Kninja Knitter

As July is quickly coming to a close, I’m very pleased to have regained my full knitting momentum. Back in early 2022, I was astounded to have lost all desire to knit. As a generally prolific knitter, this was frightening. By May I had managed to resume knitting, and with the news of a grandchild on the way, my motivation leapt late in the year.

With the start of 2023, I jumped back into the year-long knit along (KAL) hosted by the dyer Desert Vista Dyeworks (DVD). This is the fourth year I’ve participated, though I work it every other year to manage the expense. DVD specializes in self-striping yarn, mostly sock weight, and the colorway choices are vast! With the club, one can earn two 30% discount codes and two free skeins of yarn for completing a pair of socks or mittens (now hats and fingerless mittens are available options, too) each month in the year. The key rule is that you must use a new skein each month, though one month in the year can be completed using leftovers. Contrast yarn can be used as well (e.g., cuffs, toes, heels), but must also be DVD yarns.

At the start of the year the only projects I was completing were DVD socks and a few baby hats and a pair of mitts for my newborn grandson. In fact, through May, that’s all I had completed: five pairs of socks, one pair of mitts and four baby hats. And I started on a baby blanket for a friend.

Then I decided to participate in the Splash Pad Party hosted by the Down Cellar Studio podcast. This craft along runs for about two months (Memorial Day weekend through July 31) and challenges participants to finish projects during that period. Bonus points can be earned by using products from sponsors. And unlike other online games where the points don’t matter, Splash Pad Party points earn entries into a prize drawing after the event closes.

I also decided to participate in Camp Loopy, sponsored by The Loopy Ewe, a local yarn store in Colorado with a sizable online presence. Camp challenges are offered each month of the summer, June through August. This year, under new management, the camp challenges were changed slightly. Previously, crafters were challenged to craft an increasing number of yards each month (400, 600, 800). Now, we can choose any yardage minimum each month as long as we meet the 400, 600 or 800-yard minimum in one month of the event. (Probably not the best explanation, but I’m not going to stress about it.)

As of May 26, I have completed eight different projects, and I’m close to finishing another two. I got back into the habit of “Mark It Monday” where I take photos of the projects I worked on over the past week. This allows me to capture the progress I made during that week. On bigger projects, it’s often difficult to really see what gains we make unless we use a progress keeper (stitch marker).

Here’s a snapshot of this week…

With the exception of the tank top, all of these projects will be earning me points in the Party. The socks were finished later in the week, but I want a photo in better lighting… I have lots of plans for knitting in the coming months, too. I have socks and a toddler sweater in queue for August for the monthly challenges. I will also start swatching for some BIG projects to knit up this fall!

Knit on.