March 2019

See you later March!
I need renewed motivation for the Lestrange that is for sure. I still love it to pieces, but the sleeves have got me down.I am hoping that by finishing some larger lace items that I can pick away at this and get it over with. Strangely enough though with the lace doilies I have become a fairly monogamous knitter, which I see as a great aspect to life, or I am just enjoying them so much that I want to knit them exclusively. Who knows though.
I also signed up for a 5 week boot camp, which is very impressive and has me at the gym 3 days a week, and running 6 days out of the week. Which is far better for oneself than sitting a knitting all the time.
As for hat's I am now knitting little baby hats, they go a bit faster and I don't have to change colours for them as they are solid and solid ribbing is okay.

March:

1. Finish Lestrange by the end of the Month - This has been moved to April 
2. Burn 600 - 1000 calories 6 days a week  - I think I managed this which is amazing
3. Finish a book - Anne's House of Dreams
4. Start Cheese making photo book  - These photo books are going to be the end of me. 
5. Continue working on the 2019 yearbook of photos- So I need a better plan for this. 4 pages every Friday is not quite working...but I will get there
1. Work on last years ;), and the year before, and the year before, and the year before
6. Loose 5 lbs - Okay so this did not work out, my body decided to go crazy and I think it has settled down now. 

FO's:

1. Panda Party Socks for Charlotte
2. Panda Party Socks for Lynn

WIP's:

1. Lestrange Cloak
• Started:
• Finished: 
2. Rose of England Lace Doily 
• Started: 03/03/2019
• Finished:
3. Tardis Afghan
4. Pickachu Blanket - 01/13/2019
• I have made amazing progress here! Thank goodness something is coming along. 
5. Plum Yummy - 02/12/2019

Languishing WIP's:

1. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
1. This is not going to be a blanket I finish in the blink of an eye, it is going to be a process. 
2. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks - so pretty! I cannot wait to see this finished.
• The 4 year sweater...it was cast on in January of 2014

Future Cast On's:

1. Touch the Sky Cardigan
2. Crazy Stripes Cardigan
3. Princess Pullover
4. Mesh Pullover

Books:

1. Anne of Windy Poplars
2. Moll Flanders
3. DragonFly in Amber
4. Gone With the Wind
5. Curtsies and Conspiracies
6. Crazy Rich Asians
7. Tess of the D'Urbervilles
8. Anne's House of Dreams
1. I started reading (audiobook) Anne's House of Dreams before being finished Windy Poplars, because Windy Poplars, was written and published after House of Dreams, so it has no bearing or plot twists in it that will affect the reading of House of Dreams, it will be fine. 

Colouring Book Page:

July 2018

July, good bye July.

I have got 0 Medallions completed for my quilt...
I did though finish about 4 hats, yes I am still knitting hats, goodness knows why or what for, but I am, and that is okay with me. 

I have also got my butt in gear and am making progress on the last quarter of the Hue Shift in 5 colours, so with any luck the blanket itself should be finished quite soon, and then just the boarders to put on it, and a home to find it as well.
As for August, I will be away for the first 2 weeks of august, and I am debating taking knitting with me, but I am also debating cutting out loads of fabric, and focusing solely on my EPP for 2 weeks, if I get 2 medallions done great, if I get 5 done great, but it takes up much less space than knitting, but is not as travel friendly as I can knit socks in the dark, but I cannot sew EPP in the dark. This is more for plane entertainment, or I could glue on the plane, you never know. I have no idea what I want to do.

FO's:

1. Dino Teal socks for Charlotte
2. Streckle Socks for me
3. Figarita - she is adorable

WIP's:

1. Lestrange Cloak
• I really want to say that I finished this, but I did not. 
• I soon will have 5 sleeves for this sweater not just 2 or even 3. The first one was too short, the second too are not wide enough to go around the tops of my arms, and as much as I want to just be able to fix them as they are now, that will make me unhappy. So I shall get there, but it will take me longer
• The sweater as it stands now, a sleeveless one is gorgeous and I would for sure wear it with no sleeves, but 
2. Camp-side Cardigan
1. Woops this just slipped and fell onto my needles, there was nothing I could do. 
3. Tardis Afghan
4. Hue Shift 5 colours
1. 1 quarter to go!!!
1. CO is 18 stitch maker CO 17 with a CDD (I keep forgetting what my cast on is, so here we go, never to forget)
2. Seeing as how it is now Spruce Meadows season this will be my knitting for while I am sitting in the trailer, waiting for people to give rides too :)

Languishing WIP's:

1. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
2. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks - so pretty! I cannot wait to see this finished.
• The 4 year sweater...it was cast on in January of 2014

Future Cast On's:

1. Touch the Sky Cardigan
2. Crazy Stripes Cardigan

Books:

1. Fanny Hill
2. Moll Flanders
3. Worlds of Ink and Shadow
4. DragonFly in Amber
5. Gone With the Wind
6. Curtsies and Conspiracies

Colouring Book Page:

March 2016

I have an amazing feeling about March, I think I will succeed at so many things this month and have a great month to look back on without feeling like I have wasted it.
March 10 2016, Above I heralded March as a month where everything was a possibility and I would finish everything. Currently I feel as though if I do accomplish anything it will be a miracle, a very impressive miracle. One that will astound all that surround me. At present I need to focus on remaining calm, and serene and not stressing out over anything/everything. Breath deeply and all will be well.
March 14 2016, Things are better than they were 4 days ago, but it could change, I got a huge amount done this weekend on the Circlet Cardigan, it is fascinating what you can get done when you put your mind to it and when you actually put in stitch markers ;).

FO's:

1. Concentric Squares blanket - 95%
1. And the frustrating news of the entire phenomenon is that i am 5.5 rows away and the yarn has run out, so do I buy more yarn to finish it? or start again with it being something else? Its almost as if they do it on purpose...I will finish something else in the meantime. 
2. Reverie Hat
1. Started this on 03/26/2016 and was finished by 03/27/2016 which is AMAZING, did it in about 4 - 6 hours, so pleased with myself, and it looks stunning and the birthday girl was so pleased. It even matched the colour of the dress she was wearing. Woot. But I forgot to take a picture. 2 projects finished by happenstance in March, I am a happy girl

Knitting I have on the go:

1. Dragon Stole: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragon-stole
2. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
1. I looked the other day and this blanket has been in the works since 2013. So it is my goal to finish this!!! Very soon. 
1. I have about 22 pieces of 50, so I will keep knitting as though my life depended on it. 
3. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks - so pretty! I cannot wait to see this finished. 

1. This seems so much easier than the last time I had it in my hands, please let my motivation and my determination with it grow and continue so that I can finish it this year and wear it this winter!!!
   
4. Feather and Fan Blanket
5. Mitered Square blanket in Parrot...I was crocheting this into something, but I did not like it, I still don't really like it but it will happen. 
6. Banana Bunches - Eager to finish this sucker! about 50% complete
7. Hue shift in 5 colours not 10 - 35% complete.

Crocheting:

1. Corner to corner blanket in red, black, and white - 55% complete right now. 

Books:

1. Wives and Daughters
1. Reading on the treadmill has made a huge difference, the fact that the treadmill now no longer works has been a bit of a crux, but I will get there. 
2. 03/19/2016 my treadmill is broken I require a new circuit board so I am at present waiting for that to come in. I will need to walk outdoors and do weights. 
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Love, Rosie
4. Moll Flanders

Yarn Crush March 2016

My very first Yarn Crush box arrived, and it was lovely. Super excited about the next 6 months and the yarn that will start to arrive.
I also received my gift for signing up and it was perfect as well.
Now the big question do I cast on and get knitting? Or work on one of the many other WIPs that I have on the go.... oh the dilemmas.






What I do love is you are sent enough yarn to finish the project they have suggest you complete with the yarn you have, which is great. The yarn colour is maybe not in my top picks of yarn colours, and it is for sure not a colour I would have picked out on my own, but that being said, I do have a destination in mind for it (it would suit my mother a treat) and part of the yarn box excitement for me was to get out of a rut of knitting with blues, teals, purples, etc and start working with some colours that I would not usually pick out for myself, so I can live with it.

These were the goodies in my yarn box, so we have Scotch and 777 yarn with a knitting pattern and a crochet pattern. I do think I am quite up to crocheting socks, but I have fingering weight yarn around so I might just give this a go. The yarn itself is GORGEOUS to the touch so I think it will be a great tactile experience while knitting. I do not as yet own a yarn swift, so not sure how I am going to ball that yet, but who knows the world is my oyster. Also fig hand cream, delicious,


And this little beauty to the right was my welcome package. It came with February's pattern for thrummed mittens, which I must admit looks truly intriguing, I will have to find some roving and give that a go. And a little baby skein of blue yarn oh the fun I shall have, then a measuring tape for one handed measuring (that Circlet Cardigan is going to look great, now that I can ) and a little bag for notions and potions.

Working on.....

I started another blanket because I can, and because a friend is expecting a baby in May, she likes Doctor Who and is expecting a boy so I thought perfect, a Tardis Afghan, there is a pattern for one on Ravelry already but it is 6 feet by 9 feet, which is quite large for a baby, so I sat down and wrote a new one. This is about 3 feet across and I have no idea how long it will grow to, but I am praying for proportion. Here it is started:

It is working out really well, but the yarn is a bit harsh on ones skin. I have found different yarn, and I am loathed to start it again, but I might just do that in thinking about the finished result. I will leave this on the needles, and finish it with matching yarn, that is my next thing find blue yarn that matches this yarn to finish this blanket :) I just need to decide if I finish this one and then do the one specifically for my friend or start the new one and then finish this one.....WHO KNOWS, just need to finish something. 

The lovely and slightly dreaded I Like Lime blanket, I messed up on my first repeat and made it so that I now have a more intricate and exciting pattern on my hands. I am at about the halfway point, but I am out of yarn, so until I allow myself to purchase more yarn for this it will remain unfinished, harsh but true, and very disappointing as I was hoping this would become my January I got something finished project but something will take its place very soon. 

These blankets are amazing to crochet, I have done about 3 of them by now, the light pink one got finished, the turquoise and pink one is in a box waiting for me to finish it, the Caron soft yarn, is VERY prone to split when you go through it with a crochet hook, so it sits in a box waiting for me, maybe I will make it my you must finish this in February project.

My January project is one of these blankets, as I can crochet on a plane or in an airport with comparative ease over flying with needles, I do not mind loosing a hook but loosing needles would make me cry. The one I am about to finish is Grey and Purple, and looks fabulous. I cannot wait to share it with you all.


Keep on crafting,

-A

Hue Shift Afghan Progress

My hue shift afghan is coming along nicely. I stitched it together late at night a few weeks ago. It is such a perfect easy to knit blanket, albeit one sometimes gets frustrated just knitting tiny little squares, but it does one item I like to favour, you knit the squares together as you go, not sew 100 4" x 4" squares together when you are finished. So here it stands as a half a blanket.

 One of the most fascinating outcomes of this has been an impromptu study of how great two colours can look next to each other, or with each other, and how bad others can look.

I have started on the 3rd set of 25 squares and I am 8 squares in. It does take about 2 hours per square, give or take, especially depending on what I am doing, and how focused I am. I managed to get 4 squares done in one day this past weekend, and I was doing other things that day.

My next debate is what colour do I make the boarder? Black seems to harsh, and yet a perfectly sound colour choice. I was thinking maybe do 2 rows black, 2 rows colour, but that would end up being a 44 row boarder which I feel would be far too large.

I did also show this to my art teacher, who has painted versions of this all around the studio and as much as I would like to make her one, she can knit so giving her the pattern in order to make her own is a logical outcome.

-A

Oi vhey

I have been gone for ages, but have been busy doing all sorts. Anyone in the Calgary area? Head to heritage park for dinner and a movie, you will enjoy the experience.

Onto the projects. I think 100% of my projects that I am working on right now are either getting harder or I am getting slower. Possibly a bit of both. But what I have finished is 2 blankets and a baby sweater. I also finished one of my art pieces.  And I am working on three blankets, a hat, two shawls, and a sweater. Stupid busy but that is how I like to live. And it keeps me young, very convincing would you not agree?

I did manage to get some cake baking in as well. All pictures will appear below.
Other than that nothing exciting and nothing all that insane going on, but all worth it.

Alright all grab your needles and get going on something fabulous.