Category Archives: Knitting

All my knitting adventures

So Freaking Close

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Huzzah for paper clips as they work in a pinch when you don’t have stitch markers! I am now ready for the second cuff on my Purple Rain Vanilla Socks. 🙂

I *think* was able to match up the increases fairly well with the first sock. It really did help to have the increases marked visibly on my first sock. I could follow along and know when to add in an increase on the second. It actually made the knitting faster and easier.

I have one tiny little cuff left and I can move this project to the finished column. Literally CANNOT WAIT! 🙂

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: 2020 Advent Socks #2

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Another pair of socks is in the books! The second pair of my 2020 Advent Socks are finished and blocked.

Pattern: My own toe up vanilla sock “recipe” with 68 stitches and a gusset heel

Yarn: A Girl and Her Wool BFL Sock in the 2020 Advent mini skeins

Needles: US 1s

The fit is better on this pair than my first attempt here. And as I had hoped, I think I have just enough minis for a third pair of socks. Which would be nice for both my sock drawer and to completely use up the minis from this advent calendar.

Now….I just need to get the next set of socks cast on! Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Bifrost Advent

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After I ripped out my Wool and Waves advent shawl AND getting my Cloudborn order in, I was ready to cast on my next garter shawl/scarf project. This is the last project I need to “finish all the advent yarn before the new advent yarn comes in the fall”, lol.

I picked the Bifrost pattern by Cater Carter Evans. And I started this project as the pattern instructed for stitch count and stitch pattern. But for one, I didn’t like the garter edging and I wanted a wider project. I did go up several needle sizes to try and make the scarf bigger. I just want more….

So I ripped back the whole darn thing. Which was, if I may say, a nightmare! The soft merino singles stuck to EVERYTHING and ITSELF. I did have to rip one section out and fix it itself. But I managed to get all the yarn back to ball state.

I took some gauge measurements before I ripped, so now I just need a few minutes to run some calculations in excel. I’m going to keep the stitch pattern but work in a slipped stitch edge. And I will cast on more stitches than the pattern….I just needs to do the math to determine how many.

Happy Knitting!!

Advent Wrapping

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My current mojo has been more locked in to my advent/marling projects. The second advent color has been added All My Stitches. This next color is a very light pink and blends nicely with the white Opal sock yarn.

I REALLY like how the i-cord edge looks on this project. I gives the piece a nice finished or polished looking edge. My brain doesn’t always remember however and I do tend to have to tink back to fix. It’s super easy to just knit all the way across.

I’m already hacking this pattern as I’m not following their color changes. I’m a little concerned that I won’t use all of my rainbow gradient. Therefore I am considering adding some more increases than the pattern calls for. I could be setting myself up for yarn chicken but I wouldn’t mind a huge squishy wrap either.

I might set this one down for a think/time out….

Happy Knitting!!

Second Sock Slog

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I’m really feeling the slog of sock number two on my Purple Rain Vanilla Socks. It is great purse knitting/knit while walking knitting. But my knitting brain wants to be doing other things so I don’t find myself excitedly picking this project up.

Despite my ennui, I have finished the second foot and turned the heel. I do need to take a moment to count and measure all the leg increases I put in on the first sock. I am not going to go so far as to count rows to make mirror images. But I would like them to be close0-ish.

Happy Knitting!!

Ready For Advent Cuffs

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I have plodded my way through the legs of my 2020 Advent Socks, pair number two. The sock on the left is using my new Flexi Flips and the pair on the right is on a normal 9 inch circular.

I cannot tell an appreciable difference between the two needles. Both are making consistent socks. I am not seeing any laddering with the flexi flips either. So far, pretty pleased with both. I could see myself using either comfortably depending on my mood.

All I have left on these socks are two cuffs. Feels very nice to be so close to a FO. I always get a little mood boost when I can pet a finished piece.

Happy Knitting!!

A Load Of Cloudborn

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Recently I cast on my All My Stitches, which is a project where I am holding a white sock yarn double with an advent calendar to get a big squishy shawl/wrap. Honestly, it makes projects go fast and I am actually getting my advent calendars used!

So I did a little online shopping for some more neutral sock yarn to hold double with my other mini skein calendars. This led me to WEBS and my first Cloudborn Yarn purchase.

Thanks to some sale prices, I snagged two skeins of Cloudborn Fibers Highland Superwash Sock Twist in the grey and black. And then I couldn’t decided on the Superwash merino fingering so I got both cream and off white. I did mess up a little here and I didn’t realize the merino was a singles…whoops. I still think it will serve my purpose.

So as close as I was getting to being “yarn in/out nuetral” this year….this purchase but me back a fair bit. Guess I’d better get cranking on those advent projects!

Happy Knitting!!

Advent Heels

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My 2020 Advent Socks #2 are humming right along. I am working them in tandem so I can split each 20 gram mini in half.

I need to catch up the bottom sock to where I am on the top sock. The top one has the heel increases started. But the bottom one needs a smidge more stockinette still. This has been my grab and go car knitting as well as my “I’m too tired at night to knit anything else”.

I need to do some yarn planning to determine how tall I will make these. I could cut them off a decent but short-ish length and save enough yarn for another pair of socks. Something to ponder…

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: All My Stitches

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I couldn’t help myself the cast-on-itis was too strong with this one. I had all the minis prepped from my frogged Rainbow Fluff Hibernation Throw so I cast on the All My Stitches!

I am using just a plain white opal sock yarn that I found on Etsy. It should flow nicely as I progress through the rainbow. And I have confession….I have two skeins of the white Opal but I didn’t check yardage to see if it would be enough to last through advent minis. I may end up with yarn chicken on this one!

This cast on did take some brain space, the increase section is a four row repeat. I need to make sure I have time to complete the repeat before setting it down. So this is an “after the kids go to bed” kind of project. I’m anxious to get past the increase so I can just ZOOM in garter or awhile!

Happy Knitting!!

Knitting And Other Life Skills

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PB and I did some “quality” time the other day when daycare was closed. I worked on my 2020 Advent Socks #2 and she “did” some dishes in luke warm soapy water. We both practiced some positive life skills I would say.

Total win/win. She played happily for about 45 minutes and I added a third color to my scrappy socks. I love knitting and listen to her little brain chatter away. She’s very much in the “stream of consciousness” phase right now. Sometimes the honesty hurts and sometimes its hilarious. I’ll take whatever I can get, lol!

Happy Knitting!!