all done!

I finally completed my second hat in 2011.  I'm taking this pretty slow, doing a hat a month.  I actually don't even know why I chose to do it, because I don't know 11 people to make hats for AND I don't need 11 for myself.

After I switched to US7 circulars, it went really quickly.  I repeated the body of the pattern 6 times and finished.  I've gotten a lot of compliments on it already and I'm very happy with it!

I also have casted on my felted chalk bag for the THIRD time.  The first time I was using homespun yarn that has weight variations that would affect it's ability to hold chalk after being felted.  The second time I was using Lion Brand Landscapes which is only 55 yards a skein.  That in itself isn't a problem, but I only had one skein and it's impossibly hard to find anymore.  Now I'm using Patons Classic Wool Merino in HARRY POTTER COLORS.  Well right now it is Gryffindor colors but I'm adding a nice muted aqua-y blue soon.

Also.  I am moving on Saturday into the little blue house!  Yay!  And in 2 weeks I'll have monster kitties back!  Woop.

some progress.

After switching the Wurm from DPNs to circular needles in a larger size, I have made some serious progress!  It is far from perfect, but it is big and slouchy and fun colors, so I think I'll love it. 

All of this progress is motivated by a new project I want to tackle soon.  I found this pattern for a felted chalk bag for rock climbing and bouldering!  This weekend I got my own climbing shoes and a membership to the gym, but I think I'd rather make my own chalk bag than buy one.

I also found an apartment last week and am moving out next Saturday!  I'm very excited to start living on my own again.  Living with my parents wasn't awful at all, it was actually really nice, but I really do enjoy living on my own and paying my own bills and all of that.  It makes me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something by going to work everyday.  I'll also get my lovely kittens back soon!  Ooo I'm so excited.

slowing down.

I've been not very crafty and not very bloggy lately.  I've been busy with work, looking for apartments, and having a social life (which is not something I'm used to).  Last night was the first night this week I've had to myself.  I started working on the Wurm again, which was a DISTASTER.  This hat is so simple, but I'm having so many problems.

First, the yarn choice was not ideal.  Paton's Angora Bamboo is wonderful and soft, but the more it is handled, the fuzzier it gets.  The double edging of the hat is unbelievably fuzzy from folding and holding in place while knitting the edges together.  Second, the pattern calls for a change of needles, from a US 4 to a US 6 for the body of the hat.  I couldn't find US 6 16" circulars anywhere, so I decided to do the whole thing on DPNs.  WORST IDEA EVER.  I cannot stress that enough, it was a horrible choice and one I KNEW I'd regret, but I did it anyways.  There were stitches dropped like crazy, the tension was not consistent, and there was an all over sloppiness (also due to fuzziness) that I was just not okay with.  Last night, I frogged almost everything I did on the DPNs and began again with US 7 16" circs.  Hopefully now I'll make some progress.

This weekend I'm setting up a spinning class (I didn't last weekend because I was so busy all week!) AND I have a 3 day weekend.  The weekend will be filled with a Wurm and climbing some boulders and sleeping in.  I'm very excited!

Happy Friday everyone!

some things.

I've gotten distracted by reading books that I've read a hundred times before.  It has caused my crafting to slow down significantly.  I've casted on my second hat in 2011, the Wurm.  I really hope this hat turns out phenomenal.  The picture shown is the main color, but I got this great dusty sky blue to stripe it with.  I'm excited to see the outcome.  I'm such a slow knitter though.  This has all been made worse by the fact that I went bouldering last weekend and my entire body is protesting.

Extremely fun.  I can't wait to go again.

I love the color green entirely too much!

Spinning progress is very slow.  I haven't been trying much lately because I get discouraged so easily.  This weekend I'm going to call and set up a class.  I've spun a little, but I know I'm doing it all wrong and I want to break bad habits now!  I have about 10oz of this roving I dyed that I want to spin and ply as the first yarn on my wheel.

The hexagonal stashbuster is over halfway done!  It has also taken over the guest bed and I'm out of room.  Only 19 or so hexagons left and then comes attaching and the border.  I'll be stoked when that monstrosity is done.  I get so excited about making blankets, then I remember that I HATE making blankets about 60% of the way through it.  It's ridiculous :D

giveaway!

Everyone should go and enter this.  It's being hosted by The Mad Crafter and Spooky Pooky Creations, whom are both extremely talented!  It's Yeti themed, there is some super cute stuff involved and entering is very easy!  Click the button and do it!

frustrated.

On Monday I drove to Lancaster to pick up this little gem:

I was so excited!  I drove to Flying Fibers directly from work to get there before they closed at 7.  Jerri, the owner, had put the wheel together for me and oiled everything up so it was ready to go.  I loaded it in the car, drove back home, brought it in the house and....I'm HORRIBLE at it.  Seriously.  I'm not sure which part of the concept is escaping my brain but I simply cannot do it.  I can treadle the wheel in both directions, I can stop the wheel with the treadle.  I know what everything is, but when I spin, the yarn is not pulled through the orfice and wound onto the bobbin which results in a lot of overspin.  I've tried loosening the tension, tightening the tension, treadling fast, slow, EVERYTHING and nothing works. 

I've Google'd the hell out of this and most websites say treadle slower, tighten the tension a teeny bit.  I'm going to give this a week of effort.  If I haven't figured it out by next week, I'm calling the fiber shop.