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| the yarn story |
…I finished up journal #22 yesterday. I thought these Knitting Tales used to be a regular thing when I finished a journal, but I can’t find a similar post since July 2012 (when I finished journal #14!) One of my favorite things about keeping a journal is revisiting those old tales*…and comparing them to today’s.
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| the project story |
I started this journal the day before Charlie was born, just about 4-1/2 months ago. Since then, I completed 18 projects with 9,734 yards of yarn. Ten of those projects used stash (or gift) yarn and eight were for others. Two sweaters (one for me and one for Charlie), one shop sample, a few cowls and scarves and eight hats!
As you can see from the colors, or lack thereof (I think every spot of color is stash except for that bit of purple at the top which was a sample for the shop), I’m in a monochrome/neutral phase right now. Looking forward to the three pops of green that will be tied onto journal #23!
I’m actually surprised at the pace. Journals #13 and 14 each covered a similar amount of time, and I knit about the same yardage. Wow. It seems like I’ve given up a lot of my knitting time to other things, especially Charlie (and yoga :-)! I’m no longer knitting at stoplights (well…not all the time anyway). Maybe I’m making better use of the time I have. In any event, I guess it’s a pleasant surprise.
I’m hoping the 23rd journal tells a similar story – about equal stash vs new and about equal for me vs others. I’d be ok with fewer projects…and less yardage. Just putting it out there – I’m not sure where that will end up!
One more thing – these inside cover pages usually record only a Knitting Tale. But this one also includes a special memento from my sweet friend Virginia. She got her grandma wings two years before I did; her encouragement has been such a blessing! This tag was attached to a bouquet of daisies she gave me at the Grandma Shower. It seemed appropriate to include it on the cover pages of this journal because it’s such an integral part of the story.
And now switching gears – I’ve been thinking about how I document my knitting. I try to keep good notes and photos in Ravelry, plus the bits of yarn and quick one-line summary in the moleskine. Curious if y’all do anything different? you know I’m all about the documentation and I wonder if I’m missing out on anything? I’d love to hear!
*in a nutshell, I tie a bit of yarn from each finished project to the elastic band of my current moleskine journal and write a quick summary on the inside cover to note the date I finished it, the pattern, who it’s for, the yarn/colorway I used and the yardage.
mere-et-filles 
I really only track things on Ravelry. I'm wondering, though, if Evernote would be useful for this as well. I think your journal is a lovely idea.
Your notes and samples are a lovely way of documenting your knitting, along with what's happening in your life at the time. The note from your friend is the perfect thing to have at the beginning of your new phase of life. I barely note anything even on Ravelry, but then, I barely knit!
Your journals are wonderful, and I especially like your yarn tie-ons. Journaling is one of those things I wish I did, but I've never been terribly succesful for any length of time. I do try and document on Ravelry, mainly because I tend to knit the same pattern multiple times, and my notes help me remember what I did and/or need to change. There is also the added benefit that I can actually find the notes!
Before Revelry, I used to keep knitting journals. Now, I keep all information (such as it is) on Ravelry. This seems to suit my needs — but I do miss the yarn labels and random bits of fiber I used to tape into my old knitting journal!
I love the knitting journals: they are tactile, visual, include you and your thoughts, snippets of your life…and priceless. They are as much a part of you as the items you make. I vote for continuing your process. I should be so lucky as to have your "decision" to make…but that of course suggests that one actually does knit ;-)).Knit on andCheers~
I love the tie-ons!! I try to document mostly in Ravelry, the blog serves in a pinch.
I love the bit about Grandmas, so sweet. Aside from Ravelry, I've started filing away the photocopy of the finished project which usually includes any notes I during the knitting. I put it in a page protector, and tie a sample of the yarn in the notebook hole. One other thing I started doing around June of 2014 was to keep one tag from the yarn and the swatch in the same protector as reference
Lovely quotes about Grandmas :). And I'd never heard of a knitting journal; what a super idea to have bits of your wool on/in it. My Mum was a super knitter – I wish she had kept one …
I'm terrible about keeping track! Everything that is recorded is on Ravelry. And you know, I love your journals!