tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53486702024-03-07T18:48:45.804-06:00SwatchyA knitting blog.Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.comBlogger410125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-87657154820717572902022-07-27T10:01:00.004-05:002022-07-27T10:01:53.222-05:00Swatch-a-thon It's been a while again.A design I proposed was accepted by CastOn magazine and will be published in a few weeks. It took me ALL THE TIME to knit and write the pattern. When I turned it in I was a bit cross-eyed with the effort but I'm glad I did it.I was not going to propose another design as my husband and I planned to take a holiday and there is a wedding to attend in September. Then, heSwatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-60362854150399913432022-04-18T10:01:00.000-05:002022-04-18T10:01:08.900-05:00Rayon/Cotton WoesOne of the reasons why I tend to be a monogamous knitter is that I often can't figure out what I was thinking if I put a project aside for a while. How long is a while? Well, right now, it appears to be a few months. That is what happened to this tank I started in September of last year. It was put aside because our move out of Houston went into high activity in November. When life settled down Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-52085529349823646322022-03-14T13:51:00.002-05:002022-03-14T13:51:47.621-05:00Where did Swatchy Go? It's been a year since my last blog post. A lot has happened.Good news, first - I passed the TKGA Master Knitter program. I will not say with flying colors, but passing is passing so I now can claim to be a Master Knitter.Second, I did meet my personal goal of 2021 to get two patterns published. One was a hat for Cast On Magazine and the other was a toddler top published by I Like Knitting,Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-77450586326308765932021-01-30T10:04:00.000-06:002021-01-30T10:04:01.867-06:00Obsessed with the Star Stitch Well, it is almost February. The last few years, I have been binge watching streaming series or binge listening to audio books while I knit. Since the pandemic, I've spent more time just knitting. My husband is working in our home office, so perhaps I'm embarrassed about how much media I consume. In any event, when I'm knitting without media my mind wanders and I find I'm Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-60439515675189788952021-01-13T11:19:00.000-06:002021-01-13T11:19:05.654-06:00It's 2021Well, hello, new year.I'm still working away on the project for the TKGA Master Knitter certification. Progress is slow, but steady. I'm about half way to the armhole steeks. I'm hoping to have most of the knitting finished by the end of January.In the mean time, designer brain is still working. I've proposed a few designs for publication and an article. I have to learn to send them out, then letSwatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-43282462657316448202020-12-22T11:21:00.003-06:002020-12-22T11:21:53.675-06:00New Schedule Well, big news.TKGA decided to publish a special issue to showcase the 2020 competition entries. We had the option to submit the pattern and since I actually wrote one while I was working up the project, I sent it on. So now, I am officially a published designer. Check it out on Ravelry.So, design brain is getting in the way of my Master Knitter project, but more on that some other time. I Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-83438066901139106652020-12-12T17:21:00.002-06:002020-12-12T17:27:40.716-06:00Hats Hats Hats Hats, hats, hats.I've been designing. I blame that contest. While I did not win or place, the process seems to have triggered something and I became somewhat obsessed. The only thing to do was to drop the TKGA masters sweater and give in. So, here we go.....The star stitch pattern has a lot of future designs. I've done a child's size sweater but I'm not yet happy with the neck opening.Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-64164324094263516562020-10-28T10:32:00.001-05:002020-10-28T10:32:15.102-05:00So much for the schedule Well well. I planned to beaver away at my beautiful TKGA certification project and complete two sleeves this month. Then that designer bug I had caught got into my head. I designed a hat. I may rip apart the band and redo it as the cast off I chose is way too tight. But, the chart is done and instructions are written. I need to take a better picture, but here is an OK one:Now, I'mSwatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-26655998478069176172020-10-14T16:31:00.002-05:002020-10-14T16:31:48.607-05:00First Sleeve has some endsI just now finished the knitting for the first sleeve of my TKGA final project. That puts me pretty close to the schedule I made up last week. I do have some ends to work in. Earlier today I loaded, unloaded and spread 600 pounds of compost/manure on part of my front yard. I had ground cover before Hurricane Harvey. When the backhoes came to pick up all the stuff that was removed from the Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-62382744224824286092020-10-06T17:34:00.003-05:002020-10-06T17:34:27.388-05:00Design FeverI apparently am quite thrilled about hacking the star stitch. It does not seem like much, but sometimes it seems miraculous. In any event, I'm designing a child's size sweater and beanie now. Yesterday, I went into a frenzy, thinking I could work it up for some random publication deadline. I thought it through, and am calmer now. Maybe there will be pictures of said sweater in the future. Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-56531109623846468552020-09-29T15:58:00.003-05:002020-09-29T15:58:38.919-05:00Almost October Hmmm, haven't posted since April. Blogger looks different. Stuff happens when you don't pay attention. Pandemic depression. I spent a few months not doing much of anything but knitting and working Sudoku puzzles. I hope most of that is over. I'm riding my bicycle a few times a week and trying to walk the other days weather permitting. I was so glad that Laura and Sally landed eastSwatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-53056061641609058212020-04-21T08:40:00.004-05:002020-04-21T08:40:58.767-05:00Too Early for the Victory LapAhem.
Last week I thought I was about to stick a pin into the worsted weight stash down.
Then I swatched some vintage wool and shetland wool and found it worked to 20 sts/inch which is worsted. I have the same sort of vintage yarn by other makers and they work to DK gauges nicely. I did a bit more research and learned that this particular brand plays better as worsted.
Then I found a few Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-32572004921053462652020-04-14T13:02:00.000-05:002020-04-14T13:02:21.350-05:00Almost ThereFWIW, I have been on a quest to work through my stash of worsted wool for several years. I have strayed from that quest from time to time but since 2012 it has been the focus of most of my knitting projects.
I'm getting really close to calling it done. I've been thinking about what that really means as we all know that there is always that odd little ball of wool that is too large to put away, Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-29446666943492279572020-04-07T10:06:00.000-05:002020-04-07T10:06:00.765-05:00What day is it?Like many, I'm losing time with this shut down. Totally forgot to update here last week.
Last I visited this blog I was finishing a little sweater. It is done now.
I made a note to not work this pattern again. The cables are nice but the shaping is not to my liking.
I'm working on another toddler sized stash sweater. This one uses five colors in a slip stitch pattern that I am Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-11891925211862247982020-03-24T13:19:00.000-05:002020-03-24T13:19:24.535-05:00So, I've almost finished a toddler sweater from the leftovers of my previous project. It is a pattern that I have used before - Trellis from Knitty.
I'm not feeling the mojo to take a photo of it. Perhaps next week when it is finished.
I have succeeded in learning bead crochet. I made a few bangles as a gift for a friend who is joining the D.A.R.
Other than that, I'm trying to manage grocery Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-28623089143295829822020-03-17T09:54:00.005-05:002020-03-17T09:54:56.837-05:00Another Finish
Smaller worsted oddballs make for the smaller projects I've been working lately. I still like the big sweaters, and here is a new finish.
Of note, this project represents the last over 300 gram worsted weight yarn left in my stash.
Another note, I was so anxious about yarn chicken that I overbought the background color. Drat!
Next week, you may see a child-sized cardigan made Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-18280115411448945322020-03-10T19:52:00.000-05:002020-03-10T19:55:45.026-05:00Yikes! I've been lazy about keeping up the blog.
I made a few more baby sweaters.
This first one was a remake of a baby puzzle sweater that I did many years ago. I made some notes about the pattern and I'm happy with the improvements. It's still way too small. I increased the stitches a lot and still ended up with a newborn size. I'm wondering if I'm interested enough to continue to tweak this Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-60666353530094027882020-02-18T09:12:00.002-06:002020-02-18T09:12:15.361-06:00Neck TrekA few years ago I went through all my projects and finished, frogged, or tossed them all. I have been mostly monogamous since then. I like finishing things.
For a few reasons, I have strayed from that habit. I currently have three adult sized sweaters on the needles and a few baby/child sized projects in mind.
Last week two sweater bodies were at the neck stage and I discovered earlier a Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-87427043035917927462020-02-11T10:03:00.000-06:002020-02-11T10:03:00.639-06:00So Much Math
I made this sweet bunting many years ago. Since I'm in a baby sweater mode, I decided to make another. Well, this is not entirely because of the recent baby sweater obsession. I'm considering how to make this into an adult design.
I'm glad I reworked it according to pattern. One of the things I dislike about yoke sweaters is the need to do short-rows to work the back of the neck, or fiddle Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-65169339596830203742020-02-04T09:57:00.000-06:002020-02-04T09:57:05.748-06:00Mittens!I'm enjoying these little projects. Oddballs are getting smaller. I suppose I could have made these adult size, but I have not made mittens for a very long time. I was looking through some of my vintage pattern books and this pattern pulled me in.
I'm switching back to baby sweaters and continuing to work on the larger Drops project.
Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-16369870217825036172020-01-29T09:52:00.001-06:002020-01-29T10:03:21.316-06:00New Baby SweaterWell, oops, I seem to have forgotten to write a post for the past two Tuesdays. I seem to have become quite skilled at distracting myself. Maybe I need to work on smaller plans as the big ones seem to intimidate me these days.
In any event, I made another baby sweater. This one is a bit larger - 22 inches. I really like tri-color slip stitch, but it is a really slow knit as each row works onlySwatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-75687454796585943912020-01-14T14:53:00.002-06:002020-01-14T14:57:22.646-06:00Happy New YearWell, hello again.
We had a lovely holiday and did a lot of visiting. I'm very glad we made the trip even though I am not fond of traveling over the Christmas holiday.
I notice that my yarn usage was over 15,000 yards last year. I made a lot of sweaters. I'm also half way to 8,000 views. Still not too many people looking, but more than before I suppose.
There was much car knitting and I Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-41673909165905969062019-12-17T14:02:00.002-06:002019-12-17T14:02:53.108-06:00End of YearWell,
Apparently I'm feeling grumpy.
Here we are. Probably the last post of the year. I'm leaving Saturday to go visiting for the holidays. I have resented that in my entire family, I am the one that travels. I have been resisting recently, but this year there is a memorial service to attend, so off I go.
In preparing for the trip, I found myself between two tasks that I did not want to begin.Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-84038948902332681742019-12-10T11:19:00.000-06:002019-12-17T13:52:18.622-06:00Oddball AnxietyThis smooshy picture shows the current project about half way to the arm holes. It is going to be nice and large - 50". I have a friend in mind and he is about that size.
Working with oddballs is strangely exciting. Will I have enough? What to do if the green runs out? Or the pink?
I was worried about the smallest ball when I began the body ribbing. This is a larger size sweater and the colors Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348670.post-85776424103920279692019-12-04T10:01:00.001-06:002019-12-04T10:34:29.244-06:00Sleeves
Yes, two of them complete now. I am casting on for the body while working through an Outlander binge.
I still need to get that TKGA package together. That would require concentration. Hmmmm.
In the mean time, I made a strange ball with some of the smaller oddballs. So it's an oddball ball.
Swatchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423194551421351593noreply@blogger.com0