Category Archives: WIPs

Teaching Myself To Flick

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I finished a worsted weight hat last week. It was supposed to be for my dad but ended up going to my daycare provider who is losing her hair to chemo. Well, my needles were cold so I pulled out the second skein of Lilliput Yarn Woof Worsted and cast on another hat over the weekend.

This is the chasing cars colorway and is a nice mix of blues, greens and yellows. I want to learn to flick instead of throw my yarn. I think it will cut down stress on my wrist and possibly make me a faster knitter because I won’t let go of the right hand needle.

Flicking in ribbing was really slow and my index finger got tired so I used a mix of flicking and throwing on the brim. But for the stockinette portion I am flicking all the way and I’m FLYING through this hat. I do have some tension issues but they will work out with practice and aren’t that big of a deal in hat. Honestly, my brain feels kind of good learning a new skill.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: A Hat For Dad

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The super slouch Hat for Dad is done, washed and ready to head out the door. I made a left turn after I finished this hat. It’s not going to be for my dad. It’s going to my daycare provider as she is starting 18 weeks of chemo and going to lose all her hair. She needs this worse than my dad and I just want to wrap her in wooly hugs.

Pattern: None, just a basic 88 stitch worsted weight beanie

Yarn: Lilliput Yarn in Woof Worsted in the Man’s Best Friend Colorway

Needles: US 8s

Mods: None because I made up the hat as I went, lol.

This hat turned out to be a SUPER slouch when used with single brim. But is a nice beanie with the brim folded double. I ended with 11 gram leftover, so a nice sized ball. The hat only took 89 grams or 194 yards. So my prediction was correct…winging it made me have a decent chunk of yarn leftover, lol.

I’m still proud of this hat and I’m itching to get another one on the needles. I have a second skein of this Lilliput yarn in the Chasing Cars colorway that I think will be next up on the needles.

Happy Friday and Happy Knitting!!

Heels For Advent Socks

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I am into the fifth color on my 2020 Advent Socks and I am SUPER happy that I am doing these in tandem. It’s going to feel so good to cast off the cuffs and have a finished pair of socks!

I have the first heel finished all the way and I’m into the decreases on the second sock. I think I should be able to fit about three more minis into these socks before the cuff. Who knows….maybe I will go crazy and make tall socks. Who am I kidding, it likely depend on how tired I am by the time I finish the legs.

Happy Knitting!!

Closer To A Hat

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Dad’s hat is swimming right along. This has been great knit night knitting and zoom meeting knitting.

I am not following any kind of pattern. I have 88 stitches and I’m just knitting what feels good. No clue how many inches of ribbing, no clue how long I’ll make the hat portion and no pre-plan for the crown decreases. I’ve been knitting long enough that I’m comfortable with just winging it.

The only thing I do want to try to do is use as much yarn as possible. But I feel like that is a chuckle waiting to happen since I’m winging it. I firmly believe I will either be wildly over or under and either run out or have a ton left. Time will tell, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

2020 Memories

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My sock yarn memory blanket has seen some recent daylight. It if officially “squared off” again as I just completed a full row.

I counted and I officially have 165 squares! It fits comfortably across my lap with lots of fabric to spare on either side. I still think I will make it wider but for now I’m going to focus on length.

Some of my more recent square additions include yarn from my Into the Light and Retro Rainbow Vanilla socks. I am still sort of planning my squares. I don’t put self striping next to self striping or solid next to solid. But it’s getting harder and hard to do that the bigger this thing gets. The good news is that it really doesn’t matter as their is enough color in this blanket that it all kind of blends.

Happy Knitting!!

A Toxic Oreo Heel

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I finished turning the heel on my Zoom meeting project. My first Toxic Oreo sock now has a heel!

I’m really happy with how evenly the speckles spread out as I increased the number of stitches in the heel. And I’m now I’m set up to just keep working up the leg. This is now PERFECT meeting knitting. And the Lemonade Shop yarn is just the perfect bright pick-me-up to the winter grey and gloom.

What is your favorite meeting knitting?

Picking Up Mycroft

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Time for a confession, my Mycroft has been sitting in time out for a couple months now. I had started the short rows to build the neck. It is my first time doing German short rows and I needed complete concentration…..and in this house that is hard to find.

But I put on my big kid pants and dug this out one morning the kids were gone and powered through the rest of the short rows. It really only took me about an hour or so to get to a place where I’m working in the round.

I did fall victim to the things that can happen when you set down a project for a long period of time. My broken rib got messed up on the back neck portion.

I’ve decided to leave it because A) no one will see it on the back of my neck B) I don’t want to rip out and redo all the fiddly short rows and C) I’m the boss of my knitting. I’m now to a point where I’m working broken rib in the round with 1×1 ribbed raglans.

My brain is more engaged with this project now that I know its past the fiddly bits. I’m hoping to work this in to my rotation and get cruising on this sweater more. It’s a shame that an hours worth of work held me back for so long but I’m moving forward now. In my knitting world my heart has to be in a project or else its going to languish, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Fireside Socks

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My 2020 Advent Socks are getting me the dark cold evenings around here. Thank goodness for my working fireplace and free firewood from my parents. I can stay nice and toasty with my yarn.

I’m still just in mini number three as these have been on the back burner in favor of my Into the Light Shawl. I am addicted to that thing!

Happy Knitting!!

Ready For Garter Lace

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I had some crazy good knitting mojo this week and I really cranking on my Into The Light shawl. I have added the third and last color and knit right up until I need to start the simple lace to finish the shawl body.

I am really really happy with my third color. The darker blips are fading in well. This last skein is some Twisted Owl Fiber Studio in the Razz-Ma-Tazz colorway it has lots of dark blues and greens.

I think I have roughly 20 rows of garter lace and then I can start the fringed edge. I have never worked an attached fringe where I drop stitches. I’m honestly a little nervous but I’m going to trust the pattern and do what I’m told.

Happy Knitting!!

Advent Socks, Ready For Mini #3

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My 2020 Advent Socks are growing little by little. I have worked in the first two mini skeins and ready for the third.

It’s very apparent that all 24 minis are NOT going to fit into one pair of socks. I could rip back and make skinnier stripes but that seems like extra work. I think I am going to just keep working the minis as is and see where I end up. I could always start a second pair?

The BFL sock yarn is really nice and should make hardy and warm socks. And I have successfully been able to spit splice my joins to cut down on the weaving in ends.

Happy Knitting!!