Monthly Archives: June 2014

More Cherry Jam

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Summer in Kansas is in full swing! During a recent trip to my parents house I noticed the cherry trees were ripe and ready to go. Two and a half hours later and five large ice cream buckets later, this pregnant lady was hot and tired. And, I might note, the three trees were only half picked!

As reward for my sweaty work I went home with two buckets of pitted and washed fruit. My most favorite jam of all time is cherry. So after a quick trip to the grocery store for sugar and pectin. I transformed all that fruit into jar after jar of delicious jam. Three hours and some swollen ankles I have this…

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Gussets Complete!

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My June #sockswithsarah socks now have heel gussets! Last we spoke I had just completed the foot portion.

The gussets did prove to be a lot of stitches mushed together on one needle and yes I dropped a few that had to be picked up! I also had some pooling in the color changes. Slightly annoying but not bothersome enough for me to change, lol.

All in all….still very happy and excited at how fast they are going! LOVE two at a time socks, even in my unique way!

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WIP Wednesday: Sprout Cardigan

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I’ve completed the first section of my Sprout Cardigan! Pardon for the scrunched up look, there are a LOT of bunched up live stitches on that holder.

I’ve started on the second section (same as the first) and just finished my second ball of yarn. This project is garter stitch + bulky yarn + large needles = heaven. Right in both my comfort wheel house for a preggo project 🙂

Here’s hoping I can keep my mojo going and get it done before Jellybean gets here in October!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Everlasting Bagstopper

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Happy FO Friday! I have finished my Everlasting Bagstopper!!

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The knitting was really really fast. Just about a week of evenings and one weekend. The pattern is easily memorized. Here are the details:

Pattern: Everlasting Bagstopper

Yarn: Lily Sugar N Cream Cotton in yellow

Needles: US 5 and US 10 1/2

Straps: I picked up some yellow grosgrain ribbon with white polka dots as I had no desire to knit straps, lol.20140531-215558-78958682.jpg

 

I used approximately 266.4 yards or 155 grams. This was about 2.2 skeins of yarn. I have oodles of this cotton hanging out in my stash and this was a GREAT stash-busting project! This would be a pattern I’d definitely repeat, especially for a quick gift knit.

Happy Friday!

 

A New Sock

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My Plain Rye has been languishing in my project bag as the weather has grown warmer. Definite SSS as I have finished the first one but only the cuff of the second. I have a hard time working on any project that I’m not “in love with” at the time. So to the back of the closet it goes!

I still have the urge to work on a sock and to keep up with Socks With Sarah. Eons ago I picked some actual fingering weight sock yarn: Lorna’s Laces Soulmate in the Hawaii colorway:20140531-215852-79132153.jpg

How gorgeous right? So I pulled this from my stash and divided evenly into two cakes. I even made sure that I started each cake at the same point in the color change pattern. I feel like a proper sock knitter! 🙂

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I picked a vanilla toe-up sock with gusset heal that is a variation of a pattern by Wendy Johnson. I’m working a total of 74 stitches on US 0 DPN needles. The pattern was written for magic loop but I’m working using three needles.

I don’t know if this is “right” or “wrong” but since I have five DPNs I’m working the socks in a sort of two at a time fashion. Two needles per sock and the fifth to work the live stitches. I plan to work each pattern section (toe, foot, turn the heel, etc) for each sock before moving to the next section. Hopefully this helps me produce two matching socks and avoid SSS, lol.

And as a pleasant consequence, I don’t have much of a laddering problem between the needles as I only have two needle changes (instead of the four I had with my Rye Socks). And I’m knitting the first stitch on each needle twisted and making sure to pull tightly. This is helping me to create a more even fabric. Check it out!

P.S. I’m TOTALLY in love with these colors. Really helps me power past the tiny yarn on tiny needle problem I usually face with socks.

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WIP Wednesday: Sprout Cardigan

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I have had the urge lately to use some of the “special” and/or “new” yarn in my stash. My pull towards projects of late has been more fiber based than pattern based.

Case in point: awhile back I purchased a sweaters worth of Berroco Comfy Chunky in a pumpkin color. It’s a bulky acrylic blend with a VERY soft feel. My pregnancy brain has not lent itself to very complicated patterns so I perused my Rav queue and found this lovery: Sprout Cardigan by Classic Elite Yarns!20140531-215429-78869617.jpg

 

(photo credit to @Classic Elite Yarns)

I printed the pattern and pulled out the yarn. I opted for a long tail cast on and slipped stitch edges for a smooth look. Not to mention both will help with seaming later.20140531-215437-78877645.jpg

I’m using my US 9 Knit Picks Nickel inter-changeables. This yarn can be a bit “splitty” if you untwist it as it made up of multiple single plies. The sharp points to my needles help quite a bit. I’m working on the first piece and this garter stitch is great for TV knitting and car knitting!

I’m super excited for this sweater this fall. I’m hoping it will be a figure friendly addition to my wardrobe as my bump is HUGE  in October and then as I transition back to my pre-baby body. I just can’t get over how cute this is belted!

Happy Wednesday!

False Starts but Eventual Progress

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I have blogged about my desire to knit Jellybean a baby blanket before. I initially as going to use some Bernat Cottontots (a sadly discontinued yarn) from my stash. I pulled all my skeins from my stash and played with color combos. But given the yardage requirements for each hexagon….I just couldn’t come up with plan I was in love with. False start #1

So I hit Ravelry trying to see if I could grab up some Cottontots solids from other Ravelers. I must have sent out 10 message and got zippo in responses. People really want to hang on to this awesome yarn and I don’t blame them! So I expanded my horizons and took a look at Bernat Handicrafter Cotton. I was able to snatch up three mega skeins from a wonderful Raveler who was de-stashing. I eagerly waited for the package to get here! But once I got the yarn in my hands as wonderful as it was…..it wasn’t the colors I had imagined. And I just couldn’t bring myself to compromise on color. False start #2

So finally I hauled my ever expanding pregnant but down to my LYS. I’m ashamed to admit that despite opening in March….I hadn’t set foot in it yet. The shop is charming in style and the staff very friendly. But I was very disappointed with both yarn brand selection and color options.  The yarn was segregated by weight but it didn’t always have the same brands from weight to weight. But as a businessperson/accountant I can understand keeping stock to a minimum until you get a feel for what sells. Especially given the small space they have. But my inner knitter was a little miffed, lol.

But I digress. I didn’t walk out empty handed. I found some Universal Yarn Cotton Supreme. It’s 100% cotton but has a very soft hand. I ended up choosing a tan, pale green, teal, and bright yellow to match my crib decor. I was in love at first squish!

And it knits up beautifully! Check out my progress:

 

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