Category Archives: Knitting

All my knitting adventures

A Half Finished Rainbow

Posted on by
3

Thanks to slow and steady progress I have my first finished Retro Rainbow vanilla socks made from MustStash self striping yarn.

I finished the afterthought heel. I have a pretty deep instep so I modify the afterthought heel to fit. If anyone is interested the recipe I use is on this Ravelry page. This go around wasn’t my neatest pick up and some of the stitches are stretched pretty hard. I may have to do some rearranging or reinforcing after I block these socks.

I avoided second sock syndrome my immediately casting on the second one. I knit about three or four stripes on the winery date with my husband. So I have a good start on the second sock.

Starting Over

Posted on by
6

Even with my decreased knitting mojo, I have been making decent progress on my DK Ripple Bralet. I completed the body and the shaping for the first strap. The pattern specifically tells you to knit with negative ease. So I chose an appropriate pattern size for my bust measurement BUT I didn’t gauge swatch. That was a poor choice.

When I slipped this sweater on to see how long I needed the straps to be….it was beyond sausage casing tight. It was completely unwearable. Even my husband could tell and raised an eyebrow at me, sigh.

Cue the sad violins…because this is what my bralet looks like now. I ripped that sucker right out. The good news was that I hadn’t gotten far enough to wear I needed to cut the yarn. So I still have one full complete skein.

I did measure my gauge before ripping so now I know I need to go up two full pattern sizes to get a fitting garment. So I’m choosing to think of that first attempt as a REALLY complicated swatch. I haven’t gotten around to re-casting on again. I hope that isn’t a bad sign. Maybe this project just needed a good cooling off period?

Happy Knitting!!

Date Knitting

Posted on by
5

The COVID situation isn’t really getting any better in my region of Kansas so my family and I are really limited in what we feel safe doing. And that has led us all to feel a little cooped up and grumpy. But I was able to find a great babysitter inside our “bubble” and I convinced the hubby to drive me out to my favorite local winery, Prairie Fire Winery, for our first outside the house date in 6 months.

The owners are extremely careful with sanitation and social distancing so I feel safe there. And on weekends they have live music outdoors. We grabbed our masks, my knitting and had some wine in the shade while we listened to a couple of very talented local musicians. I tasted some very yummy Traminette and a semi dry Vignoles varietal.

There was something very soothing about watching the prairie grass wave in the wind and knit round and round on my Retro Rainbow vanilla sock. Also, the hubby got pooped on by a bird….twice…I couldn’t stop laughing. May have lost some wife points over that one, oh well!

Happy Knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: DK Ripple Bralet

Posted on by
4

My DK Ripple Bralet grows apace. I have completed the main body section and working what I think will become the top band?

I have to be honest, I only skimmed through the pattern before starting. So I really don’t know what is happening. I’m just blissfully doing what the pattern tells me. And right now that is 1.5 inches two different kinds of ribbing, one for the front and one for the back.

Surely this will end well right?

A Retro Rainbow Heel

Posted on by
4

I’ve been plugging away at my Retro Rainbow socks as my go-to “waiting” project. I finally got a tube tall enough that I decided to thread in some needles for my afterthought heel.

I’m going to use yarn from the inside of the cake to make the heel. I want to see how much yarn I have left the cuff after that point. I want to make good sized socks. But I’m not going to lie…I also want this beautiful MustStash yarn in my memories blanket. So it’s all about yarn management over here!

Happy Knitting

P.S. This is the Retro Rainbow colorway on MustStash standard sock 😉

Office Upgrades and Sweater Progress

Posted on by
3

I am back to working some days from home every week and school is gearing up to start in a Phase II capacity which means at least three days of home school for Jellybean. And I have been in a bit of a rut. So I decided to ask the hubby to help me rearrange my home office. I ordered an ergonomic keyboard and mouse and moved the monitors around to the center of the desk. It feels much more “officey” this way and it made me feel more engaged. And I made space for Jellybean to work on the backside of my monitors in his own “school space”.

My go-to conference call knitting right now is the body of my Radiate pullover by Joji Locatelli. The pattern tells me I need 14 inches of body but I feel more comfortable usually in the 17 inch range. So I’m doing that. But that means I still have a ways to go and lots of round and round in stockinette.

I did slip this on to my try-it-on tubing to get a feel for length. This is mainly superwash yarn so I know it will grow but I still have a great deal of knitting to do. Not to mention sleeve island….

Happy Knitting!!

Any Tape Measure Will Do

Posted on by
5

My knitting mojo has seen a little hiccup as I have been busting out home improvement projects lately. I’m still working on my DK Ripple Bralet as a wind down before bed project.

I did not end up using the Old Norwegian Cast on. Instead I found Tillybuddy’s Very Stretchy Cast-on for Double and Single Ribbing. It was much easier on my brain and seems to be sufficiently stretchy.

I am through 1×1 twisted rib and into the ribbed body. I needed to determine how far I was into the body but I didn’t have a knitting tape measure. But luckily my home improvement jag had a real deal tape measure laying around. Any tape measure will do right?

Happy Knitting!!

So Much Sparkle

Posted on by
2

I found out one of my favorite podcasts/yarn stores has decided to close their brick and mortar operations. Mind you, they are in New Jersey and I have never been in person. But I feel like I know them after watching hours and hours of podcasts. I soothed my dismay by helping making a small purchase. I picked up a kit of sock yarn with coordinating mohair.

They even through in the tote bag as a special surprise! It is rose gold and super shiny. My children immediately tried to claim it.

The skein on the left is Chelsea Luxe Sock in the Rainbow Sherbet colorway. The yarn base is an 80/20 wool and nylon blend. The skein on the right is Chelsea Luxe Mohair in the Tube Top colorway. It is a 70/30 mohair and silk blend. I have no clue what they will grow up to be but I’m happy to support an LYS as they take their leap into 100% online shopping.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: 70s Kitchen Handspun

Posted on by
5

I did it!! I produced a usable skein of yarn! My 70s Kitchen hand spun is washed, whacked and skein-ed up ready for a project.

I started with four ounces of 100% alpaca and ended up with 88 grams and 56 yards of a bulky yarn. It might be super bulky in some spots. It is a little ropey and still has some twist to the finished skein but I’m super proud.

I am pretty sure I want to knit with this right away. I did some Ravelry searching and found the Alpakka Har by Cait St. George that the toddler size would be just perfect for my yardage. As long as I hit gauge that is. But it’s a basic beanie so I think I can fudge it as needed.

Happy Knitting!!

Slowest Knitting Ever

Posted on by
7

I got a wild hair this past week and decided to make a Ripple Brawlet DK in some precious Chromatic Yarns DK from my stash. I bought the pattern, skein-ed my yarn, kitted up a project bag and accessories. I was full of enthusiasm and cast-on-itis so I jumped right into the pattern. I then came to a screeching halt as the pattern called for an Old Norwegian Cast on. I don’t know how to do that one and after an hour on YouTube and complete concentration in a kid free environment…I had five stinking stitches.

I used many tutorials including the “slow” version by Very Pink Knits YouTube channel. I just couldn’t make it click with my brain and my hands. I really want to start this project so I think I’m going to use an alternate cast on that is also stretchy. I will learn the Old Norwegian Cast on someday….today is just not that day!

Happy Knitting!!