Random

...facts that aren't worth blogging separately.

• Yesterday I partially felted the lavender Dorothy while attempting to spin it in the washer (so I could block it again and do a photo tutorial),
  
• a few months ago the folks on Ravelry came up with a way for us to sell our designs on yarn shops throughout the planet. I don't know yet how well it will work, but I'll keep you posted,
  
• after adding borders to one of Dorothy's charts, finding out they were in the wrong place and wasting time editing the image on another software, I found out I can erase the borders by holding down the right button of my mouse as I trace over the border,
  
• for the last week or so I've been knitting a new shawl pattern and am thinking about trying my hand at all the different construction methods I come across (which will, hopefully, lead to a bunch of new designs),
  
• the ghosts of ideas are haunting me again. They've been keeping me up at night for 3 or 4 nights already. And now they're coming in pairs!
  
• I really, really want to start working on these ghost ideas, but need to put the final touches on the pattern for Dorothy and finish the new design that is OTN,
  
• I've redone the charts for Linda using Intwined and was amazed at how fast it went. Now, I need to re-write it.

Yet another design

The problem with new ideas is that they pop up at the most inconvenient times - like in the middle of another design, when I'm trying to figure out a good edging...

This is how Mari came to be.  I needed something to distract me while waiting for a good idea(TM) to slap me in the face; so I went digging inside one of my yarn bins and came out with this "swatch" I've knit a long, long time ago.
I became, once again, obsessed with that particular stitch pattern and had to use it somehow (I've already written about this here).  Around the same time, some talk came about on Ravelry with the idea of doing lace with cables.

Eureka!

I thought I had my brains figured out, but even I was surprised by my latest idea.  How I got to it is beyond me...:P

I've been faithfully avoiding to work on Linda by knitting on Paola, but I got bored with it and there were a few ideas screaming to be put in yarn.

I tried, again, to cast on for this modular knitting I'm thinking of, but never got past joining in the round.  The reason?  That "net" stitch I talked about a few posts ago.

Two days ago, I sat down with needles and yarn on hand, began casting on for a 'knit in the round from the outside in' hexagon and stopped short of a bunch of stitches.  It was like my hands had a mind of their own and they began creating (yet) another triangular shawl.

I'm enjoying this new knitting very much and am probably halfway done, although I know I'll slow down since I haven't figured out a good edging for it.

Edgings - the things that keep me going when the knitting gets boring and the reason why I stopped knitting Paola...So, like I said in the beginning of this post, I got an idea a few moments ago that surprised me.  I thought I wasn't thinking about Paola, because I'm so into the new design right now - trying to come up with a good edging for it.
I was browsing Ravelry, looking at what my friends had marked as favorites, when out of the blue the idea for an edging for Paola popped up in my head.  If it works in real life it will make an awesome edging that goes perfectly together with the stole.

I guess my new design will be put on hold for a while...

P.S.:  Sibilum, Hobbes is a cat - we don't have enough room for a dog :(  He's a funny, clumbsy cat in many way, but an amazing hunter - most of the stuff he brings home is unharmed.  The first rabbit he brought home had two huge cuts, though.
And Dorothy, you're the best!  Thank you so much.

I think my brain is finally back on

Or so I hope.

I rely heavily on the internet for inspirations and I have to say that for the last few months most of the things I've seen are luke-warm at best.
Mind you, I'm not saying the things I've seen are ugly, but they are...obvious(?).  "Been there, done that" kind of projects, nice stitch patterns used in such a way that if I tried to knit I'd poke my eyes out with the needles out of boredom - or kill someone (not good).

Yesterday I was browsing the new patterns and my friends favorites, like I do every time I log in, out of routine, when this showed up.  My first thought, when seeing the thumbnail was "interesting...Too bad it's color work, but I'll check it out anyway".
When I got to the project page I was blown away by it!  This scarf is one of the most intelligent uses of empty spaces I've seen in a looooooooooooong time.
With no envy or jealousy involved I can honestly say that I wish I had designed that.
As I looked at that project (can't wait until it gets published - I'll be the first to buy it), like magic - or a cork being removed from a hole in a dam, my creativity started flowing again.  Thank you Jeri Lea!

I also found a few other projects that gave me some ideas I might use in the future, amazingly, the majority is crochet.  (No, I won't start doing crochet patterns ;P).

Anyway, the things I saw yesterday were enough to get me going again.  I picked up Paola - a new stole design I'm knitting on and off (more off than on) and am set to finish it already so I can start with the new ideas I have in mind.

On a side note I'd like to say a big thank you to my awesome test knitters who are patiently waiting for me to finish the files for Linda.  You guys rock!

Things you do when you don't want to do what you have to do

I'm a PhD in procrastination.  I've been meaning to write down the pattern for Linda for the last few weeks, but there was always "something" else to do (right...).  This last Monday, I decided to use some psychology on myself to make me do it - I decided to clean up the studio ;)

When Monday morning came, I had the choice to either clean up and re-organize the studio (aka spare bedroom) or sit down and write the pattern.  I had most of the charts done already and the idea of dragging the vacuum cleaner upstairs wasn't a pleasant one, so I did it.

Well, kinda did it.  I have a first draft ready and sent it out to the test knitters.  It's amazing how much weight it lifted out of my back.  Before writing it, I didn't feel like knitting, or spinning, or dyeing or anything else for that matter.  I feel like I can finally move on and the knitting mojo is back :)

I'm guessing it will be at least a week or so until the test knitters find any problem and I'm hoping I can dye some rovings, practise a little more carding and maybe, just maybe, re-organize the studio.  I won't post before pics, though - I'm ashamed of the huge mess.

Right now, I'm...you guessed it, procrastinating some more.  I have to go to the UPS store to return a pair of shoes I bought online, instead, I'm here writing this entry.  Truth be told, I avoid using the car as much as I can.  We've been having problems with it for a long time now and I never know when it's going to work.  I'm always afraid it will just die on me when I'm driving.

I also want to write two posts here - one about my designing process and another about a few things I've figured out while spinning - later.

News

I'll spend a little less time online on the following weeks to work on my new pattern Linda. If things go as planned, I'll have the pattern available in a month or so. That is, if my wonderful, talented husband stops gifting me new toys.

Yesterday he surprised me with one of those "just because" gifts. He got me a drum carder! A DRUM CARDER! How awesome is that?
My head is spinning with ideas on what fibers to mix, new colors, rovings...I have to wait, though, as I need to write Linda down.

A few days ago, we also got another fun toy - an electronic cutter, that I've been avoiding like the plague because I know if I sit down to play with it, I'll get six months sucked out of my life. I also have "great plans" for that and maybe will start another blog (and another shop and another...).

My Etsy shop is almost empty and I'm thinking I could re-stock it by dyeing some rovings when the writting gets to me.
To find out if I did it or not, check the widget on the left side of the blog (<--).

Linda

I'm still working on the Clematis Stole, but had to stop knitting it for a while so I could finally finish this shawl:

I don't have any specs to post as of now, but will do so in another blog entry. This shawl was dreamt more than 6 months ago and I was knitting it non-stop until I hit the last tier.
Ah...the last tier! It made me stop dead on my tracks as I couldn't figure out the math for it. Then, I felt like this shawl needed an edging and that kept me from touching it again for a long, long time.
I finally found out a simple enough edging, read about a new (to me) way to work the corner and puff! It's done. Now I need to write it down (if there is interest) and send it to test knitters.