Tag Archives: selfish knitting

January is selfish knitting month: cast on with me!

Posted on January 2, 2014 | 14 comments

After the frenzy of gift knitting (which I don’t do…), January is traditionally selfish knitting month. (And I’m using the term selfish in the most positive way: for your SELF!) What are you going to knit? Are you casting on something new, or trying to finish something already on the needles? I need to finish something to clear my needles before this.

MKAL banner

I’m planning to knit the Rose City Yarn Crawl Mystery KAL, so I can have this shawlette for myself. My original will be a sample somewhere for the next year, and I want one for me NOW. Will you be knitting along with me? You’re invited! Check out the RCYC group on Ravelry for ongoing details.

I’m also having a Thrumbelina KAL. If you were lucky enough to register for Lantern Moon’s April retreat, you’ll be knitting your own Thrumbelinas along with me before the retreat so you’ll have cozy toes when you go to Timberline Lodge. No kick off date yet; we’re working out details. But you don’t have to be going on this retreat to knit along. The more the merrier for the KAL, as far as I’m concerned. More thrums for everyone!

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And I need to get started on a new design, due in March.

All three of these upcoming knits are fun, but technically for me they’re work, so they’re not really selfish knitting. What about something that’s just for me? I guess finishing the current knit is all about me (my own knit of my new shawl design debuting in February), so that counts. But I’m also dreaming of casting on Lempster from Knitty. While I’ve been dreaming, my friend Sarah has knit two of them! I received some gift cards to Twisted for Christmas, so they may kick start my Lempster. Am I crazy? Can I get all these knits done in a timely manner? There’s only one way to find out!

What’s your selfish knitting for January? If you need some inspiration, go look through the Doomsday Knits and Under 100 Knit Collection sets. And don’t forget, I’m having a giveaway of the Under 100 ebook. Leave a comment on the previous post to enter to win. Happy new year!

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Posted in KAL, Knit

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Nose to the grindstone

Posted on January 10, 2013 | 10 comments

January was supposed to be Selfish Knitting Month, but I haven’t started anything for myself. I’m working on a design for Twisted’s Shawlette Club instead. When inspiration strikes, you have to run with it!

shawletteclublogo-300

I can’t show you what I’m working on, but it is gorgeous and I love it. I even have a name for it. (Sometimes coming up with a name is the hardest part of designing.) The yarn is a luxury fiber from Blissful Knits, and it is decadently wonderful to knit with. How’s that for vague, but enthusiastic? I’m nearly done knitting the prototype, and will be sorry to no longer have this yarn running through my fingers. But you can have it running through your fingers if you sign up for the club! The first club package goes out in March; my design is in the second package, in May. I love sock yarns, but I’m not much of a sock knitter. Shawlettes are a perfect way to use these lovely yarns without knitting socks!

But I do want to knit something for me this month, too. I need a new cardigan. My Central Park Hoodie is pilly and no longer fit to wear in public. Help me decide what to knit next! I want a top-down cardi that I can knit fairly quickly. I’m thinking of DK or worsted weight yarn. Shalom? Tea Leaves? I don’t want anything with a really wide yoke, though. Help!

Have *you* found the perfect selfish knitting project?

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Posted in Knit, pattern design

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Selfish Knitting…fail.

Posted on January 4, 2012 | 15 comments

I’m having a little problem with my selfish knitting. Here’s what’s on my needles right now.

oxo mitts

The first mitt feels great. These mitts were going to be selfish knitting, for me, but then I realized that I need them as a sample for a trunk show. Does this mean that it’s not selfish knitting? I’d really like to wear them, but I also want them to look nice later in the month. I’m seriously thinking of knitting a third mitt, so I can wear the first two and still have one to show. I’ll have to weigh my yarn and see if there’s enough for three. Or see if Lorajean has a little more left in this color!

My other selfish project was the design that I had going in my head for the Arroyo yarn . But is that no longer selfish knitting if it’s going to be design work in this yarn weight for a club instead?

And the potential gift for DH…that’s definitely not selfish knitting.

Foiled again! But it’s all enjoyable, so I guess the truly selfish knitting will have to wait. Do you have any selfish knitting going on this month?

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Posted in Knit

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knitchat, and selfish knitting

Posted on December 12, 2011 | 5 comments

Are you on twitter? Do you know about #knitchat? It’s a twitter chat that’s usually on Thursday evenings, 6:30 p.m. PST. I drop in when I can. (I’m @pdxknitterati on twitter; follow me!) Natalie Kilkenny (@cloudynatknit) is the organizing force behind #knitchat; you can read more on how it works here. Last Saturday, we had the first ever US/UK knitchat. It was fast moving and fun! One of the topics was “What’s on your needles,” and the conversation veered to gift knitting and selfish knitting. Apparently December is all about gift knitting, and January is Selfish Knitting Month.

Apparently, I’m ahead of my time. I’ve always been precocious! The siren call of the thrum was strong; I had to have Thrumbelina slippers for myself, right now! The pattern isn’t available outside the Single Skein Club until March 1, but it’s my design, so I already have it. I cast on a week ago Saturday at Twisted, and finished Wednesday night. It’s a quick knit.

I love this combination, Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Velvet Grapes, and Knitted Wit merino roving in Beaujolais. It’s a little more subtle than the sample pair. These are really soft and cushy!

I also want to knit some as a gift. I chose this Madeline Tosh merino, not realizing it was superwash. I don’t think it matters, because I’m not planning to felt the slippers.

tosh

I may have also bought another color, because it was so hard to choose between them.

tosh kale

I also have one more selfish knitting project lined up. Lorajean gave me some of her DK Polwarth/silk in Beaujolais for some of my Hugs and Kisses Fingerless Mitts. Lorajean was knitting a sample last Saturday, and it was a perfect combination. I’m currently having a love affair with deep winey red purple, and I need some new mitts!

dk beaujolais

It may have to wait until January, the traditional Selfish Knitting Month for those who spend December frantically gift knitting. But since I only have one quick gift to knit, I may get to it sooner. Should I feel guilty about my selfish knitting? I definitely know that my recipient will appreciate my work, and I won’t felt it, either!

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Posted in Knit

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