Yarn

2020 Knitting Plans

mildlygranola, , , 20 Comments

For the past two years I’ve been on a yarn diet. In 2018 I allowed myself 100g of yarn for every 500g knit. In 2019 I allowed myself 100g of yarn for every 300g knit, with an exception for keeping a sweaters quantity of yarn on hand. Because of those two years I’m in a place where I’m mostly comfortable with my stash. This year I’m allowing myself 100g of yarn for every 100g knit.

I am going to be more intentional about my yarn purchases. I will be going to three yarn festivals this year, and I have already made a list of yarn that I would like to find. I do not plan on picking up random yarn when I visit a yarn store.

I am going to be intentional about what I cast on. I have always cast on what I feel like in the moment, which is a great way to knit. The problem is, I have projects I have wanted to make for years that I haven’t gotten around to making. Because of that I’ve planned out one cast on a month for the next year. I’m sure I’ll cast on more than that (heck, I finished 43 projects last year), but I want to make sure I cast on the 12 items. If I get excited and cast on a project earlier than scheduled I’ll be adding a project to cast on during the scheduled cast on month. It sounds confusing as I read this, but the principle is simple, I will cast on one new thing each month and I will actually knit the things I have been wanting to knit.

JanuaryBike Hat for John
FebruaryFingerless Mitts for Sarah
MarchEllie Socks
AprilChristmas Stocking for baby M-C (need yarn)
MayShawl for Kathy
JunePride Socks (need to find rainbow yarn)
JulyChirstmas in July Socks
August 2 color brioche cowl
SeptemberColorwork Cowl
OctoberOxbow Cardigan (need to decide on yarn)
NovemberSlippers for Mary
DecemberColorwork Cardigan for me

As I am likely to cast on several items early I have a list of possible items to add in: dishcloths, Trelawney Shawl, Dreyma Mitts, Inglis Mitts, and many pairs of socks.

Do you plan what you will knit for the year or do you wing it? Are there any things you feel you must make this year?

I Can Explain…

mildlygranola, , , 20 Comments

I’ve spent most of this year doing a great job sticking to my yarn diet. I only buy the yarn that I have earned (100 g earned for every 300 g knit). Recently I went off the rails, and now I’m 2052 g in the hole for the year. I don’t think I’ll be able to knit my way out of it this year. I’m disappointed in myself, and I’ll be continuing my yarn diet next year.

It all started out so simply. My sister is going to have a baby, so I wanted to get yarn to make a baby sweater. I found a pattern and yarn I liked on bluprint and decided to buy it.

I didn’t want to pay for shipping, so I added on a sweater kit I’d been eyeing.

But when the kit arrived I noticed that I had made a grave error. Instead of selecting coral, I distractedly ordered two different teals.

Obviously that wouldn’t work, so when I ordered the coral I added on some yarn to get to free shipping. I found a nice wool/silk blend on sale, so I bought a sweater quantity. The problem is I wanted to buy 1000 yards, but instead I convinced myself I needed 100 g, so now I have enough yarn for two sweaters.

I was going to be done, but I had already promised Ivy I would go to an Andrea Mowry KAL at a local yarn shop. I decided on the Range shawl, but I didn’t have the right yarn for it. So I bought four skeins of Malibrigo for the shawl.

I know I will use all of the yarn I’ve purchased, but I sure do wish I would have utilized my stash first. I have never gone on a yarn binge like this before. I hope I never do again.

So now I’m off to learn brioche so I can continue to work on the shawl. I am also going to work on my whitehorse sweater so I can finish it and cast on the baby sweater. It’s a good thing I feel inspired to knit again, as I have a lot of knitting to do.

Sock It To Me Monday

mildlygranola, , , , 14 Comments

The Christmas socks are done. I’m happy with how they turned out. I’m especially happy with how the striping worked out with the heel flap and gusset.

I also make Elliot a hat this weekend. He wanted a red pompom. I thought it would look silly, but it turns out the red looks great on the hat.

I really should have cleaned up the kids art area before taking this picture. My house is messy, but not the hoarder level of messy as it appears in this photo.

Thanks to finishing these projects I’m only around 1650 g of yarn in the yarn diet hole. I don’t think I’ll get out of it this year, but I’m going to try.

Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival

mildlygranola, , , 15 Comments

This morning I picked up Ivy and we headed north to Ames for the Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival. I ogled sheep. I contemplated buying an expensive coffee mug. I considered becoming the type of person who owns a darning egg. I lost all resolve to buy yarn in moderation.

From L to R I bought: Garden Wool & Dye Co. Local Wool worsted dyed with black oak & titanium, 2 skeins of Garden Wool & Dye Co. DK New Merino dyed with indigo and Osage orange, Quirky Fiber Werks BFL in Razzle Berry, Yarn Geek Fibers Galvanizer in Dr. Nancy Grace Roman (Mother of Hubble), Leading Men Fiber Arts Showstopper Mini Skein in Mother Earth, Blue Bird Aplaca Ranch Cormo/Tencel Sport weight yarn, and Blue Bird Alpaca Ranch Fingering Cormo/Mohair/Tencel in pink.

I went crazy with yarn buying. I am now 44 g in the hole on my yarn diet.

I also went overboard with Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival products. I bought a package that included a project bag, sticker, enamel pin, and t shirt. I totally broke my make/thrift/mend resolution by buying a shirt, but it is the only time I’ll break that rule this year.

I’m now going to wind some yarn and look on Ravelry for project ideas, as I have a lot of knitting to do. Do you every go overboard at fiber festivals?

Whelp, That’s Done

mildlygranola, , , 15 Comments

I finished my sweater. Instead of a fancy photo, I thought I would show you how the sweater will be used: over pajamas, accompanied by a cup of coffee.20190414_100437771528131040570003.jpg

Should I block the button band? Yes. Am I going to? No. I sewed on the buttons, and that is enough.

With the completion of this sweater I’m back in the black on my yarn diet. Now I can start daydreaming about the Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival in June.

WIP Wednesday

mildlygranola, , 9 Comments

Happy Wednesday. It feels like I just wrote a WIP post, but the calendar assures me it was a week ago.

I’m past the gusset on the second Green Bay sock. I’m at the point where I should wind yarn for my next socks, but I don’t want to clear off the dining room table to make room for the swift.20190403_1411243148836536475322676.jpg

Before I start my next pair of socks I might darn a pair. I usually throw away socks once they get a hole, but these are some of my favorite socks. They are also some of my newest socks, which makes the hole rather annoying.20190403_141208382421476104437377.jpg

My sweater continues to chug along. I finished the sleeves, seamed, and blocked the sweater. It was clear I wouldn’t have enough yarn to do a shawl collar, so I bought some contrasting yarn to use.  I am using Burly Spun from Brown Sheep Company, Inc. It is a stark contrast to go from rustic farm yarn to mass-produced commercial yarn. I would not normally refer to Brown Sheep as soft yarn, but it is compared to the rest of the sweater. 20190403_1413013904334253372981099.jpg

I decided not to dye the sweater after all. Once the sweater was seamed it was clear that I didn’t like it enough to go through the effort. I will use it as a house sweater on extra cold days. I think it will be too warm for any day above freezing.

I decided to make up my own collar and button band as the collar in the pattern seemed wrong to me. I didn’t want to knit it and then sew the band on. I also wanted to make sure the collar had enough depth. I want a big shawl collar, and making it up as I go will give me that.

I don’t know what I’m going to use for buttons. I’m thinking I’ll dig up some random buttons from my stash instead of buying buttons. We shall see how that ends up.

I really want to be done with the sweater this week. I’m ready get started on my Everyday Shawl again.

What are you working on this week?