Cast On: 2019 Cozy Knitter Advent Socks

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I have my first cast on for the 2026 Pigskin Party KAL. These are some self striping socks from the Cozy Knitter. I am still working on the backlog of previous advent calendars. This newest pair is the 2019 colorway.

I used the contrast color (white) to cast on the toes and then after some school events and sitting at sports practices….I have several rows of color added! This is my “recipe” for my own toe up vanilla sock with an afterthought heel. It’s 68 stitches on US 1 needles. And I’ll work the afterthought heel with some added depth for my high instep.

Happy KAL and Happy Knitting!!

Blankets In Hotel Rooms

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The Super Scrappy Granny Stripe Blanket has grown a lot this summer. Turns out two solid months of focused work can really lend itself to progress.

Jellybean and I took some trips this summer and so I could take advantage of the hotel bed to “measure” my progress. Turns out this random cast on that I made is turning out to be a queen sized throw!

It can hang nicely over the sides and I’m just working on length now. I would say, based on eyeballing this, that I am roughly 2/3 done. I will need to put this down when the 2026 Pigskin Party KAL starts. WIPs are not allowed in that competition. I have several other projects planned but it does feel a little melancholy to put this down after so much progress.

I may still sneak a few rows in on this here and there…. Happy Crocheting!!

Helpless For Books

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The heat of summer and back to school busyness has tampered my crafting. I am pretty much only working on my Super Scrappy Granny Stripe Blanket. But my book consumption has gone WAY up.

My current book mojo is definitely detective fiction. I have been binging Anthony Horowitz (Magpie Murders and Hawthorn & Horowitz series), Robert Thorogood (Marlow Murder Club series, and Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club series). Very British and very Sherlock Holmes-esque.

I had a coupon from the local Summer Reading Challenge so I wandered into the bookstore close my work and picked up some new detective and mystery novels. I have mostly been consuming audio books but I like collecting physical books and switching between pages and audio on my books.

But today, I just needed a pick me up. And some books a nice coffee really did the trick! Happy Reading!!

Same Room, New Layout

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The Scrappy Granny Blanket is my solo obsession lately. And it’s been spurned by a new living room layout.

Our 10 year old sofa and loveseat had become threadbare and the foot rest cords were breaking. Well worn and well loved but superbly annoying.

So now new seating has been sorted and the old are on their way to college rental unit in the next state over. Duke is mad that he can’t stand on the foot rests without getting dumped off. But I am happy that this fabric collects less dog hair and that there are more cupholders.

We shall see if I can find the motivation to work on anything else but this crochet blanket. Happy Crochet!!

All The Little Pieces

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I did it! I finished the entire ziplock bag of all the tiny yarn scraps! My Super Scrappy Granny Stripe Blanket is now about 5 rows longer.

My next phase is to move on to the next bag of scrap yarn in the next size up. I will continue on with sorta randomly selecting colors and knitting across a full row in a single color. Any leftover from this then I will start adding to the recently emptied ziplock bag of scraps. And then when I get a wild hair, I can go back and finish the tiny scraps again.

I will likely keep working on this project this month until the next KAL starts and when I can’t count WIPs. I really should get off my butt and plan for that….

Happy Crochet!!

Finished: 2018 Advent Socks

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The 2018 Advent Socks are done and dusted!

Pattern: My own 68 stitch toe up vanilla sock “recipe”

Yarn: The Cozy Knitter 2018 Advent Stripe skein and The Cozy Knitter Bliss Sock white mini skein

Needles: US 1s

I used about 15 grams of the white contrast for the toes and heels. While I used exactly half of the advent skein. The Cozy Knitter sends hers with two full repeats of the 24 color design. So I can get two pairs of socks out of these skeins for my US 9 womens shoe size. I did mess up one sock slightly as the heel and toe are just slightly off alignment. But that doesn’t affect their wearability so I’m rocking it.

I do have the remainder of the skein to do something with. I think I will move on to the 2019 skein and save all the second halves. And then I will take all the seconds and send off to be cranked into sock snakes. Then I can batch create the second pair of each color.

Seems simple right? Happy Knitting!!

Projects and Project Runway

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I’m in a project lull and a little bit of an end of summer funk. I don’t want to start major things until the Pigskin Party KAL starts next month and even then I don’t know what I want to plan besides some hats.

So I have grabbed my Super Scrappy Granny Stripe Blanket and I am working on this hibernating project. I am currently focusing on using up the teeny tiny scraps of yarn. Those that don’t even get across a full row. I want to finish out a ziplock of those scraps before opening any new mini skeins or the larger leftovers. And it’s pretty zen working the same stitch over and over and over again!

I have been listening to audio books and crocheting at night instead of TV or playing Switch games. These are the whims of mojo and I’m just following it.

Happy Crochet!!

Grafting The Heels

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The 2018 Advent Socks are extremely close to being done.

I cut the heels in last week and got the live stitches on the needles. I have just been avoiding knitting the actual heels. I do a modified afterthought heel where I add extra plain rows when I start the heel and methodically work down to the alternating decrease row/plain row pattern. This creates a deeper heel that fits my specific foot better. The fabric doesn’t slip down into the foot portion nearly as badly.

Both of these are ready for Kitchener and I’m feeling the task avoidance….

Happy Knitting!!

Book Binge

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I was having a really rough week. And I took some time to myself to step away from work and home. I ended up sipping a coffee and walking around Barnes & Noble. And then I fell down in the mystery section….

I know purchasing things is not great self care (at least as a primary source) but I have been finding myself more drawn to books this summer. Mostly due to the Summer Reading contests at my local library. And I’m on a huge detective novel kick so give me all of the Sherlock Holmes and Jessica Fletcher.

I picked out these six books because the synopses looked great and the covers caught my eye. Most of these are new to me, except for the two in the bottom right. Three Bags Full is the book that the Hugh Jackman movie “The Sheep Detectives” was based on. That was a beautifully done movie and I can’t wait to read the book. Who doesn’t love animals solving crimes?

Happy Reading!!

Finished: Bibliophile 2

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The Bibliophile 2 is finally off my needles after almost exactly one year on the needles.

Pattern: Bibliophile 2 by Alicia Plummer (Rav Link)

Needles: US 7s and US 5s

Yarn: Berroco Vintage DK in Blue

Mods: I didn’t knit the cuff ribbing as long as called for. And I lengthened the body to have a finished length that hit below my hips, also a pattern deviation.

This ended up being a nice comfy sweater. Just slightly oversized without swamping me. The sleeves are slouchy and cover my knuckles. I used just under four full skeins of the Vintage DK. Finished weight is 372 grams of yarn or 1,078 yards of yarn. I have a little numb and one full skein left over.

I literally tried this on and took photos in the 100+ degree heat. So I didn’t linger in this FO for very long. It will be a minute before I need this sweater for warmth. The pattern was fairly easy to follow and the finished look is good. But I likely wouldn’t knit this one again, once is enough.

Now I need to plan my fall sweater knit and what I want to work on for the 2026 Pigskin Party KAL! Happy Knitting!!