Tag: Top Ten

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Slow but sure, a marathon not a sprint.

Every day, every project, every pile. I have to remember that projects are a marathon not a sprint. It’s about time for a new top ten list. I find I’m adding and adding and not finishing, once again. Problem is it isn’t just knitting.

1. Graphic design homework projects due 2/27.
2. Editing next KnitStyle pattern due 2/15.
3. Launching ultimateknittingclub.com forums, blog, and patterns.
4. Planning store sale for March.
5. 2013 taxes due 2/28.
6. Socks, hand. (Supposed to be at the heel today!)
7. Knit swirl, hand.
8. Stormy weather, machine.

I’m quitting the list here before I get overwhelmed. What’s on your list?

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UFO Night tonight!!

Its cold and rainy out after a beautiful sunny 80F yesterday and I have projects to get finished. Guess its a good thing tonight is UFO night! And, now I’m making my next Top Ten list public. I really need encouragement to get these projects finished so I can move on to the new stuff!

1. duplicate stitch name on Stocking (for customer)
2. Galway set-in sleeve cap pattern (for customer) [and possibly reknit it]
3. Cassidy in Shepherd’s Wool Great Lakes colorway (back done, working on fronts).
4. February Lady Sweater in Dream in Color Classy Black Pearl (working way down the front to the armhole).
5. Shawl (but I’m doing the scarf size which will look like a shawl on me!) using Mountain Colors Half Wool Crepe (named because it is half a ball of Wool Crepe) in Harmony Lake (airplane and hospital knitting).
6. Insouciant Sock in Heritage Handpaint (need to finished one before sock class resumes April 17).
7. repair on Penny’s Dale of Norway’s Baby Uhl sweater (maybe I can convince her I need to keep it on display since we now have the pattern and yarn, albeit new colorways, for said baby sweater).
8. Noni’s Bowling Ball bag (using scrap Shepherd’s Wool, testing Size 9.5US HiyaHiya Interchangeable — OH YES!!! — can’t wait for the real thing!).
9. Ribby Cardi from ChicKnits (Shepherd’s Wool brown/lt Turquoise on 860+ribber)
10. Cable Sweater for Knitting Today News Issue 4 (on USM)

Really? That’s all that is on the needles in plain sight? Its do-able, right?

Okay, now we’ll start listing what is hidden on the shelf, in knitting bags around the store, or is done but needs ends finished or blocked  . . .

1. Wrap me up shawl – ends (would like to do this again in sock yarn!).
2. Swirl Shawl from Melody Superwash by Jojoland – block.
3. Miralda’s shawl, Knitted Lace of Estonia, from Domy Heather (oh, I want to stock this yarn!) – block.
4. In the Pink – block.
5. baby snowman from Marie Mayhew’s Felted Snowman pattern – started.
6. Butterfly Garden blanket using Kona Superwash.
7. 8 hours baby Blanket using Encore.
8. Filigree Lace Shawl – in Alpaca With a Twist Fino (which I need done by Stitches Midwest 2010 to wear as a sample).

Things I want to start?? Okay, I won’t go there.  Maybe after I get a few things knocked off the UFO list.  I’ll report back after tonight because I have some really great projects in mind for classes this summer/fall.  Plus, I have a couple of huge projects I’m working on: MK Unite! [a retreat for machine knitters with myself, Heather Thompson, Michelle Teasley (shoot, forgot her married name! Sorry, Michelle!), Susan Guagliumi and Mary Anne Oger] for this summer, a new website design, Knitting Today News Issue 4 cables, “Make Your Sweater Fit” class, as well as a handknitting retreat for Fall. 

I’d like to know I’m not alone in the whole project overload arena. . . What is your project list?  I have an extremely useful Fold ‘n Go tool tote to give away to one lucky winner.  Drawing will be held May 16!  Tell your friends to comment too.  All comments must be on the blog (facebook fans, twitter followers, click the post link and go to the website to comment).  If we go over 25 comments, I’ll add a couple more prizes to the pool. . . .  post away!  Lea-Ann

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Top Ten Update – Project #2 Penny’s Wristers

“Wristers (1 strand fingering wool, 1 strand mohair, my own design)  – 1 down, 1 to go”

Finished!  I used Diamusee Fine and a strand of lace weight mohair.  Penny’s hands will be warm except the fingertips now as she packs all your orders!  Here’s the pic:

wristers

More updates to come.  Original list here:

https://knittingtoday.com/archives/2008/09/01/with-a-little-help-from-some-friends/

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Top Ten Update #1 – Crossed-Stitch Scarf

Cross-Stitch Scarf Project

Hi everyone:  I’m going to blog about my top ten list and the current update so I can move on to some new projects!  You’ll recall one of the projects was the Crossed-Stitch Scarf from 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders.  That really didn’t even qualify as a UFO as it was the closest to being done when Carli and I made the list.  Well, here it is, in all its glory:  one skein of Andy’s Merino II, the pattern from 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders, page 186 and if you scroll down, I’ll tell you how I improvised to make it a quick easy weekend knit.  A note about this yarn:  The dye jobs are different or should I say “Unique” even within a shipment.  I wouldn’t want to have to integrate two skeins of the same colorway into a project, which is why I chose the scarf I did.  The colorway I chose was Mercada De Merino. I’ll be offering a class on this in January if anyone wants to do it hands on . . . .
Crossed-Stitch Scarf       
Now, about this stitch pattern and how to speed it up . . . it requires knitting into the 2nd stitch first and then into the 1st stitch.  This is very awkward and time-consuming to do.  I recommend that you wrap your yarn clockwise around the needles instead of counter-clockwise when you purl.  This reverses the stitch on the needle for the knit side and then you can simply knit into the back of the 2nd stitch and then the 1st stitch and continue in pattern across the row.  Eazy Peazy!  Lea-Ann

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Top Ten List update

Why am I the only one who has TEN on her list (notice comments from previous post entitled “With a Little Help from some friends . . “? Don’t you guys really have other things stashed away that you need encouragement getting through? Carli, I had to mix the list order up a little bit more than what *we* had originally decided. October is almost here and I want Vicky’s prayer shawl to be done. I think I’m going to stash away the Mexico Socks and only work on them during class time. I’m seriously feeling the need to start a sweater in the new Shepherd’s Wool so I’m diligently working to get the projects that belong to other people off the list. Cross off, done, finished, yeah —

  1. Cross Stitch Scarf
  2. Peg’s Sweater
  3. Becky’s Sweater. 

Retired to Hibernating status: Filigree Lace Shawl. In the bag and working on:

  1. Vicky’s shawl
  2. Penny’s Baby Sweater repair,
  3. Marilyn’s sweater finishing.  
  4. Ring of Lace shawl — my travel knitting but I dropped a stitch late during UFO night and I now need to do a repair. I’ll tackle it tonight at horse.  

Notice I have not yet added more to the list, but when I do its going to be Shepherd’s Wool projects. That stuff is just wayyyyy too yummy to ignore for much longer. Oh, and I’m working on a postcard mailing for an upcoming sale — keep your ears tuned! Lea-Ann

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with a little help from some friends . . .

a big thank you to Lisa, Patti and Carli — you know, sometimes the pile just gets overwhelming and it takes some friends to help straighten it out.  It took 4 hours to sort through the stack on the table, my desk, and my shelves and voila, now I can think again!  Do you ever feel like that?  So overwhelmed that you just don’t know which way to turn or what project to pick up?  And, before you ask, NO, I will not show you a picture of the before and after, but I will give you a list of my top ten UFOs:

Cross Stitch Scarf (Andy’s Merino II, 101 Designer One Skein Wonders) – finishing today
Wristers (1 strand fingering wool, 1 strand mohair, my own design)  – 1 down, 1 to go
Mexiko Socks (for moi’, 2 at a time, toe up, jojo heel, stretchy cast off) – at the heel, travel knitting
Peg’s Sweater – repair for a customer
Marilyn’s Sweater – Sally’s Favorite Summer Sweater finish for a customer
Penny’s Baby Sweater repair – Baby Uhl newborn design – I LOVE this yarn!
Felted Snowman – a quick, fun project, I’ve been working on it for almost a year I think
Vicky’s Prayer Shawl – finish by October for the Chilifest
Wrap Me Up – this moved back to my top ten when the sisters from Goshen stopped by with a little show and tell and one of them had this done in a combination of Noro, Donegal, and other odds and ends
Filigree Lace Shawl – this will remain on my to do list for a long time since it takes forever to get across a row — anyone interested in a lace knitalong to encourage me?
Ring of Lace Shawl – had to tear out and restart on bigger needles.  This one is the most likely to become something else (I sort of like Anita’s feather and fan scarf she brought in better but am not quite ready to give up on this design yet).

There you have it, the top ten UFOs.  The other UFOs went in a container (or two) in the back room. I think they’ll let me pull another one out when I have one finished.  Or maybe I can start another one when I have one finished.  Now, perhaps, I can concentrate on getting my list of classes ready for the fall.  Classes will be Tuesday evenings, Thursday mornings and Saturdays all day.  I have a list started, but not all the samples are done.  I really like to concentrate on techniques vs. projects, can’t you tell? 

Okay, tell me your Top Ten!Â