I N S P I R A T I O N

Being away from the blog for so long you'd probably expect me to say "HEY LOOK I STARTED SOMETHING NEW and I was so so so so so so so so so into my new project I didn't blog for a stretch there.  BUT THE GOOD NEWS is that I have a million progress photos to show you!"

In a way it's kind of true.

After getting my kudos there with the front page of the Western Arts entry pamphlet thingy, I really started wracking my brain about what I was going to enter for the Stampede this year.  I was just beginning to work on an idea when an EVEN BETTER IDEA struck.  And lordy if I can make it work, it's gonna be awesome-sauce with a side of awesome.  And so, because ideas need to be developed, every day at nap time I get out the pencils and graph paper and I am working like a fiend.  Unlike last year's project, much of what I wanted to do was easy to figure out or use existing charts online.  I'm down to a few piddly details.... which of course is just EATING AWAY AT MY SOUL.  It's always these teeny-tiny little things that don't work just right that DRIVE ME INSANE.  And here we are again.

Sadly- it'll be blog silence on a lot of this- with very few sneak peeks until I can enter my project and leave it in the hands of the judges.  Until then you're just stuck hearing about it.  On top of it being a Stampede entry surprise, it might also be a surprise for another family member, so work on this project will need to be stealthy.  My current goal is to have the pattern locked down and designed by April 15 so that I can cast on April 16.  I'd really like to not be knitting this hours before it needs to be entered in the Stampede this year.

Lest you think it's been all work and no fun around here I have managed to knit another 4 hats and get some sock progress in .  My little leftover pile is beginning to look smaller finally!

   

And last weekend a quick trip out to Ottawa allowed me some knitting time and the travelling sock became, well, a sock (that needs a pair now).

GIANT ASIDE... My kid LOVES Bob the Builder.  LOOOOOVES.  Like Bob is a religion at our house.  And so, when we realized there was a  Bob exhibit at the National Children's Museum in Ottawa and it was the last weekend (and you should know they stopped making Bob toys in 2005 so doing or seeing anything Bob related is SCARCE) we felt we had to GO.  And so, we did.  A quick in/out trip (where yes, there was knitting!) and my kid got to meet his hero.

He looks pretty happy, non?

Okay well that's all there is to report for this month.  I need to figure out a blanket to knit for a friend due in July- so my goals for April are fairly simple:

1) Finalize Stampede Pattern by April 15- Cast on!
2) Figure out Baby Blanket for baby in July and procure the yarn to knit it.
3) Keep knitting hats

I can't believe it's the end of March!  Where does the time go!?

The One Where Hats are Addicting

So when we left last this blog, I vowed that I would knit 3 hats.  I knit those 3 up fairly quickly and viola- here they are.

The problem is that I couldn't stop at 3.  I would pick up my shawl and basically hold it in my hand and then decide.... I'll knit a hat instead.  So that's how I ended up with 3 more hats...

Baby hats for me are just one of those projects that are simple and mindless.  Am I tired?  Knit a hat.  Am I stressed?  Knit a hat.  Am I watching some TV that requires better attention (House of Cards)?  KNIT A HAT.  I'm oddly enjoying making my bits and bobs into hats and seeing what I can come up with.  I am starting to get down in the pile and wouldn't be surprised if pretty soon I have no yarn left.  Until then I've enjoyed the easy knitting... maybe it's because I'm planning to take a bite out of a heftier project soon-ish.

The shawl?  The shawl hasn't seen anything at all.  It sits in it's project bag hoping that I will find inspiration with it once again.  And so, with that in mind- I'm changing the March plan (mid March) to reflect that March is now all about knitting hats.

How many more can I squeeze out this month?  (Also- NO MORE HATS in April... back to work and Stampede thoughts...)

A Little Bit of Bragging

TWO POSTS in one day!?  Normally I wouldn't post so frequently but I decided that this was "blog worthy" and I couldn't wait on it.

My MiL sent me a picture of the booklet for the Western Lifestyles Creative Arts and Crafts Competition for the Stampede this year.  (It's basically the entrance booklet- and I'm not sure why I didn't get one, but I digress...)

Recognize the project on the FRONT FREAKIN' PAGE?!?

I. AM. FAMOUS.  (sort of)  If you go to the link (here) and open the book they credit me inside.

Either way I'm deeply flattered and feeling pretty legit at the moment.

Maui Break - Return of the Blog

I don't usually like to advertise, but that big old blog break was due to our annual Maui trip, which we returned from on Sunday.  I had intended to work on the shawl while I was there, but after a few rows in, I realized (rightfully so) that I wanted something less finicky for the ride down.  And, since it's sort of a tradition anyways- I grabbed some self striping sock yarn and readied myself for a new Maui sock.

It's pretty isn't it?  These are the aptly named "Socks on a Plane" pattern and the name alone was reason enough for me to knit these!

 

I cast on before I left and only allowed myself 6 rows to get started enough on the plane.  On the way down I made huge progress.  (Thank you Bob the Builder for entertaining my kid!)  I made less progress on the way back but did get as far as the heel flap.  I'm going to set these aside for a bit now, and save them for other trips I have coming up.

I did, in a weird state of hopefulness, actually bring my shawl too, but it didn't get any attention.  The shawl has had a few false starts since we last caught up.  I had made it about 40 rows in and then discovered a mistake.  Being a hypocritical idiot (more on that in a minute) I didn't have a life line and was forced to rip the entire thing out and begin again.  I'm back where I started (WITH a life line this time) and hope to devote much of my March to making progress on it.

Why am I hypocritical idiot?  MiL has also cast on a shawl, and both of us are cutting our teeth on these wispy little patterns.  When she was casting on and doing her research I kept telling her "make sure you do a life line" (life line = yarn holding a row of stitches so you only have to rip back so far if you do discover a mistake- I put it in every 15 rows or so...)  I'm not sure why I felt I needed to nag her on this, especially since she has more years of knitting under her belt and has successfully knit a shawl before, but I did.  (Sorry Phyllis!)  I'm even less sure why I didn't follow my own advice and put one in for me!  But alas- I was dumb and I learned my lesson the hard way when I ripped out all of that work.

Right before I left I also managed to add a little hat to the pile and it's really cute.

Even though there are waaaaaay more ends to weave in, I'm actually quite enjoying this little stripey hat project I've committed myself too.  Which leads me to the March goal- knit 3 more hats and work on the shawl.  The hats need to be done but we'll just see how far I get on the shawl.  April will likely be for another baby due in July... but we'll talk about that later.

For now.... I leave you with a little Maui magic...

(I took this on my Iphone!  I have never seen a perfect rainbow arch like that.  It was beautiful!)

It was a great trip- but it's great to be home and get back into our regular swing of things.  (Which means more knitting!!)