I had planned on doing a FO post for the Tilted Duster today but the rain prevented me from taking any good photos. Maybe tomorrow. So instead I am copping out with a 5 interesting facts about Megan post.

1. As a child I had an imaginary country instead of imaginary friends. I was queen. It was accessed via Patterson Skytrain station and was called Skatchina
2. I am afraid of stairs
3. I once auditioned for a reality tv show as part of a school project. I got an A
4. I've never watched an episode of the Simpsons and am strangely proud of that
5. I learned to knit so I'd have something to do on my long commute

On Stash

A thread was recently revived on Ravelry about stashing and materialism. Someone pointed me in the direction of a post I made early in the thread over a year ago in which I stated that I didn’t really ‘stash.’ Obviously it’s safe to say that’s no longer true.

Let me say right off that I don’t feel one bit bad about my stash. It brings me inspiration and comfort. There is a reason why I have nicknamed the craft room the “Room of Happiness.”

I studied consumer culture as part of my degree so I am quite well versed in the academic theories surrounding materialism and conspicuous consumption. I won’t claim to be immune. In fact, I don’t think anyone in North America, knitter or not is immune. To a point we are all vulnerable to comparing what we have to what others have and many who make a deliberate effort not to consume conspicuously are actually practicing conspicuous non-consumption. That is, in my opinion, just another way of using your consumption, or lack thereof to define you. While conspicuous consumption may be far more prevalent in modern times than it ever was, humans have been defining themselves by their possessions for hundreds of years. We’re simply more aware of it now.

It is not wrong to have stuff. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with hanging on to stuff either so long as it isn’t causing you or others undue harm. My great-grandmother was extremely poor as a child. She married at 16 so that she wouldn’t be hungry anymore and throughout her life she filled her house with possessions. Those possessions brought her great happiness because she remembered when she had nothing. Yes, she was absolutely hoarding but her house was kept clean, her children and husband were always fed and clothed and no harm was done.

I’ve found that my stashing has highs and lows. There are times when I’m buying a lot (like Sock Summit or the great yarn acquisitions of January) and there are times when I don’t really feel a pull to buy yarn. I’ll likely continue to buy yarn and fiber. Some will be used immediately and some won’t. I’m okay with that.

Bet Progress

Back at New Year's I made a bet with Andrew. If I finished 3 sweaters and 10 pairs of socks, I got an Addi Clicks set. If I failed, he got two pairs of socks. We later changed the terms and agreed that any sock yarn project counted and the veil also counted as a sweater. Here's the progress so far:

Socks and Sock Yarn Projects:

1. Japanese Vines Scarf
2. Baby Yours Sweater
3. Monkey Socks
4. Lacy Rib Socks
5. Leyburn Socks
6. Entangled Stitches Gloves (95% complete)
7. Argyle Socks (40% complete)

Sweaters and Veil

1. Owls
2. Tilted Duster
3. Veil (90%)

I'm cutting it close but it just might be doable. And perhaps the desire to win the bet will be the motivation I need to power through the end of the veil

Dear Buttons that I bought Yesterday

Where the heck are you? I dutifully bit the bullet and seamed the sleeves of my Tilted Duster and planned on finishing it tonight. I went to Dressew yesterday to buy you and put you in the yarn room. Why is it then that when I went to get you today to sew you on to the sweater you are nowhere to be found? I know you are here somewhere so please stop hiding. I do not want to buy more buttons, especially since if I do you will no doubt reappear the moment the last button is sewn on.

Please reappear. This is really not amusing. It is rare that I actually get something finished and do not like you standing in my way.

Love Megan

Day 2

I can already see that this post a day thing is going to be a stretch. After all, the only post I managed to make yesterday was from my iphone. I do like a challenge though so we'll see what happens.

I'm nearly finished the Tilted Duster. I just need to sew up the sleeves and sew on the buttons and it will be ready to wear. The seaming is taking forever though. Ugh. My plan is to finish tomorrow. I'm also almost finished the first Entangled Stitches glove, fingers and all.

The downside to all this knitting productivity? I'm almost out of 'loophole projects.' I'm not allowed to cast anything on until the white behemoth is complete so soon I will be forced to just finish it. Not that that's a bad thing.

Mission: Possible?

I've decided to attempt nanoblopomo. Given the lateness of this first post I don't have high expectations.

WIP Round Up

I've stalled on the veil. Knitted edgings on circular shawls are truly the black hole of knitting. I have to knit two edging rows for every shawl stitch which adds up to a whopping 1920 rows. Yes you read that right. I think I'm about halfway done but I didn't touch it for 3 weeks. Here's what it looks like as of today.


The plus side to the veil avoidance is that I've picked up a number of my old WIPs and worked on them. I have a deal with a friend that I won't cast on anything new until the veil is finished. Enter a loophole: old projects are already cast on and therefore don't count. While avoiding the veil I have finished a pair of Leyburns




I started these several months ago but only worked on them sporadically. When I did work on them they went pretty fast. I used Shibui sock but I don't remember the colourway.

I finished the body of a Tilted Duster


I started this back in February and then spring came and a long wool sweater was the last thing I wanted to work on. It's definitely fall now so I am motivated to finish it. I'm working on the sleeves now. The yarn is Berocco Peruvia, picked up at the WEBS Brick and Mortar store last January. It's one of my favourite colours.

I've worked on some gloves

I started them last winter but they're very fiddly and I put them down when it stopped being glove weather. Once again the coming winter is motivating me to get them done. I finished the hand of the right glove and will finish the hand of the left glove before I work on the fingers for both of them.

Last but not least I have also been working on some argyle socks.


I took an argyle socks class at Sock Summit and cast on a full sized pair immediately while the technique was still fresh in my mind. I love the colours of these.

In other news, I recently received these in the mail from Slipped Stitch Studios.



A cute project bag and a matching interchangeable needle case. I love these. Check out her shop. She has awesome stuff.