Monthly Archives: August 2015

31 Days To Get Your Knitting Organized: Days 24, 25, and 26

28 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by in Knitting

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http://blog.yarn.com/31-days-to-get-organized-tool-kit-essentials/

Day 24: Took Kit Essentials

I guess I have two toolkits. I carry folding scissors, flexible Knit Picks stitch markers, and 4 tapestry needles with me AT ALL TIMES, in an unused sunglass case. I also have a Fix-It keyring that came with one of my knitting magazines. It stays with my keys. So that’s what travels WITH me.

At home:
I have various retractible tape measures all around the house. The cat likes to play with them, so they are never where I last left them. I also have a straight ruler (for when I can’t find a tape measure). I have a pair of (mostly) dedicated scissors. I have 11 crochet hooks – I can’t crochet, but I use those to fix mistakes. I have several sets of dangly stitch markers (plus the supplies to make more), several gauge rulers/needle sizers, some conductive thread for hand gloves, MORE tapestry needles (they walk away about as often as my tape measures), a bunch of rubber bands (to keep my project from coming off the needles when I’m done for the evening) and rust-resistant push pins for blocking. Oh, and I just bought a knit-picker and several knitting thimbles for colorwork.

I do plan to get some sort of blocking tile set sometime soon.

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http://blog.yarn.com/31-day-to-get-organized-knitting-and-crochet-tools/

Day 25: Knitting and Crochet Tools

Today is all about gathering your knitting/crocheting tools in one place. It also talks about duplicates and giving things away.

I’m sorry, but the vast majority of the things in your crafting toolkit – especially the small things – tend to grow legs and walk away. So even if you have six of the same item – all you have to do is blink twice, and half of them have disappeared. (If you have a pet- it’s probably their fault, but things still move on their own.)

Now- I will give my tools out to any one who needs them (need a stitch marker? Here you go. Tapestry needle? No problem), BUT as soon as I start distributing my duplicates intentionally- the rest will run away and I won’t be able to find any of them.

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http://blog.yarn.com/31-days-to-get-organized-storing-your-knitting-and-crochet-tools/

Day 26: Storing Your Knitting and Crochet Tools

Today is all about making your tools easily accessible. Not counting the tools I keep with me (in my sunglass case), half of my ‘toolkit’ is next to my spot on the couch. The other half lives with my yarn. This way I have most of my tools where I knit the most, and the other half- well, I just have to get up to go get it. Accessible? Check. Just not if I’m being lazy. 🙂

*whimper*

27 Thursday Aug 2015

Posted by in Knitting

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I’ve hit critical mass.

I won’t say I hate this blanket (because I don’t), but I desperately want to
work on SOMETHING ELSE!!! ANYTHING ELSE!!! PLEASE!!!

Usually when I hit critical mass – I just switch to another project. And
when I get sick of that one- I switch to a third… either that, or back to the
first one. It’s mental trickery. Yes, you may be doing the exact same
thing for both projects, but because you’re not looking at that one project
hour after hour, day after day- it FEELS different.

But I can’t switch to something else. This one is due THIS WEEKEND.

*sigh* Shoot me.

But- this is a learning experience in several ways. First off- from now on,
I will ALWAYS allot at least a month for a blanket. I don’t care if it’s a
baby blanket or a full-sized adult blanket- it will take at LEAST a FULL
month (probably two months for a full-sized adult blanket). This will
allow me to put a smaller project or two in there, so I won’t hit critical
mass again. Or if I do- I won’t hit it sooo hard.

Second- I’m changing up my mental project queue. With the exception of
Treveon’s baby blanket- no more projects larger than scarves for the rest
of the year. With November being a knitting blackout month (I can do
small stuff, but nothing serious or deadline-y), and December being…
oh… CHRISTMAS – I can’t realistically commit to any other big projects
between now and then. Doing so will be bad for my mental health.
I also signed up for a Halloween Monster Swap on Ravelry. At the time (I
did it a few days ago), I thought it would be a nice thing to sandwich in
between bigger projects. NOW – I just want to do it, because it’s
something different and fun. I’ve done swaps before – mostly fingerless gloves; and I like receiving packages from different places.

 

So that means steeking will have to wait till next year; and all the non-hat,
non-scarf, non-gloved clothing items have also been pushed back to next
year.

31 Days To Get Your Knitting Organized: Day 21

25 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Knitting

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http://blog.yarn.com/31-days-to-get-organized-how-to-store-your-needles-and-hooks/

Day 21: How to Store Your Needles and Hooks

Most of the tips from the blog for today are how to DISPLAY your knitting needles. There’s a few good methods of storage, though.

Since I am a circular girl- most of my needles are circular needles. I keep them in an Addi leather envelope. I keep my Addi Clicks in another Addi envelope.

I currently have 3 1/2 straight needles pairs. (Yes- I’m missing one, and it’s not hiding in any yarn project. I’m hoping it’s in the bottom of a bag somewhere, but as my knitting travels with me- that could be ANY bag.) Two sets of my straight needles are in my Class bin, as I use them for class demonstrations. The bigger needles are easier to see. The other ONE is in my ‘storage’ yarn bin. As soon as I find his mate- it will join him.

I don’t have that many DPNs. They tend to grow legs and walk away. I don’t like them ANYWAY. But I do have one full set of US 4’s, about three US 6s, and two US 8’s. Like I said- they walk away. They get stuffed in the yarn bin with the straight needles.

My crochet hooks kind of just hang out. Since I can’t crochet- they are mainly used for catching dropped stitches or mistakes. So they usually hang out with my scissors, stitch markers, and measuring tape. So there’s usually at least one with each project. They pretty much stay where I put them, so I don’t buy new ones very often. I still have the acrylic Susan Bates set I bought shortly after I learned to knit. Part of me wants to buy a fancy set with the contoured handle, but the other part of me says no. Why buy something fancy, that you’re only going to use to fix mistakes? Umm… because I like having fancy tools?

I am, HOWEVER, working on starting a few Fairy Castles.  When I complete them- I can sit them in the living room, and I don’t think my Hubby will object. Oh wait- no I have a cat. He’ll probably gnaw on the roof… *sigh*