Back on the (Hobby) Horse

So after almost a year of silence. I am posting another entry. I don't really suppose anyone but me reads these, but its worth it for my own interest to post them.

I am once again in the midst of a knitting frenzy. I have completed more projects already this year than the last few months combined. I'm trying new and harder things and am getting faster and better at the knitting. It feels good. It feels great to know how to fix problems when they come up instead of ripping back to the beginning to start over. It feels good to have friends and family enjoy my knitted gifts and others to ask for their own. Knitting is the one aspect of my life which goes utterly smoothly all the time.

Certainly there was the recent incident of Charlie deciding to eat my dpn holders and in the process ripping Keith's sock right off the needles and leaving it for me to find when I got home. That was slightly traumatic I'll admit. But after a few tears and some frustrated 'bad dogs!' I got down to work and picked up all the stitches and continued on. Barely a glitch in the pattern that only a trained knitter might notice.

I'm enjoyed the types of things I am making more too. Besides the always wonderful fingerless gloves, which I knit for what felt like everyone's Christmas presents, there have been things like an improvised cowl and hat for myself and a baby hat and booties for Dave and Penny.

As my life gets more and more stressed and complicated, the knitting gets more and more necessary, more and more relaxing and fun. The projects get done more quickly and I am more willing to give them as gifts now.

Just now I am working on a pair of socks for Keith, which will be lovely when finished. Today I also picked up two skeins of wool, one for a cowl for my friend Rut, and another which will likely end up as a cowl for me. I seem to alternate between one gift and one personal project.

The other purchase today was a Yarntainer. I have seen them around here and there, but never really considered one before. I always take my knitting with me, in my bag or another little bag. It's always crazy and the yarn gets tangled, the pattern gets wonky, and sometimes the stitches slip right off the needles and I spend wasted time fixing them. So I happened to see the Yarntainers again today and bought a medium sized one for small delicate projects. Since regular needles won't fit in the jar, I think I might only use it when I am knitting projects on dpns or circulars and for things like socks. So far I am happy with the purchase. Charlie can no longer get into the knitting and I won't snag it on the inside of my purse. I am not using the designated hole for the yarn on top as I had already started the project. I think it might not get used that way very often as it limits the project. What if I need to remove it for some reason? It doesn't seem that practical. Maybe I can modify it to take the yarn out the side instead.