A year of crafting

One of Jess’ posts reminded me of just how long I’ve been knitting.

According to my LJ archives, exactly one year ago, I first used a crochet hook and knitting needles. Funny thing is, crochet came more naturally to me and I did it more in the beginning, but then I decided I liked the challenge of something I couldn’t pick up as fast, and, well, a monster was born.

Of course I didn’t realize until after I finished my first scarf that I was twisting my knit stitches, but whatever, it still looks okay, though I never wear it because it’s not a “keep me warm” type of accessory. I made the thing specifically to go with a relatively dressy black-and-white outfit, so that’s about all it’s good for.

Appropriately enough, today I finished knitting up a project, thus bringing a year of crafting to a close.

This is Cozy fresh off the needles, in its unblocked glory.

Though I kind of think I should’ve knit it on 5s now. I actually originally started it on the 5s, then frogged that and switched to 6s because I wanted this to be really drapey. And now it might be too much so. Oh well. I still like it, and it’s nice and warm and soft.

Right now, it’s currently blocking. I’m cheap and using extra foam board from an old art project. One of these days I’m gonna get a better blocking board, but for now, this works.

Unfortunately, I bound off too tightly. What else is new. Won’t stretch anywhere near as much as it did on the cast-on end (which is also the end I started blocking from). Oh well. So the bound-off edge will probably look a little bit odd, which bothers me, but then again, I’m not sure how many people will be paying attention to that edge anyway.

A couple of more pictures to come once it’s done blocking.

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Yarnage

It looks like I’m actually going to end up with closer to three extra balls of Peruvian alpaca. I ordered eight based on yardage, but then I ended up casting on fewer stitches, and that’s making more of a difference than I’d anticipated. And given the way that alpaca tends to “grow” and how I’m going to block it out… hmm.

What can I do with about 300 yards of this? First thing that comes to mind is another scarf/wrap kind of thing. Since I’m such a shrimp, it doesn’t have to be long, and I could make something narrower. I’m a little wary of making a shaped garment out of it because of, again, alpaca’s tendency to grow (I experimented and made a hat with the stuff once, and the thing practically swims on my head now). I’ll have to think about that a bit longer…

I really do need to swatch for Shimmer soon (I know, I know, I’ve been saying that for awhile). And since I got a bag of yarn for the holiday season, I need to figure out a good project to use it on as well… Ooh! And I can start a new pair of socks, now that my 1s are free. I’d gotten several balls of sock yarn the last time I caved in and made a knitting purchase, so I’ll eventually have socks everywhere. (I like making socks more than I like wearing them, though I’ve noticed I do wear them more when I actually have a decent pair.)

See, I’m being good and not adding to my stash!

Speaking of my stash, I still haven’t set up the storage for it; I bought a couple of small drawer units for it a couple of weeks ago, but I needed to do some serious cleaning before I could put them where I wanted them. Now I can set them up, except I just decided that I wanted to paint them to match my dresser, so that’s just going to delay things a bit further. Geez. At this rate, by the time I get them done, I won’t really need them. :-P

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Charged and ready

For the first time in quite awhile, I have fully charged batteries for my beloved digital camera. You have no idea how happy this makes me. Oh, how I’ve missed using it so!

So, to celebrate…

Taking pictures of your own feet is kind of odd… and I swear they seem much bigger in the picture than they really are. But whatever. Toe-up socks in their flawed-but-finished glory.

Cozy’s about a third of the way done here. It can definitely use a good blocking, but other than that I’m happy with how this one’s turning out so far. It looks like I’m going to end up with an extra ball and a half of this yarn, maybe even two. Mmm, alpaca…

A detail of Cozy. I really do love this pattern a lot… except after this project, I don’t think I’m going to be making another one again. Not for a long, loooooooong time at least.

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Sockity sock sock

I have a pair of socks!

My camera batteries are still dead, though, so no pictures yet. However! My charger finally turned up, so I can take pictures of the pair tomorrow. I’ll probably take a picture of my Cozy in progress, too.

These socks aren’t perfect, of course. They’re only my first pair. But they’ve helped me figure out a lot of things I can do with future pairs, what sort of adjustments I’ll need to make, and so on. Overall, I’m happy enough with them that I’ll wear them. Unfortunately I bound off just a little too tightly on the cuff for my second sock; it fits fine once it’s on, but getting it on is sort of a pain. Not sure what to do about that yet, but lesson learned for next time!

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What a dork

I am highly amused by the fact that earlier this evening, I was watching A Close Shave while winding some yarn into a center-pull ball.

Too bad it wasn’t wool. That would’ve been even more appropriate. :-P

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