Chatter: Looking for Inspiration

WiP: Felted Mittens, Wedding Blanket #2

Heat: Too High

I keep hitting points where I have so much to do that I don't know where to start, and then I hit a roadblock for inspiration of all sorts...And then I get bored and feel completely uninspired. Right now, I have tons of things I could work on, but don't feel like doing any of it. At all.

I know that there is lots of inspiration all around me all the time...But recently it hasn't triggered much. It seems like it might be time to sit down, make a list of what I want to do, and start checking it off as I go.

The Etsy update for the summer looms large right now, so that means that my first priority is getting a couple personal knits out of the way, and getting more of my felted items actually made and felted. So I know I'll start there.

I need to start my wedding shawl, but I'm uninspired there because I'm daunted by the size and how much I've screwed up the lace the last couple of times I've tried to start it.

I think it might be time to switch crafts for this weekend, since I've really got a bug to do some sewing, but my knitting itch has drifted to the way side for a bit.

I think sewing might be it. I want to make some drawstring bags to go along with any box bags I get finished for August.

I think a day of sewing will make me feel that much more inspired to knit.

What do you do when you get into a creative funk?

Katie =^..^=

Finally, Some Chatter

WiP: Emilien for Dallas; felted mittens; wedding blanket for Wedding #2 (last August. Shhhhh...)
FOs: None

Reading: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Remember, you can donate to the Canadian Red Cross here (any amount at all): http://www.redcross.ca/donate
You can also donate at your Alberta-local Starbucks, although if you need a tax receipt, you need to donate online. Only donate as much as you can, but remember that if you are more affluent, $20+ will get you a tax receipt. ;) I'm pretty sure that if you donate to the "Disaster-Relief Fund," if the Red Cross has left over money, it gets shuffled to the next disaster they need money for...Never a bad thing to have the extra!

It's been a busy couple week around here! Between flooding and not, we've done our engagement photos, and I had my birthday, and we even went up to Olds to take a look at their Fibre Festival market this past Saturday!

Dallas and I have been walking a lot, as I am now trying trim up a bit after all the weight training. Although the night before last we got absolutely soaked by a thunderstorm that rolled in halfway through our walk!

This weekend is Canada Day, and our forecast looks amazing! I'm stoked about having a long weekend to relax at home, although our plans had originally been to go out to my parents'.

I'm hoping to finish Dallas's sweater, and then to be able to block it, have it dry, and take some photos in Confederation Park this weekend! Fingers crossed he doesn't melt in it! If it's nice, I'll try to also coerce him into taking some photos of me in my Marion cardigan as well.

Otherwise, need to patch up his blanket, where some of the squares have had their sewing unravelled, try to finish the wedding blanket, and then maybe, just maybe, start my shawl.

But that might have time high jacked by the whole felted mitten thing.

Have a lovely long weekend, and Happy Canada Day! :)

Katie =^..^=

P.S. The Calgary Stampede is selling these t-shirts: "Hell or High Water" t-shirt
These are while supplies last, but proceeds are going to the Canadian Red Cross fund. 

Catch-Up Thursday

WiP: Dallas's Cardigan
FOs: None

So, the past weekend was the long weekend. We were super busy, being out in Cochrane all four days of the weekend.

However, we got to drive out to Canmore for Knit & Caboodle, and then went to the second-hand bookstore as well, where I picked up Marion Zimmer Bradley's Forest House, a prequel to The Mists of Avalon.


I got the back finished on Dallas's cardigan; now it's the fronts, sleeves, and collar. I have less than a month to finish it now! But I think it'll all be good.

Also, it's less than fourteen months to the wedding! Couple more months and I can start pinning down the detailed parts of everything.

And once I've finished Dallas's cardigan, on to the shawl! And some more SSPs (super-secret projects).

Tuesday night we went to see "Iron Man 3", which was amazing! I loved it. I'm really glad that they didn't ignore "The Avengers," which was completely possible. I'm also super stoked to see "Thor: The Dark World" this fall!!

Next on the list, which I think will be good as well is "Star Trek: Into Darkness." And then I think the next after that will be "The Lone Ranger" with Johnny Depp.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this weekend that the weather will be good for the Lilac Festival on Sunday, and maybe for a hike on Saturday.

Either sun, or absolutely pouring rain so that I don't feel bad staying inside and knitting or sewing.

What're your plans for the weekend?

Katie =^..^=

Legitimate Progress!

WiP: Marion by Andi Satterlund (Cascade 220, Black)

So, the body of the cardigan was done on Friday. I struggled with the sleeves all weekend due to not having fully comprehended the instructions (I still blame the cold medication).

 

But, by Tuesday, I figured the sleeve out and finished it last night, so now I'm working on the other sleeve. I'll take a picture of the sleeve cap when I get home tonight.Both of these pictures don't show how dark the black is. 

And! Dallas was a doll (and he wants a cardigan), so he went out and bought the required amount for me in the Cascade 220 Heathers - Forest:

 

This yarn is slowly going to become Bruce Weinstein's Basic Cardigan: Two Ways - Zipper Version

(Photo by Jared Flood)

This will be a process that I hope to finish by the fall, considering that it is a LOT of stockinette. But I have been zooming through these sweaters, so who knows? They're faster than blankets! (And lacy shawls.)

Actually, I think once I finish my cardigan, I need to start on my shawl and see if I can progress through the yarn overs and k2tog without losing stitches or adding too many. I almost had it the last time I cast on...But so far, no good. I guess we'll see this time! I love doing lace, but I almost always seem to do something early on that completely screws it up. I guess I should be thankful that it's early on, and not when I'm nearly finished!

Anyway.

What are you folks knitting/crocheting/spinning/creating right now? 

Let me know!

Katie =^..^=

Chatter-Less

WiP: Itty Bitty Baby Cardigan out of Cascade 220 "817" Superwash DK, and Sweet Georgia Superwash DK "Snapdragon".

FO: None

I've had a really hard time finding anything I want to talk about. So I figured I would finally share a picture of the itty bitty baby cardigan I've been working on. I love how it pooled on the back, with the kind of zig-zag!

I'm working on one sleeve, and have to finish that and the other and pick up the collar; I'm doing the shawl collar. I also modified the sleeve so that it actually doesn't have the cable and bobble pattern, but instead a moss stitch panel in the middle of a field of stockinette. This is in part because the pattern was getting lost in the colours, and in part because I was super worried that I was going to run out of yarn.

But it'll still look cute, I think.

Weather's been gloomy and up and down the past couple of days. Today it's the terrible spring sleet that melts as soon as it hits you and makes  everything damp.

I can't wait for some warmth!

Anyway...Not much else. Just been busy.

Hope everyone is well, and I'll try to chat at you all more next week!

Katie =^..^=

The Endless Fields of Stockinette

WiP: Oatmeal Pullover (Linked in Tuesday's post); stockings

Quick one today.

On the (seemingly) endless body of the Oatmeal Pullover. I put lots of time and effort, and the rounds seem to go really fast...But it doesn't feel like it's grown at all over the past couple of days.

Oh well. It'll be weekend knitting, along with the cuffs on the stockings.

Nothing else. Been super busy at work.

So, heading out!

Have a lovely day, my dears.

Katie =^..^=

Chat Chat Chat

WIPs: Pair of mittens to felt, Triceratops (almost there!), Troodon (also from Tina Barrett's book)

So, it's Thursday. I have certainly not accomplished what I set out to accomplish this week...But that's OK. It's been super busy. haha

I'm still stocking up for Sunday, which is a show I'm super excited for. I hope that it brings lots of traffic through for me. Even if it's not sales, traffic is always good!!

After this show, I'm settling in to work on custom orders and some bags for the summer...And at the absolute latest, I'm casting my wedding shawl on after the show on Sunday. I also have a custom order for Christmas stockings that I have to work on.

Other than that, just been busy at work, busy at knitting, and looking forward to the show!

Going to start going back to the gym (again) tonight. I need to get through all of my phases in the next couple of months so I can go buy my wedding shoes.

I've also decided that I will be going to look for dresses in July, so I want to be at least most of the way fit by that point. I've got six months until then. I think that I'll at least have slimmed down a bit at that point. Even if I'm not exactly where I will be the following year, it'll be better than right now.

Now I just need to find the motivation! And stop staying up so late to read or knit. haha

Anyway. Short and sweet today.

Have an awesome night!

Katie =^..^=