On Knitting With Precision. Or Not.

There are some knitting projects that are just more . . . forgiving . . . than others. Projects where you can figure out ways to "fix" or "modify" your goofs so you don't need to "knit backwards" or rip back or -- (heaven forbid) --  unravel altogether.

And then there are projects that require precision.

Like . . . this one, say.

It's not a difficult pattern to knit. It's super simple to memorize -- and "read" (once you've done a repeat or two). But it does require precision. As in . . . any mistake will stick out like a sore thumb and drive you mad. 

Trust me.
I know!

I have knit back on more rows of this thing than I can count. (Mostly because . . . I can't count, apparently.) (And I'm also apparently particularly challenged about remembering the simple increase-on-every-right-side-row thing.)

This is not a forgiving pattern. Perfection is paramount. (And I'm not particularly into perfection.)

Yet I will soldier on. Because this . . . 

flower/grid/high-contrast combination just . . . tickles me!

Besides. I have plenty of "explanations" for when my knitting focus goes off the rails like this:

News anxiety
Pandemic fog
Captivating TV
Knitting-with-wine
All of the above

But, as of last night, I have a new one: mercury retrograde! Yes. Mercury is retrograde again. Which really doesn't mean much . . . except that you can blame pretty much anything* on it. 

And I will!

*(Except politics. We know just who to blame there.)

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How about you? What are you making these days? And do you find yourself less focused? (Or is it just me. . . )

Be sure to visit Kat today for links to more Unraveled posts.

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I have a BONUS for you this week!

For some reason that I can't pin down (pick any of the "explanations" from my list above, even if mercury wasn't retrograde), I seem to have subscribed TWICE to Making magazine. Which means . . . I have duplicate copies of the last two issues: No. 9 Simple and No. 10 Intricate, which just arrived yesterday in my mailbox.  I would like to share! If you're interested in a copy of either issue (or even both), just let me know in the comments and I'll draw a name out of a hat next Tuesday.

Bunnies on the Catwalk

Brace yourselves.

It's Bunny Fashion Week!

Yes, friends. I'm finally finished with those damn charming and adorable little bunnies! I feel like it's been one long summer episode of Project Runway: Bunny Edition.

Let's join the "Little Buns" (as I've taken to calling them) as they hit the catwalk, modeling the newest looks for the bunny set.

Fussy much? 

But really cute, non?

And soon on their way to (hopefully) make a couple of little girls I know . . . smile.

Glad I made them, now that they're finished. But I'm REALLY glad they're done, y'know?

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If you want more details (and more photos), you can check out my Ravelry project pages here (bunnies in the dotty dresses), here (textured dresses), here (top-down sweaters), and here (t-shirt dresses).

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How about you? What are you making this week?

 

 

All Summer Long

Click here for some Beach Boys to get you in the mood! 

I've been dragging something along with me . . . all summer long.

Slogging knitting away, off and on.
Mixing it up with baby sweaters and bunnies and embroidery.
On the patio, up north at the lake, in front of the tv.

All summer long
you've been with me
I can't see enough of you

All summer long
we've both been free
Won't be long til summer time is through

T-shirts, cutoffs
and a pair of thongs (flip-flops)
We've been having fun all summer long!

But now . . . summer time is through.
The weather is turning, it's time to move on.

It's so nice to add a new layer to my closet -- just in time for fall.

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You can find the details here on Ravelry. 

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What are YOU making this week?

 

Dying of Cuteness

After hours of futsy finishing. . .
(Hours.)
And more fiddling and adjusting than you can imagine. . . 
After being ready to just throw-in-the-towel on numerous occasions. . . 
(Ask Tom.)
And so much swearing. . . 

I am now . . . 

Dying of cuteness!

The little faces.
And the seed-stitch ears.

The stripey legs.
The shoes.
(The damn shoes nearly did me in.) (Just sayin.)

The little backsides.
(Where even the little tails are knit and stuffed.)

Truly.
Now I can say they were worth it.
Perfectly imperfect, but plenty good enough.

Just non-stop cute!

Now.
For the wardrobe!

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What are you making this week?

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Here's a Ravlery link to the pattern. (Y'know. In case you want to make some for yourself.) As for the wardrobe? So much to choose from! (Let's just say . . . it's kind of like shopping at the Able Sisters shop in Animal Crossings.)

 

 

Juggling: An Unraveled Post

It's always a good idea to have at least 2 knitting projects going at any one time:

One that is soothing to work on. Simple. MindFUL. Conversational. (Preferably one that pairs well with wine, if you know what I mean.)

And one that . . . isn't.

Finishing up knitting projects? 
It's all about juggling!

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What are you working on this week?

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Be sure to head over to Kat's today for more Unraveled posts.

And Then It Kind of Unraveled

We're up north this week (where it was 43 degrees F when I woke up this morning!).

Making-wise, I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to finish up my little bunnies. The early-week weather up north was looking cool and rainy -- perfect for bunny-finishing! So I gathered everything up and packed it for a bunny-making sew-and-stuff-fest at our cabin.

Yesterday afternoon (cool and rainy, as predicted), I got everything all laid out on the table . . . ready to settle in with my bunnies.

But.

If you take a look, something is missing.
Something important.
Vital to the project, even. 

(And if you guessed "bunny body parts" . . . you'd be absolutely right.)

Sigh.

My plans = completely unraveled!

I was evidently so focused on remembering to pack the stuffing and the black yarn for the faces and extra yarn and all my tools and my iPad . . . that I forgot to grab my bag of bunny parts!  (Oh, well. There's always next week.)

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How about you? What are you working on this week?

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Be sure to head over to Kat's today for more Unraveled fun.

 

You're Going To Be SO Jealous

As I stew in the quagmire that is Our Daily Situation now, I've been busying my hands with knitting silly little things. Fussy, knit-at-uncomfortable-gauge little things. Things that don't take much yarn, don't take much space, but DO take a lot of time!

Case in point: Here is the sum total of two weeks of knitting.

Yep. It all fits (without even cramming) into a quart-sized plastic bag!

But that's nothing.

Now comes the FUN part . . . 

Seaming.

Stuffing.

Assembling.

That's 2 heads, 2 bodies, 4 ears, 4 legs (with incredibly fussy shoes attached), 4 arms, and 2 tails.

Uh huh. I've knit bunny-body-parts for not-one-but-TWO of these. (Note: That link will take you to the designer's website page, NOT to Ravelry.) 

Let the Making begin!

(Bet y'all wish you were in my shoes . . . )

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Be sure to head over to Kat's for more Unraveling today.

Fade Away

. . . and radiate!

(Here's a link to the soundtrack for today's post, should you want to hear a little Blondie.)

Tom and I have a new grand niece due to arrive any day. So I made her a little sweater.

If Panic at the Disco! was the name of a song instead of the name of a band, THAT would be the name of this sweater. Because . . . I was definitely going to run out of yarn for this one! It's such a panicky feeling to know you're cutting it close, but not be quite sure. I had my little scale out and I was doing maths like crazy. But it was clear I was going to run out of yarn before I ran out of sweater.

In the end, I decided to attempt a fade. (My first.)

And it worked!

PHEW. . . 

You can read all about how I got myself INTO that pickle in the first place - and see all my other project notes - over on Ravelry here. (I'm sorry if you're having vision/vestibular issues with Ravelry these days; please send me an email if you'd like more details on how I knit this.)

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How about YOU? What'cha making?

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And be sure to visit Kat today for more Unraveled fun.

 

 

Like . . . REALLY Unraveled!

Look at it . . . 

Just sitting there.

Looking all ready to . . . Become Something!

(Fooled you, though.)

Just Monday morning, those lovely balls of yarn were behaving ever so nicely all knit up as Clues #1-3 of Kirsten Kapur's current mystery shawl. The yarn (Jill Draper's Ansel) is lovely and knits up beautifully. The design is interesting and clever, and the clues flow so well from each other (as Kirsten's designs always do). It's entertaining knitting, for sure, and I know the shawl will be a stunner when it's all finished.

But you know what?

It's just not my style.

I was not completely sold after the first clue, and was really having some doubts after the second. But . . . I knew I needed to give the whole thing a bit more "real estate" to judge it fairly, so I knit the third clue. And just kept thinking to myself . . . hmmmmm. I'm thinking no. But I decided to see what happens with the fourth clue before making any final decisions about continuing.

When I saw clue 4 (which, to be fair, does look like fun knitting and a very clever design), I knew that it just wasn't going to work for me.

So I ripped.
And re-wound.
Totally unraveled.

This year's mystery shawl will be beautiful, I know. And I can't wait to see all the other knitters' stunning finished shawls. I'll be content, though, with my decision to unravel. No regrets. Because I will have listened to my own heart . . .  and just let it go!

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What's the most surprising thing you've ever unraveled? And did you regret letting it go?

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Be sure to join Kat today for more tales of "unraveling."

An Altogether Different Destination

This week . . . I'm supposed to be biking through the Scottish countryside.

But I'm not.
Of course.

Instead, I took a little trip to "sleeve island."

Yep.
That's two sets of sleeves there. Adult-sized sleeves for this cardigan for me. And baby-sized sleeves for this cardigan for a gift (for a great niece due next month).

An altogether different destination, indeed.

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Head on over to Kat's today for more Unraveled posts.