relearn how to crochet and knit

I LOVE knitting lace. Absolutely love it. I just knitted a blanket based on a doily pattern (the idea was originally from http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/08/hemlock-ring-blanket.html) and it was so much fun I can’t wait to knit more. I’ve also been knitting lace scarves out of sock yarn.

It’s a good hobby/obsession for me. I’ve had awful insomnia lately (falling down on the deal with stress better goal) and it gives me something to do at 2am.

I just bought several sizes of double-pointed needles (dpn’s to those in the know) so I can start leaning to make round tubular things like socks and I-cord. Sweaters and hats need circular needles (and some dpn’s) but I’ll wait a bit to try them. The bad thing about my knitting addiction is that there are about a dozen sizes commonly used across the range. If I pick a different yarn, odds are I’ll probably also need different needles. They also come in metal, wood and bamboo, which act differently and have their own pros and cons.

Whew. I’m pretty excited about branching out because this is something I have never tried. I felt like this when I started knitting lace patterns. I think I’m one of those learners who gets more excited about the process of learning than the end result. I am happiest when I am figuring something out, not when I know it inside and out. I definitely love a challenge.

Besides, my wet felting class was cancelled tomorrow. I’ll teach myself to use dpn’s instead!

I’m taking a wet felting class in a couple of weeks. I’m really excited, because I love felted items and this will let me create free-form wool projects without knitting them first. I have a lot of ideas and this will give me the skills to make them a reality.

Don’t get me wrong – I still love knitting. It’s fun to look at a yarn and try to decide what project will show it off the best. I tried umpteen different stitches with this caterpillar yarn I have before I found one that makes it come to life. It’s exciting!

I just got a big package of Opal yarns yesterday. I am having so much fun learning new knitting techniques and making things up as I go along. I’m not a standard pattern knitter and I don’t yet have the patience to deal with something like a sweater. I’m getting into lace (although not the doily lace that many might imagine) and the complex patterns keep me amused. I’m using this really colorful sock yarn for my lace and other texture knitting because the color patterns across the stitch changes are really interesting.

http://www.opalsockyarn.com/

I am knitting a scarf out of this beautiful hand-dyed yarn called “Daffodil”. I have to learn about six new stitches and it’s my first time following a detailed pattern, but I’m really excited. Everything outside is grey, white or brown, so the colors make me smile.

Now that the semester is over, I can afford time spent knitting and I love it. It’s like mental chocolate.

The kitty pi has been felted and is now blocking over a round laundry basket. I am REALLY happy with how it turned out.

I’m trying to stay in touch with my creative side. I’m planning to take a light class load next semester so I can afford some “me” time. I also started a livejournal to keep track of my projects.

http://minou14.livejournal.com/

It helps to be able to put photos and details in one spot in case I need to go back and figure out how I did something. I’ll be adding beading at some point when my classes stop with all the damn tests.

I am making a kitty pi even though I don’t have a cat. The base is denim blue wool, the sides are a lovely rich violet purple and I’ve changed the top edge. Instead of eyelash yarn, I’m using a lovely multicolored rich boucle yarn. I’m just starting the sides now and will hopefully be done within a week. Then I need to felt it, shape it and decide what to do with it. Will I add it to my kitty-to-be stash along with the cat tree, toys and various supplies, or will I give it as a gift? It could very well be a mess so I suspect I’ll keep it.

My mom gives me funny looks when I talk about it. Maybe she thinks I imagine I still have a cat. I can see her humouring me. What can I say? The pictures of those happy cats enjoying their beds made me want to learn to crochet again. It gave me a new hobby so I’m going to make one dammit.

Thanks to Crazy Aunt Purl, I’ve had an insatiable urge to crochet lately. In fact, today I was clockwatching because I knew I was going yarn shopping after work. I bought three skeins in assorted colors, although they are not QUITE as fabulous as I would like. See, I want to try felting, and felting requires real wool. All the really pretty variegated colors are acrylic and acrylic won’t felt. (Think of what happens when you accidentally wash a wool sweater in hot water. Now do it on purpose.)

I am hoping to make either a coin purse, cell phone holder or eyeglasses case with felted wool and then sass it up with some beaded accents. I have a TON of ideas in my head and I’ll find out if I can make them come true. I’m going to try crochet first and see if the stitches are tight enough to felt properly. If not.. gah, I need to learn to knit and purl again. Gah.

I hope it doesn’t come to knitting. Knitting takes more concentration than crochet and school has made me very ADD. School has also made me want to drink lots of wine and/or beer. Again, not good with knitting.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I also beaded a pendant last night for my aunt. I still have to make another one. She special-ordered them months ago and I never had the creative thunderbolt I needed to create them. Last night.. boom! Picture a creamy yellow cabochon with dangles of silver, amber and periodot. I’m pretty happy with how the larger one turned out.

It feels SO good to be creative again. I think giving up on men, dating, marriage and several MIA friends really opened me up for the first time in a long while. I’m going to be a dork, a crazy cat lady, eccentric and whimsical – with or without an actual cat. Crazy cat lady is a state of mind.