FO Friday: Warm Hands

Posted on October 25, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I managed to overcome “SSS” or “second sock syndrome” and I have completed my fingerless gloves for fall!

These Simple Fingerless Mitts were very easy to make, despite being on DPNs. I had a single skein of Berroco Vintage DK in orange with a few slight tweed flecks. I knit on size US 6 needles because I didn’t have any 5s. Gloves still turned out and fit pretty well. They might have been too small on the smaller needles.

I probably only have 8-10 knitting hours in these gloves. I like to take my time and make sure to keep my dpns from getting all boogered up. I used 46 grams or 132.5 yards of yarn. And I did make one significant mod:

knit 20 rows total of ribbing at the cuff

I wanted to make sure the gloves were long enough to tuck inside the sleeves of my coat. And I was very happy with this mod. And the best part is that I only used half a skein, so I can knit a whole second pair for a Christmas gift.

Now I’m off to refill my cup. I wish everyone a very happy Friday! And as always, Happy Knitting!!!

Holy Chili Peppers Batman!

Posted on October 24, 2013 by atangledyarn84

My family’s garden went nuts on peppers this year! I received a five gallon bucket of green chilies just for me…

So I took these,

And put them on this,

To end up with these,

So I could ultimately make the hubs some Green Chili for his saucy needs,

No to mention some 2 oz portions of puréed chili peppers for winter soups,

Gotta love my vacuum sealer.

This chili pepper business literally took 8 hours on a Sunday. I’m so over peppers until next year!!! It put a serious crimp on my knitting time 😦

WIP Wednesday: Sophisticate

Posted on October 23, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I have a BA in accounting, an MBA, and I’m a full time working accountant…but apparently this week I can’t count or read for comprehension.

My Sophisticate or Stashbustin’ #38 is finally making forward progress. I’ve completed the yoke and divided for the sleeves.

But getting to this point has been a battle. I thought I was following the increases according to the pattern. I did a stitch count at a couple of pattern repeats before the end and I was WAY closer to the end total then I should have been. Now I probably missed making some marks on my pattern as I completed a row. And I probably worked too late into the evening after a glass of wine. I literally couldn’t count to save my life. So I’m claiming total responsibility.

So I put my big girl panties on and did some quick stitch calculations. This was made a little difficult as the pattern only indicates how many sleeve stitches and how many total stitches I should have. But I’m supposedly smart so I figured it out. And just fudged the pattern to get where I needed to be. And after some re-knitting I completed the raglan increases.

It used “firmly” backwards loop cast on stitch. Not my favorite but it looks ok. But I really had to keep the loops tight to avoid holes.

Now, enter stupid error number two. I got off a section and started to complete the men’s sweater directions instead of the women’s. I knit two extra inches of stockinette that upon realization of my error I frogged those two inches….I could not follow directions to save my life. This time because of movie watching with my hubby.

But I digress. I’m off and running on to the waist shaping instructions. No wine, no late nights, and I’m making clear and dark pattern notes. At this rate I should have a sweater by spring, lol.

Happy WIP Wednesday 🙂

Socks For Socktober

Posted on October 22, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Being that it is October, I put my big girl panties on and cast on for my very first ever sock. I know it’s already basically the end of the month, but I get points for the spirit right?

I pulled a ball of Knit Pocks Felici in the Peachy color way from my stash and I had chosen a Toe Up Sock with Gusset heel for a pattern. I was excited!

But upon careful reading of the pattern, as one should do before putting yarn on needles, I realized my folly. I had fingering weigh yarn and size US 1 needles when the pattern called for sport weight and size US 2s. Insert forehead slap here…….

After a cup of tea, I decided to forge ahead. I was determined to ” make it work” as Tim Gunn so often states. I forged ahead with what I had. Given the thinner yarn and smaller needles I decided to knit the largest size in the pattern so as to aim for something in the middle. This project is mostly about learning new skills for me, so who cares if they only fit a tiny adult.

I successfully completed my first ever seamless Turkish Cast-on and promptly set to knitting the pattern as written. I got to the end if the increase section and “tried it on” my foot and found one more increase was necessary to fit. So I wrote the change on my pattern and added it to my sock.

I then trudged through about an inch if stockinette and had one last fitting before bed!

I will undoubtedly have to continue to alter the pattern as I go. But it’s very well written and it should work out alright. As long as I take excellent notes for the second sock, lol!

If this works out, I cannot wait to fill a drawer in my dresser with handmade socks!! Anybody else out there have the same urge?

Banking For Life

Posted on October 21, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Yesterday my coworkers took part in a Breast Cancer Awareness 5K and it was amazing! We raised a ton of money for cancer research and got a great workout. Being a financial institution, our team name was “Banking For Life”.

Every woman should know the risks of breast cancer and get screened regularly!!! Seriously, it saves lives. I am high risk with breast cancer on both sides of my family and I take this sh*t for reals. I do monthly self exams and see my doctor every year like clockwork!

Here are some snaps of our crazy group!! Enjoy, and don’t forget to give’em a squeeze!

A Shiny New Yarn Tote

Posted on October 19, 2013 by atangledyarn84

My momma loves me and is a total enabler when it comes to my knitting. Look at the primo tote bag she scored for me!

I am not sure what company this is from, but I love it just the same. It’s actually two pieces combined.

The first is a solid box designed to hold paperwork or file folders. Then the other is a soft sided tote with two outside pockets on one side and three on the other. And the middle is one big open bag. The two work together very nicely!!!

My mother knows how OCD I am when it comes to organization. And she spoils me and I love her very much. Now to pick out a project to live in it….maybe my grown up sophisticate, the leg warmers that have been languishing at the bottom of my WIP pile, or maybe my nutmeg sweater!

FO Friday: Brick

Posted on October 18, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Stashbustin’ #33 is complete!

Love love love this sweater!! Despite all the ups and downs it came out wonderfully. And after a bath and some drying time it’s ready to wear just in time for fall!

Nice and roomy and I had just enough yarn for the project. Only have a skein left! I used 452 grams or 4 1/2 skeins of Berroco Vintage DK. That’s about 980.8 yards of yarn in one garment! Start to finish I think this garment took about three weeks?

My one complaint is that the sleeves are still pretty loose even with knitting the tapered instructions. As I have said before my arms are not necessarily proportional to the rest of my body, lol. So as I was knitting I noticed the sleeve getting very long and I still have an entire decrease section to do before the ribbing. I measured and confirmed my fears. So I only worked five total decreases in the tapered sleeves with the final decrease having only 8 rows of stockinette following it. This solved my length problem but I feel the sleeves deserved to be tapered more to fit my arms.

I managed to make both sleeves match this alternation. So I didn’t have the heart to rip out and re-do. Besides this is going to be my cozy winter sweater anyway!

P.S. Totally wish I was headed to Rhinebeck and this was my sweater….

TGIF and Happy Knitting!!!

Distraction and Disc Golf

Posted on October 17, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I played a round of disc golf with the husband over last weekend. The hubs is pretty serious about it and I’m terrible. Not to mention the course we played could have doubled for a horror movie set with the abundance of creepy wooded areas.

I kept getting distracted by the foliage and canopies of trees against the brilliant blue sky! The hubs got annoyed. It was a gorgeous October day so we stopped keeping score and just enjoyed the day together.

Here are a few of my favorite snaps from the afternoon…

Gloves For Fall

Posted on October 16, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Due to Columbus Day here in the US, the hubs and I had a three day weekend. Which we turned into a four day weekend with the creatives use of leave time from work. It was a glorious break. I got to snuggle a tiny human, get in 18 holes of disc golf with the hubby (I’ll post pics tomorrow), see my dad’s football team play, eat waaaay too much, and chill out with the family.

I didn’t want to pack around my Brick or Nutmeg sweater, so I grabbed a single skein I had hanging out in my stash, a set of dpns, and a easy fingerless glove pattern.

This some Berroco Vintage DK in a orange-y color way. I think I picked this up a fee years ago in a birthday splurge. I have been wanting to venture more into dpns and small projects.

So I cast on Simple Fingerless Mitts from Tink’s Knits. It is very fiddly for me to get a project started on dpns, but after a few rows I can usually cruise. I managed to finish the first glove and half of the second one over the extended weekend.

Here’s hoping I can finish before the first fall frost!

A Grown Up Sophisticate

Posted on October 15, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Remember the secret project I mentioned I started at my friends wedding? Well, I finally made enough progress to merit an update. Albeit, a small one at that.

After making a few baby sophisticates, I decided I deserved one in my size! This is Sophisticate by Linden Down and will be #38 in my stash-busting efforts. I had just not quite enough Caron Simply Soft in Grey Heather….so I had to hunt down two more skeins in my dye lot. Having conquered that, I grabbed my needles and cast on!

I’m making the medium size and I’m still in the yoke section. I have a feeling that this will feel like it’s taking forever after making the mini size!

Happy Knitting!

My Tangled Yarn Knitting Adventures

Ramblings from an obsessed knitter

Monthly Archives: October 2013