Category Archives: Knitting

All my knitting adventures

Wonky Monster

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I bit the bullet and finally worked my first magic loop project. I have been working on PB’s birthday monster, Baldwin the Bathroom Monster. The body is done and all I need is arms. But aside from the mis-matched feet I discussed last time….Baldwin is also a little wonky….

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This piece biased like crazy and twists sideways. I lost control of my magic loop at some point and just guessed about how to get my cord placement back in order. And the best I could tell it was fine. But I obviously moved where my decreases were and caused some biasing. Whoops.

But again I’m really getting closer and closer to PB’s birthday and I have decided that I like my monster with character! This Baldwin is super soft and just squishy enough for PB to chew on. So all I need to do is knit arms and I’M DONE!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Baldwin The Bathroom Monster

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I knit Jellybean a toy for his second birthday. And I got the crazy idea back over a month ago that PB needed a monster for her first birthday. So we went shopping and she helped me pick yarn. Well I finally got around to starting the silly monster. I had a silly mental block around the fact I would need to magic loop this toy. While I understood the mechanics I have never really use that technique. I finally put my big kid pants and just started.

I worked both feet and got the project started in the round. It was kinda fiddly and my cord on my interchangeable needles isn’t exactly ideally flexible but I’m making it work and figuring it out.

I did make a not so nice observation. My monster feet are two different sizes. One is noticeably smaller than the other because I must have forgot some rows somewhere. It’s less than three weeks until PB’s birthday party and I have decided I don’t care and all the cool monsters have mis-matched feet. I’m the boss of my knitting!!

Ps. This is living in my Bags by Awesome Grannie project bag and it’s making me soooo happy!

Happy Knitting!!

HO Friday: Gonna Need Sunglasses Socks

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The good news is that audit season is over. The bad new is that my web-ex meetings have increased again. I decided to make my Gonna Need Sunglasses Socks my conference call knitting this week to see what I could accomplish. Turns out I could finish the leg of sock number one!

I very clearly saw that as I was working up the leg that I was closing in on finishing my second repeat of the color sequence. So I made the arbitrary decision to finish the ribbing in the second neon yellow section. Then my sock would be exactly two full color repeats.

I worked a 68 stitch sock and for my leg I add 8 stitches evenly up the leg to account for my volleyball player calves. This is still A LOT of negative ease and I might could so with 10 or 12 stitches and still have a comfortable socks. But when it comes to to this type of knitting stuff I subscribe to the horseshoes and hand grenades method…..close enough.

Now the one thing I’m questioning is the heel. Normally the heel turn decreases land at the bottom of my heel. But I knit the foot just a hair too long while on Easter travels so this time they land at the back of the ball of my foot. It doesn’t bother me so much to fix it. I am sure I will knit the second sock to match and just watch and see how well this heel wears versus my other ones. I mean, this is regia, so it normally wears like iron so this all could be for not. Time will tell!!

Happy Knitting!

Prepping My Mother’s Day Cast On

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For the past couple of years I have joined the Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast bandwagon and set aside time for myself to cast on a selfish project for myself on Mothers Day. In the past I have made the Old Man of Storr in 2016,  Nangou in 2017, and Antarktis in 2018.

This year I have always known what yarn I wanted to cast on for my Mothers Day project but I have been waffling on the pattern. I know I want to use my Hedgehog Fibers Merino DK yarn in Ink and Salty Tales. But I have been wishful knitting this yarn and nothing sang to me. But now I know what I want to do!

I’m going to knit the Kindness KAL 2019 shawl pattern by Jaala Spiro of KnitCircus yarns. I have more yarn than I need but I’m just going to either extend the pattern or knit the leftovers into a matching accessory.

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Is it Mothers Day yet?? In the meantime Jellybean and I need to get to caking up my yarns…..Happy Knitting!!

Easter Appropriations

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I have stated before but my mother is a very talented seamstress. And for the last 5-6 years she has been collecting jeans to make scrap projects and bags. For Easter she handmade two bucket style bags for PB and Jellybean. The exteriors are jean leftovers and the inside is quilting cotton. Jellybean got superhero fabric and PB got some really cool pink and grey circles. And of course Grandma filled the buckets with treats.

Unfolded they really turned out pretty tall! And the pocket on the outside is completely function-able. The jean makes a nice bag that stands up on its own. But my heart was really taken by the cute pop of contrast the quilting cotton provides.

Being as that PB is 11 months and pretty much has no use for bags…I kind of appropriated her bucket. My Westport Blanket really needed a project bag. And this size is perfect for the six skeins of yarn this blanket is going to use! It stands up nicely on its own and is great to knit from.

Now I just need to find time and energy to keep this blanket chugging along! Spring has finally sprung here in Kansas and everyone is begging to be outside in this house. We need to enjoy the nice weather before the bugs and heat set in!

Happy Knitting!!

Back On Track

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After all my blunders on my Westport Blanket, I’m finally back on track!

I have worked the initial garter border section for 3.5 inches (ish). And I have just now started the first pattern repeat. I managed to make it through halfway through the first pattern repeat before PB woke up and demanded my attention. I’m super in love with the pattern that is emerging.

The stockinette panels are really showing up well in this yarn. This is Knit Picks Mighty Stitch held double. I’m using the Celestial colorway.  This is the perfect halfway project between mindless knitting and just enough interest to keep me working. A few rows of patterning followed by a swath of garter.

I have no deadline for this project and I find myself picking this project up as a palette cleanser on my “bad brain days” or in between other projects. It’s kind of nice to have a peaceful project tucked away waiting for me. Do you have a peaceful project?

Happy Knitting!!

A Day-Glow Heel

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My Easter weekend travails was a really good kick in the pants to keep my Gonna Need Sunglasses Vanilla Socks going. Weeks ago I had cast on the toe and left this sock languish in my bedside table.  And this no-thinking knitting was perfect for a busy and egg filled holiday weekend.

The heel turn is complete and I now have an inch (or more-ish) of leg completed. I have a bugger of time photographing this knit because it’s SO bright. I’m hoping that this sock will turn into movie knitting and the hubby will take me to Avengers Endgame. But time and babysitter availability will tell.

Jellybean LOVES that this project is living in my BB-8 project bag. He can’t understand why I don’t name these “BB-8 Socks”. He is a nerd and comes by it naturally through his dad. But Jellybean does approve of the colors and asked if he could have the leftovers to play with. I’ll convert this child to fiber arts yet!

Happy Knitting!!

Knitting Instead of Sleeping

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Today is the final episode in my Easter knitting saga. After knitting in the car and then knitting on the deck I managed to squeeze a few more minutes here and there in between hunting eggs and I wanted to show you my final weekend progress. I am working the heel turn! Though this progress might have been at the expense of some sleep on my part. I definitely didn’t stay up past my bedtime trying to squeeze in a few more stitches.

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Everyone who spied my sock over the weekend remarked “my that’s bright” and I responded “yes, I know and I love it!”. At this point I have worked through the all the colors in the colors in the progression and have started over. Now I just need to zoom up the leg and viola! I’ll have a sock!

Happy Knitting!!

 

Knitting Al Fresco

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So today’s knitting photo is also courtesy of Easter weekend. My parents have a gorgeous deck on the front of their house. It overlooks a football field (named after my father) and thicket of trees that are just waking up for spring!

I managed to knit a good three inches of foot during our car trip to my parents. And the brisk Kansas breeze and some fresh air really did my soul good while the grandparents chased the babies. The only bummer is that I found a tick crawling on me as they are THICK this year. Ah….country living!

Happy Knitting!!

Knit While They Sleep

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Easter time usually means travel time for us. We packed up the human babies and the fur babies and headed for the grandparents. My dad was making prime rib so I was highly motivated!

It was almost perfect kismet that that PB fell asleep and Jellybean was content his movie and I got to knit! I pulled out my Gonna Need Sunglasses Vanilla socks and started going merrily round and round.

You have to knit while they sleep!!