Knit wishlist :: two thousand & eleven

So, as I have been pouring over other knitting blogs, I find myself not feeling so bad that I currently have three projects that I'm lugging around in my knitting bag and probably quite a few more stashed away somewhere that I started and lost interest in (probably because I had way too many projects going at once!) One thing I hope to accomplish with this blog is to gain more intentionality with the way I pursue certain knitting projects. Learning to avoid the random weekend trips to the yarn shop where I buy a couple skeins of some beautifully whimsical yarn, not know what I'm going to do with it, but loving it so much that I just have to start knitting with it right away ... I'm sure many are familiar with the way that story ends :) Anyway, I have projects in my head that I really want to do, but may take a little more planning than I'm used to, so to help ... here's my list!

a Simple Sweater
Hard to believe, I've been knitting for almost 7 years and I have never successfully knit a sweater. I did attempt a couple in my early years of knitting, but probably due to immaturity/short attn span/whatever, I'd loose focus, get overwhelmed by schoolwork and they just got stashed (to be quite honest, I have no idea where they are now!!) In the last couple years, I've had the urge to try one again, but last year after I topped 200 pounds, I really had no desire to buy the enormous amount of yarn that it would take to knit an XL sweater, spend all that time to knit it and have it not fit in the end. After loosing 60 lbs this last year, knitting a medium sweater for myself seems to be the perfect reward! A PDF of this pattern is sitting on my desktop and I think it will be a great pattern to start out: http://www.mariegracedesigns.com/marie_grace/everyday-tweed-knitting-p.html .. I will resist the urge to place a cable down the side of it :) :)

Scarves & Cowls
* Autumnus Scarf : I love love love this scarf. My friend and fellow knitter in crime, Stephanie, shared this pattern with me and I can hardly wait to knit it!! I think I am going to use some chunky purple merino wool yarn I bought at Loopy's in Missoula paired with some purple kid seta mohair with beads placed randomly throughout
* Imagination Cowl : My mom is currently knitting this and I think it's amazing. "It's ruched!" has suddenly become my favorite phrase
* Infinity Scarf: Don't have a pattern for this, but I really want to knit some sort of really long loopy thing to wrap around myself. I have a size 8 40" circular and I would like to use leftover yarn in my stash in a moss stitch to create a woven look much like a scarf my mom knit for my dad last Fall.
* Entrelac Scarf or Cowl: I also don't have a pattern for this, but I taught myself how to entrelac knit last Fall. The yarn I was using just didn't showcase it well. If I come across some yarn this year that is worthy of entrelac-greatness, I will snatch it up!

Felted Projects
I love felted projects - especially bags. It kind of reminds me of when I did ceramics and after spending a lot of effort and time forming and glazing a pot/plate/mug/bowl/whatever, throwing it in the kiln and seeing what comes out! Since I recently purchased a fancy dancy camera, I really need a bag for it ... and why buy one when you can make one?! I don't have a pattern quite yet, but *hoping* that I might just find one on Ravelry!

Baby Hats
I've been working on baby hats for my friend's photography business, ShmilyFace Photography - http://shmilyfacephoto.wordpress.com/. It has been an amazingly uplifting project for me because not only has it inspired me to start this blog, but also the desire to knit baby hats for a local charity like a crisis pregnancy center. It will take some time away from my own "selfish knitting" and would probably involve the help of a few other fellow knitters, but it is definitely on my heart to pray about!

So ... about this whole blogging idea ...

This is my very first attempt at blogging - testing out to see if I might have something to say about my knitting projects that people would be interested in reading :)
I have been knitting for almost 7 years and in the most recent couple of years, my passion for this quirky fiber art has grown and grown - people say that I knit like to cook, or vice versa ... I like to take basic patterns/recipes and add my own twist; sometimes slight such as a different needle size or sometimes drastic like adding a big chunky cable down the side of a hat, completely ignoring the recommended yarn weight, etc. Sometimes my projects turn out and sometimes they are "learning" experiences. Anyway, hope to have one or two of the current projects I'm working on done soon so I can post something new and exciting!!