Whenever a new knitting technique comes out, I tend to be a little skeptical… and I end up late to the party. Plus, picture tutorials don’t work for me.

Recently, I finally tried and learned them with the help of two videos from Cat Bordhi. If you are a knitter and haven’t tried these, I highly recommend that give them a try.

Judy’s Magic Cast-on

Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off

I finished my fingerless mittens!

I call them ‘Elemental Mitts’ (aka Ele-Mitts). (A woman from my knitting group came up with that and said I could use it! )

They are mine, all mine and I love them! My first completed project using my own handspun!

I still have some yarn left to make something matchy-matchy so stay tuned for that. I’m still deciding what to make.

ttfn!

I finished the pink shawl… FINALLY! Geez, it took me six months. I’m so happy that it is completed ’cause now I can gift it!

To celebrate it’s completion, I joined a knit-a-long … sort of. The SpinDoctor podcast is having a knit-a-long – Maine Morning Mitts using handspun. My ‘kinda-sorta-maybe-in-a-way-but-not-really’ participation is to make fingerless mitts with my handspun … but not use that pattern but more making it up as I go along.

But you can’t see ‘em until I’m done.

Really.

Don’t look at me like that.

Well…

Ok … here’s a peek.

A couple of weekends ago, I was going to write a blog post. I was going to write about how I felt my blog has felt a little unfocused this year (hence the silence) and talk about some knitting angst I’ve been having … then I got some news. Not good news – someone I cared about had been hit by a car. Such an odd sentence to say … think .. write. It doesn’t make sense to read the words, ya know?

It’s not really something that I can wrap my mind around to even grasp the reality of it. What I can grasp is that it makes me sad … but glad that no life was lost. … and all my knitting angst suddenly was unimportant. Who cares how many projects I have on the needles. I no longer did so I dropped everything that I was knitting … I am now knitting squares.

I hope these squares will end up as a blanket – I don’t know if I’ll manage that … but the moment I started knitting them, I felt better… Knitting once again has allowed me … helped me to be constructive when otherwise, I’d probably worry and obsess way more than was needed.

So keep good thoughts … for my loved one’s recovery … and the blanket I hope to make for him.

A blanket for J. I couldn’t find a pattern I liked so I’m making it up as I go along … but isn’t that what life is all about?

Peace to you … and go tell someone you love them. Life is precious.

Well, I washed the swatch.

I was in the process of determining gauge (It was hard to see the stitches clearly after it had been washed), when I heard from my LYS – the color I wanted in that yarn was discontinued. However, there was only a brief moment of disappointment. I liked the yarn I’d chosen, but I didn’t love it. So it’s ok. And I’m back to the drawing board, in search of the yarn to make my first sweater – yarn that I love. I have an idea or two. I’ll keep you posted.

Also, I finally finished my yarn from Ravelympics – that’s coming up next!

I finally picked up the Ulmus again.

I wasn’t sure why I put it down, because I really like knitting. But I think it’s because I was getting closer to the edging which has lace in it. So I’ve decided not to do that edging. Not sure what I’ll do yet. Oh well – It’ll be something to look forward to.