New To Me - Maxima

Have you had the pleasure of knitting with Manos del Uruguay's Maxima yarn yet?

I started knitting a Super Easy Lap Blanket this week using Maxima and I (*swoon*) am in love!  To me, a yarn must meet 4 requirements:

1. color
2. softness
3. easy to knit with
4. value

Maxima exceeds those requirements by leaps and bounds. 

I am a big fan of kettle or hand dyed yarns.  Maxima is kettle dyed and comes in variegated and semi-solid color options.  My blanket uses dark chocolate, pewter, stratus and foil.   The blanket starts with dark chocolate and the knitted fabric is delicious.  It's chocolatey-ness goes from the darkest of cocoas to bits of milk chocolate.  

At first touch, while in hank form, I wasn't sold on this yarn's softness.  I'd felted softer and scratchier yarns before and Maxima fell in the middle.  I test-touched many skeins and in the end relied on the Ravelry reviews boasting it's softness.   Well they were right and my 100% garter stitch blanket is uber soft and snuggly.  

Maxima is very easy to knit with.  I had no trouble winding and there's no splitting (even with KnitPicks interchangeable needles which are really pointy).  The yarn flies off the needles.

Some may think that $14 a skein is pricey and there were days I used to think that.  But with a yarn like Maxima, you are paying for quality.  At 218 yards, this yarn is $.06 per yard. That's not too bad and for kettle dyed softness, I'm willing to pay that.

On scale of 1-10 this yarn is a 10 and it's now on my favorite yarns list.

*DING* - Light Bulb Moment

My story is old.   I see a project on Ravelry, rush to the yarn store, buy the yarn, wind the yarn, see a new project on Ravelery, stash the yarn I just bought, rush to the yarn store ... This is a vicious wooly cycle that needs to be broken.  I am dependent on yarn and it's taking over my basement, my office, and every unused basket, shelf, and container in my house.  I've tried to go "cold sheep" but I need help.  I need a 12 step program and a Ravelry group as my sponsor.  

Step 1:  Admit that I am powerless to yarn. 

(see paragraph above and second paragraph under Step 2)

Step 2:  Find a group/sponsor.

Enter The Yarn Stash Project 2013 group.  A group designed to knit your stash one week at a time, yard by yard.  

Step 3:  Comply with group guidelines:

Immediately upon joining I had to assemble a Challenge Box and commit to the day of the week that I would post my progress.  Down to the basement I ran to figure out what yarns and projects I wanted to include my first Challenge Box.  At the time I didn't realize that box was monthly and I went a bit overboard - throwing in yarns for a cowly short sleeved cardigan, an adult-sized afghan, a Gap-tastic cowl, felted slippers, a BFF cowl (I'm starting to see that I may also have a cowl addiction), a 5th Avenue Infinity Scarf (yup definitely an addiction), one more cardigan, and some preemie hats.   All in one month!  

Then it hit me (here comes the light bulb moment).  My addiction isn't just with yarn, it's with trying to knit too much - eyes bigger than stomach kind of scenario).  There is no way in H E double hockey sticks that I could knit all of that in one month.  I am addicted to the concept that enough is never enough.  Oh boy ... this may require professional, medical assistance.  But let me take this one step at a time.

1. I've figured out and admitted my addiction(s).
2. I've found a group/sponsor.
3. I've assembled my Challenge Box and I've committed to posting my progress each week on Sunday evening.

Testing the Waters

I've recently ventured into the world of test knitting.  There's a group on Ravelry, Free Pattern Testers, that puts designers and testers in the same place at the same time.  Designers get free testers and testers get to knit a pattern before it's published.   There are some simple rules to follow for all parties.   For the testers, you have to follow the pattern without making mods, post weekly to keep the designer informed of your progress, finish by a set deadline, and the complete and post a survey.  

Sounded simple enough for me so I jumped in and volunteered for my first test knit.  I was so nervous! What if the pattern has errors?  What if it doesn't come out like it should?  What if I don't finish on time?  All I could do was cast on and just keep knitting.  So I did just that and ended up with a new ski sweater for myself.  I love it.  It fits, is super warm and 100% unique.   Campfire is knit with Plymouth Encore Worsted in three colors - black, charcoal and light aqua - making it machine washable and soft.  The well-written pattern is easy to follow.  It's worked from the bottom up, has raglan sleeves, zero seaming and a generous shawl collar (which is hard to see in this picture - my apologies).   I hadn't done color work for quite some time so it was a nice change.  I would like to knit 2 more of these babies.  One for hubby and one for son.  The pattern is written for sizes 0-1 years through adult 4XL.   

So if you're thinking about test knitting, try the group on Ravelry.  I'm working on my third test knit now that I'll write about next time.

A Prize For Me

Let me start of by saying that I never, ever, win anything.  Not raffle prizes, games of Connect 4 or, heaven forbid, the lottery.  So I was so very surprised and honored to win the giveaway for the September Miranda Hat KAL!  What did I win you ask?  I won this ...

A gorgeous shawl pattern called Faraway, So Close by Carina Spencer.  I must quote the designer here because I her words are so much better than anything I'd come up with "This shawl was originally designed as a gift to comfort a friend during a time of much grief. In honor of Infant Loss Awareness Month, each October all proceeds from the sale of this pattern for the month are donated to charities that offer support and guidance to families suffering the loss of a child."  

On Ravelry alone knitters have made 1103 of her thoughtful and beautiful shawls.  I can not wait to knit one.

Charity Knitting

I've always wanted to join a KAL (knit along) and finally found the group for me.  Project Stash, a ravelry group, is about knitting things for charity using the yarn already in your stash.  And let me tell you, I have a stash.  (Not the facial hair kind ... I wax that!)  The first project is the Miranda Hat.  The deal is to make as many as you can between now and September.  I hope to make at least 10 hats.  Heaven knows I have enough worsted weight yarn to outfit a small town with hats.  

The first hat is being knit in Knit Picks Shine Worsted.  Its a soft, smooth, easy to work with superwash merino wool.  I bought several (at least that's what I told my husband) skeins of this yarn years ago and it's never seen daylight.  Green is the first hat.  Pink and camel will follow.

I haven't decided yet where I will donate these hats.  My local options are Hope Lodge (a house where cancer patients and their families can stay while going through treatment) or COTS (a shelter for people without homes).  

Sweater - Take 2

I know, I know .... it's been a while since my last post.  A long, long, long while!  That doesn't mean it's been a while since I last knitted though.  The keystrokes may take a break, but the sticks rarely do.

I've been working on this sweater since the beginning of August.  Correction, I've been working with this yarn and a sweater concept since August.  My son wanted a navy blue sweater for his birthday (end of August) so we looked on Ravelry at some possible options.  He picked out Tomten Jacket, some Berroco Vintage and skeleton buttons.   I got right to work winding and knitting.

About 3/4 of the way through (body and hood completed) my son just wasn't liking the sweater so much.  Sadly, I had to agree.  The style was all wrong for him.  Bulky and baggy on my 54 lb. stick figure son doesn't look all that good.  So .... I ripped it out.  Now I have to say that as much as it pains me to rip out a single row, watching a lot of completed knitting unravel has captivating merit to it!  I was mesmerized watching the sweater rock back and forth as it got smaller and smaller.

With newly wound yarn balls, I cast-on for Child's Neck Down Pullover in early December.  Simple, stylish, and completely customizable.  The frigid temperatures and a foot injury made way for plenty of knitting plus my son received an unspeakable amount of Legos for Christmas so he was content building right beside me.  I usually get bored with straight stockinette but didn't seem to mind for this project since I knew I had to get it done while the weather was still cold.   About 6 weeks later, the sweater - "ranger" - was complete.

My son loves it.  It fits him very well with enough room to wear next fall.  He has worn it every day and I have to wrestle him out of it at night.  I have a few things I'd do differently:

• Berroco Vintage is a soft, wearable and washable yarn but it pills.  The sweater is not even a week old and it needs depilling.
• The pattern must have been written for really skinny kids and I happen to have one.  Yet, the sweater was small all around.  As written, the 10-12 would best fit 6-8.
• I should have used a larger needle, or a stretchy method, to bind-off the neck.  It fits over his head just fine, but there's no flexibility to it.

The sweater name - "ranger" is one of the characters from the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.  I listened to "Smokin' 17" and "Explosive 18" while knitting this sweater.  Hysterical series that I can't get enough of ... as well as Ranger (wink, wink)!

Filling a Void - With A Huge Cowl

It's quiet here.  Too quiet.  No kids pulling on my sweater asking what we are going to do next.  No dinner on the stove with mounds of dishes in the sink.  No soaking wet pile of mittens, ski pants and boots in my hallway.  I think I am feeling sad .... I don't know what to do with myself.

My husband and I call this post-party-depression.  After all the commotion, noise, activities and company from Christmas, silence should be a welcome guest, but it makes us feel lonely.  Yes, it is stressful when our house is busting at the seams, but it's also fun!  

So hubby is busy playing with his newest toy (a muzzleloader for next deer season) and son is playing with ALL of his new toys.  This leaves me with a void to fill.  Clean?  Nah.  Cook?  Nah.  Knit?  Ding-ding-ding!  We have a winner!!  

I wasn't in the mood to work on a WIP even though I have enough of those going to keep my hands busy for all of 2011.  I needed something quick - down and dirty.  (I refuse to say "instant gratification" because every knitter says that.  I am working on coming up with a new, catchy way to say it.)  Anyway, back to my void.  I searched my Raverly queue and came across the 5th Avenue Infinity Scarf.  My LYS has it on display - they used one skein of Berroco Ultra Alpaca Tonal and it's gorgeous.  With yarn in hand, I was on the tentenknits website getting the pattern and I came across the Snow Cowl.  WOW!  That thing looked big enough to fill any void with cushy, smooshy luxury.  Within minutes I was casting on, and within about 5-6 hours (over a couple days) my PPD (post-party-depression) was replaced with a cowl that I can't stop touching!  At 17" long, it is big enough to wear as a hood, or scrunched down around my neck.  I absolutely love it!

Cowl Specs:  Berroco Comfort Chunky (3), Snow Cowl by tententknits