Author Archives: atangledyarn84

FO Friday: Stylish Square Blanket

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Stashbustin’ #13 is complete!!

Please excuse the unwashed and unblocked photos. I finished this just in time to pack it in a box for our move. I LOVE Knit Picks Biggo, it’s soft and wooly but easy to care for. Big yarn on big needles always make this yarn fly by.

The golden color also helped me feel a little more spring like as it has snowed yet again in Kansas. It’s May now….we should be sweating our butts off!

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This was a very elegant design with easy to follow instructions. I made one change, I worked a total of six rows and five columns instead of the recommended five and five. I had enough yarn so I just kept going. It was a stashbustin’ project after all!! My Rav notes are here.

I’m off to prepare for another theater performance and put my big girl undies and try hard pants on for our big move tomorrow! Wish me luck!!

Happy Knitting!

Stress Knitting and Falling

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I received a comment from another blogger, Knitigating Circumstances, about learning how to fall properly. Now we were speaking in context of learning to deal with errors and fixes in knitting. But I found it that it was very appropriate in my current circumstances, especially after my insanity rant yesterday. (Sorry about that btw)

My life is literally crazy right now and there is not a darn thing I can do to change it. I just need to let go and fall properly. The best way I know how to deal with stress is to knit. So this week I cast on my Mud Season sweater. The yarn is some lovely Berroco vintage chunky in Chocolate!

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This is my Stashbustin #14 project. But I’m not sure it’s fair to call it that anymore as I swapped out my original real stash yarn in teal and purchased new the chocolate instead…but I’m not in the mood to be picky at this point.

However crazy my job, my house, or my theater stuff gets….I can always knit. It’s calming and familiar. And I get a pretty cool FO when I’m done provided I don’t knit at such a tight gauge that only an elf can wear the clothes. So here I am, attempting to fall properly….right into my knitting!

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This is an old photo by now as I have already passed the divide for arms and working on the waist decreases. This pattern is fun, right at my skill level, and most of all beautiful. I knit pretty dsrn fast when stressed, lol. Just what I need!

Happy Knitting and may your week be going better than mine!!

Insanity

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All bets are off this week….

First, my show opens tonight for invited dress rehearsal. We are not in very good shape….one of the main characters cannot remember his lines or seem to stay in character. And the show runs almost 45 minutes longer than it should, not good. Oh and the director quit due to fighting amongst the board of directors. I have never been in a show that was in such a state right before we have an audience. We have five performances to get through between now and Sunday.

Second, my day job is crazy right now and I’m feeling a bit over utilized and taken advantage of. And it’s the beginning/end of month and is absolutely my busiest time. I need a vacation….but due to scheduling conflicts I can’t have time off when I want.

Thirdly, our landlord in our current rental house double booked this house. She promised it to the new renters May 1st and we didn’t plan on moving until May 11th. Totally her fault but see the problem? She is going to make it right with the new renters but we are trying to meet in the middle and trying to get ourselves out by this Sunday.

So in the next 5-6 days I have to do five live theater performances, pack the rest of our house. close out the books for month end at my job, and move into our new home. I am literally sick to my stomach right now. My whole life is shoved in boxes and I don’t even know where some of my knitting is….I really hope I survive this…

Hope to see you guys on the other side!!

New House Day!!!

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Today’s the day!!!!

The hubs and I are about to sign documents to purchase our first ever home. At 11 am we will be homeowners and have a boatload of debt….oh wait, we already have student loans!

This whole process has been fraught with ups and downs. Buying a home in this economy is not easy. And I will freely admit I cried several times…

I cannot wait to show you guys photos as we get set up in our new home!!

Stay tuned…..

Un-Stashbusting….oops

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To celebrate myself a little, I finally decided to use my Knit Picks gift certificate…..tah dah!

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I picked up some of Knit Picks new yarn, Billow! I have been seeing photos of ombré blankets made from this stuff all over Ravelry, the blogosphere, and Pinterest. I have absolutely been itching to try this yarn!

I picked up six different hues in the brown/yellow family. In order from light to dark they are: Natural, Willow, Cornmeal, Turmeric, Mongoose, and Chocolate. This 100% Pima cotton is sooooo soft under my fingers. I know this is going to make an amazing blanket. I bet it would make an amazing sweater as well, oh the possibilities!

Now I just have to decide what pattern to make? I want something that will really show off the ombré color changes.

Option 1: Chevron Baby Blanket by the Purl Bee

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(Photo by the Purl Bee)

Option 2: Zig Zag Baby Blanket by knitculture.com

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(Photo from knitculture.com Rav page)

Option 3: Kodachrome Baby Blanket by Jocelyn Tunney

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(Photo from Jocelyn Tunney Rav page)

Option 4: Simple stockinette blanket with seed stitch border and just let the colors do the work

I can’t decide!! I have already made the patterns from option one and two. While option two was more visually striking, option one was more pleasurable to work. I’m torn between trying something new like option three or recreating something I’ve already done like options one, two, and four.

This yarn is special and deserves the proper pattern. Anyone out there in blogger land use this yarn or have any suggestions for a pattern? I really want to stick with a design that shows off the ombré, help!

FO Friday: Milestones

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This Friday I wanted to share a milestone rather than a FO.

I noticed this week that I hit 100 followers. This was something of a unspoken personal goal for me. I mostly started blogging to push my fiber creativity and archive my projects. But I also wanted to meet new people, learn new skills, and expand my fiber universe. And I admit, I hooked!! I love interacting with all the creative fibery people in the blog world.

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In celebration, I gave myself a special present. I have been squirreling away a Knit Picks gift certificate from Christmas and I let myself use it for something completely selfish and fun! Stay tuned on Monday and see what it is…

I’m off to pack boxes and clean for our move. T-minus 4 days to closing and 10-ish to moving day!!

Stashbustin’ #14: Mud Season

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Introducing Stashbustin’ #14, Mud Season by Elizabeth Smith!!

I pulled my Berroco Vintage Chunky from stash and started to swatch.

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Here is swatch A. I used the prescribed US 10 needles and did NOT get gauge…

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Ugh! I was shooting for 3.5 sts and 5 rows in 1″. I actually got 5 sts and 7 rows. So to the frog pond it went. I went down to US 9s.

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And tah dah! I get really damn close to gauge. I got 4 sts by 5 rows per 1″. I need to knit just a smudge tighter than normal on 9s. I need to give this swatch a bath and see how it does after a good blocking.

But I discovered something as I was working this swatch….I don’t like this colorway for this project. I’m a very pale woman and this is a very bright blue hue. This blue wants to be a shawl or cowl. Something that pops against my black peacoat or grey turtleneck. So I pinned a note about my swatch and gauge to the yarn and back to the tub it went.

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I may or may not have hopped on Webs and ordered enough skeins of the Chocolate colorway in Vintage Chunky…..sssh don’t tell my husband that I’m breaking my stashbustin’ project a bit.

Happy Knitting!

WIP Wednesday: Stylish Square Blanket

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Stashbustin’ #13update!!

I love bulky yarn in big needles. I feel like these projects practically fly off my needles. Just the knitting mojo I needed lately. I’m almost through my fifth hank. I will most definitely need to use six, but I have seven just in case.

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This Knit Picks Biggo is so super soft and squishy. The golden color way has really buoyed my mood this past week when it’s been pretty bleak outside. And Susan’s pattern is as beautiful as it is simple. Right yarn, right project, and right mood!

I almost guarantee this project to be done by the weekend! Stay tuned…

Happy Knitting!

Trying To Learn

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I’m a knitter through and through but from time to time I see really awesome crochet items that I want to make. A lady should be able to both right?

I had some scraps of cotton left from my Sweet Cream Striped Raglan Cardigan, so I decided to try a test crochet beanie. I just picked a hook and my yarn and just started to improvise.

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Pictured above is like my fourth attempt, lol. It’s wonky and ripples. The husband thought I was making a flower….

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I must admit he’s a little correct. But I shall not surrender! I will get the hang of this crochet thing. I just might need my friend Kara to give me some pointers!

Any knitters or crocheters out there that swing both ways?