Round Up//Year of Projects

If you've been following along with my previous planner posts (1,2,3 & 4); you'll have an idea of what I'm planning to do for my Year of Projects. I've split my year; doing 6 projects and 6 techniques - theoretically these won't overlap to much but it doesn't really matter if it does. This also means I have somewhere around a month for each project/technique - which is great!!!

Here is my plan for the year:

Projects:
Feathered Mitts
French Press Felted Slippers
Snawheid (and Paws)
Afternoon Tea
Henri the Knitted Bear
Monster Chunks

Techniques:
Picking up Stitches
Complex Cables
Modifications
Short Rows
Sewing Up
Lace

Have you decided on your plan for the year?
V xo

Techniques 2//Year of Projects

This is the 2nd part of my techniques for Year of Projects (next week I will do a round up post of all of my plans). The other 3 techniques I would love to learn this year are:

-Short Rows: I have done short rows in my Owl's sweater, but I know they weren't perfect so I would
                     like to try some more.
- Sewing up: I know that sewing up is the least favourite thing of alot of knitters, and I think I'm kind
                     of with you all on that. It is something I need to get better with!!!
- Lace: not necessarily in lace weight, but something with a lace border.

V xo

Projects 2//Year of Projects

Obviously I have alot more than just 6 projects that I will complete in the next year; however I only really want to be strict about those 6. 3 of which I shared a couple of weeks ago and 3 which I will share today. So here they are:

Afternoon Tea is a simply beautiful shawl; I have a dream in colour smooshy skein in mind for this - I'm so excited to have this knit up for Spring 2014:

 Henri the Knitted Bear is just a wee project; but I'm positive that my older sister would fall in love with him!!! He's super cute and she loves bears:

 Monster Chunks is going to be one of my bigger projects for nearer Christmas. I plan to make these for teacher gifts - which means one for Kristofer but around 6 for Robbie as he is in a class that has extra support teachers. I also plan to make some for our house as bunting to hang from our wooden beams:

I think this is a nice mixture of 6 projects; I'm excited. How are you getting on with your year of projects so far?
V xo

Techniques 1//Year of Projects

Last week I shared the beginning of my projects list for Year of Projects; this week I am sharing Techniques 1 - this is the start of my list of techniques for 2013/2014.

I always want to learn lots but I want to try and remain sensible - I don't want to put any pressure on myself so here we go:

- picking up stitches: I can do this on yarn thicker than DK but I have not learned it on 4-ply which is
                                  obviously important for socks.
- complex cables: By complex I mean a piece that uses more than one type of cable
- modifications: I really want to knit something that requires me to make some kind of modification, I
                          do have something in mind for this already but we'll see if it works out!!!!

V xo

Happy New Year//Year of Projects

In the 2012/2013 Year of Projects, I focussed mostly on techniques rather than projects - and I think (as a newer knitter) that my decision was fairly sensible. I learned alot of new techniques -from cabling, to basic fairisle and beyond. This Year of Projects 2013/2014 I am choosing to learn some new techniques but also to choose some projects that I really want to try. It feels like having a nice baseline of projects - it will keep me busy and I still get to learn. If you've followed me through my first year of blogging (from March 2012), you'll know that I am the kind of person who likes to learn through being creative.

Over the next month of YOP posts I will be sharing some of the things I want to knit this coming year - some are already in my Ravelry queue; most of those are already paired with yarn. For example I really want to knit these 3 projects:

Feathered Mitts just look really pretty, and you can do the feathered lace detail in 2 colours. These will be perfect for Autumn so I'm planning on knitting these next month:

 French Press Felted Slippers have been in my queue for such a long time; and someone kindly gifted me the pattern for my birthday. I'm going to make these very soon - they are really beautiful and I have a berry coloured yarn for knitting them:

 Snawheid is one of my favourite hats; I have already bought the patterns for the hat and for snawpaws AND I have the yarn. I'm excited to get on with knitting these for December/January time when it's super cold!!!

So that's the start of my project list; next week I will share the start of my techniques list!!!
V xo

On Making Decisions//Knit Life

You know when sometimes things are just not working out properly? When you have to make decisions but it's a little nervewracking? Well that's where I've been at lately - I have felt very bogged down by just about everything; including my knitting.

So I made some decisions - I have left the socktopus KAL, I will knit socks from the book but in my time and without constraints. I have also stopped doing knit the queue - it's really hard to stick to knitting just the things in my queue right now - I fall in and out of love with patterns quite regularly, thus my queue needs to reflect this!!!

I am sticking with Year of Projects as it's comes into a new year at the beginning of July - this is a projects I've really enjoyed, it's encouraged me to learn BUT to do so at my pace, and the people in the group are all really lovely (and supportive - thanks girlies).

So currently I have 2 main projects on the needles; one project that needs felted and one project in mind - that I might just cast on later. I feel good about my knitting again. Sometimes I get a little dragged under by things!!!

Thanks for all the lovely comments on my last post, it's so nice to know that you are all still reading and still here for me.
V xo

Progress?//Year of Projects

I have actually managed to complete most of my Year of Projects list; shocking huh? This was the original list:
- yarn bomb something
- fair isle
- socks
- cables
- lace shawl
- cardigan for me
- gloves with fingers
- knit in public as much as possible
- knit a giant bag
- knit a hat in the round

I have shared my yarn bombing, knitting in public, cables and my hat in the round - you can find my previous YOP posts HERE.

Recently I have finished a fair isle piece: (more photos and story on FO Friday this week)

And I've knit my first 2 pairs of socks; these plain vanilla DK socks and.......

 my pretty green eyelet socks: (more about these socks in a week or so)

I have started more socks (I have to admit to being slightly addicted); some lovely people on Ravelry have gifted me patterns for cardigans - so it's just deciding which one to start; I have Peasy and Moody in my queue for 2013 - because as well as taking part in YOP, I'm also playing along with Knit the Queue - both are working well for me. I'm learning things and knitting the things I am really excited about - so it's a win/win situation.

So what about the things I haven't done yet; with just 2 months to go I'm not sure whether I will get around to these:
Lace Shawl - I have the yarn for a lace shawl, but I need to wind it which needs to wait until I have a ball winder!!! I also haven't decided on a pattern yet; this one might roll over to YOP 2013/14.
Gloves with Fingers - Given that I'm only just mastering socks with DPN's, this one just hasn't come up. However my boy's Dad really wants some hand knit gloves (not really sure mitts would cut it!!!) so I'm hoping to work those up for later on this year - another one to move to YOP 2013/14? I think so.
Giant Bag - I have the yarn, pattern and material for this bag; it's so close and it might get done before the summer but I'm just not sure.

I don't feel bad about the things that I didn't do this past year, it's been a difficult year for various reasons but I'm excited to write up and start my YOP 2013/14 - it's been fun. I will be doing a few more YOP posts before the summer though.
How is your Year of Projects going/
V xo

FairIsle Felted Needle Case//Year Of Projects

So yesterday I headed off to The Woolly Brew for a First Steps In Fair Isle Workshop!! I've never even tried fair isle but it's been on my year of projects list since I started playing along in July 2012.

 

 

Anyways I headed off bright and early, into the freezing cold (wind AND snow) with a little bit of trepidation - I was nervous, what if I wasn't good at it? What I couldn't even find the shop? Obviously I made it and I'm actually not too bad at fair isle. Firstly we learned how to knit continentally both garter and purling; which was really interesting - I need to get better tension but it's alot faster!! Then it was straight in to the fair isle - which meant reading a chart, holding yarn in 2 hands and really concentrating hard.

 

I got to about row 22:

I'm really pleased with how it came out, is it perfect? NO! But it's really quite alright, and I had fun and learned alot - which of course is my motto for 2013. I've got another good bit to go but once it's finished I shall felt this piece (so mistakes don't matter too much) and knit a rectangle for the inside so it shall be a pretty needle case!!! I'm off to work on it right now.... if the painkillers for my cold hurry up and kick in!!!!
If you're stopping by from year in projects feel free to leave a comment and I will come visit you too!!
V xo

All Sorts//Year Of Projects

So my year of projects list looks like this:

- yarn bomb something
- fair isle
- socks
- cables
- lace shawl
- cardigan for me
- gloves with fingers
- knit in public as much as possible
- knit a giant bag
- knit a hat in the round

I have made some progress, even if it's not alot.
I yarn bombed just this week for valentine's day:

I have attempted both knitting a hat in the round AND cabling, in the same project:

I have signed up to do a fair isle class with The Woolly Brew next month; I am very much looking forward to learning a new skill.
I knit in public every week when I go to pick up my wife from work; I just don't have many photos of me doing so - maybe I'll try to knit in places where I can get photos.
I've attempted socks but failed because of needle size; however I have the right DPN's now so it's just a matter of bravery. I haven't attempted gloves with fingers yet. I have a bag pattern that I love so hopefully sometime soon. I haven't started a cardigan for me yet BUT I am knitting my Cadbury Owl sweater!!!
So really alot of progress, I'm really pleased with how my list is going. If you're not playing along with Year of Projects yet, come check us out on Ravelry.
V xo

Sheepish Heart Bomb//Year of Projects

Yay it's Sheepish Heart Bomb day; or Valentine's Day if you like. I went out and about yesterday with my 4 hearts (which I attached love quotes too because I'm cute like that). I really enjoyed my first experience at yarn bombing, it was alot of fun and it is something I will do again (plus I fulfilled one of my year of projects, um projects!!) - I've actually done more of my projects than I thought but I will update very soon!!! So the weather thrawted (excellent word) my actual bombing plans, in the morning it snowed (yay) but then it rained the rest of the day so I had to find sheltered places for my hearts. Anyway's enough ramblings, here they are:

 

Heart #1 went on a bus, I attached it to one of the railings; a lady sitting on the other side of the aisle stared, like, alot!!! 

 Heart #2 went in Costa's (which is a coffee place for my international friends); I just popped it on a shelf:

 Heart #3 I attached to a gate railing at the bus station, under a shelter - I went past it a few hours later and it was still there; my wife goes back into town on Saturday so we'll see if it's still there then:

 And heart #4 went on a seat in a bus shelter coming home; I hope it make someone smile:

It looks like most of my hearts went in and around bus places; it was the easiest place to put it and I wasn't feeling hugely brave - I really wanted to attach a heart to a shop mannequin; maybe next time?

Remember to go check out Meredith's blog, One Sheepish Girl for other heart bombing's today..... I'm so excited to see what other people are doing.

I will be back in a day or so with some year of projects updates. Also I've updated my about me (knit life//a story) tab and I've added a connection's tab - places you can find me (twitter, rav etc) so come visit.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my readers; remember someone, somewhere loves you!!!
V xo

Knit Plans//Year of Projects

Ok so in all honesty I've been pretty bad at keeping up with my year of projects, um project. Thankfully this runs from July to June, which still gives me over 6 months - great huh??? So I think my first goal is to get all of my current WIP's finished!!! At the moment I am working on a shawl for my gran's birthday - I shared that on Wednesday. So here are 4 WIP's I want to get done in the next couple of months:

 

Luxe Hooded Scarf:

This has actually grown since I took this photo, it's such a pretty pattern - and I'm going to work away on it once the shawl is done - I want to wear it this winter!!!!

High Plains Drifter
This too has grown since this photo was taken, I'm really excited to get this done and posted off as it's for a good friend of mine:

Owl Poncho
I was really enjoying this knit before things got hectic and I got sick. I'm about halfway done though so I want to get it done - I really want to wear this before winter is out too:

Sylph
This is my first and only lace weight project; it's super fun to do but quite complicated. I hope to get this done so I can wear it in spring:

Of course if you look at my project page over on Ravelry; you will have realised that I missed a project, yup my come josephine afghan. I'm still loving this project but it's going to take ages to do and it's a pick up when I feel like it project - I don't feel like I need to rush getting it finished:

I'm quite excited to get these projects finished, so I can complete at least a couple of my goals from my year of projects - wish me luck.

V xo

Knitting in Public//Year of Projects

So one of my challenges for year of projects was to knit more in public; alot of people in my area don't knit so it's nice to see a few people appreciating that someone does. So this past week I knit at a hospital appointment, I'm just knitting squares for my Come Josephine afghan, I got almost 3 done in the waiting room:

 And I also knit at the beach, this was lots of fun; some people watched as they walked by and others just didn't bother at all. I find it interesting to see different reactions to knitting:

What have you done for year of projects this week? Have you passed any of your goals?
V xo

Goals//Year of Projects

I've been thinking alot about the lovely Meredith and her blogging for confidence series over on One Sheepish Girl. and the year of projects group over on Ravelry.  So I've decided to do my own goals list, one that will start now and end around July 2013. What do you think?

So my goals (all knitting related):
- yarn bomb something
- fair isle
- socks
- cables
- lace shawl
- cardigan for me
- gloves with fingers
- knit in public as much as possible
- knit a giant bag
- knit a hat in the round

What are your goals for the year? Do you want to join in on this goal challenge? If you play along let me know, and we'll play along together. I have 10 things on my list, so that's just less than 1 a month - with a bit of extra time just incase.

V xo