First Blog, First Post

I guess people have been doing this forever. Crazy.

My premise here is to think out loud about my knitting projects. My current aim is to knit down my stash so that I can justify buying more yarn. To that end, I'm planning to knit a whole bunch for charity.

Right now, I've got a snazzy red seed-stitch scarf that's ready for a cold neck - this wasn't actually stash yarn, but I found it at Hancock Fabrics for $1/skein and I couldn't resist. For $1.50 it's a darn-snazzy scarf. It's in Woolease Chunky USA in Patriot Red. I've got another skein and about a third left. I can't decide if I should do a coordinating hat or another scarf. My husband, M, really liked this yarn. Requested a hat. I bought some of a similar color but lighter weight to try making him a hat. We'll see how it goes.

I've got another seed stitch scarf just waiting for some fringe. I threw out the label, but it's some kind of acrylic worsted weight yarn in a very pretty colorway - fall colors (rusts, olives, navy, purples) OK that list of colors doesn't make it sound pretty, but it is. I think I originally bought the yarn for an ambitious Warm Up America project (instead of knitting the squares, I was going to knit me a whole afgan, but not in squares put together, I think it had an 8-stitch garter stitch border with the field in stockingette. Actually, the project is partly done, and next to my bed. Ugh. I started it before I got married 3 1/2 years ago.

My mom sent me a box with some of my grandmother's old projects and scrap yarn. There were two pink sweaters that were partly done - one, I think I just have to join the sleeves up from the cuffs to the armpits and it'll be done. The other is in a bunch of pieces and the yarn is in not so good shape. I'm not sure what to do about that one. Maybe I can do something with the yarn that's left. I've never made a sweater before - I tend to stick to plain old rectangles in a pattern that's so easy I won't lose my place. So, it's a little daunting, but I think I'll be able to put together the one that's almost done. There was a bunch of old wool-wool in the box too. I'm thinking of trying my hand at a felted bag. I remember seeing a picture of one on someone's blog, like a French Market bag or something like that, but I don't remember where.

Then, as far as more charity projects go - I've been spending a lot of time reading about them, I'm a little overwhelmed. I'm thinking of making some hats for people with cold heads (Caps for Kids), some little tiny hats and baby blankets for very new babies (Newborns in Need or something similar) and blankies for Project Linus. Oh, and of course some squares for Warm Up America.

I guess here's my queue:

1. Finish the current seed scarf.

2. Finish the pink sweater from Grandma.

3. Do something warm and toasty with the red yarn.

4. Other stuff. So many projects, so little time. (Red Hat for M, Felted bag from heirloom stash, more charity knits, etc.)

I need to find a place to send these scarves when they're done. I'm torn. In Orlando, there's not much need for warm scarves. I'd much rather send them someplace cold like Chicago. This quest is probably another blog for another day. I think I might be almost ready to go do that fringe, so I can be done with that scarf.