Stash Enhancement

A few posts back I mentioned that I was, seriously this year, going to get rid of my stash.  The method planned was to knit head, neck and shoulder pieces to give away next Christmas.  Using great quantities of stash yarn for each piece  was the goal.  In fact I do believe I used the word annihilation in describing the 2016 goal for my stash.

Well, Bag Lady Sue changed my modus operendi.  As of yesterday I have given up on the annihilation and have started to move forward to the enhancement.  Stash enhancement.  Yep a complete 180.  There is just no explaining the way a knitter's mind works.

Here is what I brought home from Sue's great give-away.

 This glorious roving type yarn with globs of contrast colour attached will make wonderful cowls.  Just a simple cast on of 30 - 50 stitches, a BIG needle and knit until the 50 yards in each skein is gone.

The yarn by Pagewood Farms comes from Arizona.  Designer yarn for sure.

A ball of red licorice for another cowl  Such colours.

 More roving type yarn in bright colours.  More cowls.

And below,  4 balls of Paton Classic in a brown tweed with one ball of white for contrast to knit a   

 cardi for me.  Perhaps  Fredericton   or  New Concetta

And last, forced on me by Sharon R, who knows my colour palette, is this gorgeous ball of Trend Setter  Bouquet in various shades of greens and blues and various textures of ribbons and yarn along with a coordinating ball of Ella Rae.  The green in these yarns is a pukie, pea-soup green. Should look wonderful on me.  I'm thinking cowl again.

Apparently the left overs are coming back next Thursday.  Mmmm, maybe I should take ....... 
No, NO!  Someone  stop me.

Two Rabbit Holes In One Week?

This might be a bit much.  Already deep down a dark hole with my Margarita sweater, I am now about to tumble down another hole.  The Mitered Square Hole.

From time to time, my Ladies With Balls

decide it would be fun to work together on a project.  Same project for all.  Same time frame for all. A  small-group KAL.  Unlike our normal routine where  they bring their own projects to class, work at their own pace and seek help from me for any issues they encounter in their individual projects, today we  start one of the group projects.  This time they have selected Mitered Squares.

This past week, I have been getting ready to help them learn how to do a mitered square. For me, the ex-teacher, that means dissecting the process to death.  Dissecting the process until I learn how to take it apart, see it from beginning to end; see it from easy to complicated; see it from overview to specifics, see where it means to take me and how I should best  get there. I take out all the big words, make sure I begin at the  beginning and make sure I walk step by step through the dark unknown to the well-lit 'Ahaa! moment.  That I hope, will  lead  all knitters to  the finish line, happy and frustration free.

To that end, I have notes for them

and my one and only mitered square project  to use as an example.

 

Some  want only to learn the technique while others want to learn the technique then apply it to a pattern.  A successful lesson should soon give me some Mitered Square project pictures to show you.

Where Are They Now?

2015 was a busy year in my knitting world. I was quite pleased and surprised when I did a count of the FOs for 2015.  Several sweaters, two vests and five cowls.  Pleased indeed, until I read Tanisfibrearts blog.  She knit 25 sweaters in 2015.  All the while, mothering a toddler and a baby and running a wool-dyeing business.   Way to go Tanis.

Since I often close my FOs posts by saying - 'of course, the proof is in the wearing'  I thought I'd start the new year by telling you how my 2015 FOs have fared in that department .  A  'where are they now' sort of year in review.

First up - Cowls, scarves, and other neck thingums:

 The above two items went to my friend Margaret.  They were a donation to Purple Day  - an annual,  March fund raiser for Epilepsy.   Margaret lives with her son and his family and is involved with Purple Day because her grand daughter has epilepsy.

The two cowls below were the extent of what I got finished in time for my Great Christmas Give-away.  They went to two of my nieces.   

This cutey was my first attempt at a necklace.  A few strands of I Cord tied together and  strung through some beads for closure and I had a one-of-a-kind colourful necklace to brighten up a white summer tee.

And this lovely green thing -

was an abysmal failure.  I got caught up in a yarn shopping expedition that saw several of my yarn- buying buddies scooping up balls of Opium.  A cotton/acrylic, thick and thin yarn that I though would make a nice summer wrap.  I used a free (sometimes worth what you pay for them) online pattern.  Never worn.  Sitting forlornly on the bench in my yarn room.

Vests:  I made two of them in 2015.  I love both of them and wear them  often.

 The lovely  salmon-coloured one above was one of my own design, inspired by this one I saw on a blog. Knit in Lett Lopi it is warm but light and a nice bright colour for grey winter days.

Below is the vest that I knit with Shelridge Yarns wonderfully soft, washable wool.  I love the colours and the style.  The pattern, Serendipity Vest  (available on Patternfish) drove me nuts.  The tri-coloured, slip-stitch pattern was easy to figure out and to do.  Understanding the designers description of the unique, mitered construction and shaping was near impossible

Sweaters:

 

First up for 2015 was Patchwork. Started while in Florida last January and knit with double stranded Knit Picks Palette, a gift from Nicki.  I love this sweater.  Colours suit me well.  It is warm and a lovely thing to wear.

This poncho, a combo of two patterns - yarnharlot's Very Easy Poncho and Cabin Fever's Fern Scarf,  used stash yarn in a flattering-to-me, copper-coloured cotton.  Very fashionable and trendy, it saw lots of wear this summer and fall.

My version of this Vogue, sleeveless top was another success that saw lots of summer wear.

Below you see my white, summer,  A-line tee with my I Cord necklace.  The tee was a pattern purchased in Florida with very confusing lace work on the sleeves.  Thanks to Sigrun for deciphering it for me.  The yarn was a gift from a fellow knitter.  Ten balls of white cotton which she said she would never use.

This beauty was my Christmas sweater.  No ugly CS for me, this one, Snowflake by Tincanknits, received compliments whenever I wore it.  And wear it I did this season.  The fit is lovely and the sparkly brown yarn gave it just enough seasonal glitter to be tasteful but special.

Both my niece and I love our Glenoras. A quick and easy knit designed by Elizabeth McCarten.  My niece's, immediately below, was knit with the recommended Cascade Eco yarn.

Mine, I knit with stash yarn - Sable, an acrylic/wool mix.

 

 Since the photo, I have put three, great, wooden buttons on mine as well.  It was worn almost daily as a light  jacket through our unseasonabley long and warm 2015 autumn.

Below is My Valentine.  Knit with Patons Classic scooped up at  a 75% discount at the Listowel Tent  Sale a few summers ago, it is another Elizabeth McCarten pattern.  With our long, warm fall,   some of my sweaters - including this one - haven't seen as much wear as they would have most years by January first.  I am wearing it today, though.

The teal sweater, below, was my first pattern from the Cabin Fever Need A Circular Yoke? book.  The colours of Cascade 220 were chosen specifically to match a Scottish, pleated skirt gifted to me by a friend who had 'outgrown' it. I wore them both yesterday.  The sweater has a wonderful fit and a Mandarin neckline that draws interested comments  from everyone and 'how-did-you-do-that' queries from knitters.

That's it, I think.  Only one real dud - the green wrap - from a years worth of knitting.  Not bad.  Tomorrow -  what's up for 2016.