organizing

So, I pulled back to before the tension problem occurred on the Jolly Rancher Shrug, and then started knitting again, mindfully, and realized that I can’t effectively replicate the tension of the first 3 inches.  So I pulled it back to the start of the faux-rib section, and reknit at a more standard Jenica tension.  Much better, though a little wonky in some places.  But that’s what my knitting is generally like; a little wonky.  I think it’s the combo of the KnitPicks Shine Worsted on the size 10 Addis — very slippy yarn on slippy needles means slippy knitting.  S’ok though.  I have faith in the finished object.

In the meantime, while I was stalling on projects, I organized my stash.  Hooray!

Jack explored the finished cabinet, which contains shelves of a) weird yarns, inclusive of  eyelash, ribbon, and other novelties, b) natural-fibers-that-are-not-felting-wool, including the washable wool, silk, cotton, and soy, and c) synthetic fibers.  This was Jack’s lone moment of exploration, as I’ve learned the hard way that cats + yarn = angry Jenica.

And then there are the tubs.  Tub A contains all the feltable wool, most of which is odds and ends, but now I can see what I have that I can combine in fun, interesting, wooly ways.  Stripes are in my future, I think.

And Tub B is the merino and cashmere and blends of both.  Because, really, why waste such soft yarn on felting?  Again, though, I’m seeing stripes, because I’m not sure there’s much in the way of full skeins in there.  Learn to love the stripes, I say.

The most exciting part of all this organizing isn’t that it’s organized, which is lovely, but that there isn’t yarn stuck in the corner of every bookcase, in every basket, and on top of every pile of whatever in the house.  It’s all in one place, and I don’t have to worry about the cats getting it, or wondering “didn’t I have one more skein of that brown wool?” or being concerned that Drew’s going to start using it for some nefarious purpose because there’s just so much of it and it’s EVERYWHERE.

Green frogging

Gauge. Tension. They’re project-killers.

I was feeling particularly chill and lazy when I started the Jolly Rancher shrug, because I was looking for something fun and creative and easy…

And so my tension was nearly non-existent. My gauge? Loose but consistent.

Yesterday? Less chill, less lazy… more hyped from watching Project Runway while I knit, and definitely a bit tighter.

So much so that I’m about to frog the four rows I knit before I noticed. Damn.

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Now playing: Miranda Lambert – Kerosene
via FoxyTunes

string other than yarn

I forgot to take a picture of it, but I made Kristen a necklace for Christmas that I’m really pleased with. In August, she gave me a ziploc baggie full of lovely green stone beads, saying, “I broke a really cool necklace, and maybe you can do something with what’s left over.”

So I made her a new necklace, which wasn’t what she intended, but it struck me as the perfect thing to do with those stones. Plus, I knew exactly how to make a necklace that would really work for her. I made it long — long enough to either wear all drape-y-like with an open suit jacket, or to loop twice around for a shorter necklace. I added in some very cool amber to red beads that I picked up in Ottawa, and then just randomly spaced everything out with some gold-yellow seed beads.

In the end, it looked great on her:

caw, caw

Someone needs to save me from myself, because I want to buy ALL of the Raven Clan colorways that Blue Moon Fiber Arts is offering… and I haven’t a single project in mind.  But they are soooo pretty…

*sigh*

Maybe as a Happy Birthday To Me I’ll come up with a good reason for it.  Maybe.

Maybe I’ll go through Ravelry with an eye to finding The Perfect Pattern For Raven Yarn.  Maybe.

Or maybe I’ll just sit here and long for it aimlessly, and then go back to knitting my Jolly Rancher shrug.  More likely.

A Jolly Rancher of a project

Candy. I’ve spent the past six weeks knitting vegetables, with high fiber and low sodium, as I finished Christmas gifts and deadline-specific projects. Today I’m knitting candy. I’m taking my stash of apple green Knit Picks Shine Worsted, and I’m knitting up a marvel of fiber engineering, a circular shrug. For me. Because I can. Because I want candy.