Monthly Archives: October 2017

Knitting Slow-Mo

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I haven’t been great about posting lately. This isn’t another blog post apologizing….blah blah blah. I promise it’s for a good reason and I’m not sorry, lol.

My knitting mojo ramped up really high in September and then took a major nose dive in October  when Jellybean expressed interest in potty training. I can’t tell you how excited I am that he’s FINALLY on board now that he’s 3. He’s a big growing boy and we are busting out of pull-ups, lol. I’m seriously buying his clothes in the Boys section now 😢.

So my knitting time has been replaced with potty related books and videos, hours spent in the bathroom helping him work out the logistics and of course cleaning up more accidents than a new puppy….

At the end of the day I’m just pooped out, literally and figuratively, lol. My knitting has slowed considerably and is mostly vanilla stockinette. I still plan to pop in here as much as possible. So don’t abandon me!!

Ps. Any positive thoughts and vibes towards my kid completely milestone would be greatly appreciated. Momma needs a potty trained toddler!!!

Happy Knitting!

FO Friday: Vanilla Rainbow Socks

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Phew! I finished my (hopefully) last Christmas knit! My Vanilla Rainbow Socks!


These were a quick but slow knit for reasons I’ll explain later. But they match almost perfectly! And I turned them in for FOUR KALs for points/possible prizes. How can you not love that?

Pattern: 64 stitch toe up vanilla sock with gusset heel

Needles: US2 nine inch circs

Yarn: Cascade Heritage Prints in the Rainbow color

My mom really like these so they might end up being for her. And the Christmas pair I finished prior might go to my aunt Barb. I used 310 yards or 71 grams of the skein so they could have been bigger but I was soooo done with this project I just couldn’t do it!

Happy Knitting!!

Knitting with Jellybean

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Every once in awhile Jellybean shows some fleeting interest in my knitting. Mostly he wants to know if the project is for him or if he can play with it. I have been very firm but gentle in talking about that we don’t touch other people’s knitting. Jellybean is very keen to turn my ball winder as well which I let him help me do from time to time. He also very much enjoys unwinding small balls of yarn. He calls this process “his knitting” I always have little bits and bobs laying around so I decided to make him his own knitting.

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I pulled out a project bag with knitting skulls on it and he was delighted. I then included some heavy fingering and sport weight little balls of yarn. He was DELIGHTED to have his own bag and his own yarn.  I can’t tell you how many times I rewound his “knitting” for him but I’m pretty sure we played for a solid 40 minutes.

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I just love that he enjoys spending time with me doing crafty things!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Mom’s Christmas Socks

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I finally finished my Mom’s Christmas Socks!! And they are pretty spiffy if I do say so myself.

Pattern: 66/64 stitch vanilla toe up sock

Yarn: Cascade Heritage Prints in the Holidays colorway

Needles: US 2s

I used 78 grams or 341 yards of the skein to make an almost perfectly matching set! I did a traditional toe up gusset heel and didn’t bother with yarn management. I just let the stripes do what they will. These socks do fit me since the fabric has plenty stretch. I think my mom will love them at Christmas 🙂

Happy Knitting!

P.s. I entered these in the Carolina Fiber Girls Socktober contest and the Pigskin Party 2017 KAL. Love the double dipping!

Cast On: Vanilla Rainbow Socks

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Spoiler alert…I’ll have a FO to show this Friday. And that FO freed up some needles for another Socktober project.

Using the Surburban Stitcher bag I just splurged on I cast on some new socks in a skein of Cascade Heritage Prints in the rainbow color I picked up this summer. These are destined for the gift pile, quite possibly for my Aunt Barb. They are a toe-up vanilla sock over 64 stitches on size 2 US needles. I only needed the foot to be 8 inches instead of my normal 9 inches. So it just zoomed compared to my normal 68 stitch socks on size 1 US needles.

Seriously though, this project literally flew. The above photo represents two days worth of knitting. And this photo is the first one I took because I couldn’t put the sock down long enough to snap a photo, lol. I’m hoping to keep the mojo going on this project and have another FO very soon!

Happy Knitting!!

My First Suburban Stitcher

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I have been watching the Surburban Stitcher podcast and Dianne Brown’s instagram now for awhile. I simply adore her stuff. But I have been trying to be more careful in managing my yarn purchases and limited splurges. But I had been saving some pennies for the Socktober KAL hosted by the Carolina Fiber Girls. And this year I wanted to knit/use some things from a sponsor. I appreciate when makers take the time to support each other. So used my stash money and picked up a bag and a skein of yarn…

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I got the soda themed small zippered bag. I neglected to get a photo of the inside but it’s the totally adorable coordinating fabric you see on the wrist strap.

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Then I chose this lovely bright greeny sock yarn in the Appletini colorway. It’s her sock base that is a light fingering made of 75% merino and 25% nylon. I’m not sure what this yarn will grow up to be. But for sure I’m using the bag to score some points in this year’s KAL!

Happy Knitting!!

Daunt Progress

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My Daunt Cowl has seen some action this week.

I had a two hour HIPAA training at work that was all slide show/webinar. I knew I needed something to stay awake so I knit quietly under the table and managed to rack up several inches of stockinette. I’m still in the solid main color section and that’s okay. But I can’t wait to get to the colors!

I also pressed a few small binder clips into service to keep my project from curling so I could observe actual knitting project. I know in my head that it grows with every row but it’s nice when my eyes can back up that logic, lol.

Happy Knitting!

Cast On: Be Simple Shawl

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I finished my Jay Jay shawl last week and my fingers were still itching for some shawl knitting. In my project bin of prepped projects I had the yarn caked for the Be Simple Variations by Carolyn Glauz-Todrank. So I started my needles clicking and I have this…

This is some 3+ year old stash of Cloudlover Yarn and Fiber sock yarn. It’s superwash Merino and nylon blend in their Copacabana colorway. It’s a highly variegated teal, orange, brown and purple. I have to be honest…..I’m not loving the yarn and pattern combo. I love the intuitiveness of the pattern. I just hate the colors as a shawl to wear around my face. They just aren’t me. I am thinking this yarn would be better served as socks that go inside shoes….

I have put this yarn into hibernation/time out to think about what I want to do. Any thoughts from the viewers?

FO Friday: Jay Jay Shawl

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I have another lighting quick finish. I think garter stitch one/two skein projects are just my jam right now. Here is the Jay Jay shawl in all her glory!

Pattern: Jay Jay by Francesca Caricato

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Sunseeker in Silver

Needle: US 6

Mods: To maximize yarn in the last section I omitted two garter ridges and added one extra eyelet row. This made it so that I had just a few yards of  yarn left.

This pattern was intuitive and addictive. It made great car knitting too! The yarn I wasn’t so in love with. It’s a DK weight yarn made of cotton, acrylic and metallic thread. It’s very pretty but not very soft or warm. I bought this back in 2013 in a yarn shop because it was pretty and I didn’t know any better at that level of my knitting. This yarn was knit and frogged out of two other shawls before it became Jay Jay. In the end I’m happy with it and very happy it’s out of my stash.

I think this will be a gift for my mother in law. She will appreciate the beauty and in her “season of life” like the fact that it’s not overly warm. Well and with cotton and acrylic I know she won’t felt or shrink it, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Daunt Cowl

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Jellybean had his nasal procedure this week. This was preceded by much anxiety and worry by me the mother. He took the whole mess like a champ and fingers crossed he will be able to breath much better going forward.

I knew we would be sitting around the surgery center for a minute or two so I cast on my Daunt Cowl and started stitching. I managed an inch in under and hour in the waiting room.

I used some leftover bits from my Mom’s Christmas socks for the provisional cast on. I worked two rounds before switching to my live yarn. I contacted Mary of KinoKnits to ask about the pattern. Without giving away the secret sauce, a portion of the cowl involved short rows. And full disclosure I have no problem with short rows. But with my scraps spanning the rainbow the matchy-matchy portion of my brain wanted the thing to be the same all the way around. Mary kindly replied that no problem I could make the modification I wanted and still have a beautiful object.

I also made a what I think is a smart decision. I am working from the outside of the massive cake I wound. For two reason, the first being that my colossal cake wouldn’t collapse halfway done. The second being that working from the outside meant I worked the long stretch of main color solid section first and saved the color changes for last. I fee like this will keep me more motivated in the long run.

Happy Knitting!