Modest Progress and Looking Forward

From my pictures last week, I've completed a sleeve of the Knitorious RBG, added some inches to my Juncture sweater, and I'm halfway through the ribbing on another hat for my colleagues. I'm hoping to get through a hat a week and plan to make time for it on the weekends as a priority. That means I could make about 11 hats before the end of the year! 

I also made progress on the Even Moss Hat from Desamour Designs too. Make sure you check out the #BIPCMAL2020.

Balancing my kids' school, housework, and a day job with overtime has been rough the past six months. Staying grateful is critical and tricky. I've had minimal downtime due to the virus. I feel like those of us who've maintained employment have had more work to do during the pandemic. I don't say that to complain. Staying busy has been a blessing.

The new treat I'm claiming for myself is to get back to my knitting group. We meet over Google Hangouts and I really wanted to attend the last couple of weekends. I signed on a few times last weekend, but wasn't successful in doing more than saying goodbye to a couple of attendees and having one on one time with a fabulous crafter in my group.

I've taken steps to get things kick started in our group again. It would be so nice to see everyone in person. Making a plan for an in person event is now tricky with the weather. We'll see what comes.

Jessi Ksanznak of Yarn Over New York is having a mystery sock knitalong starting on Monday. I just remembered that I signed up for it today...what yarn should I use? The fabulous mini-skein sets are amzing. I'm on a real yarn hold...not buying yarn to add to the stash. Maybe I can get new yarn next year!

I'm still excited to cast on Monday :). Maybe I'll use one color, but use something fun and festive. A special skein...maybe :). Winding yarn should begin soon.

My first Instagram giveaway is online and thanks to it I now have over 100 followers. That probably sounds small, but it's exciting for me. I want to continue to support yarn shops, dyers, designers, and the community, so I'll keep the giveaways going for a period of time. Spreading a little hope to the crafty folks, free marketing for shops, and purchasing gift cards/yarns is what I hope to do until I can't. This will go on each quarter or as frequent as I feel like it :).

Spreading hope is fun!

Ok, this is meant to be a quick post in between the things I need to get done. Have a great week and happy crafting!

2021 Goals!

Ok, it's only October 3, 2020. There is still time for 2020 goals, but from a crafting perspective, I'm already thinking about next year.

Here's what I still hope to accomplish before the end of the year:

• Knit 10+ hats for my colleagues (fall/winter project)
• Knitorious RBG sweater by election day
• Start quarterly giveaways on Instagram (I have one going on until October 12, 2020...check me out at @lizziehutch3)
• Working on the Juncture sweater for the #intafriendskal2020
• Working on matching hats from @desamourdesigns for the #bipocmal (starting that today)
• Get some awesome pictures of a test knit I've finished up

Here are some WIP pics related to the above goals.

Start of a sleeve for the Knitorious RBG sweater

Trying on my Juncture Sweater

Now for 2021! I want to ready lots of traditional and intricate crafts for the Multnomah County Fair. I was inspired by Kristy Glass' vlaog about entering several of her knits in her local fair and I'd love to try to aim for the cool best in show or other special awards in the needle craft segment. 

This assumes that there will be a county fair in 2021, but if not, I can create a stockpile of beautiful finished projects. I'll share some of the ideas and WIPs as I sort through new ideas.

I'm also hoping to be inspired by KnitStars 5.0. I purchased it during the early bird special and ordered some of the special skeins for projects. The yarn is set to arrive this week, which will be fun to share.

Are you going to participate in this? My post deadline time off  will be about a week after the initial sessions are posted. It will be hard to wait!

Hope you're staying safe and sane! Happy crafting!

RBG RIP

 This is the time to truly reflect and remember a hardworking and amazing human being. Ruth Bader Ginsberg was such a courageous force to be reckoned with. May her legacy continue to live on and shape us.

I've been quiet in 2020 as work life has been busy and I've been trying to reorient this blog and my personal goals. I've been lucky to keep busy and I'm continually grateful for my job and family.

Facing the grim reality that so many are not so lucky has left me feeling guilt-stricken and down. Seeing the marginalized further marginalized during this time is incredibly heartbreaking. Losing a feminist icon like RBG is another heavy weight on us.

However, instead of letting the fear and sadness in me grow that my gender will have a more diminished representation in the judiciary, I'm inspired by RBG to be courageous. Starting with this post, I'm saying something again.

I want to honor RBG and given my love for crocheting and knitting, I'm going to start working on a plethora of projects inspired by her and share them along with the other projects I'm working on.

Some of these will be gifts to family and others will be cherished by me. I'm going to share pictures and links for other designers as a means for you to find an RBG inspired project of your own. None of the the project links are sponsored. This is not a complete list, but I enjoyed searching: RBG, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and dissent in Ravelry.

Now where to begin:

Max Pfeifer's Dissent is a fun hat featuring one of her famous dissent collars. I love the simplicity of the hat design and the beautiful colorwork. I think my brother-in-law would enjoy one of these (in addition to me 😁).

On my list for much too long has been the Dissent Cowl (knit) from Carissa Browning. There are now both knit and crochet versions...thank you, Carissa. I've been wanting to make one of these for my sister-in-law. Now through 3, 2020, 100% of the sales of this pattern will go to the ACLU. Maybe I should purchase the crochet version and start it this weekend!

Elithea Whittaker's dissent is a beautiful lace collar based on a different dissent collar. This is a free pattern and I'm excited to get out the fine crochet thread.

Another crocheted jabot, is the Simple Jabot (in honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg) by Derek Rollberg. This is a free project that was recently released.

The only cardigan on the list comes from Andrea Rangel. It's called Dissent and there is a pullover version of it as well. The wearability of a the cardigan and the quick knit with worsted weight yarn makes this a great project to start now. 

The pullover that I want to start quickly is the Knitorious RBG by Park Williams. This is a worsted weight knit as well. The colorwork in the yoke isn't as complex the Dissent cardigan above, but it is striking. The puffy sleeves and body are intriguing and mimic court robes. The cropped nature is fun, but I typically would add more ribbing (after having two kids...my tummy has seen better days).

 If you're looking for socks, have no fear. The RBG Socks by Jess Latta of PNW Purl are here! I've been wanting to knit socks and this might be a good starting point to pick them back up again. If you go to the pattern page, there are some fabulous pictures of the beautiful texture in the pattern that is difficult to see from the picture below.

Knittinglotta's Ruth Bader Ginsberg mittens are fabulous. From looking at the sample pictures, there is a different quote on each mitten the the RBG colorwork differs on each mitten as well. I need a pair of these...or least a pair for my sister-in-law.

If you need an RBG to hug, there is the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Doll from Penny Stewart. I love the details and I think this would be a classy way to decorate my living room. She would go well with my Captain Marvel figure, such a super human.

And, last, but not least, for your Christmas Tree...the RBG Ball by Lexi Bryan. There are two different collar options and the pattern is now free as of RBG's passing. Lexi Bryan will donate $3.50 for every Ravelry Project (the original pattern cost) to Planned Parent Hood. Kits are available in her LexiCorp Etsy shop as well.

Is there a project or two from this list that you plan to add to your queue? What has RBG done to inspire you? 

This is a great time to learn more about her and to find your own courage. This loss is so shocking because she has survived so much and has been here for our country for so long. Reflecting that she had been through five rounds of cancer and was working so hard at 87 shows that she did so much with the time she had. If only we could all be so super.

Reflection on her and the current times, I wanted to share some statements. These statements are more than just words to me:

Black lives matter. 

Racism is real. 

Be anti-racist. 

We are more than our genders. 

Reproductive rights for all.

Never forget someone's humanity.

Please take care during these trying times. Wish you all happy crafting.

3 years of blogging, 12,000 views, what to do next?

Thinking back to three years ago seems like a big stretch. My kids were so much smaller (7 and 2 years old...when were they that tiny?).

Starting a blog during my busy season seemed like a stretch too, but I was so excited to be in a cute little condo and wanted to share crafty things. Use of a bit of free time for creative outlet has always been critical to me.

With only one follower and minimal time to keep up on things (maybe minimal motivation is a better descriptor), does it make sense to keep this going? I've only posted/published one pattern. Should I try another?

Would sharing the fun projects that I'm working on be interesting? I'm so amazed at all of the awesome patterns available online. I want to start so many projects each day.

Should I pick topics to focus on, like crafting in groups during the COVID-19 pandemic? Why test knitting is fun even if I've given it up? Playing with math and crafting? Knitting in the dark? Side note, I do knit in the dark :).

Taking pictures of yarn and sharing what I love about the yarn could be fun.

Discussing the designers I support on Patreon could also be good.

In reality so much of this is covered by Ravelry and other sites. Instagram has so many fabulous pictures of yarn, projects, yarny people, designs, supportive messages, etc.

If you read this blog, please leave me a comment. I'm trying to determine how much of a break I should take or what direction to go.

Happy crafting and stay safe!

An Ideal Time for Crafting

Happy 3rd anniversary to this blog! Ok, that's all the celebrating I'm up for these days.

The world feels unsteady and there are a lot of questions about how the next few weeks will look. The social distancing isn't adding to the comfort. I wrote these two sentences three weeks ago. So much has happened in that time.

The crafting community has been a lovely bright spot and the outreach to those in need including first responders has been amazing. We can always do more. There is no doubt about that.

I've been working too many hours to really enjoy down time. That might sound like a complaint, but work can be a great way to get you through a crisis. Much of my day is trying to help small businesses and worried clients understand an ever changing landscape.

Hugging my kids and having little crafty moments have been the critical relief I've needed through this tough time. Having a safe and healthy family is the best gift right now.

My crafty time has been focused on four projects and I'm wanting to start another!

My new nephew is expected to arrive in a few months, so I've started to work on Tanis Fiber Arts' City Limits pattern. I purchased some lovely wool/cotton blend yarn form Seaside Yarn and Fiber. I'm hoping to make one for the brand new nephew and another for his big brother. Here is an image of Tanis' child size sample.

I'm still working on my Scrapper Cardigan by Safiyyah Talley. I've finished one sleeve and plan to finish up the body before working on the second. I made shorter sleeves because I'm running low on the colors I liked together. I'm making it a spring/summer cardigan with cotton/modal yarn from KnitPicks.

I started the My Little Secret Crop a week or so ago by Jessie Maed Designs. I'm hoping to have enough yarn to make it not too cropped. I'm holding Knitpicks Shine Sport in cream with a beautiful colorway from Yarn Over New York. I'll post a picture when I'm done. By that time it won't be a secret. So many have completed them. It's been fun to follow that Instagram feed.

Lastly, I'm working on a cute baby blanket. I'm using the Granny Triangles Afghan pattern by Teresa Chorzepa. This is a free pattern from the Lion Brand and it is so fun with the color changing yarn. Here is a picture of the sample using Lion Brand Cupcake.

What I'm hoping to start on is Stephen West's Painting Bricks Shawl pattern. Picking the color combination from my stash seems to be keeping me from starting.

I'll try my first online crafting meetup tomorrow. I miss my crafty buddies.

Stay safe and happy crafting.

Woh! Where did a couple months go!

Work has been very busym and I'm running on less sleep than I'd like to admit. Excuses aside, my creative juices definitely flow when I'm busy. There isn't enough time to execute on the ideas, but I try to write them down.

I saw the cutest cropped top that I want to make. I don't like the feel of high-wasted jeans, so mine won't be as cropped. It's a boxy sideways stripped knit top using scraps. I want it to be short sleeved and use sock weight yarn. I started a gauge swatch, but don't like what the large needles are working up. Going down a needle size or two seems critical. I feel like this is the year of scrappy knits and crochet projects. Maybe I'll even write down a pattern :).

This weekend is the annual Rose City Yarn Crawl. Sadly, like most prior years, I've completely missed it. I did receive a lovely skein of yarn this week to hold me over. It's part of Yarn Over New York's Yarn Catche yarn club. I missed January and will probably miss March...still so happy to have the February colorway!!! If you hit up this link down the road, the specific page might not be up any longer.

I'm excited for Scrapper Cardi that was recently released by Safiyyah Talley Designs. She hosts the Drunk Knitter Podcast that I enjoy so much. I've been eyeing that pattern while it was in development and wishing that I could have tested it. I'm planning to make it with fingering weight yarn and have some fun :). Here is an image of Safiyya's sample...so gorgeous!!!

Ok, I'm keeping this short, but planning to blog again soon. Happy international women's day!!!

Happy crafting.

Let's Start 2020 with Yarn and Fun!!!

Happy New Year! I'm a sappy person who loves an excuse to celebrate. This holiday is a bit tricky for me as some tough life events have happened on this day. It doesn't stop me from being hopeful for the coming year and seeking the mindset to make the most of the coming year.

Once I'm done with my current test knitting, I'll focus on #Stashdown2020 and making gifts. I'm so excited to play with color and make some lovely things that I can wear and share.

I have to confess that I did a big faux pas. I withdrew from two tests today. I've never withdrawn before and it's a bummer of a situation. Being overly ambitious I was compelled to add more testing when a designer asked for more testers. I brought up an issue and then deleted my comment because I felt silly when the others who had started before me had not brought it up.

When someone else brought up the issue and received a dismissive response, I indicated where the issue was more specifically in the pattern. The response to my comment pushed me over the edge. Frankly, I'm super sensitive right now. Too much testing with my new job and family time pushed me a bit. I backed out of the tests I had with the designer and decided not to be in that pool any longer. Unless a designer I know well asks me directly, I don't plan to test this year.

Ok, after that note...let's talk fun knitting to get moving on my stash!!!

Once I get the first test completed, I can get back to the fabulous scarf pattern I found to help enjoy the mini skein advent calendar from Yarn Over New York. Kuschileg by Christin Kimsey is a lovely pattern for 24 - 25 mini skeins. I'm only on the 4th section and the yarns won't be in exact order. It's fun to see the progress.

The remaining scraps will be squares for the Battenberg Blanket. I'm hoping to make 500 squares in the contrasting colors and then 500 in the main color. My kids would get 50 by 100 square blankets. I'm tempted to save up my yarn allowance to buy the MC from KnitPicks.

Working on these items will likely get me through busy seasion, but I'm guessing that I'll want to cast on more lovelies. I'll share as I make progress.

Happy crafting and have a great start to 2020!