November knitting progress report

Ribbed Beanie (PDF)

Yarn: Malabrigo Kettle Dyed Solids (100% merino wool; worsted weight)
Color: Purple mystery
Needles: US 9 circulars
Stitches: 72

The mystery is how to get the deep purple to show up properly in a photograph. It's a much richer color than I was able to capture in the blue light outside.

Anyway, my mom's Christmas hat is finished. The move up one needle size made an appreciable difference in the tightness around the brim. (Thanks for the tip, Ruth!) I was even able to slip on the hat, so I'm confident it will fit her.

If you're getting bored of seeing similar photos of the same pattern, never fear. I've cast on for a seaman's cap to be made from Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 Tweed.

I've just realized that I have a major question about the pattern, though. I'm supposed to cast on with smaller needles to knit the cuff and then switch to larger needles. Which size am I supposed to use to obtain gauge? US 7s should make gauge. That's what I've cast on with. Should I be using 6s to start and then switch to 7s?

Ideally I'd like to knit six or seven hats this month and as well as another item or two. Insanity? We shall see.

My mom's hat was finished in time to sneak onto the November knitting scoreboard, which looks like this:

3 hats
1 scarf

Another November accomplishment was living up to the National Blog Posting Month standard of writing every day. I've been doing dailyblogging for most of the year, but it didn't mean this was trouble-free. There was the question of whether or not I'd have internet access for a couple days and a few nights where I was having trouble thinking of topics. I solicited questions and received a couple that went unanswered. I plan on getting to them. I'm due for a creative dry spell any moment.

Past progress reports: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and October.

Steal this blog post

NaBloPoMo, I curse your name! Why has pledging to dailyblog made what I was already doing more difficult? I did write a movie review for my other site tonight, so that took up a decent chunk of time. Still...

There's been practically no knitting today. That's a dead end for a usually reliable blog entry.

So, when in a pinch, steal. (I do not endorse that philosophy except in matters of needing ideas for blogging.) I'm borrowing it from Donna, who appropriated it (with credit) from here.

Here it is: tell me what you'd like me to write about. What would you like to know about the secret knitter? Whether it's silly, serious, or somewhere in between, post your questions in the comments. They do not have to be knitting related. I reserve the right to avoid answering any questions I'm uncomfortable with. The more questions left, the less likely you'll get stuck with an entry of my moaning about messing up something.

Speaking of which (and following up on a question regarding yesterday's post), I've continued to knit with the shorter cable even though the longer one would probably make life easier. (And why would I want that?) I was going to say that I don't know how to transfer the project to another set of needles anyway, but I've just had an idea that would probably work. I'll leave you with that cliffhanger.

October knitting progress report

It's the first of the month. Time to take a look at the big board for last month's knitting tally:

1 blanket
1 hat
1 newborn hat

That's good enough to qualify as the beginning of a rebound.

In October I learned magic loop knitting, if figuring out the simplicity of it can be called "learning". I got my Ravelry invite, which introduced me to a horn of plenty for patterns and a knit night to attend. It's not as though I was feeling like less of a knitter, but I don't feel as stuck as I was during those late summer months. I might even give socks another go.

I'm mostly resigned to the fact that all sweater-related goals set forward in my new year's knitting resolutions will not be achieved. I can deal with that.

From the Department of Shooting Fish in a Barrel, I have pledged my participation in National Blog Posting Month, or NaBloPoMo. With the exception of a few days, I've blogged practically every day this year. (In a fit of foolhardiness I made a post to my film blog with the idea being that perhaps I'll try to dailyblog there as well.) I've written before about the challenge to and reward for me that dailyblogging has delivered, so I'll save that repeat sermon for some other time.

Along those lines, welcome to those of you visiting for the first time. I point you to the primer in the sidebar. It hasn't been updated in awhile, but it should provide sufficient backstory to understand why I took up knitting, why I don't blog under my name, and what kind of insane Christmas gift goals I set for myself as a neophyte knitter.

Past progress reports: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and September