It's been a while.....

It's been awhile since I've posted and believe it or not.... I can't think of anything to say.
What?!  Who me? Yeah.
I'm sure I'll make up for it later.....

I haven't knitted much since the little sweater I just finished. I've been puttering around working on some little things, but it doesn't feel (or appear) that anything is getting finished! I'm getting frustrated with a pattern for fingerless mitts that I bought. Paid for. That's part of the frustration lol. I really liked it when I saw it, but I'm wondering if next time I will read a little more of the pattern before I shell out some cash. I'm in love with the yarn though, so it's still a work in progress.  It's hand painted & yes... it's as lovely as it looks!

My mom & I did a small (verrrry) small yarn shop-hop while she was here this week.  We were gone for about 7 hours and only made our way into 2 shops.  It would have been more, but my GPS has this thing about taking the scenic route and an even bigger thing about roads that may or may not (ever) have been there.  Sigh.  Just meant I got to spend more time with my mom.  In my car.  Time. Yeah...
It was fun though. Really. Nobody was hurt.

I have a list of things to accomplish (must do's) and a list of things I want to try, but honestly... not much is getting done. Must be the thought of summer and being outside that is getting in my way.
We shall see...
My goal for next week is to at least get something on needles ~maybe finish those fingerless mitts?
I might even make another Wallaby for a certain boy. Just because it's summer of course and I really want to make an entire sweater while sitting at the pool. Hm.... better rethink that one huh?

Trip Knitting

Picture this...
I'm riding in a crowded airplane trying to knit. The big (BIG) dude next to me is trying to fall asleep and in between snuggling his head on my shoulder and twitching....... I'm trying to knit!
Those twitches of his made me jump practically out of my seat and I kept dropping stuff!  I seriously thought about jabbing him with my dpn's, but decided (safe decision) that I shouldn't. *He was over 250lbs and his head practically touched the bulkhead even when slumped over!*   It was only an hour flight, I can last, right?  He should make it to Nashville with both of his eyeballs intact.
Well.....
He did. He survived. I didn't knit, but the dude survived. Wonder who won that one? 
Sigh.  I had pre-planned the flight! I pre-planned my entire trip! ~bet you wouldn't have thought that huh? 
I started thinking about what kind of knitting I would be taking about five minutes after I booked.  I knew the length of my flights and tried to pack (knitting) accordingly.  I didn't want  to have a brand new project just starting and/or a huge sweater. I wanted to travel light. Sigh. Obviously the guy next to me didn't plan as well. C'mon! He should have napped BEFORE getting into that seat. 
I really thought hard about what stuff I could do while sitting in a cramped seat knowing that there would be someone next to me that might be uncomfortable if my knitting needles jabbed them.
 Damn! Now that I think about it more.... I should have totally poked him. "Oops!" I would say ~with a totally innocent face~ "I'm sorry, did I poke you? " Then I would have to climb over him to get to the restroom because I would be laughing so hard I would need to go! aah... If only I were that brave.
Pre-planning for a trip is hard! No matter where I'm going, I have to take something to do. If I'm in a car I have to take knitting. Have to. I can't read because I get woozy. I can knit though, weird huh? I don't like being crowded on an airplane so I can't really read then either... more woozy and I always feel like the people next to me are trying to read over my shoulder, so I knit! Ha! Now I know they are looking at me, but it's different.
 I try to only take one or two things that don't take up a lot of space. Each individual project has to be pretty compact; meaning that it can't use over one or two skeins of yarn and/or use a bunch of needles. * Another thing I've discovered when flying... dpn's aren't fun on a plane. Not at all. Especially if the dude next to you thinks he paid for your seat as well as his!*
We take a lot of car trips as a family. A day trip here or there and seem to spend a lot of time driving.  Makes it a whole lot easier for 'trip knitting'.   have the entire back of the car to pack full pack the extra yarn and needles for a project and it's easy to  pull into a yarn shop and get something new what I need to finish.  * shh don't tell Big, but I have EVERY yarn shop mapped out around where we live and the route we take to go to Michigan and Tennessee!*
So let's pre-plan a little family trip. Shall we? A car trip about 9 hours and I don't have to drive much of it.  See how that works?  Hubby thinks he's the big strong man by driving and I've suddenly got time on my hands! Smart huh? He's not going to need the map anyway (snort!) so I don't even have to do that part!  Let's knit!
What to bring? Something small and compact.  I need to bring something that doesn't need a lot of yarn and that can be easily finished in a few hours.  Scarves. Yeah. That's an option. Kind of a boring one right?  How about socks?  If I'm not in a plane dpn's will probably be okay and there is enough space between me and my chauffeur to avoid (accidentally) poking him, and should only take one ball of yarn. Sounds like a viable option. Any other ideas?
Baby stuff. Maybe. Most baby stuff is small and only takes a few skeins of yarn ~but... I have the whole back of the car remember? Big doesn't need all the junk stuff he's taking right? Or the kid? Do we have to take the kid? Okay, okay... I'll think smaller. Less yarn, less stuff!
I've got a whole Christmas list of things I need to knit before then.... fingerless mitts for Gabby, teddy bear for Jax....... the list goes on. Maybe some of that stuff.  It's hard to decide on just one thing. It's really hard to pre-plan my entertainment for a road trip! Help!?
I need some more ideas here guys... we will no doubt be heading out somewhere in the next few weeks and I will need to be knitting something on the way! My family will need me to be doing something so I'm not bugging them!  Help me make sure my family is safe!!! Send me some ideas won't you please!

Process Project

 Whenever I hook up with my friend VA, we 'shop-hop'. Not just ordinary shops, but specifically YARN shops!  We try to do it every year no matter what we are doing and this year in spite of everything bad that was going on, we hit Nashville, TN!  We were pretty limited on our time, but shop we did! *   I'm sort of glad that our time was limited... it could have been very bad if there were no limits! *  It's amazing how we can dump everything that's going on in our lives for a little yarn! Okay... a lot of yarn.
It was exactly what we both needed!  So much has been going on with VA and myself that a major de-stressing was in order.  Yarn is one of the common bonds that we have and together we can do some serious damage!!  Plus.. VA seems to de-stress when she just looks at yarn, me... I'm a toucher! Gotta touch me some yarn! A little yarn and a lot of de-stressing occurs for both of us!
 I really didn't buy that much (really!) I got a few things and a couple of projects to work on while I was flying back home.

My favorite thing that I bought was this little sweater pattern.  (I even got the yarn for it!) 

I saw this knit up at a shop outside of Nashville *Second time to that store for me! Should I get a frequent shopper card?*  and me being me, I touched it.  Aww darn. That's where I went wrong. Had I stayed away from the Rowan Cotton and the lovely striped sweater I would have been safe. SAFE!  But no... had to touch it. Which then meant......I HAD TO HAVE IT! HAD TO MAKE IT!

I didn't even let it rest in the stash I bought this stuff the end of April and started knitting it up on Saturday! Less than a month in the stash is an amazing thing! 

 I  wasn't overly happy with the way the increases (raglan shoulders) were looking, there was too much of a gap so I frogged it and started over Sunday afternoon.  This is where I ended up last night (Monday in case you were having trouble following!)

 Now all I have left is the itty bitty sleeves!

How adorable is that?!

It's knit in the one piece starting at the top! No seaming! You just increase at 4 different points (each side of a sleeve) to get the raglan sleeves.  I'm almost done! I just need to put the sleeve stitches (you can't seem them, but they are sitting on stitch holders)on needles & pick up a few in the underarm area!  I think it's only going to take a couple of hours to get this completely finished!

See?? PROJECT knitting at it's finest! I bought the yarn & pattern specifically to make a project and am working on it exclusively (just ignore the other things in my basket okay!) and am almost done after just a few hours! 

Honestly..... it's a process project for me! I did something new - knit in one piece from the top down, did some new increases and knitted a ruffle! Go me! I still can't figure out which category I fit into!

****

Update

The sleeves? Couple of hours? Ha! More like 15 minutes for 2 sleeves. It was only placing the stitches (on holders) back onto needles and then k2,p2 x1 row, k1,p1 rib x1 row and then bind off in rib!  I had to add a row of the green just to make sure I was in pattern, but.... wow. Super fast and super cute!  AND I lied. Remember when I said NO seams... um... yeah.. there is only one little itty bitty seam to sew the sides of the sleeves. I hate seaming, but this was a breeze.  

All that's left is finish seaming it up and adding the loops & buttons! Definitely a weekend project!

What Kind of Knitter are You?

Think about the way that you plan and work your yarn projects.  Do you have half a dozen almost finished projects around the house, just waiting for you?  *never look in boxes, bags, or under chairs at my house*  If so, you’re probably a process knitter, less motivated by the goal of the finished object.
However, if you never have more than one or two things on the needles, and you always have a specific item in mind when you buy yarn, then you’re probably a project knitter. These people are also happy to make the same pattern many times, with little or no variation.
What about those of us that almost always have more than one thing at a time on needles BUT  always have a specific item in mind when yarn is purchased?  C'mon.. stretch your imagination here... the sock yarn you just bought? Hmm? Well... it's obviously for socks!  AND what about those of us that can make the same project over and over and most often with no variations. Hmm. We fit into both categories. 
I am not really a project knitter (stop laughing!); deadlines schmedlines. I do like to finish my projects but I can survive if it's not done by the second Tuesday of next week! But.. what about when I buy yarn specifically for a project and then hustle right home and start it?   ~Really. I do this... have done this! Honest!  I enjoy completing things (sometimes) and knit things for specific reasons. I love how my kid's face lights up when I force him into a sweater I knitted!
I also really fit into the process knitting category... I enjoy (okay.. LOVE) new yarn, new stitches, techniques and definitely the rhythm of creating stitches. 
If I had to pick just one box to put myself in, it would have to be process knitter.   Obviously, it's more me. I do have some things about me that fit into the other box, but I'm trying to be honest here!  I'm definitely more of a process kind of girl!  Wallowing in yarn and stitches, and the rhythm of knitting thrills me endlessly! I can't think of a better way to spend an hour day! Sometimes it's more of the process - the actual knitting and the yarn that thrill me way more than getting something finished. I think that if I was on a deadline I would probably just not do it. Yikes.

I like yarn. I admit it. I'm addicted. I obviously have a problem, but put that aside will you? I buy it with some sort of goal in mind. Usually.  Mostly. Okay, sometimes. I know, I know... I just bought a skein of hand painted yarn because it was pretty. Just the other day. Shh.. don't tell Big. But honestly, I don't go around buying yarn (quit laughing) just because. It's always mostly bought for a reason... one of those.. "oh! Wouldn't this make a great [whatever] for so & so?" AND I have the best intentions when I purchase said yarn. I DO! So stop laughing!  I also can sit for hours with some needles and yarn and just play... trying new stitches, a new cast on and never even knit anything. I guess I'm both a process and a project knitter, but probably (really?) more of the process kind.
What kind are you?

Wild Thing's Vest

I'm done. I'm done!
I admit it... I have the attention span of a gnat. Very short, very limited bursts... you get the idea.
I started this little vest a while ago.. like over a month ago.... [LINK] and then well... I forgot about it. Not exactly forgot all about it, but it did get shoved into the bottom of my knitting bag and not finished.  I have no idea why I didn't finish it because it was really simple and all I had left was the neck ribbing. Oh well.  It's done now!

I can't wait to see how it's going to look on Mr. Wild Thing. I ended up knitting close to the pattern directions and this is somewhere between a size 2 and 4, but I don't think I will be able to wait until his birthday in October so I better give it to him soon!!

I gave it to WT on Sunday & I'm really glad I did! His cute little head barely made it through the opening. Everywhere else fits perfectly! Happy early birthday present buddy! *He said he 'loves' it! I love him so it's a win-win!

To Buy (more needles) Or Not To Buy..

That is definitely a question my husband asks frequently!  What do you mean you have to buy more stuff?  He especially gets antsy when I even utter the words.. I need *insert anything!* and even more so when I insert the word needles into the sentence! Really? I have a lot. Seriously a lot, but it's not my fault I don't have a such & such size in such & such length... geez.

C'mon. You know how it is, whenever you start a project you may have the right size of a needle, but not always the right length. AND that doubles if you are doing anything with some edging, etc. Always seems to mean a trip to the store. AND then what if you need dpn's? Geez. That's a lot of running to the knitting store *oh darn*!

I thought I would be all set after buying an interchangeable set and looking at the amount of needles I have, but nope. That's not the case. I had to run out just the other day (imagine that?!) and buy a fixed circular for a particular project. My interchangeable set didn't have the tip and/or the length that I needed and I didn't have it in my magic stash box either. Rats.

Wonder what I do have in that box? Hm....

Just for grins & giggles, let's look at some of mine and see how I rate them:

#1-5

#6-8

#1 Clover Bamboo. Not my favorite although they are readily available and aren't very expensive.  I do think the cable is a little fussy because it tends to be really stiff and doesn't seem overly flexible. 

#2 Kollage Yarn Square Needles VERY cool. The cable is flexible (extremely) and the square needle is actually comforting on my hands.  The connection between the tip and the needle is okay~ I've snagged it on some really fine yarn.  I've even seen these in square dpn form!  I bought my long circulars on sale last year so I don't really know how expensive these are.

#3 My new favorite! Knitter's Pride dreamz - I like the cable and the connection! The cable seems to be pretty hefty - as in it won't snap or bend, but it's really flexible. Does that make sense?  They seem to be similar to my Options set (cable) and the price for an individual needle was really nice! (means less than 10$!) I especially like the colored bamboo needles they have available!  I haven't had any issues with the connection snagging either! I checked out their website HERE  and guess what!! They have circular sets too!! Interchangeable sets!! Didn't see any prices because I think you have to get them from a dealer.  I'm willing to look into it ~ for you dear reader.. for you! These are available at local knit shops.

#4 Hiya Hiya  Not bad. Not bad at all. Especially the price. I haven't paid over $10 for any that I've bought and they all come with some sort of extra gift in the package! Bonus! I've bought them at several local knitting shops.  The cables aren't as flexible as the Knitter's Pride and/or the Options that I have but they are really nice needles to use.  They also come in a bamboo AND have an interchangeable set! For the money these are another of my top picks.  I would even consider buying an interchangeable set of these. Shh.. don't tell Big!

#5 Addi Turbo Lace ..sigh... most favorite ever! Most expensive ever too! I like how the needles glide through yarn, but.... I do not like how the much longer cable kinks and stays kinked.  That magic loop method kills me sometimes!

 #6 Addi Turbo, difference between the lace and the turbo is the tip and a coating on the lace needles to make it 'drag' a bit through super fine yarn.  Addi's are a bit pricey, BUT if you're looking at it as an investment, totally doable.  I have some in nickel and brass but I know they are available in bamboo.  I like how there are several different options for interchangeable sets, but I haven't found a tip smaller than a size 4 and (as with most interchangeable sets) nothing shorter than a 24" cable.  For the money and the way I knit... I need a cheaper option. 

#7 Knit Picks Classic Circulars & #8 Knit picks Classic Circular in the Harmony Wood Option. Nice. I like them and I have a bunch. Only thing I don't like about them... I have to wait for them to show up in my mailbox, they aren't carried retail.  I really like the cable itself, it's pretty flexible and doesn't kink and the fixed circulars the join seems to work really well.  I haven't snagged on anything yet!  I'm a little disappointed that they don't have anything other than 16" for cable length in either the fixed or the interchangeable set.

#9 Options Zephyr Interchangeable Set from Knit Picks.  Trying to save my hubby some bucks (insert laughter) I went ahead and bought an interchangeable set last year.  I bought the acrylic tips because it was the cheapest option. Not knowing that I am a really tough knitter; I broke tips. More than once. No problem with Knit Picks though, they replaced them with very few questions asked. Their customer service is wonderful! I purchased some additional tips in larger sizes (all their sets have additional tips, cables, connectors that you can purchase separately)and got the harmony wood  figuring I might not be able to break them! So far so good!!

 I also didn't realize that buying an interchangeable set isn't the end all for knitting. Still going to need that one little 9" size 2 needle and maybe a size 3, 40incher.. the options are sort of limited with the interchangeable sets. No tips less than size 4 and the shortest cable is a 24". The cable is really nice though! It doesn't kink and it's really flexible.

So that's some of my needles and what I think of them.  My overall favorites are the cables on the Options Set and the Knitter's Pride. My favorite needles by far are always going to be the Addi's, but the Knitter's Pride is running a close second - if only for the cost!

Take a look at your needles and see what your favorite is!

Felted Dryer Balls

 I made dryer balls! Felted dryer balls!

What? You have no idea what those are??

Well....
They are little felted balls of wool that you stick in the laundry with your clothes!  Supposed to help dry clothes faster with less static!
I've been wanting to make some for a while now because the dryer sheets I use really aren't good for you. They aren't good for anyone apparently. * A little Internet search for how good (or bad) dryer sheets are for you and your clothes will prove my point - look it up!    They are perfectly benign just sitting in the boxes smelling all wonderful, but once you add them to the dryer and turn on the heat.... look out!  **The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) does not monitor dryer sheets... the chemicals that are IN dryer sheets in big amounts ARE listed on the EPA's waste list... I'm just saying that these chemicals are in my dryer sheets and they are released with heat.  I don't know about your dryer sheets.... really! This is just a little food for thought.
I know, I know... dryer sheets are nice! No static electrical zaps when you flip your sheets over in the middle of the night! No socks stuck to the back of your shirt! They really do work, but... wanting to have less chemicals in my life and make less of an impact on the planet.... I needed to really consider dryer balls!
I'm totally going for  a non-chemical, more natural way to get soft clothes with less static buildup!  Everything that I've read on dryer balls makes me think that they are going to work by separating and fluffing fibres in the clothing fabric.  The soft nodules of the wool should massage the clothing fibers and open them up, which leads to softer clothes and by lifting and separating the clothes in the dryer, they should dry faster!  No more wadded up ball of clothes! Less drying time, more humidity (the wool should trap some moisture!) means less static!  I don't think it will eliminate the static completely, but since dryer sheets release their softening, static eliminating chemicals with the heat of the dryer......and dryer balls don't.... I needed to make some dryer balls!
There is a lot of information out there on the world wide web and it can be overwhelming... so here is what I did & it's a compilation of a bunch of tutorials, notes, etc.  I did try a few of the tutorials I found and then tried combining methods and this is what I found works for me! AND Yes!! Yes they do work! Not 100% sold on the no-static thing yet but I'm willing to keep using these to see how it works - which may have to be this winter because the drying rack I have and all the sunshine we get, eliminates the need to use the dryer right now!

Wool, Roving, Lavender

Step 1 - get some wool! 100% wool! No super wash and nothing really expensive! 
I used some roving I had for the center part of the ball *not necessary but it does mean you can use less yarn! You can use a toe of an old nylon, some acrylic yarn, piece of felt... whatever to make a center core!
The red yarn is 100% wool- suitable for felting. I paid $1 each ball on sale!

Lavender in the center core

Lavender! Not necessary but I really like the smell of lavender so I added it!

Step 3 making the center core bigger

Step 2 - take a bit of roving (or yarn or even an old piece of nylon) and make a little pouch to put some lavender in and then roll it into a tight little ball!
Step 3 - keep adding some roving (or yarn) until you get a center core that fits into your hand. *commercial dryer balls seem to be about the size of a baseball or softball with a center core roughly palm sized. I used more roving because I had it. You could totally use an old nylon piece, a piece of felt anything really!

Step 4- now start winding your 100% wool yarn around and around that center core. Wrap it tight!

Step 4- wrap the yarn around the core

I made mine about this big!

Keep going! Around & around and around! Until you get a ball (or two or three!)

Step 5- Sausage Dryer Balls

Step 5 - put each ball into some old nylon's. *I had to actually go out and buy some cheap knee high stockings! I haven't owned any in years! Cost just over a $1!  I put one ball down at the toe, tied it tight, added the next one and so on until I had a nylon, wool ball sausage thingy!
Step 6- felt those babies! Throw the whole 'sausgage' into the washer with towels, jeans, something heavy(ish) that will move them around a lot. AND something you can wash in hot water! Just a note here... it may take a couple of washes in hot water to get them felted really nicely, but remember each time you use them they will felt a little more too!

Ta-Da!! Felted Dryer Balls - and they smell yummy too!!
You will need to make several - one ball isn't really going to lift & separate your laundry all by itself!
Just throw a couple (I'm going for 3) into your dryer the next time you put clothes in there and let them do their job! It sounds a little loud, but the clothes do seem to dry faster and so far they weren't filled with static! Towels were soft and oh... that lavender I added.... lovely!
The balls should last about 5 years but if they start to fall apart.... I'm just going to make more!