A View of Karren

This is the sweater Karren, from the Sweater for All Seasons collection by Samantha Roshak.

Knitting Socks by the Fire

I wish I could report that my title for this post is what I am doing right now, but alas, it is not. I must wait a couple of days for that to happen. This coming Thursday, I am hosting an afternoon knitting session, here at our lodge. We are a part of a local festival called Winter Tracks. As a way to add some indoor winter activities, I am hoping that local knitters will come join me so that I can knit by the fire for a couple of hours. If you are in the neighborhood, stop on by! Email me if you need directions, or check out this link--Heston's Lodge. Hope to see you!

One Last Cap Shot

Hey, it's a picture of Addie, with her new cap on her head. That's her buddy Doris next to her. Addie makes good use of her dressform friend, as she tries to sew nearly eveyday.

The knitting front has been quiet lately, as I've been trying to keep up with my real job. The Knitting at Eight gig doesn't always work out. Still, I'll keep trying for it. The grey sweater is still on the front burner, and so it is lots of plain old stockinette. Sometimes I cheat a little and work on a pair of socks, just to keep my spirits up. Also, it's amazing how easy it is to see progress when working on something small like socks. It may be just knitting, but it sure makes me happy to wiggle my toes in a pair of handknit socks.

Addie's Cap and Socks for Amanda

Just in case anyone has found this blog yet, I thought it was a good time for an update. I finished Cassidy's Cap from the Malabrigo. It was a fun knit, and Addie is thrilled with her new hat. Here is a photo of the cap, in progress.

As soon as she will let me, I'll post a picture of her wearing it.

Last month, I made a pair of socks for our friend Amanda. She lives in Alaska, and so some good wool socks were in order. I used Socks That Rock Mediumweight in the colorway Typhoon Tina. I wanted to come up with my own pattern for these. It took two starts, and soon I was settled into a basketweave patterning for the cuff and instep. Amanda is a dog musher, and so I expect that these socks will get a good workout.

Busy days in my job don't allow for much knitting time. But each night I try to quit work by eight, so that I can sit down to knit. I figure that that isn't too much to ask for....everyone should get to do that! It's just knitting, but it sure is fun to look forward to it while I am working.

Currently on the needles: A sweater for Greg. This one will be a long trek. He wants a felted sweater, and so it has to be very large. I am using Knit Picks wool of the Andes. It is very soft, and the sample swatch I made felted down well. Now the challenge will be not to get too bored while doing all that straight knitting. I'll be keeping you posted.

Begin at the Beginning

Starting a blog is an awkward thing. I just looked back to see how I had begun my other blog, Heston's Nature Notes. It began with a brief hello/introduction type of thing. That seems funny now, because I doubt that many folks go all the way back in the archives to read those old entries. So to start out this one, I am just going to jump right in.

I know, a good place to start might be to say why I chose the title It's Just Knitting. Heaven knows, the internet probably doesn't need another knitting blog. Is there really that much to say about it? After all, it's just knitting....But catch me on another day, and I might say something like this: I know it's just knitting, but today that is what saved my sanity. That small phrase can have some very different meanings, depending on how things are going. This blog is my little writing corner to share with whomever my thoughts and ideas on that old craft.

Knitting can be more than a little addictive. Some days, it can be an obsession. Other times, it is an oasis. And still others, it can be a total frustration. But through it all, I have to remind myself that it is just knitting.

Current project: Cassidy's Cap from ChicKnits
Yarn: Malabrigo worsted, Cobalt Blue