Almost Crafty

While I love our current apartment, I can’t help thinking ahead to that day in the (very) distant future when Mr. Martini and I can purchase a house of our own. Somewhere we can paint the walls, plant a garden, and pound nails in the walls without fear of a lost security deposit.

OK, maybe not the garden part. Unless dandelions count as floral landscaping.

Anyway.

I was doing some daydreaming about this imaginary house, and realized that if we’re/I’m lucky, I’d have a room of my very own - a craft room/office/library type of space. I think I’d call it a “studio” to better incorporate all of the ways I would use it into one all-emcompassing word. Not that I’m thinking too much about this.

OK, I totally am.

Of course, I hit Flickr for some decorating ideas. I have to say, there are some AMAZING craft rooms out there in Flickr land. These are just 4 that stood out to me:

1. Craft Room Transformation 1, 2. Notice all my baskets, 3. Stash corner, 4. indie vintage craft room

See what I mean? Gorgeous! Love the fresh yet calm colors. Love the storage ideas (especially the glass front shelves, to keep the cats out of my yarn). Love the incorporation of sewing tables with the iron close by. Love the iron at the same height as the sewing machine. Love, love, love.

Sigh.

Someday.

I’m not sure why, but once the warm weather hit, I can’t seem to stop knitting. Which is strange - I figured that once the warm weather hit, I’d be all about the sewing. Weird.

Actually - not so weird. We have air conditioning in the current apartment, while the previous apartment did not. I suspect that has something to do with the urge to play with wool in July.

Here are some recent projects that are off the needles. This year, I decided that I would only join one sock club, and I would knit each and every pair that came in the mail as soon as possible.  I decided to sign up for the Woolgirl sock club for a few reasons, including: variety of yarn companies included, excellent word of mouth/blog about the club, ability to choose either sport or fingering yarn (that clinched it for me) and its fairly affordable price tag considering the exclusive nature of the yarn and patterns.

I have not been disappointed. In fact, I’ve kept my promise to myself, and have knit the first two kits immediately upon arrival.

Here are the April socks:

Project: Reina Socks, (Ravelry Link). Pattern by Lisa Dykstra

Yarn: Mama Llama Perfect Sock (sport weight) in Georgia’s Inspiration on size 2 needles, Magic Loop

I experimented with these socks by knitting both socks at the same time. Not on the same needle, though. I happened to have 2 size #2 circs in my drawer, so I would knit on both socks back and forth on both needles - cuff of sock #1, then cuff of sock #2, then the leg of sock #1, the leg of sock #2, then the heel of each, etc. etc. etc. Not only did this keep me from finishing one sock and putting aside the second, it also helped me to keep them remarkably similar, since anything I fudged on sock #1 I would remember for sock #2. I have to credit Stacey with this idea, as she mentioned it in the comments way back in this post, and I finally tried it. I’m now a believer!

Here’s the June Sock:

Project: Froggin’ Socks, (Ravelry Link). Pattern by Lisa Dykstra

Yarn: Dashing Dachs Dachs Sox:Sport Superwash Merino in Froggin’ colorway on size 2 needles, Magic Loop

When I saw this yarn, I thought it was the anti-Susan yarn. I mean - green? orange? YELLOW? These are not the colors I gravitate towards. These are usually the colors I avoid at all costs.

However - I told myself that I’d knit each kit, and figured I’d give these a go. I am SO glad I did, because I absolutely love these socks and this yarn and (yes) even these colors.

I didn’t follow the pattern exactly though. Instead, I knit these from the toe up, with a plain stockinette foot - both at once, magic looped on the same needle. While these got a tad fiddly, it was still no more fiddly (to me) than DPNs. The actual knitting seemed to go slower, though, but when I got to the heel, I had to remind myself that I had already knit TWO sock feet instead of just one. That was pretty nice.

I turned the heels, then proceeded up the legs using the pattern stitch. While the stitch pattern itself is obscured in the colors, I liked the overall texture of the stitches (rather than the pattern for the pattern’s sake, if that makes sense). From there, I knit each sock separately, and finished with some twisted 1×1 rib.

Those were the first two of the five club kits, with the next due to arrive in August. I can’t even imagine what the yarn or colorway will be. I can’t wait to find out!

I’ve been reading knitting blogs longer than I’ve been knitting this second time around. In fact, it was a blog that inspired me to pick up the needles again after an almost 10 year break (thank you, Crazy Aunt Purl!). During the last three to four years, I’ve read dozens of knitting blogs, and just when I thought I had found them all, I stumbled across one this week that not only has been around for years, but has a faithful following: The ADD Knitter.

How have I missed this blog all this time? Not only is she fun to read, I absolutley adore her taste in yarn and projects. So much so, I’m trying to decide if I want to brave the potential rain-showers and Chicago Taste-goers to head down to Loopy Yarns this afternoon for a little stash enhancement. Hmmmm….

I was reading The ADD Knitter’s archives, and discovered something else that flew under my radar: Malabrigo March, which was (of course) in March. Apparently there was a Ravelry group of Malabrigo yarn devotees, who knit projects in the extremely popular yarn all month. I admit that I have never used Malabrigo in a project, but after seeing some of the gorgeous colors and projects, I’m dying to give it a try.

I mean, look at these photos. Gorgeous!

1. Malabrigo Dream II, 2. Malabrigo strikes again!, 3. Pop Scarf in Malabrigo Merino Worsted, 4. coffee + malabrigo = yummy, 5. Malabrigo Polygala, 6. Malabrigo Indecieta swatch close up, 7. Hanami Stole in Malabrigo laceweight Velvet Grapes, 8. Malabrigo Scarf, 9. Malabrigo Lace

I have a feeling I’ll probably be heading to Loopy Yarns after all, no matter how much rain or how many tourists I have to deal with. Yowza, that’s some pretty yarn.