I'm doing okay!

So far, not slips outside of the rules. I've only bought yarn using the Elann credit that I came into this insanity with! Other than using the credit, I have not bought yarn in over 2 months. That is a record since I started this fibre collecting. And let's be honest, it is collecting. I have stuff in the stash that I WILL not knit with because it is so beautiful that I'm sure my knitting will not do it justice. Does anyone else have stuff like that?

I completed a UFO sweater this week but I want to wash and block it out before I unveil it. I'm also having a Knit for Dulaan contest over at my blog if y'all wanna use up some stash! ;)

I'm off to the couch to work on a crocheted afghan that I started 2 years ago! Crazy making I tell you, crazy making! Knowing that I need to report progress over here has gone a long way to keeping me honest! :)

Who's Still On The Wagon?

So, there have been a few people who have had a few yarn purchasing slips - here - take my hand and I'll pull you on back up! So how many of us have slipped and broken the rules, and who is still up here with me? I am actually enjoying this little adventure- it is making me actually remember what I have in my stash, and my imagination is sparked every time I dive back in - what will I make next? What could I do with this weird assortment of leftovers? To be honest, I think it will change how I think about buying yarn, and I'll remember to 'shop' at home before going and buying new yarn.
But maybe that's just me... is anyone having insane thoughts of continuing this after the 15th? I just might! Am I the only one? Please tell me I'm not the only nutjob out there...

Progress....

I am so excited, today I was looking for contest prizes for the gift exchange I am hosting and I could see a noticable difference in my stash. I am not allowing myself to purchase yarn for my pal or the exchange prizes, so I have to shop in the 1200+ skeins that I already own until this is over April 15th. I have finished 15 projects since this began; yarn is no longer creeping out from under the bed, my trash can can almost fit under my nightstand without balls of yarn accidently dropping in, and my yarn shelf at work is noticably slimmer. It is actually decreasing!! I have finished all my UFO's that I started with, except for one. I am going to pick it back up next week and finish it (it's close to being done!). I will be down to only 4 projects on my needles - two big, two small. Amazing, this stash busting thing really works! Thanks for being inspirational and motivating me to do the projects that I thought were cool months ago :) and thankfully, still like!!

I didn't write in on my comment to Amanda, but I have not caved and purchased yarn yet - that is not to say that I haven't been close - or that there's not a list in my head of purchases that I am dying to make on the 16th of April... cuz there is - but in my warped way, I only get to reward myself with the purchases, if I stay strong through the whole bust-a-long!

Fell off!

Heart stolen by some cotton-silk blend yarn with beautiful eyes. Sordid details here.

Warning: post links to some very cheap reasonably priced yarn. View with caution.

49 finished objects!

Okay, so I cheated a little and the FO's don't count toward the stash bustalong... I also make jewelry and have taken a brief hiatus from knitting to make a bunch of pieces for a museum gift shop near where I live. Here are a couple of shots:

I am super psyched with how both the jewelry and the display turned out... I made the display, too! I totally love glue guns and faux finish spray paint- two new finds for me!
I also finally joined etsy- check out my store and let me know what you think! alittlesomething.etsy.com

I love all the FO's on this site, by the way. I look forward to visiting the Bustalong site every day!

Another FO!

This isn't a UFO, but stashbuster! I bought this kit back in 2003 at Stitches East from Knitability:



I also found two UFO's and pulled them out to work on this weekend... more details on everything over at my blog.

doing well...

I haven't caved yet! I'm really trying to be strong. I missed out on the Pick Up Sticks final inventory of Sweet Georgia. Was too slow, and by the time I was going to order, the colours weren't what I wanted to throw off my progress on not buying yarn for. However, that being said, the spirits of knitty goodness have thrown more temptation my way by means of an email notice from Lettuce Knits letting me know that they have a new/final shipment of Sweet Georgia. Agggghhhh.... What to do.

In terms of busting my stash, I am very pleased to say that I have used four balls of wool from it in the last week! I made a little gifty for my Knitty SP8 partner, and I am making a purse. In terms of busting along my UFOs, well, let's just say, I'm not doing so well on that account. I have completely abandoned my second (well 4th if we're counting totals 'cause it's the 2nd sock of the 2nd pair) hot tamale sock, and poor ol' Samus. What to say about poor ol' Samus. I really do want to get back to it. Honestly I do. I've just somehow lost it to the bottom of the knitting basket. Maybe once my purse is finished, I'll dig it back out and just get it done once and for all!

UPDATE: Ok... it's just 4:00pm... twenty minutes later than my original post and here's what happened. I broke down and ordered Sweet Georgia's lace weight How could I not? It's so pretty. So? Now what? Anyone have any suggestions for a pattern? There's 885 yds I believe. I've never done much with lace (especially using finer wool) so suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

And another one bites the dust

More stashbusting chez Carie - this time Knitty's Curazon mittens from some wonderful alpaca I was given for Christmas. Happily I still have lots left so I'm going to make a hat to tone (rather than to match exactly) even though winter appears to have completely passed us by!

Hope you're all having fun! - Carie

The pi r square shawl

This is one of my best stash busting feats - I bought this yarn on ebay, thinking that it was worsted, not lace weight -- beware of yarn that you can't see or touch when you purchase -- of course it was only $10 for the lot. So it sat in my stash - 250g. I have wanted to make this shawl for forever!! And there we go, while trying to find a new project the two met and it was glorious. This is probably the single best learning experience I have ever had knitting - there is more on that in my blog. Better then that, I think that I have worn this everyday since I finished it, either as a scarf or a shawl.

Have a great weekend!!

Stashbusting for charity!

I finished 5 chemo caps and mailed them off to Kathleen today. What a great feeling, to clear out stash for a good cause!

For more details, click here.

For me, this is the most dangerous time for the yarn diet. I now want to buy all sorts of yarn, ignoring the fact that one of my knitting friends gave me yarn she didn't want this week, and the fact that I have numerous projects I want to make lurking in the stash. Please let me be able to hang on....

Progress - and a major relapse

Hi folks

Well, I have good and bad news to report.

The good news is, I was very responsible and set aside a dozen newly started WIPs and swatches so I could concentrate on finishing a baby blanket for my colleague, which he's been patiently awaiting for months. All that needed doing was weaving in the ends on the back, and blocking. I say 'all' - in fact, there are over 400 ends to weave, in total. I think it was the sheer scale of the job that was putting me off. So anyway, I'm feeling dead proud because I've made a start. Here'a photo of the blanket from the wrong side.


This snap shows the amount of weaving-in progress I'd made by Saturday morning last week (most of what you see here was done on the Friday night immediately before). In the week since then, I've managed to do a bit more in the evenings, after work. I'm now exactly half way around the blanket. I am going to be very assiduous this weekend and see if I can finish it off.

That was the good news - a UFO nearly finished.

Now the bad news - I'm afraid I splurged on yarn again. Returning from NY with my gorgeous yarn purchases, I leafed through patterns deciding what to make. I realised that I didn't have enough to make an adult sized sweater sweater out of any of the three new yarns I have (Tilli Tomas silk, Alchemy bamboo, Louet linen). So I ordered more. It wasn't cheap.

Gosh, it's like a confessional in here isn't it. Someone tell me to say a few Hail Marys and absolve me.

Rachel

More info on the old blog: http://beelzebubknits.blogspot.com/

Progress on Baby Bolero

I've been faithfully working on my baby bolero. I have 1 1/2 sleeves to set in, and 2 sleeve seams to go!

Click here for more details.

Parade of Pics!

Well, the first two are items that just needed some fixing or seaming and finishing... this first one had a ridiculously huge neck, so I had to frog down a bit into the body (no, it was not worked in the round, and yes, this is probably why I hid it away for a year before fixing it):

This second one just needed to be seamed and needed buttons... I avoided THIS one because... well... seaming lacy knits is gross! It's the Gibson Girl Pullover from Interweave Knits Summer 2004, and here is a sneak peek of the back:

Finally, I was itching to do a NEW project after these fixes, so I remembered that the Argosy scarf from the latest Knitty called for exactly the amount of elsebeth lavold's Hempathy that I had left over from a project!
Visit ME to see more deets. Of course, happy knitting and destashing to all of you! I am home this week for February break, which is evidently a Northeastern US phenomenon... I guess it's a chance for us to fly somewhere warmer... instead, I'm at home, knitting and trying to figure out my taxes. Hmm.

Starsky is finished!

Okay, so I look a little deathly ill in the photo, but since I AM deathly ill, it's okay. I'm allowed. (Okay, fine, it's only a cold...) This sweater was one I started just before Christmas, but put it on the back burner because I was scared I was going to run out of yarn. Visit my blog for more details!

Stashbusting!

I wish I could say my UFOs were going away, but my stash is very slowly dwindling! I recently bought yarn for the first time since November, and it was 5 skeins of a gorgeous handdyed yarn on Etsy that I was worried would go away if I didn't buy it now. (Yeah, that's the ticket.)

I am so excited about Rebekah's Blanket of Hope project! I did a lot of stashbusting (and the best kind - partial skeins and leftovers!) to create 9 "squares" and I hope to finish more! Here's what I sent:

2 tiny Fo's today

A pair of baby socks and baby booties thrown into the FO pile....

Check them out at my blog.

Newbie here

Hi everyone, I'm Michelle. This is just a brief flash of my stash. I'll get a more detailed picture later, but I just wanted to introduce myself. I have been really impressed with the stashes I've seen so far. Mine is so small by comparison.



So far, I have five projects currently being worked on from my stash. Here are just a couple of pictures.



Michelle
www.mikknits.blogspot.com

Flashing my stash

Hi there folks

I'm quite a new member and haven't yet flashed my stash, so here it is:

This is the 'knitting corner' of my bedroom. Loads of sock yarn, loads of Rowan, loads of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. The box on the right is full of patterns & yarn, and there are more, similar boxes out in the hall.

Oh sisters, I need help. I let myself off my yarn diet while I was on holiday in New York (the yarn at Purl was amazing). But when I came home to London, did I return to my diet? Of course not. I went straight to Liberty and bought twelve balls of this:

Don't ask me why. I'm now attempting a complicated sweater with it, although I've a bunch of other UFOs to crack on with.

Oh, the shame.

Bulky Bliss!

This was a fix-it project that was previously unwearable... last night and this morning, I spent my time making it wearable again! Visit my blog for further details. I have another FO blocking; pics soon!

Brooke's Column of Leaves scarf

I finished another lacy scarf last week and thought I would share. The pattern is neat and it's a really quick knit. I made it in GGH Top Print (a DK weight alpaca). I really liked the colors when I bought it. I still do, but if I knit this again, I'll use a more subtly variegated yarn. (See the blog for more details.)

I cast on for a couple of other projects--some glittens, and an earflap hat in a wool/alpaca blend (I have one that I like, but it's knit in Lion Homespun, which doesn't do much against the cold these days).

Steady progress

Well, I've been meeting with my knitting buddies on Wednesday evenings in addition to our usual Saturdays, and I've been dedicating the Wednesday nights to my UFOs. Two weeks ago, this is what the bolero looked like. Last week, I finished the other edging, and this week I attached it. It will need some severe blocking to get the seams at the bottom to flatten out, but overall I think it will look very nice. Now to set in the sleeves, and this UFO will be a FO!

I've also finished a chemo cap and am partway through the second one. I have enough for 4, but I'm not sure I'll finish them all by Feb. 28.

But I've been keeping honest with the yarn diet. The only addition was won as a prize, and I don't think it counts.

It really is finished now

My trellis scarf in all its glory And a pair of socks - serious stasbusting chez Carie

It's ok, Kate...

There there... don't be so hard on yourself. The only reason I haven't caved is 'cause I can't bribe anyone to buy me "gifts" of yarn. My BF refuses, my kids refuse. Sigh... So far I've been to stubborn to give in. I keep thinking I'll come up with some ingenious method.

That being said, I have shopped for yarn. I had to. It wasn't for me. Someone tell me I haven't fallen into the trap of serious withdrawl. Here's the scenario:

I am taking part in SP8 on Knitty.com. I had to buy yarn for my partner. It's only right to do so. I am also knitting a tote for the International Tote Exchange III. I didn't have anything in the appropriate colours for my partner's wishes in my stash so I had to buy two skeins for that. Now. I feel that those should not be counted against me. However, (BF) G feels that a) by participating in the SP8, it is pretty much a given that in giving yarn, I am also going to receive yarn so therefore will not be decreasing my stash and in fact am willingly allowing new yarn to come into the fold and b) by purchasing yarn for my partner's tote, then proceeding to knit with it, I was getting a "fix", so... strike two against my goal to not buy myself yarn before April 15th. Can someone clarify that I don't need to check myself into some sort of 12 step program with these purchases?

And may I just take a brief moment to mention that it's almost doing me in not to order up at least one more skein of Sweet Georgia before she goes on hiatus?

In terms of FOs this week... well I don't have any other than the tote to report and it's not completely an FO yet, because it's still in the washing machine being felted.

Squee - a finished object - or is it?

Look look look
It's the Trellis Scarf blocking. I am so pleased with this scarf I think it will be gorgeous when dry and I have a happy sense of accomplishment as this is my nominated "I will finish it" project.

The question is - is it an FO now or when I can post pictures of the traditional "wingspan" shot?

Fell off the Wagon

i broke. i bought lots of yarn. on the upside, i've also got a FO. want to read all the dirty details in my full disclosure? here ya go.

A long overdue update!

I have been so busy with the move and a new job, I haven't had time to post.

My FO's
2nd pair of Monkey socks
Kimono Layette set
John Doe baby sweater
Baby shower gifts- 2 cloths, bib, blanket
4 corners dishcloth

UFO's
Leftover vest for oldest DD
Sachi's socks

but I was good....

There was tragedy yesterday, the Hush, Hush dress from knitty that I was working on has a HUGE stripe in it - right at my widest part! There are details on my blog. I have spent close to 30 hours on this project so far, and am too devistated to even look at it right now. But on the upside, I was good. Despite the temptation, I did not go buy more yarn or cast on 5 new projects! I did start another errand hat just because it was easy and I knew the yarn was all the same color :) Hopefully, by the end of the week there will be a finished pi r square shawl and maybe some knucks, as I am traveling and airport time is good knitting time!

Bedsocks for Charity

I have finished two pairs of bedsocks for the Knit4charities February charity for a nursing home. There are two charities to knit for this month, so this afternoon I will go through more stash and patterns and get started on something for that charity. This has taking some more of the acrylic I have, not much more, so a stripe jumper for the other charity should just about see the end of the acrylic stash.

I am still working on the grey and black blanket for #2 son which I aim to have finished by the April 15 deadline.

Stashbusting continues

whilst I can't compete with the huge numbers of FOs being produced I have now been working hard on my official UFO stash bust project - the long-abandoned Trellis scarf.

This picture shows the scarf with 9 pattern repeats - the needle marks the point at which it had become abandonned in my craft room!

I have now done 11 pattern repeats with 23 needed in total before the end border. It is very pretty and I have yet to experience the miracle of lace that will make what currently looks like a very pretty scarf into something rather special. The pattern is too complicated for me to remember completely but I am getting familiar with the repeats within each row and a bit better at the knit 7 together into 5 direction which is helping things along. It still takes me about 1.5 hours to do one pattern repeat which seems a huge time for 16 rows compared to the equivalent time in stst but that's lace for you. I've also started a second sock from some of my Christmas sock yarn so progress is being made and I've yet to buy yarn!

It's still cold and wet today so I'm going to go and curl up with a good film and my knitting - have a good weekend!

and another one down...

I am apparently on a roll with finishing my WIPs which don't need much more to finish LOL. Here is the latest:



My partner gifted me with the yarn (Schaeffer Anne I believe, it's super soft) not this last Christmas, but the one before. There's enough for a neck-warmer too I believe - not a full scarf, maybe something that buttons in front.

A few more details are over at my blog!

2 UFOs done!

Last night, I finished 2 more UFOs! They weren't in the basket for tooooo long (both since December), but were put aside to finish working on my mother's birthday sweater (which I finished just in time for her birthday this weekend - and yes - out of stash yarn).

Anyway - go here and check out my Waterfall Scarf, and Lenten Rose socks! I'm wearing the socks at work today!

Two FOs down!

I finished some socks that have been languishing in my stash for a few months, and a scarf that has been languishing for a few years ;) Details over at my blog!

An old UFO down

My three oldest UFO's are down!! I finished this patchwork scarf yesterday after the super bowl. Yes, in my house football is productive!! I never love the way these scarves look until they are on, then there are layers of color and texture. I am so, so, so glad to have this done. It only took about an hour to finish it, I am not sure why it took me a year to get to it......

Better Late Than Never

XMAS MITTS
Originally uploaded by pghjan2.

These little mitts were supposed to be a stocking stuffer for my ES but they didn't make it in time. I sat down this week-end and knit them up so I can get them to him by Valentines Day. They are knit out of wool-ease so that he can abuse them as much as he wants without feeling guilty. Two more things done! There is a link to the pattern on my blog.

A little more stash is bust

I've started another sock in this month's Project Spectrum Colours no less!

Carie

Thank you, Kate!

Thanks, Kate, for this inspiration:

I warned you that a copycat was coming! :) These are the Pretty Comfy Sock by Debbi Young, knit in Cascade Fixation. Visit my blog for further details.

another one bites the dust!

This one's somewhat of a relief...I knit a dayflower lace scarf and the first time I tried, it looked a bit wrong...This time, it turned out correctly.



I used one ball of K1C2 Richesse et Soie in moss...a bargain bin rescue. Another small stash victory! Further deets here. :)

Resurrected WIP: Baby Bolero

I brought out one of the baby sweaters this week, and last night I seamed it and started the edging! I also began a chemo cap out of fun fur from the stash. This Stash Bust-along is really great for keeping me focused, and for keeping me from buying yarn. I have however apparently traded buying yarn for buying patterns, but since they're mostly inexpensive, I guess it's a fair tradeoff. And some of them are for using up stash!

More details on my blog.