Knit-tage!

Yes, in case you missed it, that was a nod to a certain Mr. Pauly Shore.

I noticed when moving my blog from the old site to here, that nearly every single post required the tagging of "knitting," "crochet," or "crafting" (or any combination of all the above!). There are a couple of reasons for that. 1) That blog was originally intended for mostly only crafting purposes. I needed somewhere to post about my knitting and crocheting for my Ravelry page so I could link the projects to something, and 2) because I literally nearly always have some form of crafting in my hands. If I'm not at my computer and I'm not reading (or doing mommy duties...like cleaning or laundry or dishes or cooking...), I'm crafting. I take my crafting with me wherever I go, and I even knit in the car on our drive down to Ramstein this past weekend. In fact, I honestly think I spent more on a special tote bag for yarn than I ever have on any purse or diaper bag. LOL It's kind of an obsession for me. (I think it's therapeutic for me. No matter what emotion I'm feeling or how much I feel like I've failed at something, crafting always soothes me because I can watch something beautiful take shape at my hand.)

I have, however, been quite remiss lately in posting regularly! That was largely in part due to our move from Italy to Germany, but it's also because I semi-retreated from the blog-o-sphere (and you'll notice it happens often...I'll blog consistently, and then fall off the face of the Blogging Universe for months at a time). Now that we're in a new home, though, I'm trying to develop some new (and healthier!) habits, so we'll see where that goes.

My latest knit-tage, however, is an extremely beautiful scarf! Designed by Ann Kingstone, she's releasing the pattern for the scarf (with an option for a hood!) in pieces, spreading it out over the course of 2 months. There's a whole group of us on Ravelry that are knitting it together in a knit-a-long (referred to as a KAL...like Kal-El...but not! HA! I'm such a nerd...), and while the KAL is going on (great, now every time I see the abbreviation KAL, my brain will forever tag on "El"...LOL), the pattern is free, but as soon as it's over, it'll be available by purchase only.

I first started knitting it in the most breathtaking blue (my favorite color, by the way).



Unfortunately, I was so excited with the weekly release of the pattern, that I failed to see the text that read: "the instructions below are split into two sections. Follow the first set for a scarf without a hood, and the second set for a scarf with a hood." I honestly have no idea how I overlooked that. It was right there; anyone could have seen it. But I missed it. So I plowed through that section without the necessary modifications to make the hood. When I realized my mistake, I started mentally kicking myself and couldn't stop saying "I can't believe I just did that..." It's not that I can't undo it and re-do it...it's that I won't...because it would mean undoing over 100 rows of knit-tage! So instead, I've decided to keep the blue one without the hood, and cast on a second scarf. That's right. The first one isn't even done yet (I need the next release, which won't be until this Saturday, at midnight UK time...so 1 a.m. for me!) and I started a second. And I have every intention of completing both during this KAL (::whisper:: "El")! Because that's how this crazy person rolls. LOL The hooded one is going to be done in this soft, lovely gray:


The second scarf is actually coming along quite quickly, and they are both beautiful! I can't wait to show them off! (No, really, I can't wait...) So here's how far I am on the blue one (please excuse the pins and the ends that aren't woven in yet...LOL):



And the gray:



Isn't that design just amazing?! I am excited to see the finish! Of both scarves!!!