How to get Knitting Done

Although this post won't help those with "startitis" or FOF (fear of finishing) I have learned a simple but powerful lesson recently about getting things done. If you've got smaller projects that can travel with you, bring them everywhere and knit whenever you've got 10 minutes. But to make this possible you need...you guessed it...to be prepared.

So what this means for me and knitting is that I am not often sitting at home working on my Caps for a Cure hats or other projects which are perfect travelling knits. I might be casting them on, or finishing them, but I need to leave the main straight ahead knitting for when I'm away from home.

What this has changed in my life is my previous (pretty-much) one-at-a-time approach to projects. Now I might spend an evening gathering supplies and casting on two or three projects that will get me through the next while of lunch breaks, meetings, and waits for choir to start. It seems so extravagant, and yet it's working.

Last night, for example, I started two projects. The first was the lace slippers from my new socks and slippers book. I'm hoping the slippers will make perfect travelling slippers: not too heavy or bulky, yet warm enough to help my constantly cold feet, and dressy enough to let my friends see!

I needed some time to set these ones up because the pattern wants you to knit up four soles and then sew two of them together for each slipper. This will make the sole thicker, warmer and more durable. But I don't like to do more than two of most anything. So I decided to double knit the sole. This will give all the advantages and won't require a seam at the end.

The second cast on was for the Amanda hat for this month's Caps for a Cure. I was the one that nominated it to the group and yet I've done every other hat on the list but this one. And it's almost the end of the month...time to get going. I'm not sure I've chosen the best yarn to show the nice textured pattern, but we'll see what it looks like. I'm pretty committed to using stash and donated yarns for the Caps for a Cure projects. (It's a good thing they like acrylics for the hats because I have a lot of it!)

And of course, the final thing you need for good travel knitting is a great bag to carry it all with you. Not too big, but big enough, cute, and secure so things won't fall out. I found a perfect bag while shopping at Sally Ann with my mom last week.

My only mistake is that I've started using it as a purse. It was so convenient to just throw my new wallet in and just carry the one bag. (Between my knitting, purse and laptop, I really look like a "bag" lady sometimes!) Now, an appliqued cat bag is cute for a project bag, but as a purse?? Not really my style. I've got to pull out a purse purse soon but it's just so dang convenient!!

All for know,

christina