Knitterly guilt?

I was reading I heart knitting where Amanda mentioned wanting a scarf from a store, but not feeling that she should not buy it as she knits, she could make one. She probably wouldn't ever make it, but she could.

I do this too.

I walk around in stores and see jumpers/ sweaters/ scarves that I figure I could make better/ a little longer/ cheaper/ in a nicer colour. Wool instead of acrylik. For whatever reason, the item stays in the store and I go home dreaming of knitting yet another item for Miss B and my wardrobes.

Thats where it has become a problem as it mostly stays a dream.

There is only so much knitting time in a day and the WIP list insists on growing.
The store bought knitwear in this house is slowly wearing out or being grown out of and since I decided I was smart enough to knit something wearable, these things haven't been replaced as they once would have been.

During the last two weeks while Miss B has had school holidays and was able to wear her normal clothes instead of her uniform I discovered that she has grown. A lot.

Her jumper status , once I remove the ones that now imitate 3/4 sleeve tops, is down to
- 1 school jumper
- 1 other jumper

Eeeeeeeeeeek! Knit faster?? Go shopping??

Do other knitters experience this?

Do you feel that since you now knit, that you shouldn't be buying store bought knitwear?

Is there a place for store bought knits in a knitters home?

Do you suffer knitterly guilt?

Something we did in the holidays that wasn't knitting

We dig out an old picture frame.

Ditch the glass.

Drill a heap of holes in the backing.

You could probably just poke holes through with a hammer and nail, but I didn't have any nails and the drill was much more fun.

Glue some fabric over the ugly backing.

Get lazy and decide to paint the frame later.

Put the frame back together and stick earings through holes.







Decide a bigger frame would be better next time, but for now be happy with cheap holiday entertainment and cute earing storage.








Just to add to the knitterly chaos that my loungeroom has become, I decided there was someone else I wanted to make something for. My Mum.

The WIP list multiplied so quickly last week that I really don't think one more will hurt.


Here is kit with the start of some blue socks .


Now just remind me not to give the blog link to my Mum until these are done and gifted.

Funny things happen in school holidays. All the projects I have been thinking about casting on all term suddenly demand that I start them now. So of course I pick something. Something called "My So Called Scarf"

It feels really good to be working on something new.

Then something else happens. We have a few cooler nights and requests start sneaking in.

A brown beanie for one person. A beanie is a pretty small project, I can deal with that.

Miss B decides that if I can knit for that person, then it's about time I started her Central Park Hoodie. She is right, so Central Park Hoodie gets started.

Nanna looked like she would really like to run off with a pair of fetchings last time she was here, so she gets a pair made especially for her, colour chosen by Miss B.

We visit Nanna and drop off her Fetchings . Big grins and squishy hugs follow.

Nanna definately knows how to recieve a handknit and has ensured a place in the "people to knit for" list.

Later that night we speak to Great Grandma, recipitant of the Green Tree Frog Socks ( also on people to knit for list), and she explains that since having knee surgery her knees ache. The Doctor has recommended she keep her knees warm and could I please make her some knee warmers.

Of course I can.

Well, I could if I actually knew what they were.

Something like leg warmers I was imagining.

And this is where I love the internet so, so much.

http://www.sarahpeasley.com/freepatterns/philskneewarmer.pdf

A pattern. Already there. Exactly what I need. Perfect.

And that is how the WIP list grows.

Weekend happenings

Yesterday

Tigers and I attended Denise and Helen's commitment ceremony.

The weather was perfect, the waterfall was beautiful, the bubbles were fun and the couple are so obviously in love with each other.

It was an honour to be a part of it and to be reminded just how wonderful love is.

Today

I knit.

And Knit.

And Knit.

And then I cast off.

I am really, really happy with how Urban Aran has turned out.

I am a little worried about putting in a zipper.

Actually I think I am more worried about being able to find a zipper.

How Kit earns her keep........

Kit has decided some food shopping needs to be done.

It doesn't look like I will pry myself away from my yarn anytime soon,
she will just have to do it herself.

So she goes hunting.

Can you see what she brings in for diner?

Yep, it's a little lizard.

Yes it is all in one piece, it is just trying to get under the step and away from Kit.

Kit brings them inside quite often and meow's until I go and see what she has decided to gift us with.

Luckily she doesn't eat them or hurt them. Miss B takes them outside and sets them free.

I am grateful that she is only bringing in little lizards and not mice with all their icky germs.

Which is better?

Procrastination or frustration?

I can't decide.

I have now ripped back the top of an Urban Aran sleeve three times.
The math seems right but I am unable to follow my own instructions.
I keep going past the decrease rows without decreasing and wanting to decrease in the rows that I shouldn't.

I am begining to thing this yarn doesn't want to be a sleeve.

Things that induce procrastination.

Having to fix mistakes in knitting makes me procrastinate.
Not so much little things like a dropped stitch, but the ripping back and re knitting of sections of knitting. Definately something that can be done later.
While I'm at it I may as well start something new so that "fixing later" becomes even later.
You never know, if I leave it long enough it might just fix itself.





The lastest addidition to the frogpond was Urban Aran.





How did that happen? It was all knit, every last piece.










It was when I tried to sew it all together and I just couldn't get those sleeves to attatch to the body without being incredibly stretched accross the top that I realised something was wrong.



I tried again and again, and each time it came out looking a little worse.



Note: Chibi has resurfaced. Chibi was in the bottom of a bag. Appologies to kit.

Note: Must not always blame the cats.



So after much stretching and attempted sewing I did what I should have done to start with. I measured the sleeve. Ooooops.



That little thing called row guage meant that while the main part of the sleeve was ok, the shaped part on top, yes I know it has a name but I can't think of it right now, was too short.



Way too short.



So last night some ripping was done and the sleeves are back on needles.








I worked out some math that I think will make it all work out.



Then what did I do?



Procrastinated.........



I raided the stash and debated some projects for project spectrum.

Rustic 12 ply yarn in Elm from Bendigo

Patons Jet from Spotlight