Sometimes….It Just Doesn’t Work

Posted on January 3, 2014 by atangledyarn84

I have bad news for my Jericho Blanket….it’s hit the frog pond.

This pattern is gorgeous, but I just wasn’t feeling the yarn/pattern combo. I just didn’t feel the drive to keep working on it and I didn’t even get past my first color change. I didn’t want it to languish so I pulled the plug.

Instead of a written pattern, I have decided to move forward with an improvised pattern of my own. I cast on a bunch of stitches (you like my exactness? lol) and started working back and forth in stockinette. I will work 3 inch stripes of each color (black, grey, wheat, and cream) until I run out of yarn or the blanket gets big enough.

Then I plan on picking up and adding a seed stitch border in black around the outside. I’m slipping the stitches on each side so that they are easy to pick up later. I feel much better about this project and I have the mojo to keep working.

And I will donate my blanket to the local animal shelter!! It’s cold out and every fur baby deserves a good snuggle blanket. Don’t you think?

Happy Knitting!

Last of the Holiday

Posted on January 2, 2014 by atangledyarn84

I’m putting away Christmas in my house today and I just couldn’t resist one last holiday shot. My every thoughtful mother found this ornament for me! It’s so gorgeous I’m considering hanging it up all year round 🙂

Happy Saturday to all! I’m off the gym to remove the holidays from my waistline!

P.S. anyone want to help me get my shoes and socks on tomorrow as I’m sure the residual soreness shall prevent me from completing the task myself?

Progress: Abalone!

Posted on January 2, 2014 by atangledyarn84

Remember the other sweater I was going to finish on Christmas vacation? Yeah well, this is that I got done on my Abalone…

I finished up the last of the stockinette body section (right at 17 inches) and promptly separated for the sleeves. God bless stitch holders!

Now I get to work just under 8 inches of arm/shoulder sections. They are worked separately and then seamed together using a three needle bind off. I’m well on my way to meet my January 15th deadline. And this the second to last project I need to finish for my 2013 stashbustin’ projects, yippee!!!

Now if you will excuse me, I have some quiet knitting and coffee sipping to do before I head off to my big kid job!

New Years Knitting

Posted on January 1, 2014 by atangledyarn84

Happy New Year!!! I hope every had a safe and fun celebration! I worked 13+ hours at my big kid job as I always do on NYE. The blessings of being an accountant at year end, oh wait! So I wasn’t feeling very festive, but I made it to Midnight for a smooch with my hubby. Then promptly off to bed 🙂

In knitting news, I have decided to do another year of stashbustin’ in 2014! And in honor of the first day of the new year, here is my first project…

Jericho Baby Blanket by Shana Schasteen

(Photo from Shana Schasteen’s ravelry page)

This is a center out blanket made with super bulky yarn. Awhile back I discovered I had several skeins of Wool Ease Thick and Quick in black, dark grey, and cream/off white in my stash. I can’t remember why I bought them…I dislike scratchy wool. So I gave the skeins a gentle tumble in my washing machine to soften them. Thanks goodness with only minimal tangling! And off to knitting I go…

I plan to make this pattern with alternating stripes of light and dark. The four row pattern repeats offer a nice way to change colors and keeping the stripes the same And the bonus side of center out construction, I can work until I run out of yarn! Not to mention this super bulky yarn on size US 11 needles should go CRAZY fast! What better way to kick off the new year?

I don’t know what I will do with the FO? Maybe donate to the local women’s shelter or homeless shelter? I have enough blankets in my house already to fill two tote bins. This blanket is wool so the offset to being very warm is that it will require special washing care. I hate giving people items that require a lot of extra special care. Most non-fiber people I know find this very annoying…what’s a knitter to do?

The End Is Near: Sophisticate

Posted on December 31, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I had the best of intentions to finish this sweater on Christmas vacation. Yeah right, lol!

I did manage to finish both sleeves whilst traveling. (Sorry about the low light, our days are too short to get good photographs!) Here is the back view. And don’t worry the sleeves are the same length, I just didn’t get the sweater laid out very well.

And the front view:

All that’s left is to pick up and knit the button band and shawl collar! All in glorious knit stitch so it should go fast!

I have been knitting the medium size as that is what fit my measurements and gauge. However, trying this on (pre-blocking of course) it’s a bit tight. It fits, but I was hoping for more of a loose cozy sweater. I probably should have knit the large size or gone up a needle size on the medium. Live and learn! It will still be a lovely sweater.

That reminds me, I need to find some coordinating grosgrain ribbon! I want to reinforce the button band so that my button holes don’t sag. I’ve never done this but I have seen it lots in the blogging world. It always looks so sharp and sneaky!

This is Stashbustin’ #38 for those keeping score. I hope to finish this in the next couple of days to wrap up my 2013 year!

A Good View for 2014

Posted on December 27, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Check out the view from my desk at work….

Who’s ready for 2014? This girl!!

Nothing like a little fiber dreaming whilst you work 🙂

FO Friday: Oops I Forgot!

Posted on December 20, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I had a craft fair about a week ago and though I don’t normally do custom orders around Christmas….I got suckered into one. The customer filled out the request sheet and I filed it into my purse….and promptly forgot!

I feel awful. I whipped out my needles and knit like my life depended on it. I did these two quick cowls in one evening. They are now safely in the mail to their recipients. And I now I can move on towards Christmas!

These are one of Soulemama’s Wavy Weather Cowls. Its a great easy pattern that is very well written. Perfect for a last minute Christmas gift!!

Abalone Update

Posted on December 19, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I’m onto the second skein on my Abalone! This simple knit has been going to work with me every day and getting some serious lunch time knitting.

Being a stockinette body…I had to use the clips to keep it from curling so I could take photo, lol! Don’t worry, it will get a garter stitch border to sort out all the nasty curling. This Knit Picks Brava Bulky has been a dream to knit with. I just love the feel of the wool/acrylic blend. And the color is divine, even in stockinette!

This is sort of a present and needs to be done in January. This will probably be my Christmas traveling knitting so I can be done with it by my deadline.

How are your deadlines coming?

WIP Wednesday: Sophisticate

Posted on December 18, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Remember this cozy cardigan from long ago? Yep, it’s finally getting some knitting time since it fell to the bottom of my WIPs back in November.

I finished the waist shaping and bottom hem in no time back in October/November. Then it fell to the bottom of my priorities. I know exactly why,. I like my sweaters to go past my waste. But I didn’t measure carefully enough when I was working the stockinette body section. I switched to garter and was several rows in when I realized it was short. Instead of ripping back I worked 3 inches of the garter border at hem instead of the pattern written 2 inches. I made the sleeve to match so all in all I don’t mind the deviation. And at least it won’t make me look like a short torso freak.

I picked it back up these past few days and I finished one sleeve and started the other. I’m making modifications from the original pattern. It is written for a totally tapered sleeve. Which is fine for a garment you don’t intend to wear anything but foundation garments under. But I want to wear this as more of outer sweater/jacket. So I’m omitting some of the decreases around the elbow.

You can see in the photo sort of what I did. I worked the first four decreases, then worked four repeats without, and finally worked the last four decreases. These makes it loose fitting on my arms and bell out slightly at the cuff. This way I can fold up the cuffs I’m working or cooking. I’m praying to the knitting gods I can make the second sleeve match (I took notes, fingers crossed).

I hope to finish this one by the end of the year, but if I don’t oh well. It’s my sweater so who cares? This is Stashbustin’ #38 for the year if you are keeping score.

Happy Knitting!

Wine and Cardigans

Posted on December 16, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I fell in love with a photo for a pattern on Ravelry. One of those kismet situations where I was instantly hooked. Take a look, it’s Abalone by Beata Jezek…

(Photo is from the Ravlery page and all credit due to beatka’s flickr photo, it is amazing!)

I’ts a open front short sleeve worsted weight cardigan. It would be amazing over a long sleeve tee or even a simple tank top. I just HAD to make this. It’s even a free pattern. Only one problem, it’s only written for size small and I need a slightly bigger cardigan. Not to worry I perused the completed projects section on the pattern page and checked out other knitters modifications. The author included percentages for each section so you can back into your number stitches based on swatching and doing the math.

Based on my scribbles, I am going to cast on 80 stitches instead of 54. And I will work to 149 total stitches instead of 98. As swatch as my witness, I hope this works. I just love the color and the yarn! I am using Knit Picks Brava Worsted in Wine.

Now I’m off to grab my needles and cast on, Happy Monday!

My Tangled Yarn Knitting Adventures

Ramblings from an obsessed knitter

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