Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Getting my butt in gear!

I finally kicked myself in the butt and started something original. I have such a bad habit of aspiring to larger, intricate sweaters and non-realistic projects unless I want to spend every waking hour knitting. So yesterday on my day off, I got tired and frustrated and I started a new project! I wanted to do something quick with the herringbone fagoting pattern that I've been playing with so I started a scarf! I knit like a maniac yesterday, with a little cleaning thrown in there (HURRAY ME!) and I've got about a third of it done.

I'm doing it in a lace weight yarn, which is taking forever. I might knit up two scarves, one in lace and one in sport weight to show what it looks like in different gauges. Plus the sport weight is going to go a lot faster than the lace weight. I hope.

It's really a simple project, though I think it looks pretty complex. I'm pretty sure it will be a free project since I've been trying to up my free projects so that more people become interested in what I'm knitting.

I may try to work up charts for it, as well as written instructions since some people don't like charts, but that seems like a lot of work. I haven't decided yet, and since I'm only partway done with it I can think about it for a while.

I'm so excited to finally be working on something again. I've been back and forth on starting on new projects since I've got so many in progress right now, but I've decided my original designs should take precedence over the others I'm knitting. I really want to work on it nonstop like I did yesterday, but I'm afraid if I bring it into work that I'll screw it up. Better just to knit like a maniac while I'm at home. I'm so excited I might not get any sleep for a while!

Friday, September 25, 2009

New stitch pattern

Fagoting - noun, an openwork decoration of fabric in which thread is drawn in crisscross stitches across an open seam.

I am in love with a stitch pattern. It is open and beautiful and amazing. I'm having so much fun imaging ways to incorporate it into designs.

It is much more workable in the round. The only issue I have with it is that when you work it flat you have to work a yo followed by a P2tog. I find it a little awkward, but I'm not used to working YO's on the WS of the work.

I'm trying to work a suitable ribbing to openwork ratio. I cant decide to do knit 4 purl 2 ratio since the pattern is 4 stitches but I'm not sure if I like it. I kind of want to do alternating plain ribbing with the pattern so I don't overwhelm a piece. I haven't decided. I'm in the process of swatching and seeing what I enjoy. I'm so excited!

I really want to make socks with it. I think the pattern would look cool with alternating ribbing and the herringbone fagoting. I have to figure it out though. I'm totally stoked. I have so many ideas, but I'm such a procrastinator. I hope I actually work on something this time, and not just talk about it.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Not what I expected.

I thought after you get out of college, things got easier in some respects. You had more free time, you got a better job, you started living life instead of trying desperately to work through school and having no free time.

I'm just not seeing it. I have more free time now that I'm graduated, but it seems to be filled with more mundane things, like laundry and dishes and housework. I was envisioning coming home from work and enjoying hours of yarn and knitting time. It's sad to realize it isn't the fiber paradise I envisioned.

I don't know if its just the economy or if I'm unhire-able, but the better job isn't working out either. I finished my test for the position at western, but I'm not anticipating getting a call. There were about 5 other people taking the test for the same position while I was and I completely sucked on my typing test. No one seems willing to call me or offer me a position except the one that required absolutely no skills at all. What a bummer.

I think I just need to get out of this funk. Any ideas?