Category Archives: Knitting

All my knitting adventures

Picking Sweater Colors

Posted on by
6

I am down the rabbit hole and back from looking at DK/Sport weight sweaters for my recent stash enhancement. I was flipping through pages and pages of results when Joji Locatelli’s Radiate practically jumped off the screen at me. It’s a top down yoked sweater with a two color slipped stitch design in the yoke. I bought the patter on the spot.

Then I jumped to my stash and dug out all my superwash merino DK yarn to find a contrast color. I found three, a Treasure Goddess DK skein in a Merlot wine color, a Blueberry Chick yarn in a Lilac color and finally a Moonstone Dyeworks DK yarn in honey color.

Because I have been burned before, I pulled out my phone and took a black and white photo. Immediately this eliminated the wine color because it does not have enough contrast.

The lilac and honey both contrast nicely. But I’m left really having to decide if either of those two colors are really what I want. I don’t have a specific color in mind. I’m just not 100% sold that either of those two are “it”. I need to do some pondering….I really want this sweater to be SHARP.

I need to gauge swatch anyway. I might start swatching and work in both colors without cutting the yarn to see what they look like? Or I may pull up the pattern page and look at what others have done. Or both….bwhahahaha!

Happy knitting!!

Progressing To The Third Skein

Posted on by
3

Thanks to labor day travels I made some teeny tiny progress on my Progression Shawl.

I’m through with the second mini skein (yellow-ish one) and on to the third one (blue green-ish). My mom saw me working on this and commented “oh my that is pretty”. I may see how this knit goes and make it a gift for her….

For sure, this Mad Hatter Tea Party mini skein set is going to make a statement piece. It’s an abstract rainbow with lots of black pops throughout. But I am really finding the garter soothing and easy to work. I have made some mistakes on the eyelets rows and my stitch count got off. But this pattern is easy enough to fudge that I don’t mind. And no one, not even a knitter, will ever find my eyelet mistakes. This yarn is just too busy!

Happy Knitting!!

Emotional Purchasing

Posted on by
7

I am normally a pretty even keeled person and I can let stuff roll off my back fairly well. I really do have a very good life in the grand scheme of things. However, my work life has been more stress and less success lately. I had a professional opportunity get postponed at the last minute that left me kind of bummed. Jellybean got me flowers which made did make me feel better. But later that same evening I got an email notification that a local to me dyer was having a 40% off and free shipping sale. I caved like a house of cards….I succumbed to emotional purchasing.

The Treasure Goddess Yarn shop sucked me right in. I am feeling the sweater mojo here lately so I picked up five skeins of her DK Treasure yarn in the “Gunpowder” colorway. It is black without being all black so that I can’t see to knit with it. It is hand dyed yarn so I will have to alternate skeins not matter what pattern I pick. But I feel like this should make a staple wardrobe kind of sweater.

Now I find myself slowly cruising Ravelry to find my next sweater pattern….but I’ll save that rabbit hole for another day. Happy Knitting!!

Temporarily a A Crop Sweater

Posted on by
2

I took some time this weekend to crank out the collar of my Autumn League Pullover. And its done and looks pretty darn good (despite my dismal ability to properly pick up stitches) and it inspired me to try it on.

Thanks to try it on tubing (I have this kind) I managed to slip on this sweater to get a feel for the fit. Now…it’s basically a boob cozy or crop top at this point. But I wanted to see how the neck and sleeves felt.

It definitely has positive ease in the sleeves and the body. Yet I don’t think it looks sloppy. I can totally tell this yarn is an acrylic yarn. It doesn’t have the drape that wool does but it will still make suitable sweater. And the yarn will be gone from my stash.

As I look at my sweater I think I might alter this pattern for a split seam on the ribbing and if I have enough yarn then I will make the back ribbing a little longer than the front. I’m ready to go full cozy sweatshirt on this project. Bring on winter!!

Happy Knitting!!

Two Sleeves!

Posted on by
3

I win at sleeves!! The second sleeves of my Autumn League Pullover is complete.

It was pretty easy to count rows and decreases to make sure my second sleeve matches the first. They may be a row off or a stitch or two different depending on how close you compare them. I copied the cuff “mistake” on the second sleeve by keeping the larger needles. They may be wrong…but darn it they match! I’m just so happy to have them both done.

In a fit of productivity I even picked up the neck band (in the correct sized needle I may add) and got the working yarn attached. I’m hoping to bang out the collar pretty quickly. Happy Knitting!!

Slowest Sock Ever

Posted on by
3

I went to a friends house for a kids play date and BBQ. I didn’t feel like dragging along one my sweater WIPs so I pulled out my Dad’s Christmas socks and put a couple hours in on the re-do of the first sock.

They are going faster this time with the lower stitch count. I am working with 64 stitches instead of 72. I managed to get to the placement of waste yarn for the afterthought heel and a little past it even.

I work my waste yarn for two rows, one down and one back. Then I pick up my working yarn and knit back across. I only had one kind of scrap yarn on hand since I wasn’t at my house. I really hope I can see those dark grey stitches above the light grey yarn. I may be living dangerously!

 

A Knot Of A Problem

Posted on by
9

I started the second sleeve of my Autumn League Pullover this week and I encountered a small problem. (P.S. Don’t you just love and hate my obnoxious mom yoga pants? My husband does and I wear them in public on purpose…bwahahahaha!)

A knot in my skein! This is commercial yarn and I know up to two to three knots in a skein is considered normal. But I still hate them. If I knit them in I always seem to get the knot in a spot where I feel it or it works it way to right side of the work where everyone can see.

I pulled out my took kit and decided to fix the problem. I cut the knot out and then loosened the four plys on each end of the yarn. I then cut two of the four plys off each side and used my tapestry needled to do a Russian join.

It looks kind of wonky here but once I get it knit into the fabric you likely won’t be able to tell at all!

I really really really want to get off sleeve island on this sweater. Wish me luck!

One Autumnal Sleeve

Posted on by
6

I finished the first sleeve on my Autumn League Pullover. I did get kind of bored on sleeve island and therefore I did quit at 3/4 length sleeves. Before blocking and without the neckband they hit midway from my elbow to my wrist. It might shorten up when I add the neck ribbing, we will just have to see.

The only thing that bugs me is that I got engrossed in Amy Florence’s latest Stranded podcast and didn’t switch to smaller needles for the ribbing. The ribbing still pulls in nicely and I don’t think anyone will notice. But I purposely left the ends unwoven in case I want to add length or tighten up the ribbing.

I accidentally took the next photo but I think it’s ethereal and pretty. My dog and my sweater kind of match!

Happy Knitting!!

Progressing To The Second Color

Posted on by
6

So after showing you AAAALLLLL kinds of neutral beige looking sweaters all week I had to show you the crazy color progression on my Progression Shawl. I just added the second color.

This mini set takes me right from a berry pink color to a highlighter yellow and black color. These two mini skeins are the starkest of contrast in the set. So I hemmed and hawed and then decided to “fade” them as I added the second color. With this shawl being garter it worked out pretty well. And I guessed pretty well with yardage and only have a tiny tiny ball of pink left over.

I’m not sure how much work this will see now that I have both my sweaters either at the sleeves or separated for the sleeves. I feel like if I can give them some good love that I could have two finished sweaters really soon. Not to mention the Pigskin Party 2019 is coming right around the corner and WIPs don’t count for those imaginary point…

Happy Knitting!!

Boxy Separation

Posted on by
2

I am at the sleeve separation in my Worsted Boxy I forgot to move my progress keeper from earlier this week but I know I added roughly three and a half inches of stockinette to get to the desired length. I did stop right before the pattern recommendation but I know my Berroco yarn will grow when I wash and block.

And I pulled even more cord stoppers out from interchangeable set and put the back stitches on holders. Look at me being a responsible knitter and using tools as they are prescribed!

Now I’m off to Knit and Purl Island for several more inches on the front. I am going to try and pay attention now that I’m working flat to make sure my gauge doesn’t go all wack-a-doodle. I hate when I get a line in my fabric when I switch form flat to the round. Not enough to fix it, heaven forbid, but enough to make a nice harrumph out loud.

Happy Knitting!!