It's been a wonderful ride!  I want to thank every one of you for your participation and support, as well as your inspirational creations!

My Project Spectrum Photo Set 

Project Spectrum Flickr Page

Project Spectrum Blog Archive

Stay tuned for Project Spectrum Round Two at the first of the year! We will start the year off with a rainbow of colors! Feel free to tell me what you would like to see in PSII by email, comment, or in the Flickr discussion forum.  Also, finish up those leftover projects in the month of September for Project Spectrum Clean Sweep! 

PS – So, I guess that's a yes!    I will setup a sign-up form in the next few weeks… Stay tuned!

It's the crisp in the air… the slightly lower temperatures… the start of school… it's almost AUTUMN, my friends! 

This is without a doubt my favorite time of year!

Fall foliage, pumpkins, harvest, and of course, the return of cold weather knits!  For me, this means some cable-y sweater goodness, and SOCKS.

My "not-so-knee-highs" are still on the needles, I am on the homestretch of sock one!  The socks accompanied me to my first fall semester course last evening.  Class went pretty well, and I even met another knitter. Looking over the syllabus for this course, I found another way to work knitting into my final project requirements!  I ran it by the professor and she seemed thrilled!  We'll see how it plays out as the semester progresses. 

2006 has definitely been the Year of the Sock.  In the three years that I have been knitting and reading blogs, I have never seen as many socks on the "internets" as I have over the last few months. This excites me to no end, but I have to admit, I was also a little nervous about it… did that mean that people would burn out on socks quickly and not want to be a part of the second annual Socktoberfest? 

Say it ain't so…

I have received a few emails asking about Socktoberfest 2006, and I would love to have another – I even have one sponsor willing to donate a prize in the contest! – but I wanted to check the pulse of the knitting community first.  Can you handle another sock knitalong?  Socktoberfest 2005 was another no-pressure knitalong (I do that for myself, more than anything!) with over 300 participants, administered over the whole month of October.  We gathered some great tips, loads of free patterns, tutorials on unique cast-ons,  and all participants were eligible for PRIZES.  It wasn't a race – it was simply about socks and the joy (and sometimes the slight frustration) that comes when one makes handknit socks.  It was also about encouragement and problem-solving.  I am still a new sock knitter – a year ago yesterday, I finished my first pair of socks!- and I learned so much about sock knitting last year through Socktoberfest.  I was so inspired by Margene's beautiful sock knitting that I had to try it on my own, and now, I am addicted to socks!  This year, I want to take it further, by experimenting with different styles and cast-ons, and delving into the technical aspects of sock knitting. 

Project Spectrum will be over (unless of course, you have leftover socks from Project Spectrum months that you want to pull out again!  I may do the same with the aforementioned Lace Knee Highs, as well as my long-suffering Blueberry Waffle socks) and socks of all sizes and shapes will be celebrated and accepted.  If you have never knit socks before, but have an interest in trying it, Socktoberfest is just for you! 

All the socks (minus the gift socks for mom) that I knit in the last year.

So, no sign ups yet or anything formal, but tell me, if there was another Socktoberfest, would you sign up?  what would you like to see in Socktoberfest 2006 (tips and tutorials? reader feedback on patterns, needles, yarns? more contests and prizes?)  I would love to know!

Eat, drink and be merry… for tomorrow we start school. 

Its not like it was a long honeymoon.  I finished my summer class in the beginning of August and luckily had a brief respite before fall semester courses begin tomorrow, and I have been working at the Archives the whole time… basically it just meant that I didn't have to feel guilty for knitting instead of doing my reading assignments…  fall semester always seems so much harder to me, for some reason.  This semester I am taking my last Library Science class, and a French Revolution class for my history degree.  Since this is my last semester in the Library Science program, I will be taking comprehensive examinations the last weekend in October, and if everything goes well (as planned!), I will complete my Masters of Library Science in December – Lolly, MLS! (yeah, still have a few more classes before the History is done – but one has to celebrate each step along the way!)

So, with hours of homework just a few days away, I decided to have a fun weekend! a little hoorah before the brunt of books, papers, and day-long exams hit me full-force.

Jen, Coleen, Minty, me, Diane, Heather, and Sarah (not pictured)

Minty was in town visiting family, but she was able to sneak away for a few hours to join the Maryland girls at All About Yarn and the local café for some knitty action! It was a great time!! 

I managed to get out of the yarn shop without any damage to my wallet, and to my Summer of Stash commitment! (despite all of their sale bins and new yarns and samples…ah, one more week…) 

Lest you think that I only destroy sweaters… I put some good time in on my Sesame cardigan while knitting with the group. 

I am working the left and right fronts of the garment at the same time, and it is going pretty quickly. They look like sleeves at this point, but when I pick up stitches for the button band, it will be wider.  I can't wait to wear this cardigan – it will definitely be a staple in my wardrobe.  And I already have the perfect accessories to match it, many thanks to dear Anjo!  Anjo sent me a lovely Project Spectrum package with so many neutral goodies, and she sent out goodie bags to all the commenters on her blog - how generous is that?? This black and white fabric pin, and the purse in the background were part of my package.  Thank you so much, girl.  Your creativity and generosity are a real inspiration!

And as Project Spectrum comes to a close (can you even believe that six months went SO fast?), I just want to thank all of you who participated in this project, and shared your energy and creativity.  The Project Spectrum Flickr group is a constant source of inspiration for me – please check it out if you want to see the work of other participants, or if you would like to include your project photos for any month.  September will be a Project Spectrum Clean Sweep month – pull out any of those lingering projects you have from color months past and get cracking, my friends! I will be working diligently on some of my previous projects, in particular my Sesame, and my Pomegranate Hoodie… September will be a virtual Craft Parade of Color! What are you planning to finish?

Beautiful yarn sitting in my closet – never again to be worn – simply gathering dust. There really was no other option.

Six months ago this was a near-perfect fit…  no so much anymore.

I finished this sweater right before I started my weight loss regimen in February. Now, it will not even stay on my shoulders, and hangs in a very unflattering way around my torso.  I have lost the majority of my weight on top – down three cup sizes, and several inches in my arms and ribcage – so there aren't many tops that fit anymore. Now to get some of that reduction in my hips…

No last rites – no swan song. 

Just some scissors and the trusty ballwinder. 

Yeah, it was a little liberating.  Kind of the whole creator/destroyer aspect; "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it!" Good news is that I now have some thousand yards of worsted weight alpaca/silk blend to do whatever I want.  The possibilities are endless! 

I was on a roll.  The fun did not stop there. 

I fell in love with the yarn, and the amazing color, and bought it all up at my LYS with my Christmas 2004 gift certificate.  The Tempting pattern called for this same yarn, and in my opinion, it was not a good match.  The yarn is too heavy for the sweater – even after one wear, the yarn begin to droop and sag, being pulled down by its own weight!  In retrospect, I should have used a cotton or a blend for this pattern.  As you can see, the sweater is a huge mess.  Ribbing is supposed to be slimming, no?  (There was a ribbon that was used to "cinch it" through the eyelet holes up top, but even that could not save this sweater, unfortunately).

While ripping this one out, I fell in love with the Cashmerino Aran all over again.  It is beautiful and soft, and while it does "fuzz" a little with wear, it is really a great yarn. The most important thing however, is finding a pattern to support it.  I actually got a crazy notion in my head… this Cashmerino would make a really nice Hourglass sweater…

I am happy with my decision to rip these sweaters.  Although they may not be knit up again anytime soon (who knows?) I am happier knowing that there are possibilities for them.  Plus, since I have not purchased any yarn for the last three months, it kind of feels like a stash enhancement!   

I will be meeting up with some friends at the yarn shop this afternoon for some knitting… wonder if I can keep the yarn diet strong… only one more week (officially) left!  We'll see what happens!

It is no surprise to hear that media is different now than it was a mere five years ago.  Technology has changed, and it has brought a host of new features and conveniences with it.  Take .mp3 format:  just coming into the mainstream a few years ago, and it has revolutionized the music industry. "The death of the music album" some people say, and it is true – it's all about singles now.  Even here in our little knitblog world, we have .mp3 podcasts and sound files, and even .mpeg video files showing how to do a special technique. 

Although .pdf is a proprietary format, it has also revolutionized the way that documents are stored, and thus displayed for the user.  It's so easy to purchase Glampyre, Eunny, Anna Bell, Knit and Tonic, or Zephyr patterns and immediately cast on for the pattern, hot off the printer.  They are just so accessible!  Amazing, no? 

The thing that I love about it the most?  It's so grassroots – so homegrown!  You wanna publish your own patterns? you can do it!  You wanna have your own talk show?  you can do it!  You wanna dye your own yarn and start an online shop?  you can do it! You just need the right equipment, a desire to learn and experiment, and time to devote to it…  Once again, I am revelling in the sheer amazingness of this community. 

If it not clear enough by my nerdy knowledge of audiovisual formats, I am a librarian / archivist.  I love media and I love information.  I love new formats, and I cling to old formats too – I still listen to some cassette tapes, and I prefer to read a real book over a computer screen. 

The book business is still alive and kicking – and it seems like the craft-related books are more successful than ever (anyone with any authority to confirm this?) There are new knitting books coming out every season (check out the post I wrote a few weeks back about all of the funny fall titles!) and while I love me some new knitting books, I am often hesitant to buy any craft book before I can see some of the designs inside. 

You can hear a song on the radio, or can download a short sound clip; there is a constant stream of movie previews and trailers (Snakes on a Plane!) on TV and the internet – why not market books the same way? A few book publishers offer a little preview on their website, maybe one or two designs, but if you really want to look through the book, you have to wait until your local library purchases a copy, or until your local book / yarn store stocks it – and then you have to deal with placing holds and interlibrary loans, or dealing with a salesperson who is more interested in their weekend plans than in helping you find your knitting book.  (Okay, this is not always the case, I used to work in a book store, and I cared! but you know the type…)

Luckily, with some forward-thinking commercial sites (I am not really endorsing them, but I do love this feature!) it is possible to see what's inside before you buy.   And even cooler still?  You may recognize some of your friend's and fellow knitblogger's work!

See under the book cover?  There are actual pictures of handknit socks made from this book's patterns!  You undoubtedly recognize my Trekking socks, but Caro's recently completed Oak Ribbed Socks are also featured. 

It's as easy as starting an account, finding the book, and uploading your own images of the work. As you upload images, you create your own personal gallery, and other users can vote on how helpful this image was when they were researching the book. 

My whole profile and gallery are here

These shared customer images are so great to look through! They are a major selling point for me, seeing some of the designs inside the book, as well as what a specific crafter decided to do with their own version of the pattern. See Denyse Schmidt Quilts, Mason-Dixon Knitting, and Last-Minute Knitted Gifts for some other inspirational and crafty user images.  If you are so inclined, upload your finished objects from your favorite books, and share them with the world!  You just may inspire someone!

It is so fascinating to observe the way that technology changes the way to work, they way we live, and even the way we craft.  Stay tuned for some interesting technologies 'round these parts – the wheels in my head are turning (again), and I am bursting with ideas!  Also stay tuned in the next few weeks for some special knitting book author interviews… it's going to be a fun fall!