that I have been working on is a shawl with yarn from Lorna's Laces. The yarn is lovely, but it's like knitting with thread, and there's nothing to the pattern to hold my interest, so I am bored beyond belief!!! The only saving grace is that I think I will really enjoy having the shawl once it's finished.

Once I get the shawl completed, I have a few quick to knit projects that will hopefully get me back on schedule.

This one will be super fast, it's just a little neck piece from Classic Elite Yarns. It was a thank you gift for attending the Yoga and Knitting Adventure in Maine a couple of years ago. 

A number of years ago, I knitted a pair of felted clog slippers for my husband. He LOVED them! So much so that he completely wore them out. He'll be thrilled to get a new pair.

When I went to the Knitting and Yoga Adventure in Maine, I ended up skipping the knitting as I preferred to hike and then go to the yoga classes. The project that we were supposed to do was a cabled neck scarf. 

I've only knitted 1 pair of socks in my entire life. Like many who begin to knit socks, I enjoyed the first, the second was a bit laborious, but I am determined to get this pair finished. The yarn is really quite lovely, so maybe that will help.

I really need to get this little sweater finished as I think I'll truly enjoy having it in my wardrobe. Here again, it's rather boring, and nothing to really hold my attention, but the yarn is so lovely, so once again, I'm determined. At least I hope so ;)

This will be the bigger project of the year. I purchased the variegated yarn below at a Lorna's Laces warehouse sale. 

 I finally decided upon this sweater from a Rowan  book. This is something I know I will enjoy on cold days.

I could have paddled to China faster than I have moved on this sweater!!! It's done in Rowan yarn and it's from a Kaffe Fasset book. I know I am going to enjoy throwing it on with jeans, just a matter of buckling down and getting it done. Basically, the front and back are finished, I just need to do the sleeves.

The last 3 projects are a scarf, a hat, and a bag, so not intense projects. I'll share those once I get to them.

Last year I read a book entitled, "Write It Down and Make It Happen." A few years back, I wrote down a dream that I had for our church. What I had hoped for was huge and not something I could accomplish on my own. But, I wrote it down, and I was amazed to see how it all came together last year. I had a part in making it happen, but seeing how it all unfolded was exciting and renewed my faith. 

Another day, I'll share a book that I put together a month or so ago where I can write and dream for 2017, and maybe beyond. My knitting list is in the book, so I am believing that this will happen. Then next year I can dream about 12 more projects. Yep, there's at least 12 more waiting in the attic!

The Tree Of Life Bag

I am preempting the Jenny Jacket today in order to correct a mistake that I made in the instructions for the Tree Of Life Bag. As I was working on mine last night, I realized that I published the instructions that I had originally written and there was a mistake that I had forgotten to correct in the new instructions. Hopefully, no one has moved on too far and I am catching you before you have to rip out the entire piece.

 The mistake is in the instructions for the center cable, Cable Pattern B.

You can see in the above picture that the center cable should have a small cable, twist and then move into the larger cable with stitches in the center. The instructions leave out the twists for the small cable. Here are the updated instructions. I will also update the instructions on last week's post where I published all of the instructions.
Cable Pattern B
(worked over 8 stitches)
Row 1: (Right Side), Purl 2, C4F, Purl 2
Row 2 and all even rows: Knit all knit stitches and Purl all purl stitches
Row 3: Purl 2, Knit 4, Purl 2
Row 5: Purl 2, C4F, Purl 2
Row 7: Purl 1, T3B, T3F, Purl 1
Row 9, 11, and 13: Purl 1, Knit 2, Purl 2, Knit 2, Purl 1
Row 15: Purl 1, T3F, T3B, Purl 1
Row 16: Knit all knit stitches and Purl all purl stitches.
These 16 rows make up Cable Pattern B.

Note that the only change is in Row 5.
If you would like to see all of the instructions with the updated change, click here.
I am so sorry for the mistake and I do hope that no one has moved on too far.
On another knitting note;
Sometimes I feel that I have the attention span of a gnat as I usually have my hands into quite a few projects at one time. I recently treated myself to a Rowan Magazine subscription.

 It's a bit expensive, but I feel that it is so worth it.

The magazine has wonderful articles.

 

 The photography is so lovely.

 And one of the nice little perks of a subscription is the gift that is included. With this subscription, I was able to choose the project that I would like to do. I chose a hat and glove set. This is the first pair of gloves that I've knitted and I'm finding them easier than I thought they would be.The yarn is as lovely as all Rowan yarns are. It's called Baby Alpaca dk. As you can see, the hat is finished and I've knitted the thumb in one glove and I'm ready to move on to the fingers. 

In the past, it was rather difficult for those of us in America to subscribe to the Rowan magazine, but it is now so much easier. Here's a link to their page. Sitting down with a cup of tea and my Rowan magazine is such a treat. It's like a small vacation to England and I never leave my chair!