Funk..

For the last week I've been in a state of complete utter confusion. No, nothing happened..well nothing big that is. Actually, come to think of it, I had no idea where this confusion came from. I moped around the house, wanting to knit. But, I just couldn't bring myself to it. This bothered me.

I LOVE knitting. I love working on something all the time. I'll knit in the car, in the waiting room, while cooking supper. I'm an avid knitter in public and I'm proud of it.

So...why couldn't I knit? Why did it just make me feel so lost and sad all of a sudden. Hence...confusion.

I did what any normal person would do in my predicament. I sat on the couch for a week and watched t.v. while feeling sorry for myself. I thought, *gasp*, maybe I didn't like knitting anymore. Nah! I was reading E.Z.'s knitting without tears book that moment, thinking I'd find the answer to my woes there. I mean..she has "WITHOUT tears" on the cover!!

Nothing.

Finally, last night it hit me. I know what cause my knitting blues. A week ago I stayed up late to finish a sock. I know...knitting while tired..not a good mix. I had a few rows and a B.O. on the toe, I HAD to finish it. It didn't matter that it was ticking close to midnight. It didn't matter that I was doped up on Chamomile tea. I was that close..I'm going to persevere.

I thought I'd use the kitchener stitch this time versus doing a three needle bind off. Ah..that's where it all went wrong. It was going well and I scoffed at the whole, "You can't perform well when you're tired" thing I've heard from people. As I finished the weaving I started pulling it all together. And that's when I first noticed a problem..I kitchenered BACKWARDS! Now it looks like a giant purled edge and I'm thinking at this moment..I should have just done the three needle bind off. It would have been a giant ridge..but it would have looked better.

Then, I actually sewed through the yarn! I couldn't tighten it, so in the moment of my exhausted genius, I cut the yarn and tie a large knot in it! What was I thinking? The whole time, there's this voice of reason in my head.."leave it till the morning...fix it in the morning." Did I listen?? Nooooooo

Then, I put it on. You know that feeling you get when you finish a project? It's satisfaction and glee all in one, and you go from person to person saying.."Look at this! Look at what I made!!" Yeah, I didn't do that. I went.."Oh..my..needles...what did I do?" I took off the sock discreetly, put it on the shelf and haven't knit since. Well, I have tried..but I kept making mistakes.

Knowing that's where the source of my knitting blues is from, I'm a little happier. I can knit again and not feel sad about it. I'm a little shocked that a toe from a sock was enough to put me in a funk. I guess I just have to not worry about making mistakes. I mean..that's what it's all about right? Make your mistakes..and learn from them. Heh..would it be silly to say, I'm glad no one else noticed the toe on the sock??

One hit wonders

Well, recently I went through my stash collection and found all of these U.F.O.s stash discreetly around my craft supplies. I mean, I pulled them out of the oddest of places. An old shoe box in the corner of my closet. A box of craft supplies on my shelf. All of these are without mates. Sad and alone. I guess I needed something quick and easy to knit that ended up looking like something in order to get the creative juices flowing.

A jester bootie from interweave knits free pattern Old World Booties. I got so disgusted with the icord strings getting tangled that I just sat it aside and didn't finish it's mate. Yeah, I should have worked through it, but what can I say. By the time I got the courage again, my sons feet grew to be the size of a miniature elephant's. Although, I have to say, it was an easy knit and worked up so fast.



This is a hand warmer from interweave knits Fall 2005. I had made a pair of these before this one, but when I finished this one, I realized I didn't have enough yarn to even finish it.


Ah yes, and a mitten. Can't forget that. This is where the yarn went from the wrist warmer above. So instead of knitting a wrist warmer, I should have knit another mitten.


A Hedera Sock. The pattern was simple, easy and very pleasurable, but the yarn? Holy Cow!!! Ok, I had gotten this sweater from good will in order to take it apart for yarn. I wanted to try recycling yarn to see how it worked out. The sweater was somewhat felted and was extremely itchy. What made me think that this would make good sock yarn?! It's itchy, too warm, and all around uncomfortable. Why I knit it, I'll never know. But, I DO know that semi felted yarn from sweaters is terrible sock yarn. :D


Although...it is very pretty. :D


Finally...a glove. I wasn't too thrilled about making a glove. Maybe it was the fingers that drove me nuts. Constantly cutting and joining yarn to make phalanges got to be too tedious. Or it could be the fact that when I knit this thing it was the end of June last year while stuck in a traffic jam for an hour while pregnant and every time I pick up it's mate I instinctively think of it.


So...I figured I'm going to do something productive with one hit wonders. I'm going to do this!


It's a subscription offer from interweave knits. I kept this from a while ago and pinned it to my cork board in the kitchen to remind me to make it. I love it! I can make as many different mitten as I want and sew/glue them to the wreath to make a decoration for my door. The package, I can just use an empty box, wrap it in a brown paper bag and tie rafia around it. Now, to come up with an idea for the above. :)

I was also tagged by Val for this awesome blog button! It kinda reminds me of Gem and the Holograms.