Category Archives: Knitting

All my knitting adventures

Cast On: Wool and Waves

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I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t keep knitting the Annapurna Scarf. It was just too much purling and too many times of getting off my stitch count and not lining up with the pattern. I ripped that baby out before I even got to the first color change. Life is too short to force yourself to knit something!

I did another Ravelry dive. I think now I have like 10 or 12 advent mini patterns floating around in my favorites. I settled on Wool and Waves by Casapinka.  It’s garter stitch and some eyelets and so much more satisfying to work on.

Now mine will not look like the pattern. I am not fussing around with striping my colors. I am just working my quasi-fade and using the stitch patterns. So I will hopefully end up with the same shape but a very different color effect. I have worked mostly through the first mini skein. And for some reason I can’t explain the whole shebang is still living in the large cardboard box it came in…I just can’t be bothered I guess.

PS. I’m still in LOVE with the project bag it came with!

Happy Knitting

FO Friday: Sherwood Forest Wrap

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The Sherwood Forest Wrap is off the blocking boards and ready to wear. Jellybean and I put it through its paces for its finished object photos. It was more challenging that we anticipated. It has lovely drape and really showcases the Knitcircus hand dyed gradient very well though.

After much debate, Jellybean and I decided this was the best way to wear the “scarf”. I simply just folded in half and secured with my shawl cuff. This way you can see all the colors and the different textures. Speaking of textures I did see some gauge changes in this project. There are some loose spots and some tight spots. Jellybean told me that just makes it extra unique. He’s a pretty smart kiddo.

This project has me noodling another rectangle wrap. I will take what I learned an adapt a sort of “design my own” wrap. I have a gradient set in my stash from BlueberryChickYarn in a set of purples.  It has less yardage than the KnitCircus skein but I think with some tinkering with the stitch count and pattern repeat sizes I could make a wider and shorter stole to wrap up in. But that may have to be a wishful knitting idea until I work through some of my unfinished objects. Who knows…maybe I’ll just cast on all the things!

Pattern: Pride Wrap by Nicole Tavares (best for at least an advanced beginner because the pattern has errors)

Needles: US 7s

Yarn: KnitCircus Trampoline base in the discontinued Sherwood Forest Color

I used all but 2 yards of the 660 yard cake of yarn for this heavily modified version of the pattern.

Happy Knitting!!

Knitting and Dental Work

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Despite my best efforts and all the special fluoride toothpaste I can buy….I have borderline healthy teeth. And this year I kicked it off with three cavities that needed filled. My mouth is FULL of pre-cavities and watch spots so this was not a surprise to me.

I hitched up my big kid pants and grabbed my knitting for my dental appointment. I knit my Bullseye Vanilla socks while waiting and while the dentist was working. I had two dental assistants and the dentist compliment my work and the fact I could knit without looking. It really is kind of fun to amaze the knitting muggles sometimes.

In the hour long appointment this morning I managed to knit a micro-strip and a full speckle stripe. I think at this point I have maybe four inches of sock knit up? These live in my purse of tote bag and I just pick them up when I have a few spare seconds. The colors are so deep and bright that they are livening up this grey January!

Happy Knitting!!

Blocking A Rectangle

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Welcome to 2020 everyone! I hope New Years Eve was kind to all. With two kids now the hubby and I don’t exactly burn it down anymore. We usually watch a comedy on Netflix and share a cocktail after the kids go to bed. It suits us and it’s nice. Plus I don’t feel bad the next day!

The kids are still in the throws of ecstasy of their Christmas presents so I got some decent knitting time in this morning while they wrecked the house.The Sherwood Forest Wrap is bound off with only the tiniest amount of yarn left. I think it was less than two yards…

Jellybean assisted with the washing (mostly the wool soap part) while I manned the blocking wires. He wanted it to dry “super fast” so we turned a fan on it to speed up the process.

The shape is a very tall rectangle. I’m not sure if this will make it hard to wear or not. I will have to see how it wraps around me when it is dry. I’m still in love with this piece and it might be the most joyous thing I knit all year!

What was your best 2019 project?

Losing At Yarn Chicken

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Happy New Years Eve Everyone! While 2019 has been interesting and some high points I’m not sad to see it go. And I’m ready to see what adventures 2020 brings!

I’m still obsessed with my Sherwood Forest Wrap. It’s all I want to knit since Christmas…even with my new shawl cast on from Christmas Eve! I did sit and enjoy casting on the Arya Shawl. But once I got it established I switched back to my wrap. I guess the knitting heart wants what the knitting heart wants!

Anyway, back to the main plot point! I lost at yarn chicken. My willy-nilly changing of the pattern repeats did in fact come back to haunt me. So over my lunch hour I had to rip back to my last eyelet section. I very carefully threaded in some waste yarn and pulled the live stitches off the needles.

Then painstakingly picked up and put all 200 stitches back on the needles from the lifeline. I only missed like three stitches with my waste yarn so I’m considering that a job well done considering how dark this yarn is!

And now I’m back to all good stitches on the needles. The pattern would call for another stockinette section after the eyelets but I don’t have enough yarn. So I’m just going straight to the garter border.

I am just positively giddy with how gorgeous this looks. I’m not even sure if or how I will be able to wear this. But the gradient and the colors just make me happy. If I play my new years day cards right I might be able to finish and block this!

Happy Knitting!!

Snow Knitting

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I am still plowing through my Sherwood Forest Wrap. And also the roads in Kansas could use a plow as well. It wasn’t that bad according to my husband but I was glad to have my knitting to focus on.

I never heard back from the designer about the pattern error. So I’m just kind of using the pattern as a loose suggestion and making up my own thing to maximize yarn usage. All my sections are equal sized where the pattern has them staggered in a fashion. This might come back to haunt me later.

I am just so addicted to how this gradient is coming out. This is one of those projects I just can’t put down! I should start weighing my yarn to see when I need to start the end but for now I’ll just keep knitting…

Happy Knitting!!

Mammograms and Knitting

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My Sherwood Forest Wrap recently traveled with me to my annual mammogram (Side note: ladies, make sure you go get yours squished…it saves lives.) I got a clean bill of health and some Lorna Doone cookies to boot. And I was pleasantly surprised at the conversations I had while waiting.

Not only was the receptionist intrigued by my knitting but so a woman in queue to check out.  The siren call of beautiful yarn is strong! Turned out she was a crocheter, recently retired and expressed interest about learning to kni. So I chatted about the LYS just a stone’s throw from the clinic and the classes I had seen in their newsletter.

I’m finished with the first stockinette and lace sections. Now I’m set to repeat those two over and over until I get near to the end of my yarn. I love watching the colors develop. Based on my yarn consumption per repeat section I am going to have to do some math and add some rows to modify the pattern. If I don’t I won’t get through all the colors and have a ton of yarn leftover. I want to use as much of the gradient by KnitCircus as possible. I might be risking yarn chicken but it will be worth it!!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Annapurna Scarf

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It’s the day after Christmas and I’m blogging from an over crowded mini van on its way back to post-christmas reality. I’m finally casting on my Cornbread and Honey advent minis project. Jellybean is watching a movie and PB is snoozing (for now) so here goes nothing! Come along with me and let’s see what I can accomplish today.

I’ve already seen all 12 minis but here is the first one! It’s a gorgeous tonal purplish pink. I put on some knitting podcasts with my headphones and hand wound my yarn. I’m casting on Annapurna by Aspenknits. This pattern is specifically designed for 12 or 24 advent type mini skeins.

I’m back! The three hour car ride is complete and the kiddos are asleep in bed after a terrible sugar crash. I managed to knit half? of the first color section. It’s a pretty wide scarf so between the purling and number of stitches this is taking me a bit to make progress.

For now, I’m off to bed. It’s back to reality tomorrow with work and daycare. This momma is happy and tired. I hope everyone else is re-entering from Christmas safely and slowly!

Happy Knitting!!

12 Days of Christmas Advent

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Merry Christmas to all!!! It’s just before noon and we have thoroughly exhausted ourselves with snuggles, brunch and presents. I opened up my second advent Christmas box after the kiddos crashed for nap to start my “12 days of Christmas”. This one was from Teal Torch Knits in Oregon. I learned about them from the Pigskin Party KAL and they had an affordable 12 day option for advent mini skeins.

You guys, this one was beautifully packaged! It’s gold and cream tiny boxes with neatly wrapped treats…

My kids are going to want to steal these boxes HARD. I think I might need to keep these under wraps until they are empty of yarn, lol.

Because it’s Christmas I made the executive decision to open all the treats at once. I got nibbles, sips, some yarn soak and a beautiful christmas tree progress keeper. I think I may slip away and slip some whisky into the peppermint cocoa and just watch the fireplace

May each one of  you have a peaceful day full of the things that bring you joy. Merry Christmas!!

Cornbread and Honey Advent Box

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Merry Christmas Eve to all!! I finally jumped on the advent mini train this holiday season. I couldn’t fit a full 24 day advent into my yarn budget this summer but I did find two indie dyers who were doing “12 Days of Christmas” boxes for a much more affordable option. So I got two 12s to add up to 24.

Here is my first box from Cornbread and Honey. They box was a little worse for the wear by USPS but it was intact and on time.

Inside was a cute little project bag, 12 mystery bags and some delicious extra goodies. I did pick out a project to fit these little bundles. I purchased Annapurna by Aspen Knits because its a cute stole/wrap/scarf that was specifically designed for these minis.

I started opening these up on December 1st through the 12th but in the chaos and spirit of December I forgot to show you the yarn! Between stomach viruses and work drama I didn’t find the joy and the energy to start my advent project.  This yarn was so pretty I wanted to knit only good vibes into it so I chose to wait until it felt right. Right now it’s Christmas Eve day and I need to get my butt moving on some cooking and wine drinking!

P.S. I’m still can’t wait to cast on my special Christmas Eve cast on! It’s waiting under the tree for me with my warm snuggly PJs.

Happy Knitting!!