Second blogiversary

This month marks two years since I started this blog. Has it been worth it? I think so. I often feel that I don't accomplish much, or as at least not as much as I could (if I put my mind to it), or should (if I were more diligent), or would (if I didn't spend so much time dreaming and faffing about). Keeping track of my crafty goings-on on this blog has made me realise that I do get quite a bit done. Not all of it always gets finished, of course – if it did, there'd be no reason for me to have a blog. But being answerable to someone, even only notionally (because the blog police really don't care about my craft output), has been useful.

I haven't always kept on track, of course. Various events have overtaken my project-a-month resolution this year, but still, over the life of this blog so far I've finished various long-neglected projects, including four quilts (soon to be five!),

For to my friend Diana.

On my sofa.

For my friend Bob's baby.

For no one, so far.

and two jumpers, both of which I gave to charity.  

I've also started several other projects from scratch: quite a lot of scarves,

For me.

Also for me.

For my friend Louise.

For me.

For me.

For my friend Paul.

For my friend Mark.

For me.

A prize on this blog, won by Kitty.

a cardigan for myself, 

and too many little novelties and accessories to include photos of. 

And I've extended my skills – I've become moderately accomplished at lace knitting, and I've also tried my hand at fair isle (though I haven't posted about that project yet).

This exercise has also made me much more aware of how much is in my stash.
I've organised it, and I'm even considering getting rid of all those half-balls of leftover yarn and skeins of impulse-buy novelty yarn that are taking up way too much literal and mental space. 

It's also made me realise I need to focus more on things I really want to make, instead of making bitty projects as fillers between the more interesting ones. I do a lot of that, and end up with more fillers than main projects, which is really just a waste; why waste time on projects you're half-hearted about when you could be spending it to make things you really love?

So in that spirit I recently spent $150 on pure wool from Bendigo Woollen Mills to knit a blanket that I've coveted for several years, from the moment I first saw it in Joelle Hoverson's Last-Minute Knitted Gifts.

It's an ombre effect, shading from cream through various neutrals and
browns to dark brown. Eventually!

And you know what? It's really, really satisfying to be making something I've wanted for so long. More on this project another time. 

Project-a-month resolution: June

Well, I wrote this post a while ago, but somehow failed to actually publish it. I blame my total technical ineptitude.

Anyway, this is what was happening in June ...

With winter here, I decided I needed a couple of new scarves more than I needed yet another quilt, so this month, unfinished projects have taken a backseat to new ones.

First up, I wanted to use a yarn I've had for about five years. I bought it to make socks with, but I've since realised that a) I'm unlikely to make socks any time soon, and b) if I do, it's probably a bit dumb to use nice yarn for my first effort. So instead I made a scarf from Joelle Hoverson's excellent Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. It's a very easy-to-remember chevron pattern.

Because I'm a symmetry freak, I made it in two pieces, then grafted them together in the middle. Knitting guru Maggie Righetti says that stocking stitch grafting is so easy that even a beginner can whizz across a row of it in no time. I'm far from a beginner, but grafting baffles me at every attempt. I have to consult books (note the plural) and have about six goes at it before I get it not-quite-right. So it was with this scarf, but the two bits joined up eventually.

Normally grafting is done with the knitting still on the needles, but I can never follow
the rhythm of the stitches that way. This time I threaded crochet cotton through the
stitches and taped the cotton onto a board, which made it easier. 

In progress...

And done.

It was pretty crinkly when I finished it, so I did some steam-blocking with the iron. And voila, ready to wear.

Next I wanted a pattern to show off some new Noro Silk Garden I bought recently.

It's colour 84. Slightly scratchy to wear, but very beautiful.

I experimented with some lace patterns but nothing seemed right, so I rethought it. Abandoning my tendency to overengineer just about everything, I knitted it in garter stitch, with three stitches of stocking stitch at both ends of every row. This gives a neat edge that rolls back on itself so that the scarf is reversible.

I'm pretty pleased with it. I love the autumnal tones and the way they shade subtly into each other. Some more steam blocking to iron out a bit of waviness along the edges, and it was ready to go.

And now July's challenge is to finish another quilt.