What's happening here

It feels like yesterday that I was over enjoying lori times five's blog, when I learned about yarn splicing. She's got a video here, where she demonstrates how to do it. Recently, I've adopted it when knitting with 100% wool (both the sweater I'm knitting and the cardigan are pure wool). I love it! I love not having to weave ends in. Thank you Lori, you are an inspiration!

Recently my Dad made me this:

Which I also love. I know, it is a big, but it can sit out of sight under my table when not in use. And it makes life easier. Much easier. And faster.

In other news, I am trying to learn Continental knitting instead of English. I've been suffering from repetitive strain injury for what feels like forever. I get better, then knit too much, and it comes back. So after reading that Continental is better for people that suffer like me, I'm trying to switch. It is hard, and I am not patient, but I am trying. I used this video as help. I'm using some stash bulky and huge needles to make a scarf just like the very first one I ever made (in 2009, yipes!), when I learned English-style.

Lastly, in an effort to let me hands rest a bit, I decided to start a scrap quilt. I am not a quilter, but I do try. I'm using this book:

to quilt as I go. I'll let you know how that turns out. I'm mostly using fabric my Grandma gave me, with a few scraps of my own, so I feel happy every time I work on it. I love my Grandma!   

Happy Crafting!!

Sometimes I need help

Hello! We are having some cooler weather this week in Michigan (Polar Vortex anyone?) and I'm not going to lie, I'm loving it. In fact, I'm loving the weather this summer in general. Except when it gets humid. I do not like that. When I'm not knitting, I work outside (to have money to buy yarn and food), and it can get to be a bit much in the summer. But so far, I can't really complain (except for that one really bad day).

One of the baskets my Grandma made, she's super talented

What I am doing right now, pretty much exclusively, is working on my Braid Hills cardigan. The construction is interesting, and keeps me on my toes. So much in fact, that after I had all the separate pieces put onto waste yarn (per the instructions), I looked at it in despair. Then I showed my clever husband the piece, and the picture, and he helped me see how it would work out in the end. So nice to have someone to help me see past my own confusion!
 

The sleeve caps are made using Sunday Short Rows, which I think are pretty brilliant. I'd never done sleeves this way, and I love it so far. I can't wait to try it on when I get further along.

Right now I'm also loving the library. I do like my Kindle, but I haven't touched it since we moved to this town with its glorious library. The girls and I go once a week, and this past week I checked out the knitting section. So big! So many books to peruse. I couldn't resist the hat book!
 

And I just finished the Collector of Dying Breaths. It was an interesting read, but I had a wee bit of a hard time investing in the characters/story. I'd say three stars.

And that's it for me this week. I won't have a FO for weeks at the rate I'm knitting this cardigan, but I am so enjoying it. The yarn is such a gorgeous color. 

Happy Crafting!