New Finished Object: Burberry Inspired Cowl

While waiting for the serious snow to come down tonight, I took some indoor pictures of my newest finished object, the Burberry Inspired Cowl. It's knit out of one of my all-time favorite yarns, Misti Alpaca Chunky, in a color way that Misti calls "Chartreuse Melange," but I call a variation on olive green. Like the other cowl I made from this yarn, this one feels like a warm and luxurious hug around my neck!

Hopefully this new addition to my winter wardrobe will be out playing in the snow tomorrow! Stay tuned.

2014 - A Transitional Year in Review

Well, my assumption that my new job would give me more time to knit and to blog has not exactly panned out, but I feel the tide beginning to turn now, as we reach the end of the year.

In my annual knitting recap, according to Ravelry I've completed 15 projects this year, and that doesn't count the pretty hefty amount of contract knitting I did all summer and through the fall, ending at the beginning of December. It also leaves out all of the knitted accessories I made for a craft show where I sold (or tried to sell!) items from my Etsy shop.



My 15 finished objects include: 3 scarves or cowls, 3 hats, 2 shawls, 2 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of fingerless gloves, 1 poncho, 1 tank top, and 1 Valentine's Day washcloth. I may finish another item--the Never-ending Story Cowl, which I just started last night with yarn I bought two years ago (from two LYS's that have since gone out of business), and from one of my favorite go-to knitting books, Cowlgirls.

In early December I also completed the Craft Yarn Council's Certified Knitting Instructor program over a weekend at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. It was a fabulous experience--I met great people and learned a lot, and I'm probably going to start teaching at my local public library after the New Year and see where we go from there. That motivated me to find a local knitting group, and I have been enjoying my Saturday mornings with the Union County Crafters in NJ. I would like to try to attend meetings of the Big Apple Knitting Guild in NYC with my CYC class friends; I think I'll be able to make that happen in 2015.

I will also pick up the contract knitting again, but need a bit more time to luxuriate in my own projects from deep stash that I love so much!

Wishing all of you a productive year filled with gratifying and relaxing knitting and crafting!

Hand Knits Are a Bright Spot in a Cold Winter

It's been unusually cold here in NJ as well as throughout the US, as I don't have to tell most of you. I was struck the other night, when I mustered all  of my motivation to walk out the door in sub-10-degree-weather and a foot of snow and drive to my book group meeting. When I walked in, our hostess asked me to take my boots off at the door, and when I walked into the meeting, where some of my fellow readers are also knitters, I was greeted with admiration about the number of hand-knits I wore and carried:

• a hand-knit, mohair sweater (knit pre-Ravelry, so no photos or links!)
• hand-knit socks
• a hand-knit cowl and matching mitts from one of my favorite cold-weather yarns, Misti Alpaca Chunky
• and I carried a hand-knit, felted bag, which contained my current WIP, a beautiful men's scarf for my daughter's boyfriend

It struck me that, although I hate the cold, it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to wear so many of my knits at once and to know that they are the best antidote to being cold. My husband and daughter have been wearing their hand-knit socks every day during this cold spell, and my son, braving his first winter at college in Michigan, is grateful for the bulky scarf and hat I made him.

I even made a sale of a warm, bulky hat in my Etsy shop! This makes me want to drop everything and knit 24/7 (so does the fact that I don't want to go outside!) This makes me even more determined to do something to make knitting more of a part of my life--and find a work solution that will allow me to devote more time to this craft that I love so much. I hope 2014 will be the year that I finally make it happen.

Stay warm, everyone!

Soft, Lacy Cowl

Yesterday I finished the Garland Cowl, which was the winner in a long inner decision-making process regarding what I should make with my one skein of the luscious and soft Tess Designer Yarn's Cultivated Silk and Wool, in a beautiful blue-green. I had a moment of panic when the cowl, even when fully blocked, was about 31" long -- this after the pattern said it should be 60" long! The good news is that after that good blocking, the cowl hanks about to my waist when not doubled around my neck, and I am able to double it if I wish. I think I'll wear it to work tomorrow!

Getting Ready for the Trunk Show!

Next weekend I'll be testing the waters for my online business, SchoolSpirit Knits on Etsy, at my daughter's sorority trunk show at the University of Michigan. I worked on photographing some of my new knits today and posted them on a variety of social media. What do you think?

 

Stress Relief

As I worked on last-minute details (and crises) for an event that I'm responsible for tomorrow, I felt my stress level begin to rise. One of my coworkers even told me to "take a Xanax." I've been planning this event for almost a year. I've attracted 15 corporate sponsors, invited 20 prestigious speakers from the healthcare community, worked with the speakers on their presentations, and helped to market the event so that an audience of 200 people should be in their seats tomorrow.

I guess it's not surprising that I'm nervous...I really want this project that I've nurtured from the idea stage to be a success.

So...I came home tonight and, after rehearsing my introductions for tomorrow, I  knit. The most Zen project that I have going right now is the Splendid Striped Cowl, which I'm knitting as the final accessory for myself for my visit to my kids at the University of Michigan next month. I'm knitting it, of course, in the school colors of maize and blue. The two-row striped pattern is perfect for a moment like this.

Hopefully tomorrow night I'll be able to knit more and stress less!