September

September has been a BUSY month. I was in Milan, then I was at Spruce Meadows for 5 days and then at Chocolate School in Montreal for 3-ish days. So I apologize in advance for the lack of crafting. Reading I think will come out on top this month.
Chocolate school in Montreal was amazing. We made these:

Please do not drool on your keyboards, it is not good for them. 

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
3. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks
4. Fingerless Mittens: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fingerless-mittens-8
1. I have 1 complete and about 25% of another one complete, a matching pair is within my grasp. These are beautiful, I want to do them on smaller needles with smaller yarn, it will take longer, but they will be less thick. Sadly these ones are in black which makes them hard to photograph nicely.
   
5. Reverie Beret (I have done so many of these I could do them in my sleep, but I have made 1 or 2 minor adjustments to make it my own)
6. Entrelac scarf, I do not think I am going to finish this per se... who knows
7. Feather and Fan Blanket
8. 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. 
9. 10 Stitch Square Blanket
1. I am using up yarn from the first Hue Shift Afghan, it should be a good time, I hope it works.
2. I am onto the Navy Blue, 2.5 colours to go until completion.
10. Revontuli
1. This I made quite small to use as a sample, but I did knit it and get it finished this month so it does count.  I have not yet taken a picture of this one, soon. 
11. Banana Bunches
12. Mmario's wedding peacock
13. Hue shift in 5 colours not 10

Crocheting:

1. Corner to corner blanket in red, black, and white

Books:

1. Soulless - re-read from last year, but it was so good the first time that I had to read it again, and so I did in a week while in Italy. 
2. Outlander
3. Longbourn
1. All in all not a bad little book, but then again I have read worse. I have also read better. Somewhat tedious and I found that it took a while getting to the plot. 
4. Heartless
5. Pride and Prejudice
6. Grey - yeah I read it, it was just as bad as all the rest, and as far as I am concerned she should never have entered into the relationship in the first place. But what do I know.

August...

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
3. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks
4. Fingerless Mittens: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fingerless-mittens-8
1. I have 1 complete and about 25% of another one complete, a matching pair is within my grasp. These are beautiful, I want to do them on smaller needles with smaller yarn, it will take longer, but they will be less thick. Sadly these ones are in black which makes them hard to photograph nicely.
5. Reverie Beret (I have done so many of these I could do them in my sleep, but I have made 1 or 2 minor adjustments to make it my own)
6. Entrelac scarf, I do not think I am going to finish this per se... who knows
7. Feather and Fan Blanket
8. 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. 
9. Moss Diamond Blanket
1. This blanket was started so that I would use up some skeins of yarn that I had purchased for something else and then not used, now I need to buy more yarn to finish up this project evil curses abound. 
1. Went to buy new yarn, and there is on of this colour available at the moment...WHY DO YOU HATE ME!! Thank you Danielle for saving my skin, and having a skein of yarn handy.
10. 10 Stitch Square Blanket
1. I am using up yarn from the first Hue Shift Afghan, it should be a good time, I hope it works.
2. I am onto the Navy Blue, 2.5 colours to go until completion.
11. Banana Bunches
12. Union Jack blanket - made from a pattern for a pillow
1. More intarsia...woops 
   

Crocheting:

1. Corner to corner blanket in Green and Pink
1. Technically I have 2 on the go I will explain. The first one the dye lot of the pink has changed (GRRR), the second one I have run out of green. So I either need to take apart the first and use the green as part of the second pink one, and find something to do with the different dye lot of pink, or buy more green and find pink that matches the dye lot. Neither are that appealing....so it is in a bag waiting. 
   

Beads:

1. I need to by August 27, 2015 have completed 4 of these:
1. I wear mine all the time, and they will look gorgeous with our dresses, so I need to get on that, I am thinking I will film them, or at least take a stop motion video of the process so that in the future I can remember what I did ;)

Books:

1. Outlander
2. Longbourn
1. All in all not a bad little book, but then again I have read worse. I have also read better. Somewhat tedious and I found that it took a while getting to the plot. 
2. So the month is over, and I did not finish a book. But look at everything else I accomplished, and then do not judge me. I am at around 58% complete, and do plan on finishing it upon my return. 
3. Heartless
4. Pride and Prejudice

-A

P.S, Yes that is my blanket picture taking chair, it just works. it is light enough that it does not fight with the blankets on it and it is handy. I do have another chair I could use, but maybe for next year. 

Tardis the 3rd

After having one of these blankets sitting looking decorative for so long, and another one on and off the needles, because the yarn was too scratchy and re-purposed for the giant needle adventure I finally cast on again.

CO was 133 stitches, allow for 8 stitches of garter along the border.
I knit 16 rows of garter, with the corners being seed or moss stitch depending on your definition of either stitch, I find this helps the corners lie flat naturally, and it gives a slight visual interest as well.



Then 3 rows of stockinette stitch to get moving into the overall pattern. Now the lines of the Tardis were meant to be black, my pattern has them as black, but with the black backing I thought it would lose something, and I had dark and light grey.

I spent Sunday knitting this sucker, and did about 40 rows, I think it looks awesome and want to keep it for myself, but it just means I get to do another one.

One of my main problems I think with the other two that I have previously worked on is that there is all of the colour work on the outside of tardis, the starry night effect if you will, and while this is GORGEOUS, I do not think I have the patience for it. I really wish I did as the overall effect is stunning, but it is honestly just not for me, and I Think you can have an equally stunning blanket without it.

There is a verigated yarn that is grey and black that I would love to try out for my next one as the 'background colour' and I think it might just have the effect I am looking for, without the added stress.

This is what it looks like as of 04/05/2015...and I am so happy! It is just under 50% done, and I have left it out for the week so hopefully some determination and some love and it will be done quite soon. All the ends. At any given moment it has minimum 10 balls of yarn attached and at most about 31, I think is how many are attached right now. I may go mad, but at least my friend will be happy.

This is getting so close, I am so excited. I am at 72% complete. But did have to start another one because two friends are expecting bambino's on the same day. So exciting, and yet so crazy. The other one is at 55% done, but you can read about the process of that one on a different blog post. I have to keep knitting, I may go insane, but I have to keep going.



And this my friends is the back...yes it does actually look like that and it keeps getting worse. Unless I have an ends weaving session in which case it gets nicer again. WOO HOO.







May 18, 2015, this is off the needles the weaving has begun, and the insanity has started. The goal here is to get a picture of the two blankets side by side, so that we all think we are seeing double before I send them off to their new homes, this failed. One blanket has left, and this is on the finishing pile, as the ends are being woven in as we speak.

August 16, 2015, all of the ends are woven in and it has been dropped off at its new home, slightly over due but the high of getting it finished finished brings more joy than one can imagine.

Here it is all boxed up:

Red Currant Jelly

I really must take more pictures of things.

So I topped 8 punnets of red currants. Delicious, so glad I was blessed in not having to pick them.

Then they were boiled down with water and mashed lightly to keep the juices coming out. Traditionally jelly makers use a jelly bag, but I am sorry to all of you that stick with your jelly bags, bu my kitchen aide attachment is way better, and takes less time. It is the attachment that you would use if you were making tomato sauce, I then place a sieve over the bowl and let the liquid fall through. Remembering of course to empty the sieve occasionally. 

You then have lots of glorious juice to play with. 

I did 3 batches of 1 lt currant juice, 1 kg sugar, and 1 packet of pectin.

and I did 1 batch of 1lt currant juice, 1 kg sugar no pectin. 

I have found in the past that when I have not used pectin (first attempt at making currant jelly though) I have not had the desired gelling effect, but the pectin-less vs. the pectin filled turned out just about the same, Which was great. 

So now I am the proud owner, maker of 29 jars of red currant jelly. I am also very pleased because there are only 2 jars that did not 'pop' of their own accord, so I plan on putting them in the dish washer this evening when I do a load of dishes and having them pop that way instead of boiling them. I hope it works. Also, GOD BLESS DISHWASHERS, and no I do not mean significant others, or friends that you have roped into the day just to wash dishs, actual honest to goodness electric dishwashers. 

There is something quite satisfying about taking large quantities of fruit boiling the fruit down, and the putting your rewards in little jars. Rewarding/relaxing as you can see the fruit of your labour, and enjoy the fruits of your labour as you eat them. 

Next on the canning list is crab apple jelly, and then mint jelly, and maybe some bacon jam...one day. 

Night

-A

July

July is officially over, isn't that amazing???
For July I finished, the Moss Diamond Blanket, it is a miracle! It looks gorgeous see:

This by now has already reached the baby that it was intended for, I do hope they enjoy it. 

I finished Persuasion, which is a good job done. I like Persuasion, I like the plot the ideas everything about it, and I like Austen, but maybe I am too much of a dialogue person, and this book really did not have as much dialogue in it as I would have anticipated, which was both fascinating and a slight let down, but I have read it now which is good.

Looking at my list it is really getting no shorter just longer....that is not a good thing at all.

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
3. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks
4. Fingerless Mittens: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fingerless-mittens-8
1. I have 1 complete and about 25% of another one complete, a matching pair is within my grasp. These are beautiful, I want to do them on smaller needles with smaller yarn, it will take longer, but they will be less thick. Sadly these ones are in black which makes them hard to photograph nicely.
5. Reverie Beret (I have done so many of these I could do them in my sleep, but I have made 1 or 2 minor adjustments to make it my own)
6. Entrelac scarf, I do not think I am going to finish this per se... who knows
7. Feather and Fan Blanket
8. 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. 
9. Moss Diamond Blanket
1. This blanket was started so that I would use up some skeins of yarn that I had purchased for something else and then not used, now I need to buy more yarn to finish up this project evil curses abound. 
1. Went to buy new yarn, and there is on of this colour available at the moment...WHY DO YOU HATE ME!! Thank you Danielle for saving my skin, and having a skein of yarn handy.
10. 10 Stitch Square Blanket
1. I am using up yarn from the first Hue Shift Afghan, it should be a good time, I hope it works.
11. Moss Diamond Blanket in Purple - for Paul
12. Banana Bunches
1. This is going so well, it is amazing. It is a four row repeat, which some say is tedious, but for me right now, and the amount of brain power I can extend it is great. 
   

Crocheting I have on the go:

1. Corner to corner blanket in Green and Pink

Books:

1. Outlander
2. Longbourn
3. Heartless
4. Pride and Prejudice
5. Persuasion

Yet to start:

1. Baby Blanket for Chris - Boy
2. Baby Blanket for Heather - Girl

These two are on the pile of things to start, but I have no idea what I want to knit for 

Bits and Pieces

With finishing all sorts of projects I am finding that I have ended up with a sizable quantity of bits and pieces of yarn. What am I going to do with them all? I really do not know. I have a yearning to make a scraps blanket, but will all of my scraps go together? Will it work? Does any of these even matter? Is there enough of a certain scrap to make a few more hats? A friend is doing Mom and Baby shows, so do I make a pile of hats for her to take to sell? Is that a possibility? I do not know.

Here are some of the pieces I have lying around:

I did start a 10 stitch twist as you may have noticed, and it has got me using up more of the ends in the far right bag, Just keep knitting, I love all the other bits though and am excited to one day do something with them.

This is my 10 Stitch Twist, square, fellow. I did frog and and decide to start with a pink middle I felt that it would be less solid and demanding than the red. We will see how it goes. 

As for the rest of the peices, there are quite a few different textures, sizes, lengths etc, and as you can see one great large ball of Unforgettable Red Heart Yarn, that I do have more of, I really want to do a stained glass type patter from this one, just need to either write a pattern or figure something out. So much wool so little time. 

Yarn Stash

So I organized my yarn stash over the break, and discovered that I could knit probably for the next year without having to go to the store to buy new yarn. Sadly, it has become slightly disorganized since this process, and of course it does keep expanding, and I should spend more time with it, but alas it does not.

See Pictures of the yarn:

I followed the principle of putting all like colours or similar weights or brands in the same large ziploc bag (they are down at the bottom I promise), sat on them to remove excess air, and sealed them quickly.

The first two pictures are yarn that I have put on one side in order to complete another hue shift afghan, go me, I have to keep it going. Then there is a box of fingering, lace, and some more Tardis yarn. The in the very middle is a fair amount of yarn that I use for making those corner to corner blankets, I am thinking my next one should be pink, white, and red, or purple, red, and white. Then the black, wine bag, of yarn that has no use but is highly useful. And then on to the knit picks palette in Rainforest Heather which si for use on my Mesh Crew Neck.

There is one bag which is entertaining, it is my bits and pieces bag. Who knows if they will ever be used by anything, but who cares, they are there, and will remind me of what I have done. I may do a random blanket one day of the bits and pieces, but I shall wait and see.

Sadly, or maybe not so sadly, I did not manage to take a picture of all the skeins of yarn that are in my room, bu they are buried, so I did not want to go and un-bury them.

Just keep knitting, and wait until the stash goes away.

-A