Monthly Archives: August 2018

FO Friday: Gidday Baby Sweater

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PB’s Gidday Baby Sweater has been done and sitting for quite awhile. I just couldn’t muster the gumption to dig out and sew on buttons. Well after a couple of poop-splosions this week I was running out of sweaters for PB. So here is her finished Gidday Baby.

I found some nice neutral semi-transparent buttons in the right size in my button stash. Which is impressive because my button stash is minimal at best. Are they the best buttons for this sweater….no. But do they look okay and make a perfectly serviceable sweater…..yes!

I made some mods in order to shoot for knitting a 12 month sized sweater. I’m not sure if I exactly made it 12 month sized but it’s big enough for PB to wear. So I’m taking that as a win and running with it. My Ravelry details can be found here with a brief description of my mods.

Now do I dare start a true 12 month sweater for PB? And if so what should it be???

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Rainbow Sockhead Slouch

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I’ve been procrastinating on casting on my next “easy bedtime” knitting project. The Big Bang Vanilla Socks have been done for awhile and I knew exactly what I wanted it next…a Sockhead Slouch from my Lemonade Shop Stormy Day yarn. Why  the procrastination? Well, I have this vision for the fabric that I know I want my hat to have. I want the rainbow blips of color to distribute without stacking, pooling or flashing.

I finally decided to take the plunge…I did some Ravelry research on this pattern and this yarn to get a feel for what happens at different stitch counts and gauges. I decided to cast on the pattern recommended 144 stitches on US 1 needles. This was the result…

It was very clear even at this short amount of knitting that I was going to get total pooling. So I ripped it out and tried 144 stitches on US 2 needles….

This attempt was better and I made the pooling stop.  But now the color blips were stacking and making sort of flashing stripes. While this is a totally cool effect…it’s not what I wanted deep in my knitterly heart. So once again I ripped the whole thing out. For the third attempt I used 164 stitches on US 2 needles.

Much better!! The colors are still touching a bit but for the most part are randomizing and dispersing nicely around the hat. It’s not 100% what I was looking for but its really close. And given how much knitting time I get and how many brain cells I have left after two kids…..its close enough for now.

The caveat….I have no clue how this will fit! I am just working to get a fabric I like. The Sockhead Slouch is an easy pattern and I plan to knit several inches of hat and then try on the ribbing portion to see how things go. Fingers crossed….worst case scenario is that I rip out again and start over. Darn, more time time knitting this beautiful yarn!

P.S. This Lemonade Shop yarn really stood up to ripping and re-knitting!!

Happy Knitting!!

Stripes For PB’s Sporty Cardigan #2

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My second Sporty Cardigan is moving slowly along. I’m working my way down the body working in two row stripes.

I am kind of digging how tonal the yarn looks within each stripe color. I didn’t get to see while I was knitting the first Sporty Cardigan.

I may very well be playing Yarn Chicken with this sweater. I’m too scared to weigh my remaining yarn or even measure the body of this sweater. Honestly…I have no clue where I am at in this sweater, I just keep knitting neat little stripes. I’m torn between just knitting until I run out and figure it out then. Or, doing some measuring and math to figure out if I need to dig out more coordinating sport weight yarn.

Maybe PB just needs a short sleeve cardigan??? Or I need to put my big girl panties on and just be a good knitter and figure this out.

Happy Knitting!!

Completely Round The Bend

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Okay guys….I have completely gone round the bend. PB had a bad/cranky day at work this week. This mood resulted in her only wanting to sleep while Mommy was holding her. And I had her snoodled her in Sporty Sweater.

After a 40 min nap my arm was numb and I carefully moved her to her swing so I could work two handed. And I looked down and saw my arm…

And honestly my first thought at seeing my arm was…”man, I can really see the garter section and the stockinette section. And oh look, there’s the raglan increases!”. I am picking out stitch definition in my skin pattern…..I might need an intervention….or a nap….

Don’t mind me…I’ll be over here pouring myself another coffee…

Happy knitting!!

Cast On: Cheery Vanilla Socks

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After finishing my Big Bang Vanilla Socks I felt the pull of having an empty sock project hole in my knitting life. I finally snagged some elusive knitting time at work during a conference call that coincided with PB taking a nap.

I cast on both toes of my Knit Picks Felici in the Cheer colorway. When I went back to work after maternity leave I had this project all kitted up and stored safely in my desk. I’m doing another toe up vanilla sock but this time over 72 stitches because I like to use US 0 needles on Felici yarn. It’s a bit thin than I like for size 1 needles. And I did my best to make the two socks match as best I can. My plan is just to crank out some tubes and do afterthought heels later.

It just felt good to get needles in my hand and have some soothing knitting while Iistened to coworkers “discuss” their opinions on our ongoing project, lol. Now as a working mom of two I have to grab my knitting time where ever I can….even if it’s 5 minutes.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Big Bang Vanilla Socks

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My bathroom knitting proved fruitful, my Big Bang Vanilla Socks are finished!! I finished the last afterthought heel….this time with no knots, yay!

img_4847Pattern: My own vanilla socks over 68 stitches with afterthought heel

Yarn: Turtlepurl Turtle Toes in Rock, Paper, Lizard Spock

Needles: US 1s

I used 77 grams or 355 yards of the self-striping Turtlepurl yarn and about 5 grams or 23 yards of Serenity sock solid red.  Even with as tall as I made these socks, I still have the striping yarn left. Maybe I could make some easy leg warmers for PB to match mommy??

I’m really happy with the yarn. It knit up beautifully and the colors really grew on me. The fit is fantastic in the foot and in the heel. But my post pregnancy legs are still….well they are what they are. And the cuffs are a tid bit tight. I will have to see how they wear and if they are uncomfortable or fall down. But it’s still 90+ degrees in Kansas so it will be fall before I find out.

I would totally buy this yarn again. This dyer is amazing and the fabric is scrumptious on my feet. My only conundrum is what easy peasy vanilla project I should start next for my “knitting after the baby goes to sleep” project….

Happy Knitting!!

A Whole New Knitting Level

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Warning: This post contains some ridiculous #momlife truth and sneaking knitting tricks….

One of my Big Bang Vanilla socks has a heel….despite a dastardly knot in the heel yarn. I put my big girl pants on and decided to cut the yarn and take out the knot and just have a couple more ends to weave in. I couldn’t bear the thought of feeling a knot or join on the heel of my sock. And it worked and I have a lovely contrasting heel complete!

Some of you are thinking….what about the mom truth and the sneaky knitting? Well as you might surmise from the photo backdrop….I knit the last of this heel in my master bathroom while PB slept. Yep….I legit sat on the lid of the toilet listening to a podcast and carving out some knitting time. The bathroom was close enough PB won’t cry from being left alone and it has light to see what I’m doing without waking up PB. It wasn’t super comfortable or my finest knitting moment…..but it was the self care time I needed and I have one finished sock! I am pretty sure this takes my knitting (and mothering) to a whole new level. But what mom hasn’t hidden from her kids in the bathroom a time or two??

I did have a sort of bummer. No….those aren’t the new Flexi-Flip needles. They are horribly bent cheap aluminum needles from Joanns. This project went to work with me a few times and was in my backpack a time or two. Not real sure how they got bent but I’m guessing someone either stepped on them or sat on them. I’m not heartbroken as they are under $10 at Joanns and I have several sets of size 1 DPN needles anyway. I can just use the two remaining good needles from sock #1 and get this bad boy finished up. Fingers crossed…

Happy Knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: PB’s Sporty Cardigan #2

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Well even after my greatest attempt to screw this up, I made it through the raglan increases on PB’s second Sporty Cardigan.

With this second attempt I didn’t even count my stitches in the various sections when I divided for the sleeves. I just put all the stitches between the markers on holders and figured I can fudge any extra or missing stitches later. I’m the boss remember?  The Knit Picks Comfy sport is definitely a little rounder yarn than the Frabjous Fibers sport. But honestly I don’t care, this will be cute a sheep’s nose regardless!

I’ve started striping in the Frabjous Fibers yarns. I plan to knit the body to pattern and then add the button bands. The sleeves….well they will be determined by how yarn I have left in what colors, lol. But this should be a great satisfying “use up most of the yarn” kind of sweater!

Happy Knitting!!

Knots Are Not Cool

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I know it’s to be expected in commercial yarn….but darn it….knots are infuriating! I am working on the heels for my Big Bang Vanilla Socks and I hit a huge knot.

My heel yarn is some Deborah Norville Serenity Sock. It’s a nice soft workhorse yarn. A lot like Knit Picks Felici and the colors don’t bleed like some other commercial mainstream brands. I was knitting in bed last night (hence the bad flash photography on my comforter) and decided to put this WIP in a mini timeout until I decide how to deal with the knot.

Harrumph…..I mean Happy Knitting!!

Oh Yarn Balls

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You guys….baby brain and sleep deprivation are a real thing. I’m back to work (and I take PB with me) and I feel like I run ALL DAY LONG. I am happy with my choice but boy is it a different way to work. It definitely has it ups and downs. I have found myself doing the silliest things.

Case in point….PB’s Sporty Cardigan #2….I picked this up and merrily knitted during a nap. I thought I knew where where I was but that was a bald faced lie. I started doing my increases on the wrong side of the work. And after three garter bumps my issue became apparent. I literally exclaimed “Oh Yarn Balls” to the bewilderment of my hubby.

I took a deep breath and told myself I was the boss of my knitting. I knew that this would bother me and I really needed to fix it. So I pulled out some fingering waste yarn and put in a lifeline where the work was correct. And then….I ripped out the needles and frogged.

I was totally racing the clock of PB’s naptime. But I managed to get all the needles back in the stitches without too much headache before PB woke up.

I was quite pleased with myself and I know I’ll be happier with the finished product. I’m just mad I lost an ENTIRE nap time worths of progress on this baby sweater to a stupid sleep deprived mistake. I literally ended back right where I started. I guess the silver lining is that even when crazy tired I can still read my knitting….after a few row anyway, lol

Happy Knitting!!