patelyne

I love a good KAL, it's the reason I'm such a joiner when it comes to crafting. 

It is a great resource, especially if you're trying something new, to have a group (usually including the designer) that you can turn to if you have questions or problems. It's fun seeing how changing the yarn types and colors can make the exact same pattern turn out so incredibly different. Sometimes you get to knit patterns that haven't been released yet, or pay patterns for free which is always nice. And doesn't everyone having a built in audience who is just as interested in what you're doing as you are in their projects? 

The only problems with good KALs are that Rav has so many of them and I have little willpower to resist them. Not a really awful problem to have, except it's done some major adding to my WIP load. 

As of this month I am involved in 3 KALs. 

( More of what I'm working on right now )

You ever have this problem?
You are getting close to a project’s end and then you see something that is going to keep it from being the perfect finished object you imagined.
Then your knitting slows. Slooooooooows. And it’s like … you don't have to accept it isn't going to be what you wanted if you don't actually finish it. So you procrastinate.

Maybe you cast on a couple new projects.
Did I mention that I’m now in a Hurricane Hat KAL and another mystery toy KAL, both started this month?

Maybe you get a sudden interest in finishing other lingering projects.
Guess what - I finished the end weaving on the three finished preemie hats in my WIP post -
and I took all of Sunday and knitted that pink and yellow gift baby hat I mentioned.
Check out the swirly cute-ness, modeled by my slightly big headed doll:



I was almost ready to work on one of my other projects in the WIP box, or finish pulling all those pics of my cell phone from the Alapaca farm to post here.
But eventually even I had to accept that you just need to suck it up and just face those problem projects head on.

What was I stalling on? That cute and impossibly bright summer top for my older niece. The first one just sailed by easy-peasy. The second one seemed to, but then things started to go wrong. And I was so excited to make these shirts (the pattern is just perfect for them) which only made me more irritated with myself for having problems.

I suddenly was running out of every yarn I reached for. And the colors weren’t at the store anymore. I ended up having to change my color choices a few times.
I started out wanting a multi bottom, solid belt and multi top. By the time I got to the belt I realized I wasn't going to have enough multi left for that, so I decided for a yellow belt and top.
And speaking of the belt - the button mods I had notes copied down for looked like gibberish when I sat down to follow them.
After finally figuring out what I was doing and getting through the belt, I wasn't having confidence in having enough yellow for that. Soooo it got a blue panel in the middle.
I was happy with how it looked, coordinating but not too matchy with her little sister's. But when I got to 3/4 done with the straps I ran out of yellow. At least I was doing them two at a time, so they ran out in the same spot. I thought about changing to blue at the bottoms, but that might have stood out too much.
(and if you’re still following this, I give you a gold star)

I let the shirt sit for days. In very-nearly-almost-done limbo.
I did have a little bit of the multi left, not as jarring a color change as a block of blue and matching the bottom. I thought it might not look so bad, and couldn’t think of a better option.
Finally I decided to go for it. Figured I had nothing to lose, and it's not like garter stitch is all that hard to rip back.

And you know what? In the end I actually like how the shirt came out.



The color change that had me so worried is right where the straps cross, so it's just about the best spot to run out if I had to.
I might even be able to pull it off as intentional. At least I’ve decided not to talk it down to my sister before sending her the shirts.



Oh, and now that I’m feeling more accomplished by actually finishing things I’ll be starting on that Alpaca pic post … or maybe I’ll just work a little on these KALs first

Aka I'm such a joiner.

So it took some peer pressure, but I've started trying to get into spinning. I've probably not even spun an entire ounce yet (and I'm not very good) but I'm trying. I like the idea that i can take a bit of fluff and turning into yarn, then turn that yarn into 'stuff'
Makes me think that if I could master it that I would be awesome über crafter girl.
More likely outcome is that I will mourn the loss of knitting time and give spinning up after a few months, but who knows? This is why I'm started out with just a couple fibers and a drop spindle, instead of massive amounts and a wheel. Well that reason and because I seem to have lost the money tree that was going to allow me to buy all the things I want (maybe I shouldn't have forgotten to water the side yard all last summer)

Anyhow, in order to get better at this whole spinning thing I've signed up with the awesome people on the Pissdrunk Pirates Flouncing Overboard Team for Tour de Fleece. Basically you spin a little every day (while the riders are sinning a whole other way) and by the end (hopefully) you've gotten better. It runs the same dates as the Tour de France (starts June 30 and runs until July 22nd), but being such a new new spinner I figured it wouldn't hurt to practice a bit early. Besides that, my pretty fiber was sitting there unused taunting me.

( giant fibery photos here )