Author Archives: deb

First bit of knitting…

firstknit.jpg

That’s Peaches & Creme in Licorice, because I really am that cotton obsessed.

After finishing this little square, I immediately launched into the obligatory garter stitch scarf, since I’d been planning to start one of some sort for my three-year-old anyway, and she’ll love it no matter how uneven it is. I’ll need at least that length to get my tension nice and consistent. Might be longer. I’m finding that bit much more difficult than I do with crochet…but then, I’ve been crocheting over 20 years now, so I don’t doubt it was a challenge when I started, too.

I’m terribly impressed with how soft this little swatch is.

I’m a bit smitten for sure. More to come…

And socks.

I have this sudden, desperate yearning to knit socks.

I don’t understand it, either.

New Category

I’m going bicraftual.

Hey, if Emma can learn to crochet (and so quickly and well that I keep clicking over there to see what she’s done now), I can learn to knit, right? *ducks under thrown tomato* OK, I think knitting is way more difficult, but I’ve decided to decide I think that just because I’m relatively unfamiliar with it (and I’ll stop torturing this sentence now, so no need to call the UN).

In other words, it’s time to get out of my own way and just learn the thing, or at least the rudiments. Time will tell if it will become a love affair or not.

I got all excited about doing this because I was poking around on Ravelry the other day and found a link to this and my reaction was, “hey, I could do that!” instead of hiding under the desk cowering in fear, so that’s another good indicator that it’s time.

Also–and this is going to sound monstrously artsy–I keep picturing a freeform piece I’m working on with a garter stitch section in it and I can’t convince myself to crochet the thing instead. So I *have* to figure it out or it will forever look wrong to me, and if it turns out like I’m starting to think it will, that would be tragic.

Now if I could just get a few minutes to actually work on, well, *anything* I’d be all set. LOL.

Time for some new goals.

In no particular order other than the one in which I remembered them while writing this:

Number 1 ought to be blogging more than once a week! LOL. I’d like to find and fix up a new theme for the thing, too. I’ve not got much of a theme-y attention span, I’m afraid.

Number 2 relates to being positive about the chances of getting a table at a small craft fair I’ve applied for, and having plenty of stuff done to cover that event. And of course, if that *doesn’t* work out, well then I’ve got plenty for Etsy.

3 is sprucing up the Etsy shop.

4 is finishing the design on a holiday item I’ve been contemplating and have about half worked out.

5 is writing the pattern for that one when it’s done, because it’s the sort of thing I could really have used as a beginner.

6 is a post I’ve been meaning to write about how important all of the impossibly detailed beginner stuff is, because beginners need patterns too.

7 is some free patterns for this site, since I really do believe that having access to patterns that the experienced might not think even need writing *is* important for beginners. I think stating clearly exactly how to do something that seems very simple can be dead useful for both parties involved.

8 is the freeform project I’ve made a few bits and pieces for, and the one I have in mind.

9 is the Monster…a post on that is coming soon.

10 is commenting where I have something to say. I never seem to have time to actually leave a freaking comment when I first see something. Hell, I suppose I’m lucky I manage to *read* anything at all with the kids helping me.

11 is updating Ravelry. How sad is it that I can’t come up with the money to get a beta tee? I’d love one of those shirts. *sigh*

12 is updating the blogroll.

13 is catching up with this.

14 is taking a pic of my giant granny and posting an update at the Granny-Along.

15 is…um…I’m sure there’s something else. There’s always something else.

Life is good. 😀

Stitch-Stirring

I haven’t done one of these before, but no time like the present, right? This week’s prompt:

If someone asked, “Why do you do it? Why in the world do you crochet?”, would you give them a long response or a quick and easy one? How would you reply?

Very simple: I can’t not.

Incidentally, this is how I always wanted to feel about writing, but never did. I don’t suppose I should be shocked that the choice of medium isn’t always so much a choice, but I am. And I really *am* shocked that after years and years of crocheting on and off, that this time when I picked up the hook something odd happened and a passion was born. I have a fluency with crochet that I simply didn’t have a couple of years ago, and I have no idea what changed in the meantime. It just…happened. And I can’t wait until I get more time to play around and explore what I can do now that I’m seeing it in a more expansive way.

This is getting ridiculous.

Blog? Blog? Hell, I don’t even have time to crochet. What in the world will I blog about?

*sigh*

Seriously? It’s just nutty here, still. And it will probably stay that way for a while. I’m going to have to make more of an effort to carve out a few minutes here and there to update, though. Right after I manage a few minutes here and there to crochet…

Thready

I’m at the point where I need a change, so it’s been thread day around here today. I’m making Christmas-y things with red and green thread, including some granny-square-ish bookmarks and cetera. The change of pace helps with the soreness I sometimes get in my hands and wrists. Right now one wrist is very sore from the crochet (and mousing adds to that, I’m sure) and the other is very sore because I fell rather heavily (hah!) and awkwardly on it yesterday. I’m a grand clutz. Nothing new. That one is actually worse–the typing is *painful*–but the thread work? Not noticing it at all. If I ever get all of the kids in bed, I’m going to switch to working on a wallet I started a while back, also in thread.

Still with the too many ideas dancing in my head. I wish I had all day to work on these things. I never expected to fall in love this way this time, but it’s happened. More on that in another post at another time, methinks.

Thing 1

thing1.jpg

Don’t ask me.

Watch for further developments…

(And yeah, not a great picture, but it’s what I have…)

Freeform Madness

I’m trying to remember what it was that got me started looking at freeform work (oh! it was a thread at the ‘ville, which is down right now or I’d link it), but I think I’ve spent the entire week doing little but staring at lovely, lovely scrumbles and thinking about them and trying to decide how I feel. I’m fascinated, in a distinctly, “I want to do that,” sort of way. Hmmm.

Dishcloth production continues apace. I finished one custom and immediately picked up another. I’ve had multiple sales this week! I got my buttons today for the smaller coin purses I’ve been planning. And the bigger ones. I’ve got snowmen on the brain. And I’m planning to rip out a bit of the giant granny and incorporate some baby yarn I’ve had sitting around. And I’m thinking of doing a rectangle granny in thread. Just because it would be cool looking. And make me crazy. And I go for that combo, lately.

First things first, though. I’ve got a snowperson to finish (and gift), a wallet to finish, a dishcloth to finish. Oh! And a half-finished set of coasters. Then maybe crazy weird fun stuff.

There are just not enough hours in the day to deal with all of the ideas running around in my head. But you know what? I wouldn’t give up the time with the kids for anything. You should have seen the huge gummy baby grins I got today.

Priceless.

Just popping in to say…

Bullions are a bitch.

Argh!

LOL!