Heady Stuff

Knitting production is at an all-time low.   (Book consumption, in contrast, is seeing wonderfully high levels.)

The two projects I’m working on are at completely different points:  one is completely mindless rows of stockinette in the round (seriously, it’s amazing how little brainpower it requires), and the other is a brain teaser I’ve dreamed up.

 

This is my brain teaser:   I am trying to make my own pattern for a stuffed schnauzer.

I checked out some of the patterns on Ravelry, and while they were cute, they just weren’t quite right for what I wanted.

Miniature Schnauzer by Joanna Osborne and Sally Muir

Miniature Schnauzer by Joanna Osbourne and Sally Muir, from Best In Show, is adorable, but my schnauzer is going to be a gift for child, and this schnauzer just looks too dignified and sophisticated, not like the goofy schnauzer that I know.

Schnauzer by Justyna Kacprzak, published in Cute and Kaboodle

Now this guy, he is my back-up plan.   He is definitely cute and goofy looking, but he wasn’t my first choice because it’s crochet, and right now, before I lose my mind, I’m telling myself that I want the smoother look of knitting.

And, I am panning to construct it in such a way that it has minimal sewing up at the end.

(And Yes, I used a short-row heel to make the top of the head!   We’ll see if it has the shape I want when I stuff it with Poly-Fil.)

Happy Knitting Adventures!

Partial Organization

“I pulled out box after box, setting them haphazardly around the room. My organization lacked something — like, say, organization …”
― Richelle Mead, Succubus Dreams

How up-to-date is your Ravelry stash?

After buying my new yarn at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, I felt a need to update my Ravelry stash.   Now, I could have just added the two new items I had purchased.

Instead, I took some time and went through my bags of yarn, took pictures, and uploaded them to Ravelry.    I like the idea of having a list of my yarns, for when ball bands are lost (because let’s be honest, they will either be lost, or thoughtfully thrown away to decrease clutter, and then mourned).

And here’s where the organization gets less…. organized.   I didn’t put ALL of my yarns in Ravelry, just some.   Just the ones I thought I would want to use soon, and those of higher quality.  (Yes, acrylics have their place, but at this point, I didn’t feel the need to catalog all the leftovers from baby blankets I’ve made over the years.)

Here are a few of my favorites from the stash:

(From top left, clockwise)

Knit Picks Chroma,  Knit Picks Galileo, Caron Simply Soft (yes, it’s acrylic, but I have sentimental reasons for loving this batch), and Cascade 220 Superwash.

Ahh, I love going through the yarn.   It’s like counting your blessings.

Do you use the Ravelry stash?   Do you enter every ball of yarn, or pick and choose what to include?

Happy organizing!