Knitting Update - June Update

This year, I resolved to do something fun. You can check out my knitting goals for 2014 here.

I thought March was a busy month, but April and May were even busier. So busy that I never even got around to sharing what I'd knit in April, so today you'll get a two-for-one  deal (even though the knitting is a little thin on the ground).

April

In April, I made three squares, finished the socks I was working on in March, and made a pair of ankle socks.


May

In May, I made three more squares, and half a sock. You can tell the weather is turning nice because I'm spending less time knitting!

Knitting Goals 2014: March Update

This year I resolved to do something fun. You can check out my knitting goals for 2014 here.

February was a busy month, and there were only 28 days to get it all done. I'm sorry to say, my knitting in February wasn't nearly as productive as it was in January, but there's still plenty of time to get back on track!

I made 10 full squares and an honest start at an eleventh, and the cuff of a sock that's destined to be ripped back and made into something else. I just wasn't that into it...

Anyways, since I did no knitting at all for the first three days of March, I'm off to knit myself silly to make up for all that lost time!

Knitting Goals 2014: February Update

This year I resolved to do something fun. You can check out my knitting goals for 2014 here.

So far, I've made three pairs of socks:

That's two Ice Gliders (my very first published design!) and one pair of Mermaid Scales.

And, I've knitted twelve, count 'em, twelve blanket squares for my king-size log cabin quilt.

February is a short month, so I'm already hard at work on this month's blanket squares and a new pair of socks. Check back in March to see how I did!

Mermaid Scales Socks

There's something about unraveling a knitting project that just takes all the steam out of me. It's momentum, really, and it's why I do everything I can to forge ahead. That's why most of my socks don't really match - I love to use self striping yarns, but I've only managed to make the stripes line up twice. Usually I just embrace the quirkiness of a pair of socks that almost match, but not quite.

On this pair of socks, however, I wanted to make the stripes line up. I thought I had the problem solved. But I had it exactly backwards. They didn't even come close to matching. Whoops.

So in the spirit of forging ahead, I decided I'd finish both socks, then buy a second ball of the same color and end up with two matching pairs. Great plan, right?

Only one problem: when I got to the LYS, they were out of yarn. Not totally out of yarn, just out of my color. So, ripping back was my only option. Of course, that threw a wrench in my momentum, and these socks were a drag for a couple of days. 

I'm glad I pressed on and finished them when I did  - we were staying at a hotel with an indoor swimming pool, so that presented the perfect photo op.  Though I will say this - taking selfie sock photos over a large body of water is not the safest situation for any camera, and I was a bit nervous.  But, just like pressing ahead to finish the socks, I was glad I took the extra time to take these pictures!

Ravelry project page here.

Knitting Goals for 2014

Normally, I don't exactly set knitting goals. Sometimes I decide I'd like to knit a sweater, and then I do. Wanting to wear that sweater for a particular event is definitely good motivation to finish the sweater, sure, but I've never made yearly knitting goals. 

Until now. 

Some of my goals are doable, and some of them are flat-out cray-cray, especially when you consider that I don't normally get to sit at home and knit all day, except on the weekends. But isn't that what goals are about? To plan on something realistic, and to plan on something you totally want to achieve but haven't yet.

So, without further ado, here are my knitting goals for 2014, in no particular order: 

• Knit 12 pairs of socks (at least a pair a month)
• Knit 3 sweaters
• Knit a blanket for a king-size bed out of leftover sock yarn
• Publish 6 knitting patterns

The one that is a stretch is the king-size blanket. I'm doing it all in garter stitch, making log-cabin squares that will be seamed together. It's a design challenge that involves harmonizing all the colors of every pair of socks I've ever knit. Based on the size of my squares, I figure I'll have to knit about 144 squares to cover the bed with some overhang. And all on size 2 needles. No biggie. 

But on the sock and knitting pattern design front, I've already hit the ground running. Two pairs finished, one pattern written, all before January is halfway through. 

The first pair of socks was all about improvising the cable pattern, then charting it.

The cables go from small, medium, to big, and undulate back and forth across the surface of the fabric.

The second pair was about pattern drafting. Writing the pattern, working out the kinks, and doing a test-knit.

I'm happy with both pairs of socks, and definitely thrilled to add to my sock drawer. And yes, those are my real feet modeling the socks in the snow.  It was cold, but totally part of the plan.

So, without further ado, here's the pattern! If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it.

Ice Glider Sock Pattern