Monthly Archives: November 2020

Car Line Knitting: Hat Adventures

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Now that my Knit Socks are finished I needed different car line knitting. So the Hurricane Hat for Jellybean became just the thing. (And yes I know my check light is on. It’s for low tire pressure and they are just going to have to wait there turn in my to do list…it’s 2020 and I can only handle so many dumpster fires).

I’m a little bit nervous about this hat. The yarn has a lot of tooth to it and it is not next to skin soft in my opinion. Jellybean really likes the swirls in the purls but I have a feeling this won’t get much wear. I may have to break out my Tuft wool wash that has lanolin to block this to see if I can add some softness.

I’m holding DK weight yarn double so the project is really flying! I might even have a FO this week depending on how long the car lines are this week.

Happy Knitting!

FO Friday: The Knit Sky Socks

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I have a new pair of socks ready for Fall, whenever that comes to Kansas. My Knit Sky Socks are complete and just need a final blocking.

@atangleyarnknitter

Pattern: My own vanilla toe up 68 stitch socks (ravelry link)

Needles: US 1s

Yarn: KnitCircus Greatest of Ease in the Knit Sky gradient with Cascade Heritage Solids in Italian Plum for contrast toes and heels

It feels like this project just started. In fact I finished them in just over a month, which is fast for me anyway. I started the toes in Cascade Heritage Solids in the plum and and then added the KnitCircus gradient at then end of the toe increases.

I’m really happy with the fit but the gradient was kind of a surprise. The gradient really started out subtle and by the middle of the skein it changed colors quickly and dramatically. Don’t get me wrong, I really like it but it was interesting to watch it develop. My gradient yarn was two 25 gram matching cakes and I used almost every inch of it to make these socks. Felt really good not to have leftovers!

I’m already itching to wind up another skein of self-striping yarn. Can’t let my needles get cold!! Happy Knitting!!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

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Today, I have no yarny content. Today is my birthday and I took the day off of work to do whatever the heck I wanted. My children are either in school or daycare and I’m not doing anything responsible. I’m going to curl up in my favorite knitting spot to craft, watch my favorite shows and possibly take a nap. No adulting for me today!

See you guys tomorrow!!

Planning My Next Blanket

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After my less than spectacular finish on my Marled Crochet Blanket I wanted to get right back on the horse and continue crocheting and stash busting. It has been soooo satisfying to empty bags of yarn and whole drawers of my stash really really quickly.

I pulled the seven skeins of full or almost full skeins of Knit Picks Biggo leftover from when I was making headband for craft fairs like six years ago. I like that it is all the same yarn content and the colors aren’t horrible together. Plus this yarn has a really soft hand and is easy care.

I laid them out on my guest bed and played with color progression ideas for a simple crocheted rectangle of a blanket. After a few attempts I think this is the winner. I don’t want to weave in a ton of ends, but I might use the grey and black as some sort of border treatment? And then the body would be all the jewel tones? I’m going to percolate on this project for a bit.

Happy Crocheting!!

Cast On: Hurricane Hat

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Jellybean was side eyeing PB’s recently finished sweater and made the comment that I hadn’t made him anything in awhile. So we sat and talked about what did he think he wanted? He muddled it for a bit and decided a hat. So we went to my stash and I showed him some yarns to pick from. He ended up picking my West Yorkshire Spinners Aire Valley DK.

And then he promptly went off to play. I did make him come back and feel the yarn to make sure it was soft enough. This yarn has a little tooth to it and it’s definitely not merino soft. He still said yes this is what he wanted. So I took off to Ravelry and found an easy but yet cute hat.

I chose to hold this yarn double to get aran weight and knit the Hurricane Hat by Andrea Guldin (ravelry link). I’ve obviously made it super far into the ribbing, lol. But Jellybean seems delighted just to see have started. Eventually this hat will have a purl bump that spirals up the body of the hat ending nicely in the decrease. Or it will if I can correctly follow the pattern!

Happy Knitting!!

Benefits To Cleaning

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Happy Monday to all! I was cleaning up and refilling some of my project bags and guess what I found tucked in a project bag pocket? Money!

Thanks past Rachelle for forgetting this to delight and reward future Rachelle for actually cleaning up after herself! Okay, yeah, it was only a dollar but it is one more dollar than I had before. And I totally found my really really good Chapstick that I thought I lost.

Not a bad way to start a Monday! Happy Knitting!!

An Almost FO: Marled Crochet Blanket

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The crocheting is complete on my Marled Crochet Blanket. Thanks to binging some knitting podcasts and a glass of white wine…this monstrosity is complete. And as I feared yesterday, it still looks like a giant boob.

I turned this project in for points in the Pigskin Party KAL and promptly set it aside. My completely inept and total made up crochet increases made this blanket bubble in the middle in the red section. I texted some photos to crafty friends as to what I should do with this.

One friend suggested I stuff it and make a pillow or lounge pad. But as its square-ish and the gauge is really open I’m positive it would be impossible to seam and the stuff would just spill out. So I have two choices:

  1. Just throw in the towel and let my kids have this as a “play” blanket for their stuffies and dolls
  2. Call my seamstress mother to see if we could sew up custom pillow or fabric bean bag like item and then attach this to the top for humorous effect.

I’m going to mull my options and see how crazy wild I get this winter. This project may resurface….

Happy Crocheting!!

Interesting Color Choice

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I stepped back to admire my Marled Crochet blanket and noticed an interesting design aesthetic that my color choice and marling is giving me……

You guys, I’m crocheting a giant nipple. I was shooting for sweet valentine pink/red theme. But nope this is one giant boob. And it doesn’t help that my increases in the red section got a little wonky and that bit sticks up. My husband even gave this blanket a raised eyebrow when I showed him.

But I’m too close to being done so I’m going to embrace this project and see where it takes me. I’m not ripping out close to 1,000 yards of crochet, lol. I have a white section to add tonight and then I will be done. Maybe I’ll have a FO to show tomorrow?

Happy Knitting!!

More Waiting….More Knitting

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In true 2020 fashion, life continues to humble me. I had been struggling with eye and cheek pain for a couple of days. I tried to brush it off until my vision went blurry and it hurt to blink. So on went the mask and off the urgent care clinic I went. Long story short….I have an infected tear duct and that hurts and totally sucks.

My visit was long and not without anxiety. Even with all the COVID precautions I was NOT fond of being in a doctors office with the general public. And everything took FOREVER and the staff couldn’t have been kinder. I did manage to remember my ear buds and my knitting. So by the grace of my Knit Sky Socks and some true crime podcasts I waited out the over hour long wait.

This is sock number two and I’m really pretty far into the foot section given that I started this like two days ago. This is all progress from car line knitting and this doctor’s visit. I’m not mad at that rate of progress. I did get prescribed some eye medication that is helping a ton so I hate life a little less now. And I’m honestly going to be a little sad when this knit is over. I really really love the feel and colors of this yarn.

Happy Knitting!!

Ribbing Is Slow

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I am still slowly working my way through my second attempt at my DK Ripple Bralet. I haven’t really been serious about this project and it’s only seeing progress on long Zoom meetings or family movie nights.

I’m learning lessons from my gauge errors on my first attempt. So therefore I know how much body I need to knit. And man….ribbing is slow. My default is 2×2 rib and this is not that so it “feels” weird to my fingers and I’m just naturally slower than I feel like should be.

I mean I know since my last post on these I have added a good three inches of ribbing. But it feels like I knit and it never grows. My rational brain knows that is not true but my pandemic brain is frustrated! I am pretty sure I need another three inches of ribbing before I start the strap portions.

I think this is my slow and steady “turtle” project so I am just going to breathe and keep knitting on this one. Happy Knitting!!