Author Archives: atangledyarn84

’14 Stashbustin’ #2: Appi Slopes

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We are smack dab in the heart of winter here in Kansas. And I need more hats to cover up my noggin on my walks with the fur children. My Rav queue is LOADED with hats I want to try. So I closed my eyes and just clicked one…the winner is….

Appi Slopes by Melissa Mall!

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(Photo from Melissa Mall’s ravelry page)

This pattern calls for DK weight yarn on size US 3 needles. I just adore the stiffened brim! I pulled some Berroco Comfort DK in primary blue from my stash. I need a little pop of color in this the dead of winter. This yarn was fun to work with before, you may remember it from my lacy hats in 2013.

Now I just need to track down a bit of plastic canvas or other platic medium from which to cut the brim stiffening bit….I’m thinking milk carton…..I might have to think about this!

Happy Knitting!

FO Friday….(err I mean Saturday): Abalone

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I did a bit of monogamous knitting the last couple of days. And so I actually have a FO to show you!

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Well it’s done…but despite my best math and knitting know how it’s not quite right. Don’t get me wrong, the pattern is great! It’s written for small size only with directions/percentages given to help you “upsize” your garment. I should have been more meticulous…

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Here it is anyway….

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I completed this sweater in a little under a month. I used 3 skeins of Knit Picks Brava worsted in Wine knit up on size US 8 needles. I simple adore the color! (In math terms I used 657 yards or 300 grams of yarn)

I did my calculations and cast on 80 stitches and increased up to 149 total for the body section. I then knit 17 inches of stockinette up to the arm holes. Then I separated and knit another 7 1/2 inches of height for arms shoulders.

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Now looking at the FO, here is what should have happened:

  1. Cast on 90 stitches (ish) and worked up to 159 stitches (ish)
  2. Knit 19 or 20 inches of stockinette before getting to the sleeves
  3. Knit 8 or 8 1/2 inches for the shoulders/arm holes
  4. Paid attention to the written directions and added increase at the corners of the knit border so it would curl.

This was supposed to have been a gift for a very lovely, elegantly tall, and slender friend. This sweater doesn’t have a snowballs chance in you know where of fitting the intended recipient in any flattering manner. So into my closet it will go after some additional aggressive blocking. I would like it to hit past my butt at least.

Instead my friend for her birthday shall get some local Kansas wine from grape vines that I helped to plant. That’s sort of like knitting her a sweater right? Sigh….

P.S. this is one of my last FO from my 2013 Stashbusting efforts! It’s #45 and I hope to have a post with my final year end stats soon!

2013 Knitting Wrap Up

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Being a consummate accountant and OCD organizer, I dearly love spread sheets and logging things. And thanks to the help of Ravelry and MS Excel I did a pretty good job of tracking my 2013 stashbustin’ efforts!

I didn’t set any goals or benchmarks. I simply knit what I needed to and wanted to. Then logged my activity. When it comes to knitting I have a hard time working on things that don’t speak to me or suit my mood. I don’t stick to deadlines or project lists very well when it comes to knitting. Hence my many cases of “start-itis” during the year.  Here is what I accomplished.

  • Attempted 59 Stashbustin’ projects total.
  • Completed 50 projects, frogged 3 projects, and sent 6 projects into hibernation/time out
  • Knit 20,287 yards, 60,860 feet, or 11.57 miles of yarn
  • Used up 148.63 skeins of yarn

Now on the flip side, I did add a little yarn to my stash…okay maybe a lot.

  • Purchased 19,992 yards, 59,976 feet, or 11.36 miles of yarn
  • Added 142 skeins of yarn

So I netted out 295 yards, 884 feet, or .21 miles down in “stash”. Roughly 6.63 skeins, lol! In my defense I really feel that over the past couple of years that as my skills have expanded, my taste in yarn has changed. I liken it to the drying of ones palette when you are a wine drinker. So even though I added back to my stash, I did so with better quality and finer yarns. I am getting rid of the “cheap” stuff and replacing it with “good” yarn.

How will I do in 2014? I don’t really know. And I don’t care, lol! I simply like to knit and just see what happens!!

Sometimes….It Just Doesn’t Work

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I have bad news for my Jericho Blanket….it’s hit the frog pond.

This pattern is gorgeous, but I just wasn’t feeling the yarn/pattern combo. I just didn’t feel the drive to keep working on it and I didn’t even get past my first color change. I didn’t want it to languish so I pulled the plug.

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Instead of a written pattern, I have decided to move forward with an improvised pattern of my own. I cast on a bunch of stitches (you like my exactness? lol) and started working back and forth in stockinette. I will work 3 inch stripes of each color (black, grey, wheat, and cream) until I run out of yarn or the blanket gets big enough.

Then I plan on picking up and adding a seed stitch border in black around the outside. I’m slipping the stitches on each side so that they are easy to pick up later. I feel much better about this project and I have the mojo to keep working.

And I will donate my blanket to the local animal shelter!! It’s cold out and every fur baby deserves a good snuggle blanket. Don’t you think?

Happy Knitting!

Last of the Holiday

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I’m putting away Christmas in my house today and I just couldn’t resist one last holiday shot. My every thoughtful mother found this ornament for me! It’s so gorgeous I’m considering hanging it up all year round 🙂

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Happy Saturday to all! I’m off the gym to remove the holidays from my waistline!

P.S. anyone want to help me get my shoes and socks on tomorrow as I’m sure the residual soreness shall prevent me from completing the task myself?

Progress: Abalone!

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Remember the other sweater I was going to finish on Christmas vacation? Yeah well, this is that I got done on my Abalone…

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I finished up the last of the stockinette body section (right at 17 inches) and promptly separated for the sleeves. God bless stitch holders!

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Now I get to work just under 8 inches of arm/shoulder sections. They are worked separately and then seamed together using a three needle bind off. I’m well on my way to meet my January 15th deadline. And this the second to last project I need to finish for my 2013 stashbustin’ projects, yippee!!!

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Now if you will excuse me, I have some quiet knitting and coffee sipping to do before I head off to my big kid job!

New Years Knitting

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Happy New Year!!! I hope every had a safe and fun celebration! I worked 13+ hours at my big kid job as I always do on NYE. The blessings of being an accountant at year end, oh wait! So I wasn’t feeling very festive, but I made it to Midnight for a smooch with my hubby. Then promptly off to bed 🙂

In knitting news, I have decided to do another year of stashbustin’ in 2014! And in honor of the first day of the new year, here is my first project…

Jericho Baby Blanket by Shana Schasteen

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(Photo from Shana Schasteen’s ravelry page) 

This is a center out blanket made with super bulky yarn. Awhile back I discovered I had several skeins of Wool Ease Thick and Quick in black, dark grey, and cream/off white in my stash. I can’t remember why I bought them…I dislike scratchy wool. So I gave the skeins a gentle tumble in my washing machine to soften them. Thanks goodness with only minimal tangling! And off to knitting I go…

I plan to make this pattern with alternating stripes of light and dark. The four row pattern repeats offer a nice way to change colors and keeping the stripes the same And the bonus side of center out construction, I can work until I run out of yarn! Not to mention this super bulky yarn on size US 11 needles should go CRAZY fast! What better way to kick off the new year?

I don’t know what I will do with the FO? Maybe donate to the local women’s shelter or homeless shelter? I have enough blankets in my house already to fill two tote bins. This blanket is wool so the offset to being very warm is that it will require special washing care. I hate giving people items that require a lot of extra special care. Most non-fiber people I know find this very annoying…what’s a knitter to do?

The End Is Near: Sophisticate

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I had the best of intentions to finish this sweater on Christmas vacation. Yeah right, lol!

I did manage to finish both sleeves whilst traveling. (Sorry about the low light, our days are too short to get good photographs!) Here is the back view. And don’t worry the sleeves are the same length, I just didn’t get the sweater laid out very well.

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And the front view:

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All that’s left is to pick up and knit the button band and shawl collar! All in glorious knit stitch so it should go fast!

I have been knitting the medium size as that is what fit my measurements and gauge. However, trying this on (pre-blocking of course) it’s a bit tight. It fits, but I was hoping for more of a loose cozy sweater. I probably should have knit the large size or gone up a needle size on the medium. Live and learn! It will still be a lovely sweater.

That reminds me, I need to find some coordinating grosgrain ribbon! I want to reinforce the button band so that my button holes don’t sag. I’ve never done this but I have seen it lots in the blogging world. It always looks so sharp and sneaky!

This is Stashbustin’ #38 for those keeping score. I hope to finish this in the next couple of days to wrap up my 2013 year!

Holiday Hangover

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This pretty much how I feel….

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I’m all Christmas’d out. Don’t get me wrong I loved every minute of it. But I’m exhausted!!! I spent five wonderful days with my husband and fur babies at my parents. It was a delightful break from the “real world” but boy did we work hard.

In five days we completed the following:

  • Butchered out 1 1/2 deer
  • Made 10 lbs of deer jerky
  • Defrosted and scrubbed all five of Grandma’s refrigerators and deep freezers (and threw 3 trash bins of crap away)
  • Baked 20 loaves of rye bread
  • Cooked three family dinners
  • And celebrated two Christmases

I got almost no knitting done, which was NOT the plan with five days off of work. I did manage to read a few chapters in the Yarn Whisperer. I took my Abalone and Sophisticate with me in hopes of finishing both. Yeah right…

We got just the slightest hint of snow so I took advantage and had some lovely walks with the fur babies. It was a nice way to take a break from the full house of shenanigans and to walk off all the holiday goodies! The dogs also LOVED the snow! Just FYI, I came home with three abominable snow creatures, lol.

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Now I take you back to your regularly scheduled knitting!