Tag: knitting projects

Knitters and Our Many Projects

How many projects do you have on your needles? It is not uncommon to find that fellow knitters have many things going at once.

Why is it that knitters usually have many projects going at once?

Well, we love yarn, first of all. Seeing a pretty yarn, or a nice sale, makes us sure that we can find a project to match it. Awesome patterns run a close second. Pattern designers know how to push our buttons. With beautiful images, and affordable pricing, how can we say no?

Biting off more than we can chew is a typical habit of crafty people. Somewhere between the high of receiving a new bundle of yarn in the mail, to the stress over finding a place to keep it all, we have been casting on much more often than binding off. We can’t keep up. Who could?

Buying yarn is a quick process. Creating a handmade item takes time. We know this, yet we can’t seem to stop getting ahead of ourselves.

The Big Reason: New Yarn and / or New Patterns

Browsing Ravelry or Instagram, or your favorite social place will often bring up something beautiful. This leads me down the path to checking on the pattern, and yarn used, reviews and comments. It can be a rabbit hole. I think that “this is the pattern I should be knitting instead of that sweater I really don’t like”. Or, “what a great way to use up that yarn in my stash”. I need to start this project right away. Everything else can wait!

Or, I get a newsletter e-mail. I’ve completely removed all but one yarn seller from my e-mail list. Pascuali is the only one I get, because I love the company and the yarn. Their newsletters are interesting, and for me, that one is enough. When I would get all kinds of notices of yarn sales, I would feel obligated to buy because of the discount. That is how I ended up with loads of yarn I would never use. I donated it.

Another way to become bombarded by yarn is the offer of free shipping. If you spend this much, shipping is free! Okay, I can find a few more skeins that I will use one day…. blah blah…bad idea.

Time of Day Knitting Projects

I believe it is actually a good thing to have more than one knitting project going at a time. Often the projects I knit will range in difficulty, and are appropriate for various knitting opportunities.

Being a morning person, tougher projects get attention early in the day. Whenever the yarn is hard to see, I must knit in daylight. I sit by the window and enjoy the natural light. When nighttime rolls around, and I’m watching a show or movie, I need something mindless and simple.

The Knus Light top is a morning project. The dark rust yarn makes the stitches a bit hard to see and the fingering weight means the stitches are small.

On the other hand, the Dual Loops Beanie is a simple rib – until the crown, which gets finicky. The roundness of the camel hair yarn makes the stitches easy to see even though the color is darker. That project is great for nighttime.

Knitting a top in cotton yarn using a dark color
Knus Light: Morning knitting
Dual loops beanie knitting project in camel yarn
Dual Loops Beanie: Evening knitting

Projects for Travel

Then, we may have the projects that are easy to accomplish while traveling. I personally like stockinette or ribbing. Smaller projects that pack easily include little scarves, dishcloths, and hats. Also, sweater projects where the body is ready with lots of stockinette.

Simple Stripes sweater
Simple Stripes, my version
Colorwork knitting project using Lettlopi wool
SkiBum seating pad

It’s no wonder we knitters have more than one project lying around the house. The availability of needles stops me from having more!

Organizing Our Knitting

I’m in the process of organizing my knitting room. After reducing my yarn stash, and removing yarn I know I will never use, I feel much better. I want an easier way to store and find my yarn, instead of using bins and bags. My plan is to buy shelves and use baskets.

knitting projects in the works, on the needles
Knitting projects in the works
stash yarn
Part of my stash

As I am cleaning and downsizing, I’ve come across more unfinished projects. These are projects begun years ago…Do you have those? They aren’t bad, just uninteresting. And because I live where it is seldom cold, the cowl and mitten projects won’t be something I’ll use anyway!

I’m not alone in having many projects going at once. But, sometimes I have to say, time to catch up.

What have you been knitting that fits into these categories? Do you have a favorite take-along item? And of course, how many projects are on your needles! Be honest, we don’t want to feel alone.

Thanks for reading. Here are more posts you might like.

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What I Have Knit So Far in 2018

Once the knitting bug bit me a few months ago, I have been nutty with greed for new yarn and new patterns to try. Here is what I have knit so far this year. (Most of these items have links to the Free Patterns.)

Pom Pom Hat

First photo: The chunky knit child’s hat with a pom pom on top was the first “little” hat I ever made. I gave it as a gift for a new baby girl who lives in a cold climate. She will probably wear it next winter. The nice thing about hats is that they are stretchy.

View my blog post, and get the link to Purl Soho’s Snow Day hat, which is a free pattern. I did change it up a bit by using another type of yarn and smaller needles.

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“Snow Day” hat pattern

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Big Flower Pink Hat

The little pink girl’s hat below was begun using a free pattern I found online. (Get the link on my page here.) I also found a crocheted flower to add to the edge. You can find that tutorial at Classy Crochet. *Note: The center of the flower is made first, then you work outward.  This was also a gift.  I don’t have any little ones to knit for.

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Child’s Big Flower Hat

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Worsted Twist and Fisherman’s Rib

The Fisherman’s Rib scarf was fun to make and I loved the Worsted Twist yarn I purchased from Purl Soho. I did find a good pattern, which tidies up the edges better. You can see all that info in my post. I wanted a hat to match, and still had yarn leftover. The Fisherman’s Rib is not as easy when worked on a circular needle, so I decided to make up my own hat pattern. I named it the Long Rib Hat. It needs either a pom pom or flower, which I have yet to add.

knit hat and scarf
Fisherman’s Rib scarf and Long Rib Hat (my pattern) in Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist yarn

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Love Chunky Rasta Yarn!

Okay, the Rasta yarn I used for this chunky knit hat and scarf set was so much fun to use! Malabrigo makes it, and that company is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I haven’t written about this set yet.  The hat is a simple k1,p1 around until decreases at top. I think I took notes, but I have to find them. The scarf is short, but I used the same Fisherman’s Rib stitch as the scarf above. I used 2 skeins of Rasta “Arco Iris” color, for both (less than one skein for the hat, and remaining for the short scarf – about 40 inches).  I wasn’t too sure about the color, but ended up liking it.  And I love working with the super soft, and colorful yarn!  *One drawback – often this yarn is out of stock in many colors.

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Malabrigo Rasta Chunky Yarn Set

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Autumn Colors Double-Wrap Cowl

The cowl below was also a free pattern I found at Ravelry. See my notes and the link to the pattern and creator on my Ravelry Project page.  This one wraps double around the neck.

cowl in shades of brown and gold
Infinity scarf / cowl in Madeline Tosh

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Gray Cables Knit Hat

The hat below was knit from a book called Cozy Stash-Busting Knits. It has shawls, hats and mittens to knit using heavier weight yarns. The “Astrid” hat gave me some good experience using a cable needle (yikes). I used Mad Tosh Vintage yarn which is a little too stiff for a hat, IMO.  I would also measure the height better, as this one came out too tall.

cable knit gray hat
Jen Lucas “Astrid” Hat Pattern

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I Made a Shawl!

Recently I finished my first shawl! This was also a Free pattern. You can see my photos and notes about the “Shade Loving Shawl” on my Ravelry page.

triangle shawl
Free triangle shawl pattern – my first shawl

Connect With Knitters on Pinterest

As with all things, knitters gain knowledge and experience by knitting! I make many mistakes, but the important thing is that I try new things.  Most days I spend at least a little bit of time searching for more patterns, yarn, and online shops to “favorite”. Usually I save them to my Pinterest knitting board which you can follow below so I can come find you!