In Which I Rub in My Progress

This is probably the least stressful holiday I will ever have.

I was at the mall the other day, and I watched as shoppers scurried past me. I meandered through packed stores, mostly emerging empty-handed.

It felt so good!

There was no rush to buy anything, no rush to get back home to finish any knitting projects. I lounged on the couch on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Good deals, eh? Ha! I like the deal where I stay on my couch and don't shell out any money.

Last year, I was frantically finishing projects as I made my way through Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. I knitted in rest stops and tollway oases. I knitted my boyfriend's birthday/Hannukah socks while he wasn't looking. But not this year.

Everything is blocked, wrapped, tagged, and in some cases, delivered.

Now, it's back to business. Time to plan what will be on my needles and hooks for 2014. I've got a stash to use up!

From the Finish Line

Well, I did it! I completed the Anisette Cardi in just 42 days.

I finished the buttonhole band just before work yesterday, quickly wove in the ends and wore the thing to work. It was glorious. And I can't tell you how wonderful a short-sleeve cardigan sweater is.

For one, you can wear it over a light long-sleeved shirt. It adds just enough warmth so that you're cozy in your fall jacket but not steaming hot, even in the car.

Now, I'm surveying my stash and looking for my next victim. I even ventured into the under-the-bed storage unit to see what I could dig up.

Well, I could be industrious and start on next year's Christmas presents ... but I decided first thing's first.

I need a new hat. I lost my beloved teal slouchy at the county courthouse a little while ago. Time to whip up something for myself! The boyfriend said I should try something red. I have a little over a hundred yards of bright red yarn leftover from a tie I knitted for my dad years and years ago. So, that's first on the list for sure.

Also, I have to finish a pair of socks I started around this time last year. I hate socks. I vow that this will be my last pair of socks I knit in the round the traditional way. My Second Sock Syndrome is killing me. I better learn how to double knit or else the sock yarn in my stash will turn into many, many scarves.

I'm kind of looking forward to the yearly State of the Stash post in January! I think my stash has shrunk since New Year. By my count, I've at least used up around 22 balls of yarn for my holiday and birthday knitting.

Well, toodles for now. I'm off to finish up those pesky bunny slippers and that errant single sock.

Taking the Challenge

I've made two sweaters in my eight-year adventure in knitting. My first one took almost three years. It took me a year just to block the darned thing. The other went a little faster: I whipped up that baby up in around 4 months.

It was almost worse than knitting a pair of socks (I get turned off at having to create that second, yet crucial sock).

I vowed two things after gifting the wooly wonders to my parents: 1) I would always, always do a gauge swatch no matter how painful it would be to make multiple swatches, wash them, and wait for them to dry; and 2) I would likely never venture into Sweater Land again.

But thanks to the 30 Day Sweater Challenge, I'm well on my way to eating my words. I'm not using their framework, but I am using the challenge to motivate myself. 

So far, it's been great! I've even ventured back into social media; I revived my Instagram and Twitter accounts.

The sweater I've chosen to knit is the Anisette Cardi. I found the pattern a couple years back and bought four skeins of Bamboo Ewe a year and a half ago. I love the idea of a short-sleeve cardigan! It's cute, functional and has a little bit of cabling and lacework, but not so much that I'd lose my mind. I finished the back (in just four days!) and started the front right panel. I can't wait to see how the rest of the sweater goes!

Fruits of I Love Yarn Day

I celebrated I Love Yarn Day by working on some crocheted bunny slippers with the help of some fine coffee at a local shop. I officially started on July 30 of this year, but I bought the yarn while I was in college. It hasn't been an easy road. I frogged plenty of pieces multiples times. At one point, I was convinced the pattern was for banana, not bunny, slippers.

The pattern I'm using is Fluffy Bunny Slippers, from Debbie Stoller's "The Happy Hooker." It uses two balls each of Classic Elite LaGran Mohair and Lambs Pride Worsted. There was errata, and lucky for me someone on Ravelry caught another error, so they are starting to look like actual slippers!

As you can see, I haven't added the bunny parts, but those are next!

Looking Back on September

Another month has gone by! Can't believe it. This month brought cooler weather for baking. I discovered European buttercream frosting, which I used to make two cakes last month. One was a chocolate cake covered in dark chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and glazed in chocolate ganache. The other was a simple vanilla butter cake swathed in vanilla swiss meringue buttercream. I will likely never, ever make American buttercream again!

Between cakes there were cinnamon rolls and chocolate crinkle cookies.

I also made challah, vanilla ice cream and the last smoothie of the summer.

And I finally perfected a recipe for a delicious, refreshing and filling smoothie:

• 1 cup ice
• 1 avocado
• 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk or honey
• 3/4 cup milk (I used 2 percent, but you can use any kind you want)
• 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice (to keep the avocado from discoloring.

Blend and enjoy! Depending on how much you love smoothies, this recipe serves between 1-2 people.

But there was more! I attended my first-ever yarn tasting!

I got to sample a dazzling array of luscious yarns at Sophie's Fine Yarn Shoppe. I even broke my diet to purchase a lovely ball of Berroco Boboli Lace.

Speaking of yarn, September also brought a flurry of finished knitting projects. So I guess it was a win -- one new skein of yarn for every four from my stash! I finished a sparkly shawl made from Lion Brand Trellis and a fluffy warm cowl knitted out of Patons Divine. That brings my total finished project count to 10 so far this year. I am making great progress on Christmas gifts! Just a couple more to go and I'll be done.

Eight months clean

My ball of Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy Socks spent plenty of time in my office yarn/popcorn/soup bowl. Below is the actual project.

The other day, I was reminded how long it's been since I bought a skein of yarn.

I'm 232 days clean!

It's also been months since I've set foot in a craft store. I know, it sounds depressing. But I've been making so much progress with my stash-busting efforts.

I'm well ahead on Christmas presents. I actually crocheted and knitted presents for Father's and Mother's Day. I've spent time with yarn I bought years ago and fell in love with it all over again.

Case in point: the cabled scarf I just finished. I bought the yarn when I was still in college. It was soft and I intended to make my mom some socks out of it. I cast on knit for a bit, then ripped it all out and stuffed what I could inside of the ball. Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy Socks is a pretty yarn --- smooth, silky and easy to knit with despite its sock yarn weight. The colorway I bought, Pansy, knit up in nice patches of shades of purple and green. You can find the pattern here. This project was well-traveled! I took it to L.A. with me and it made multiple trips to Milwaukee! The pattern is perfect for trips.

Next, I'm tackling a pair of bunny slippers. I was fascinated by this pattern from The Happy Hooker when the book first came out. I gathered the yarn, but never quite got to starting the foundation chain.

Vacation Day One: Jump Start Frenzy

Whenever I travel -- especially if I know I'll be sitting most of the time -- I bring a book and a project or two. I don't sleep on any form of transportation and I go nuts without something to do. So, after packing, I headed to the coffee shop to cast on a project to keep me busy.

This time, I'm off to L.A.! I am so excited. I've never been, and this is the first time I'm going on vacation with my boyfriend.

To commemorate the occasion, I'm casting on two Christmas presents: crocheted bunny slippers crocheted with a combo of Lamb's Pride Worsted and Classic Elite La Gran Mohair in gray for an aunt, and a cable scarf out of  Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dye in the pansy colorway for another aunt. I'm not expecting to finish them both on this trip, but I do want to make some headway on my holiday gift list. 

And the progress continues! While I'm casting on for those projects, I'm finishing off my California Spring Scarf. It turned out quite pretty, but I'm convinced the patter would have been easier to understand if it were in chart form. I still don't understand why most English-language crochet patterns, especially ones for lace, aren't written in that form. i had to keep watching designer's videos to understand the pattern's instructions.

The yarn I used, naturallycaron.com's Spa, was fun to crochet with. It was soft, silky and smooth. It was a bamboo acrylic blend. A pity it's discontinued. 

Anyway, all I've got left to do is weave in the end, and off it goes into the 'to block' pile. 

Splendid! It's barely fall, and I've got two Christmas presents done. Let the stash busting continue! 

Late night 'aha'

I've been staring at this pattern for months. I finally figured it out. It's a wonderful feeling. California Spring Scarf, you've been hooked. Fluffy Bunny Slippers and Reversible Cables Scarf beware. And one of you might end up on planes to and from L.A. Let the stash busting and Christmas present flurry continue!

Coffee shop hopping!

One of the best things about Louisville is the variety of coffee shops. Of course, there's always a Starbucks around the corner, but I love hanging out when I can at the locally-owned shops.

My absolute favorite is Java Brewing Co. on Bardstown Road. They've got a killer raspberry iced tea and delicious sweet and savory crepes. The baristas are quick but friendly. And I'm convinced that the place has a vibe that reminds me  of Florida. It's a roomy spot, which really isn't typical on Bardstown Road.

I recently stumbled upon Sunergos on Preston Street, near the University of Louisville. The shop probably makes the best-tasting coffee in town. The curious mocha shake (pictured above) could convert even the most fervent Frappucino lover. Sunergos has some pretty retro decor -- it's like walking straight into the 1970s. But the most amazing thing of all is that Sunergos is next door to Nord's Bakery, which I hear produces the most wonderful bacon doughnuts. I have yet to venture in, but I plan to.

There are endless options. I haven't even named a quarter of all the quirky, fun places my yarn and I have played at! 

It's a wrap!

I finished my first project of the year! It's wrapped and ready to ship to its new home in Chicago.

It's a beret crocheted from Lion Brand Glitterspun. I'd started it years and years ago, but put it down after getting frustrated with the pattern (which is also from Lion Brand). It's a remnant of my early stash expanding days, when I hoarded flashy textured yarns.

I hope my mom enjoys her birthday present! I had fun whipping it up.

The Diet Continues

I think ... it's working! No yarn purchases in roughly two months since my yarn purge/reorganization. I can look at yarn, touch it and not be compelled to own it. I've fondled hanks of luscious handspuns and cones of beautiful alpaca, but not once did I cave in. Amazing. Simply amazing. In fact, I've made great progress on two projects: a crocheted beret and knitted hand warmers. They are ready to block and finish!

A Little Dose of Happy

You know your coworkers appreciate you when ... They bring in a book to show you -- and it's about yarn! I haven't had the greatest week, so the gesture made my night. I'm going to have to pick up a copy for myself!

The Art of Wearing Glasses

Picking out a pair of glasses is like shopping for a pair of jeans you will wear every single day for the next two years. You have to find the right shape, color and fit. In the end game, glasses become part of my look. It's a huge deal.

But there are just so many choices. I spent an hour and a half today an optical shop after my eye exam and narrowed it down to two pairs. But I didn't settle on a pair. What's the fun in that?

Per a friend's suggestion, each week I'm going to take a trip to two optical shops to scope out my options. Let the adventure begin!

Stash Organization, Day 3

Eight years worth of yarn ...

I own a lot of yarn.

Day 1 was dedicated to just hauling it all out from the nooks and crannies of my apartment. I spent a good deal of Day 2 marveling over it --- I have a mini-yarn store taking over my living room -- and finally got around to finally figuring out what to make out of what. On Day 3, I paired skeins and balls with their patterns. While not all the yarn has been assigned a project, I have to say that I'm impressed. I've got at least 20 projects in there.

Let the yarn diet begin! Kind of. It's more like organizing my fridge.

But yarn really isn't like food -- it never goes bad if you take care of it! So, it looks like I'll be making less trips to the local yarn store or Jo-Ann Fabrics. No excuses. Except maybe for needles. And an occasional magazine. Maybe some markers.