(Belated) Congrats to Ravelry for 2,000,000!!

I am a week and a half late with this post, but just wanted to say a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Jess & Casey for reaching TWO MILLION Ravelers on February 29th.  To celebrate, many of us made special Ravatars to appear on the front page starting the minute that the two-millionth Raveler signed up.  You can pick out your own Ravatar by the bright pink border and the order shuffles with each refresh of the page.

I'm not going to lie - I refreshed a few times to get this screen shot of mine:

I used a photo from last year's Connecticut Sheep & Wool festival and jazzed it up using the Picnick option in Flickr (how is it that Picnick is going away in April?!?!)

Alternatively, you can click on the link further down on the front page and Casey has the Ravatars sorted by the order that the users joined Ravelry - this only includes the people whose Ravatars have the 2million file name, not every member.  I first joined Ravelry during the early days in May 2007 right before graduating from law school (post here).  Back then the site was still in beta and they were only sending out a invites in small groups at a time to manage the traffic.  It took about a week from the time I signed up until I received my invitation, which was fairly quickly because shortly after that it the word spread like wildfire and the list was a few weeks long to get an invite.  To think that just under 5 years later there are 2+ million of us out there (as of the time of this post, there are 2,023,634 people signed up).

Here's to the next 2,000,000 and beyond!!

Happy 2010

Happy New Year everyone!

I am feeling very inspired after having just watched Julie & Julia and the ideas are just spinning through my head as to a similar project I could do with my knitting. I thought about picking a knitting book out of my library and knitting every pattern in it the same way that one of the movie's protagonists, Julie, cooked all of the recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. As much fun as that sounds, I cannot decide on which book to choose.

How about a regular ol' New Year's Resolution? I know, I know. Every so often I come back and say that I will blog more often. Finish my UFO's before casting on a new project. Knit from the stash instead of buying new yarn. Organize the forever-expanding yarn stash, needle collection and library of knitting books. Knit for at least 30 minutes every day. Those are the usual stand-by resolutions for myself and many other knitters out there. Been there, done that (albeit not very successfully...)


When it comes down to it, I think that my New Year's resolution is just going to be: Enjoy my knitting. Learn new things. Not be intimidated by difficult techniques. Crochet an entire project. Knit a shawl. And finish or frog all my current projects (I can't have a resolution list without including that one...) OK, OK, so that's more than one. But they can all be summed up in two words: Have fun!!

Good luck to everyone and Happy Knitting in 2010!!

Of socks and other ramblings

There really isn't much in the way of knitting about which to update. Basically because I haven't done much knitting in the last few days (mostly because I need to get away from the computer). Well, I take that back. I have been working on more preemie hats and I did (finally) cast on my second May Day Sock for the Sockamania Club. I had cast on a few days ago, but had to frog about 1/2 way through the ribbed cuff because I somehow messed it up. Serves me right for trying to knit while on the phone and in poor lighting. Yesterday I made it through the cuff and started the first repeat and today I all but finished the first repeat -- I think I have 2 more rounds to go. This second sock is going much faster than the first. I've reached the point where I don't have to rely so much on the chart and don't have to be meticulous about marking the spot where I am. Anyway, one more repeat, turn the heel, 2.5 repeats on the foot and then onto the toe. Should have it finished by the time I receive my J.D. on Friday.

Yes, that's right. I graduate on Friday. That reminds me.... I have to change the header of the blog -- I am no longer a "3L", so this really isn't a "3L's Adventures in Knitting" anymore. And technically I am not a lawyer until I pass the bar in July. Hmmm... I'll have to think about that one...

Back to the knitting. Lately I have been fascinated with the idea of toe-up socks. Mostly due to my other fascination with knee socks. (I know, a little warm to wear knee socks in the summer, but at my pace, I should start them now and they'll be finished by the time cold weather arrives...) I'm a fairly short gal at 5'3" (give or take) and might be able to eke out a pair of knee socks out of 430 yards of yarn, don't ya think? I'm going to try to anyway. I have a decent number of skeins of Lorna's Laces in my stash, which would be perfect as they are already divided into 2 separate equally long skeins. If I start at the toe and just knit until I run out of yarn in one ball, I should get pretty close to a knee sock out of it.... I hope. Maybe?

The problem is that I have a lot of sock yarn despite the facts that 1. I only started knitting socks in February; and 2. I have finished only 1 pair of socks, even though I currently have 2 pairs OTN's right now and one pair recently frogged. So I weigh my desire to knit knee socks with my need to not buy any more yarn and I get the crazy plan to try and get a pair of knee socks from yarn that is sufficient to knit 1 pair of medium adult socks. Actually... Now that I think about it and as I browse through the pictures of my stash (stash is at home in CT -- far away where I cannot pet it and stare at it and play with it)... the Lorna's Laces Lilac complements the Iris Garden. I could do contrasting color toes, heels, and cuffs to make the yardage stretch a little more. Hmm... Now we're going somewhere:



And I was going somewhere with this, now that it has turned into a marathon post. But alas, it is late and I have lost my train of thought. Which is fine by me because I solved the conundrum I was having over this knee sock business.

One last thing before I sign off: I did a little spring cleaning of the sidebar. Moved some things around, deleted some things etc. I also updated my list of blogs I read and the podcasts to which I listen, as they both have grown in numbers since the last time I did a major update of the list awhile back.

Good night all!

It's been awhile...

...well, almost a week since my last post. Things have been pretty hectic between going back home to CT for the weekend, then starting the first round of bar review classes this week, and oh yeah, packing. In the not-busy moments I do stop and think to myself, "Wow, at the end of next week I will be a law school graduate."

While I was home I cleaned out my room to get it ready for my return on the 25th; threw away a lot of junk, organized TONS of crafting stuff: scrapbooking, pictures, and don't forget the STASH. Ravelry actually aided in my organizing the stash because I started taking pictures of it to post in my notebook there. It isn't all up yet, but most of the sock yarn is. The rest will have to wait for another day. (For those of you who are on Ravelry, I am "ndjen04" over there too if you'd like to friend me)

Dad drove me back to Boston on Sunday. He and my brother loaded up the truck with a ton of stuff from my apartment here to bring back to CT -- furniture, my bed (I am sleeping on an air mattress for the remaining weeks here), pots and pans, TV cart (but left the TV), desk. Basically if I don't need it up here and it fit in the truck, they took it. When my stuff got home, my mom put my desk and small dresser in their den. I will have my own little crafting corner in there and am soooo excited about it! Especially because I will have a space to work on my other craft: scrapbooking. I have never really had my own crafting space before. I've always spread out on the kitchen table only to have to pack it all up and lug it back upstairs when I was finished. Now I can have it all organized in plastic drawers and cubbies and have my workspace right there! Oh how wonderful!

Let's see... what else? Oh! In knitting news, I finished my first preemie hat. Take a look:



Knit with Caron Simply Soft in Soft Pink on US 6 DPN's. I adapted the pattern from Newborns in Need so that it was knit in the round as I am not a fan of seaming. Also, I added shaping on the top to make it more fitted. Basically the pattern came out something like this:

CO 40 sts; Join in the round
K1, P1 rib for 1 inch
Switch to st st for 12 rounds
Decrease for the top as follows:
Round 1: *K8, K2tog repeat from * to end of round
Round 2: K
Round 3: *K7, K2tog repeat from * to end of round
Round 4: K
Round 5: *K6, K2tog repeat from * to end of round
Round 6: K
Then I drew the yarn through the remaining stitches to close off the top.

The plan is to knit up a whole bunch and donate them to a local hospital. My aunt also told me that she had information on other local places that take preemie hats and blankets too, so I will have to get that from her next time I see her. Speaking of charitable knitting, I did a bit of an update to the Knit for a Cause post, adding in more links and places to check out. And although I was already a member of the Crafting for a Cause blogspot page, I also joined their Livejournal Community too. If you already knit or do other crafts for charity, I highly recommend joining this group. Very inspiring and encouraging group of crafters! Hi to anyone who found my blog through there!

And last, but not least, I have been playing around with my blogger template. Mostly with the colors, starting off small. To change the background colors I actually had to edit the html of the template, which was a little scary at first. I know a tiny bit of HTML and could (sort of) figure out what I was doing, but at the same time I was a bit terrified that I would accidentally erase an essential part and my site would *POOF* disappear. Don't worry, I was smart enough to back up the template before playing around with it just in case, but it was still a scary process.

And now after this long rambling post, it is time to sign off and go knit some more.

Happy Knitting!

A bit of a hiatus

Classes finished last week, which means that exam season is in full swing. For the next 10 days I will be going MIA while I study and write my final papers. Assuming I keep to my rigorous study plan, I should still have time to knit, but I may or may not have time to update the blog. So far I am pretty much on schedule and decided to take a quick break to update and catch up on my message board reading. Also, looking at the clock, it is almost time for Knitty Gritty. My parents' basic digital cable plan includes DIY Network, unlike my plan up in Boston. Yay! Last year my cable company had a special going on the expanded package so I had the channel, but this year I wasn't too keen on forking over the extra money, especially because I am not usually home at this time of day.

So for now, I will sign off and catch you on the flip side of exams.

In awe

Before stopping for lunch, I had to make another update. I just turned the heel of the Jaywalker and I must say that turning the heel will forever amaze me. Pure knitting genius.

Home Sweet Home

Today I came home for Easter weekend and arrived to a wonderful pile of presents on my bed. No, not an early visit from the Easter Bunny, but it was all the stuff I ordered over the last three weeks or so. Check it out:

~ Swift and ball winder from Joann.com. I had two 50% coupons and figured I'd might as well splurge. Now that I am obsessed with sock knitting and most sock yarn does not come pre-wound, it was a good investment.

~ Yarn4socks.com Sock Club April yarn and pattern. Don't want to give away too many secrets in case people haven't received theirs yet, but I like it!!

~ Lorna's Laces Flamingo Stripe. I believe I previously posted about my adventures in hunting down this yarn because I just had to have it. It is even prettier in person than it is on the computer screen. Used my new swift and ball winder to wind it up and began knitting the Pink Ribbon sock pattern with it since proceeds from the yarn go to Breast Cancer research. This will also be my first pair of socks for the 4 Socks a Season KAL

~ Lisa Souza Violet's Pink Ribbon Sock! yarn. I can't get enough of the Lime & Violet podcast and absolutely fell in love with this colorway when I saw it. The proceeds go to help Ms. V.

~ Knitty.com "I'd Rather Be Knitting" Raglan Hoodie in pink (of course)

I figure now I have enough to keep me busy for awhile -- at least until graduation at the end of May

Knitting Realization and Stash Management

Even though I had plenty of time this weekend, I have had a hard time finishing these projects. I think it may have something to do with the fact that until Easter, the only yarn I have with me here in Boston is the yarn for my blue socks, the gift, my cousin's mittens, and Carlos's lime green hat. As you can see from my new progress bars, I am not too far from completing each of these four projects. In reality, I am probably closer to finishing than I represented, but due to my dislike of weaving in the ends, sewing seams, and basically any tedious finishing technique, I have left a greater percentage toward those tasks. Anyway, once those few projects are finished, I have no other yarn here with me and will be greatly tempted to buy more. So if I drag out these projects, I can have something to knit for the next 17 days without spending more money on yarn.

It's taken a great deal of discipline, but I am trying really hard to keep my yarn-buying to a minimum. Every time I mention I want to buy something, Carlos asks me "Do you want it? Do you need it? Do you love it?" and if I can answer all three in the affirmative, then I should buy it. If even one answer is a "no", then I shouldn't buy it. When it comes to yarn, I can always answer the want it and love it with a resounding YES! But the need it question - that's a bit iffy, especially if I have comparable yarn already in my collection.

Particularly sock yarn. I have several sock patterns bookmarked, including the ever-popular Jaywalkers by Grumperina, these winding cable socks from Interweave Knits, and many others. I don't have the yarn here to do these projects. I do, however, have several skeins/hanks/balls of yarn for these projects at home in Connecticut and do not need to buy more.

Let it Snow!

Yes folks, on Tuesday I posted that I hoped the nice weather would stick around so that I could put away my mittens. But, no, it is snowing pretty steadily out there today. Wednesday night I didn't need a coat and today I needed a hat, scarf, and mittens. Being a native New Englander, I should have known better. I believe Mark Twain said it best: "If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes." and also, "Yes, one of the brightest gems in the New England weather is the dazzling uncertainty of it. There is only one thing certain about it: you are certain there is going to be plenty of it -- a perfect grand review..."

But with the inclement weather comes motivation to stay in and complete some of the projects I have OTN. Currently I am 1/2 done with the heel flap of my second sock, 1/3 done with Carlos's new (and hopefully better-fitting) hat, and then there are a few others as well that are at various stages. Now I just have to pry myself away from the computer, grab a hot cup of tea, and curl up in my comfy chair with my knitting.

Procrastinating

I tweaked the blog a little - changed the colors here and there, added a site meter and a "favicon" (the picture that appears in the address bar and tabs if your browser has that capability). Also new to the site is a graphic to the right with my current WIP's (works in progress) and the 2007 FO's (finished objects). A couple weeks ago my mom asked me why I keep starting new projects when I have a whole bunch that are unfinished. Of course the goal would be to have more finished that on-going projects, however, I have a rather short attention span when it comes to my knitting. Yes, I love all the projects I am currently knitting, but sometimes I just need a change of pace (or yarn or size of needles or pattern). To add to that, I have so many more project ideas floating around in my head. Thankfully Thursday I will be returning to CT for 10 days of relaxation (and knitting!).

I promise to be boring no more!

Ladies and gents, your wait is almost over. The batteries for the digital camera are charging and by tomorrow morning I will be able to capture my wonderful knitting creations to post here for the world to see.

In other knitting news, this past Tuesday before the "big storm" hit New England, I picked up some sock yarn and itty bitty needles so I could venture into the world of socks! Yay! So far it has been going extremely well. I only ripped it out once (knock on wood) and that was the first attempt and about 10 stitches into the first row. The smaller gauge yarn and tiny needles have taken time to get used to. I probably should have bought the shorter double-pointed, but out of force of habit and because of my sheer excitement, I wasn't thinking and bought my usual 7" bamboo DPNs. Ah well, I've gotten used to them, so it's not too terrible. Of all the things that knitting has taught me over the last 17 months, patience, persistence, and adaptation have been the three most important.

Also, I have joined the Knitter's Review Forum. I highly recommend it or something similar for anyone who knits - from beginner to the most advanced. Sharing your ideas and experiences with fellow knitters is an invaluable intangible tool to add to your knitting bag; not only can you help others, but more importantly you might learn a thing or two!

Although, I must confess... if I had spent half as much time knitting as I have spent at the computer this week, I might have had at least one of the 6 or 7 projects done that I have on my needles... Maybe that revelation is a sign that I should stop posting and get back to my knitting a bit before bedtime. Good night all!

I dropped a stitch or two...

Well, I did not have as much time to update my blog over the Christmas break. In fact, I had NO time to do it. Working, the holidays, spending time with my family, hanging out with Carlos, learning my new computer, and relaxing took up most of my time while I was home. I did, however, finish Carlos's mittens in time to give them to him on Christmas Day. He loved them, although they ended up being a little too big. :-( I made them from a pattern that was for a Men's medium, but I guess his hands are smaller than that. I also started and finished a pair of mittens for my little brother. These are bright orange and blue -- NY Mets colors. And winter has FINALLY arrived so everyone can enjoy their newly knitted goods.

I arrived back in Boston January 7th and in that time I've started three different projects. One of them is a long term project and the other two are scarves and shouldn't take too much longer. One of the scarves involves a rather complicated cable pattern, so it's taken me a little longer than expected. When I go home for Presidents' Day weekend, I'll be sure to try and take pictures of all my projects to share. Until then, it's back to my knitting and my studying.

One down, one to go!

I finished one of the mittens that I will be putting in Carlos's stocking for Christmas! :-) If I had a digital camera here, I'd post a picture, but I suppose you'll have to wait until I go home next week. How knows, maybe by then I'll have them both done and you'll get to see a pair! Not that the mittens are anything spectacular -- just your basic stockinette stitch mitten in lime green. Yes, I said lime green. Last year I had made Carlos a multi-colored scarf with shades of bright blues and greens (one strand of yarn that is multi-colored - you know what I'm talking about, right?). And now he wanted mittens in the lime green color that is in the scarf. He did make a comment today that I should hurry up and finish them because he really needs them in this balmy 50 degree weather we've been having in the Northeast. I told him that I made a deal with Mother Nature to hold off on the cold until they were finished ;-)

And on a different note, don't think that this multiple postings per day will last long. Keep in mind that right now my blog is a novelty and I'm just starting out.

Title...

I need a title for my blog. Something other than "Jen's Knitting Space." I thought about "Knitting Jenny", but decided against it for two reasons: 1. Knitting Jenny is a trademark of Mattel, so I probably can't use it, and 2. I don't like the name Jenny very much.

My First Blog

How exciting. My first blog post. Now, don't get me wrong, I have a livejournal and all, but I wanted to create a space just for my knitting. I taught myself to knit a year ago and wanted a place to share my projects and thoughts about knitting. Bear with me while I get started.