Knitting Camp

Last week on Facebook, Meg announced that there would not be a Knitting Camp again his year due to that pesky Coronavirus.  😩

Which got me to thinking, why not over the next 18 monthsish don't I do a little self exploring the EZ/Meg books that I have and maybe knit a few things from it.  When you have the Godmother of Knitting at your disposal via books and CDs, why not take it and all the snippets you have gleaned at knitting camp since I first attended in 1996 and really use it.

Why not start with Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmermann?  As you can tell, I have the original that I have had forever, along with the latest version and the DVDs of the same book which has Elizabeth talking directly to me.

 

And so it begins. I cast on a little swatch using long tail cast on which is what I almost always use, using not a slip not but catching the yarn as Meg first taught me all those years ago.  But, the ah ha moment was EZ on the video telling me that after long tail casting on, what I have really done was the e cast on and knit the first row!  Did I know this?!  Certainly, I must have?

My first section I decided to knit continentally.  I am not very good at it, but one of the outcomes of my journey is that I be a better continental knitter for color work.

Section 2 had me trying to purl continentally, and as EZ said I did twist my stitches.  And for the sake of this blog,  I do not like purling continentally and am NOT going to start now, so I continued a few more rows in my little sample, knitting the English way, then finishing with continental.  And I am ok with that, because, yes dear Elizabeth, I am the boss of my knitting!

And so it begins.  I am not rushing through this, there is no time line. except for the next 18 months or so.  I think I have coerced talked my Knitting Camp Roomie to come along on this adventure, and we would love to have company if you are so inclined.

Knit On!

Finally Finished Friday

 I finished my Advent 2020 socks last weekend and am loving them!  Let me tell you all about them and why!

I purchased for the first time ever last year, The Cozy Knitter 2020 Advent 24-stripe after seeing Debbie's last year.  I thought, what the heck.  What fun, right?

The yarn comes so you can somewhat easily wind two separate balls so you can knit both socks at a time with your chosen way.

Since I had never knit with it before, I checked out what other knitters did last year and decided to knit my cuffs, heels and toes out of Loladidit Naked Hippo yarn that was leftover in my stash from another project.  The Loladidit yarn is a bit softer than the advent stripe yarn, so we will see down the road how it holds up in the heels and toes.

I knit on DPNs and had two sets so that I could cast on both of them and knit a stripe a day throughout Advent.  That worked until about a week before Christmas, when my hand started giving me a bit of trouble, so I sat them aside.

After a Zoom or two with some friends, I decided to try magic loop again.  Surprisingly for someone who said they wouldn't do it again, I liked it, especially by the second sock.  I still converted. back to my DPNs for the toes, only because I like the way my toe fits.  But, I am going to investigate doing it via magic loop on a sock that I have in progress.  

These socks also were a test because I decide to try and revamp my old vanilla sock that I have knit before into some nicer instructions, also eliminating the rib cuff and by using size 2 for the knitting until the heel and then switching over to size 1 through the end of the toe to make it not so loose.

I'll let you all know how that works out.

I'm itching right now to cast on new socks via magic loop, writing out my pattern along the way, but first I've got another WIP pair of socks that I want to test magic loop out on. 

Stay tuned!

Knitmas 2020 - 2021

This is the fabulous shawl that my Knitmas partner, Lindsey knit for me.

Breathe and Hope by Casapinka is the pattern

After I saw everyone knitting this last year, I was mad at myself that I had not.  

And now, I have one of my own!

With all the other goodies that were in the box.  Lindsey is getting to know me pretty well.  We have talked before as how we are both office supply junkies and she is bringing me into the world of frixtion pens.

And look how she wrapped them all?!  Snoopy for the win!

When the mailman dropped the box off, I was trying to think of what we ordered that had not come yet.

Then I knew!  Squeal!!!

My Latest Obsession

 Why yes, I cast on another blanket out of scraps. But, first an update on the two that are on the needles.  And just as a reminder, these are long term projects.  I really don't have any planned date to finish them.

I am doing at least a square a week on the Mitered Square Blanket, just because if I didn't, it would never get finished.  I chose Sundays as Scrappy Sundays to work the square.  Last Sunday I did two and then started on a third, just because. I particularly liked watching the beige one develop, to see where the gray pattern would fall.

My crochet scrappy blanket has been living in the basement next to the washer, and even though I would occasionally add a few stitches to it, I decided it was time it came upstairs and promised myself it would get at least a half a row every Sunday.  Otherwise, it will just be a long scarf some day.

Last Summer, some friends were knitting on the Habitation Throw by Helen Stewart.  It looked like a fun scrappy blanket that I would like to knit some day.  Even before Summer, I started pulling all the leftover finger weight yarns I had collected for the mitered blanket and decided they really needed to go into some sort of scrappy blanket for me. 

So, yesterday, I decided to cast on a Habitation Throw with my Ocean Colors.

This knit is like potato chips. Add a yarn and see what it looks like. 

I am not really using any rhyme or reason when picking the next color, just using the smaller amounts for the start of the throw for now.

This is my latest obsession and I am loving it, no apolgies!

Finally Finished Friday

 I can now reveal a little project I was working on since the first of the year, my Knitmas project for my friend Aleesha out in Washington.

The pattern is Air Hugs Wrap by Shanalines Designs.  Click here to see Shana's pattern

Shana designed it as part of the Zombie Knitpocalypse last June when instead of being able to spend it in Rochester, everything was done via Zoom.

There are so many ways to wear it, these are just some of the possibilities.

I knit mine out of Wonderland's Mad Hatter base, two color ways Capetown Blue and Beyond the Mirror #192 from my local yarn shop, The Fiber Universe.

I included some Jul buttons and a shawl pin, just as Shana showed it off in the pattern. 

It is in Aleesha's hands so she can decide how she wants to wear it!  This was a fun knit and I may just knit one for myself now!

Ocean Blues

 Anyone who knows me well, will know that yesterday I was blew out of the water with our new First Lady's Choice in outfits for the day.

The official color for the design is Ocean Blue.

Have I not been telling everyone forever that my favorite colors are the colors of the ocean?!

She and the designer "Nailed It".  

Stitch Marker Organizing

Since I have so much time on my hands at home, I am doing a bit of organizing along planning this January. How about you?

Last weekend, I decided it was time to do something about my collection of stitch markers.

I should have taken some before pictures, but honestly, my stitch markers have been all over the place, in this Plano box, in notions pouches for my many knitting bags and tucked here and there. 

The Plano box sits next to my chair in our living room and until recently has housed a lot of markers that I use which mostly consisting of those rubber markers in red, green and purple.  When I started to resort, I decided that I should use the first half of my box is my Cocoknits stitch markers, since those are the ones that are my new favorites, along with the ones on the far left, special markers that I like to use for the start of round markers.

The other side to house an oddity of things, and at this posting, I am rethinking what is in this side.

From left to right:

Pins to tighten my Chiagoo and KnitPicks needles.  I think these will be removed as I really don't use them, but use a special tool that I picked up some time ago that are with the actual needles.

Wooden markers that are laser engraved, and I only use these rarely, so they too, may be relocated.

Post-it tags that come in handy for marking things and I like to have them really handy so I don't have to go looking for them.

Removable plastic pin markers which come in handy for all sort of markings.

Paperclips and binder clips for a quick find.

And then the rest of them separated into another fishing lure box. 

Yes, that is quite the collection!

Scrappy Sunday - January Edition

 Sunday mornings in 2021 are going to be Scrappy Sundays here at Chez PJKnits.

With a cuppa in hand and my two scrappy blankets, I am planning on putting at least a square in the mitered blanket and hopefully a row on the crocheted blanket.

My crochet blanket was started late in 2016 while recuperating from foot surgery.  There are more than 300 stitches on it, so it takes a bit of time to get across it.  Not long after I recovered from foot surgery, I put it in the basement, next to the washing machine, and it became the project that I would put a few stitches in it while I waited for the washing machine to fill up, which means it doesn't get a lot done on it. Hence the reason, it is now going to make its way into the Sunday morning rotation!

This Sunday's square goes quite well with it's surround squares.

Little by little this year, this thing is going to grow.

When I went into the knitting room to put the blanket away for another week, this lovely reminded me of my dear friend, Norma who made it for me.

Perfect memory for a scrappy kind of Sunday!

Finally Finished Friday

 This is my 10th Heavenly Heathers for babies or Hospice. Can you tell how much I enjoy knitting it?

And I finished this hat from a prize I won from Do Ewe Knit? back in 2019.

I love the pompom, it isn't it the coolest?

It just makes me smile so much!

Big News!!

Baby Boy B is having a boy!

We are all so excited!!

Mail Call

 

Aren't Knitting friends the best friends?   I got these socks in the mail yesterday from my friend Annette.

I didn't even have to knit them, which was like the coolest!

And look how well they go with my new shoes!  

Does she know me or what??? 💙💙💙

Finally Finished Friday

This was one of those projects that started as one thing and ended up as another.

Originally, it was going to be a wrap.  But, as I started opening the daily advents up, I started wondering about the color choices.

After I saw that it was about five days of the same  variation of each color, I decided to stop and just open all of them.  And stop knitting on it.  Friends told me to rip it out and re-purpose the yarn. But, I left it on the needles just to percolate awhile.

I'm glad I did!  After opening a Christmas present from a friend of a top, I realized the first 15 days were perfect for a shawl for it.  I even mentioned when I opened it that I needed to check my stash out or the local yarn shop for some yarn to go with it.

 Sometimes it pays to just wait!

Episode 53 - 2021

 The latest episode of PJKnits is up on You Tube and you can find it by clicking here

Here are some of the things I podcast about.

Knits for the New Year

I love this quote from a notebook that a friend gifted me sometime ago.  My sentiments again this year.  It's okay to see what the rest of the world is knitting, but for 2021, I really am going to try and remember this for my knitting.  

Look, watch, listen, and then knit what I want to knit, not what everyone else is knitting.

My New Year's Day cast on.  A blanket for my daughter-in-law's sister's new baby to come this year.  The parents are doing the nursery in woodland creatures.  I have pulled the colors of the woods in greens for one of my favorite baby blankets to make, Heavenly Heathers.

A few more rows on my Sun Valley Advent yarns shawl and this will be finally finished.  

 I did not end up using 10 days of the advent, as they just didn't go with my new top, so I am saving them for something else down the road, I think the two color ways go better together, then with the first 15.

There are a couple of sweaters and a special Knitmas knit, that I'll blog about in the coming days.  Hope you all are having a great start to the new year!