A few months ago, I started a pair of fingerless gloves for my husband, ones with fingers just missing the tips.  The pattern that I started with worked out well enough, but something about it didn't groove with how my brain works.  The first glove turned out fine, a bit tight, but fine.  The second I started last week (yes, that long inbetween!), and I just couldn't get it right.

So I went hunting for another pattern.  I ended up taking a vintage pattern (knit flat) with ornate cabled cuffs and womens sizing and using that.  Knitted in the round, without the cuffs, with entirely different sizing.  It worked out quite well, so I'm working on the second now.

It seems like, as I've gotten more confident in my spatial skills and pattern drafting, that I've been more and more unable to use patterns as they are.  There are always a few tweaks that I want to make, and I almost always end up creating something that's entirely different, except in concept.  I've never changed a glove into a hat or anything that obscure. :)

I'd really like to return to the days where I could pick up a pattern and work from it.  It was relaxing and...well, nice.  Don't get me wrong, I love the problem solving, design process, and creation of something that's juuust right, but it'd be nice to try something new with the thinking cap off, again, and use someone else's knowledge and talent.  I won't claim to have any mad design skills, but the busy body in me just can't leave a pattern alone!

I guess I've been psyching myself out for the holiday season, because the past few weeks have all been about making changes and progress towards being the best I can for the holidays.

Some of that includes:

• Planning a general reshoot.  I noticed a bunch of my former 'okay' pictures really need to be redone.
• Making an effort to finish socks, rather than just putting them in my final touches basket.
• Adding pictures of my packaging to listings with an empty photo slot.
• Cutting out a bunch of paper for sock sleeves.
• Making repeats of current listings, so I can relist immediately or fulfill custom orders.
• Trying to knock out some of my personal projects before the end of the month.
• Planning my purchases for the holidays, so that I'm not in a rush on the gift giving front when orders pick up.

I also think I've settled on a supply order, so I plan on making that in the next few days.  Yarny goodness is so inspiring and motivating!

I don't use twitter very often; but, when I do, it's usually clicking a share button on etsy or on a blog.  I'm frequently too lazy to do much more than click, which made me realize that I'm probably limiting how often my blog posts get mentioned by not having a 'share' feature up front and at the ready.
So, I've been adding the share utility to the bottom of each of my posts.  I've already got it set up to automatically add them to new posts, but it'll be slow, tedious work to go back through all of my posts and add them.  Since some of my older articles get traffic, it's worth it.

For those of you not using blogger as your blog utility, check out AddThis.  It's super easy peasy to set up, and you can even get info about your clicks.

Knitwear is a cool-weather thang.  It just is, by nature, by assumption.  It's now August, and I know the last thing on most people's minds is Christmas, Hanukkah, or anything 'holiday'.

Well, for most knitters, preparation for The Season started months ago.  Ramping up on general shop listings, creating seasonal items, and moving back over to heavier knits and warm cuddly things.  Yes.  Knitting in August.  Yes.  Knitting when it's 105F outside.  It really is a special kind of madness.

My family celebrates Chrismukkah (my mom's Jewish, my dad is secular Protestant), and I planned on creating stockings for a few couples.  I started about a month and a half ago on this stocking, and finally sat down and knit it out today.  It only took me about two hours, so I have no idea why I've put it off for so long.  But there you have it.

As you can see, I changed tension after the cuff.  I'm going to try fulling it a bit before I work on the embroidery (holly leaves and berries), but will have to rip it out, if it doesn't tighten up any more.  I love it and plan on starting the second in a few hours.