FO Friday: Snug #2

My second attempt at Snug is done!! This pattern is by Hinke.

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This is not my first swing at this pattern and it won’t be the last! I used 212 grams or 288.3 yards of Knit Picks Brava Bulkly in Peapod. That’s just about 2 skeins plush a little of a third skein. The body is worked flat. The sleeves are done on DPNs. And the hood is knit flat and closed withe Kitchener stitch.

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I was not has happy with this sweater as I was with my first sweater. The shoulders are ugly to me. For whatever reason, I didn’t get the arm decreases placed very well. They are visible along the top. And the the sewing I did on the seams on the shoulders is not as clean as I would like. But I am assured by my husband that he can’t see it. Oh…#knitter problems

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The part of this sweater that I really love is the buttons. I spotted them at JoAnns and I was in love!! The watermelons really save this project for me. I deviated from the pattern a bit and added four buttons instead of the pattern request of three.

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Into the FO stash this one goes. I love having some cuteness hidden away for a rainy day! Happy Friday to all!!!

Sometimes You Just Need Ice Cream!

It’s hot….like really hot here in Kansas right now. And sometimes you just need ice cream. So the husband and I hit a local Sheridan’s for some custard. We let Chloe lick that last of the goodies from one of our cup.

I gotta give her points for both enthusiasm and perseverance!! She managed to get all the way to the bottom, lol.

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Dex mean while had his taste and decided to sleep through the heat, lol.

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It’s a hard knock life for dogs in this house!

WIP Wednesday: Little Coffee Bean Cardigan

How adorable is this already!? This sweater is turning out to be everything I hoped so far!

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I have knit all the raglan increases and divided for the body. I am making the 6 month size and its going very quickly.  I may or may not have babies on the brain 🙂

I am using Knit Picks Dishie cotton yarn. A fellow knitter remarked how odd my choice was for the project. But having three nephews I know how hard kids are on clothes, so what better than hard working dish cloth cotton for a hard wearing sweater? Plus I have a boatload of it in my stash and need to find ways to use it, lol.

This free pattern is quickly coming up my rank of quick and easy baby knits to crank out for last minute gifts.

What’s your favorite go-to baby project?

 

Git R Done….Knitting Style

I AM DONE!!!! This made this balaclava my b*tch!!! This multipurpose project is finally a FO.

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Introducing to you, Garter Stitch Chunky Balaclava/Beanie by Christine Grant. This has been one of the few patterns I have actually paid for. And for the most part it has lived up to it’s price.

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I used Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Lost Lake Heather. I used 126 grams or about 278.3 yards of yarn. That is about 2 1/2 skeins of yarn.

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I had a few bumps along the way with this project here , here, and here, oh and here!  But I managed to Git R Done (to paraphrase a certain Cable Guy)! This took me far longer to knit that it should have. But sometimes good projects have to have time outs once in awhile!

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As you can see you can wear it as a beanie or as a balaclava. I kind of like the dual purpose of the project. And the yarn is a wool blend that will be very warm. Did you know that wool still keeps you warm even when it’s wet? How cool is that? I really hope this keeps my coworker warm this winter.

Oh and a big thank you to my husband who modeled for me after I was done knitting…..this last picture pretty much says it all, lol

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So Close….Yet So Far…

Frustration be damned! My Stashbustin’ #26 is rolling now!!!

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After a couple of miscues on the pattern (my fault not the authors) I powered through the remaining flat portions of the pattern.

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I found the brim portion to be a bid fiddly but I persevered. All I have left is to seam the back, knit the ribbed side face panels, and finally sew down the brim. I cannot wait to finish this one, both so I can give this to the recipient and so I can finally be rid of this knit!! I hope to have some later tonight to officially put this one in the FO column!

Oh and weave in all those pesky ends, of which there are a lot. Oh so close but yet so far…..

FO Friday: Baby Sophisticate #2

And this Friday I bring to you another FO! I have finished my Baby Sophisticate #2!! (Stashbustin’ #28)

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This time around I made the 0-3 month size. I used Caron Simply Soft again in Berry Blue. I used 100 grams or 185 yards of yarn. I started with a partial skein and I only had 5-6 yards left of yarn.

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This smaller size only took me a few evenings of TV knitting. I did notice that my tension changed when I used the DPNs on the sleeves. Not that anyone else would notice. It bugs me a little….not enough to frog and start over though!

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The buttons were some I had hanging out in the stash. The color is very close to the yarn but isn’t as matchy/matchy as the picture shows.

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This pattern is so amazing and this is fast becoming my favorite go-to project for baby present knits. I cannot recommend this pattern enough! I don’t have a recipient for this sweater yet, so in the baby present stash it goes!

Happy Friday Everybody!!!

Stashbustin’ #30: Little Coffee Bean Sweater

Earlier this year I made a Mud Season sweater designed by Elizabeth Smith (The Brown Stitch) and I LOVED it!!

Then I saw this….

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(Photo from elizknits / Elizabeth Smith Rav page)

This is the Little Coffee Bean Sweater from The Brown Stitch. I already have so many things in my WIP pile but I just couldn’t help it!!! I have some amazing Knit Picks worsted Dishie Cotton in my stash. I have two skeins of Jay (blue) and one skein of Creme Brulee (yellow).

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These are my old high school colors and so I am partial to this combination! I plan to stray from the pattern a bit. I am not going to work the alternating stripes as shown. I am going to do yellow button bands and collar with a solid blue body. Maybe a yellow stripe in the middle of the body? What do you guys think?

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This is a top down raglan construction cardigan. This construction is the first sweater method I learned and it’s quickly becoming old hat. I love it!!  I’m making the 6 month size. I can’t wait to finish this one 🙂

And so, this little amazing sweater is now my Stashbustin’ #30!!!

WIP Wednesday: Snug #2

My Snug #2 is coming along swimmingly!!! I am now in the hood section. How can you not go fast with bulky yarn on size US 10 1/2 needles, lol? This Knit Picks Brava Bulky really works up fast and is easy care for momma and baby. I just need to finish the hood and seam it closed. Then it’s just a few flicks of a crochet hook to add button loops and sew on the buttons.

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This is Stashbustin’ #29 in my 2013 projects. It doesn’t have recipient yet. I think I’m going to stash this one away for a rainy day or a special baby.

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I found the CUTEST buttons at Joann’s the other day. I think they are an adorable match to my green sweater! What do you guys think?

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A Wandering Walk

Over Labor Day Weekend I took a wandering walk while at my parents house. It was a bright and sunny morning, so I tried to snap a few shots of my favorite things about growing up in a rural community.

P.S. I am not a very good photographer, lol. And I took these on an iPhone…bear with me…

Rusty farm equipment in the sun

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My old high school, Pike Valley High School

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The Scandia water tower

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Rolling fields of green

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The high school football field and my parents home

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Happy Tuesday to you all!!

Balaclava Frustration

This project is beginning to vex me…..

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I have completed the neck ribbing and both sides of my balaclava. This is Stashbustin’ #26 for those of you keeping score. But to get this point I have to frog a fair share of my work TWICE!!

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The side panels are worked one at a time and therefore it’s hard to line up the garter ridges when you do them separately. Had to frog the first attempt at the second side panel. But I did manage to get it right on the second try.

I’m now on the section that creates the brim of that. I attempted to do this late at night in poor lighting. It was a recipe for disaster…. I literally connected the brim at the back of the hat instead of the front. So I wasted 2 hours of my life. I have now frogged that hot mess.

This project is currently sitting in my project bag waiting for me to return. It’s not the pattern’s fault..I just made silly mistakes and didn’t pay attention to the directions. Every knitter has these kinds of projects from time to time right? I know I can conquer this WIP, it just needs to sit in timeout for awhile.

I still have a few weeks before winter right?