Tidy mind, tidy stitches.

How do you keep your yarn wrangling organised? It seems like an easy to answer question at first, but in fact organisation exists on many levels. Maybe you are truly not organised at all, in which case I am personally daring you to try and photograph your stash in whatever locations you can find the individual skeins. However, if you are organised, blog about an aspect of that organisation process, whether that be a particularly neat and tidy knitting bag, a decorative display of your crochet hooks, your organised stash or your project and stash pages on Ravelry.

Well, I have a small room. So my stash lives in a plastic crate (I think it was used to hold peas), separated in various plastic bags. Yeah, as easy at that xD.

If there is something that is in use, I'll use my handy dandy Tardis knitting bag to hold it in. If the WIP is too large for that bag, I'll use another recyclable bag. If it's something super small and portable, I'll shove it in my purse and go.

I need to probably start using the stash pages on Rav. I started, then just gave up. So that can be a new plan to keep me organized a bit more.


(Oh in case anyone is wondering why there are no photos accompanying my posts. I...well. I've misplaced my camera's battery charger. And I haven't really been bothered to look for it. Thank goodness for the upcoming weekend! )

Take Care, and Happy Crafting.

Skill + 1UP

Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?

Be warned, this is another wordy post xD;

Hmm This time last year, I was knitting things in the round inside out. Just beginning to learn to cable. Starting Intarsia. Crocheting amigurumi inside out.

Yeahhh.

Now I'm slowly getting better with things. I'm still figuring how to properly wrap my color changes with intarsia. I can crochet faster. I finally learned how to make Granny Squares, and many other things I've forgotten. But the one things I miss about the way I used to work, is I would finish things faster.
I took a peak at some of my old FO's on Ravelry, and I saw objects finished in about 3 days. While I was in school mind you! Some huge force and drive just pushed to to not stop until the object was finished. Now, not so much. I'll procrastinate on things for days/weeks/ or months at a time. Unless it's something small and compact(an amigurumi, or wrist warmers), it won't get much of my time. And that bothers me a bit.
But it could be I'm over-working myself with school, and a hobby, and I just need to slow down and take a breather.
I'm looking forward to learning new techniques this year.

Thanks for reading this quickly scribbled out mess. I might re-write it more eloquently later on.

Take Care, and Happy Crafting

A Tale of Two Yarns

Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.


Oh this Knit/Crochet Blog week will be FUN, I can feel it.

Now I've only worked with a few yarn types as when I go yarn shopping, I have a specific idea in mind. Good to have so I don't end up with an un-imaginable stash, I think. Haha!

The one type I use the most often is actually Vanna's Choice by Lion Brand. Yes, get your gasps out of the way, I use acrylic yarn. The reason I enjoy Vanna's is, it is a very soft yarn for what I use it for. Which are mostly amigurumi and small toys and accessories. I can use it for long periods of time without it making my hands ache, and it's just produces a soft object.
Now one for the first hats I decided to knit up with that yarn was a Star-Crossed Slouchy Beret. This was when I was just taking knitting on a regular basis seriously. Now don't get me wrong, it came out nice. but it just didn't have the same flow. I made the mistake of washing it, and it shrunk it a tad, so it doesn't fit right. I have yet to unravel it, but I'll get around to it.


The other type of yarn I've used was Patons Wool. The very first time I got to use it was to knit up Borneo for Alyoop's test knit. I was in love. I thought wool would be scratchy and unpleasant to work with, Oh boy, was I ever wrong. It was nice and soft, and sure I had to stop for a while to rest, but I had no discomfort from it! It produced a lovely product, which is what I'm looking for.
My mother has now asked me to make her a hat using some beautiful Red Patons wool. Her hat of choice is Meret, and she wants it extra slouchy. I can't wait for my break to start so I can make it for her.

Hopefully I'll get the chance to use other lovely yarns I've heard about. Alpaca has been one I've been wanting to try for a good while.


Take Care, and Happy Crafting.