Tying up loose ends

I don't know why, but I'm always moving FOs from place to place in my apartment with the tails hanging for ages before I ever get around to weaving in the last ends and blocking.  I used to blame limited space and humid weather in my apartment in Japan but I don't have that for an excuse anymore.  After showing off some long finished projects to my mom in March, I finally bit the bullet and got pinning.  Who knew how easy it could be with a spacious guest room and a dry climate!  I forgot how much better these lace projects look after blocking!  Hopefully this is the end of piling finished projects on the back of the couch for so long that I forget they are even there.

Finished Echo Flower Shawl 

Finished Baby Umaro blanket

All other project details can be found on Ravelry. 

New Projects for the New Year

We're only halfway through January but I'm making good on my goal to get new projects started beyond the thinking/planning phase while I still have my new year momentum going strong.  I happily repurposed the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino from a failed vest knitting attempt and am now working away on a new Umaro blanket that will hopefully be large enough to add to my baby gift stash.  I'm also trying to get in the habit of using my sewing machine (and growing fabric stash) more regularly.  I don't have a sewing room and having all my supplies packed away in the guest room closet has always made it a bit of a chore to get everything out and then put it all away before dinner.  But not this year!  Have you heard of the Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt-a-long on Instagram?  I'm using it to dig into my many bags of scraps and work on a mini quilt that's been on my mind for a while.  It's been great motivation, thanks Ginny! 

One other new project was updating my blog comments to a new system this week.  Hopefully this will make it easier for commenters to leave a quick note and also for me to have an email address from commenters that I can actually reply to.  I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

What have you been working on this year?

Bitterroot

I started

Bitterroot

a few weeks ago when I was in need of a new lace project.  I've been picking up and putting down my granny square project for years now, but it can't seem to keep my interest beyond a few squares.  This is the perfect lace project to keep my attention, and started with some yarn from my stash, too.  I was about to post how this is my favorite part of a triangular shawl project.  Just far enough in that I have memorized the lace pattern, but not so close to the end that the rows are pushing 300 stitches. 

You might notice that there are no needles in this photo though.  Even worse than interminable rows at the end of these projects are those moments when you realize you messed up some increases a while back.  At least I found it before making it much further!  I spent a bit of this rainy afternoon carefully making my way back to the problem area, and now I'm all set to enjoy the project again.  The details are on

Ravelry

.

Replenishing my dishcloth stash

Ever since finishing my Echo Flower Shawl I haven't been focused enough to do the casting on for a completely new project so I've just been cranking out these handy ballband dishcloths from

Mason Dixon Knitting

.  I've made so many that I don't have to count rows, check needle size or any of the other project prep that keeps me from starting all those other patterns in my queue.  The only problem is I'm running low on Sugar'n Cream so it won't be on deck as my permanent standby project much longer.  

Currently accepting suggestions for mindless spring knitting.

Echo flower shawl

This is how I spent the end of winter in Dallas.  The last major project I started, this Echo Flower Shawl was cast on in Atlanta in Fall 2012.  Just a small project to work on during my business trip, I thought!  After that, it traveled the world with me, most notably on a business trip through 7 countries in Europe when I didn't even knit a stitch.  Since then, I had worked on it on and off throughout other trips and breaks, but it wasn't until this winter that I got serious about casting off.  With 350+ stitches in the last rows and an edge chart with a different lace pattern, I queued up Scandal on Netflix and spent a good two weeks powering through (both the project and the episodes).

I've just cast off, but I'm starting to wonder how exactly I am going to manage blocking this beast that is already nearly the length of our sofa.  I wasn't too concerned until I remembered that I don't have my trusty tatami floors to pin my knitting to anymore.  Now what?!  It's already too warm to wear this in Texas so at least I can put it off blocking it in good conscience.  

Yarn

:  Malabrigo Lace Merino (Tuareg) - 2.3 skeins (although you could easily use less and not add endless repeats like I did)

Needles

:  Clover bamboo, Japanese size 7 (US 6)

Adamas shawl

It's time to pull out the knitting before anyone should think this is just another quilting blog.  Although I've been enjoying the time and space to work on quilts more since coming back to the US, the knitting basket hasn't been more than an arm's reach from my spot on the couch.  This

Adamas shawl

that I started in 2008 has been languishing in my craft box for a long time, but I recently pulled it out to send to someone special.

This prompted me to take a closer look at

my Ravelry notebook

and I was delighted to see that the site now has more than 4 million users.  Congrats, Ravelry!!  Seeing those WIPs that are still in my knitting basket has me ready to set aside the quilts for a while.  Torn about which project to pick up at night, at least!