Category Archives: WIPs

Cast On: Good Ole Raglan

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After finishing my Radiate I looked at my leftovers and thought “I bet I could make PB a sweater from that.” So when I was attending the 2020 Nomad Yarn Virtual Retreat I decided this was going to be my “retreat project”.

I found simple top down raglan patter on Ravelry that fit my gauge and yarn yardage. It was the Good Ole Raglan by Karen O’Hanlon Cohrt. I grabbed my needles and just dug in. This pattern has a very interesting approach to raglan increases that I have never tried before. I’m intrigued to see what kind of fit this approach gives.

I am making the 5-6 size in the pattern. PB is running in the 4T to 5T category so I erred on the “too big” side of caution. I am going to do the yoke in this Hedgehog Fibers Deep End colorway and then I will use my remaining TreasureGoddess black yarn to finish the body to mimic my Radiate sweater. At this point I am not sure how far the black yarn will get me. I may have to do the sleeves in the contrast color or perhaps even stripe them? I’ll just figure that out when I get there, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Progress ON DK Ripple Bralet #2

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After my first and failed attempt at the DK Ripple Bralet, I have successfully cast on and I’m well into my second attempt. This one is two sizes bigger than before and my gauge is in the zone.

I powered through the twisted 1×1 rib and I’m comfortably into the body of the bralet. I didn’t bother winding my yarn into a cake and I’m just working from my ball of yarn I made while frogging. I have virtual accounting leadership conference coming up soon and I’m hoping to power through more of the body.

Though it does take my brain some thinking to do 3×3 rib when my autopilot instinct is 2×2 rib. But after 10 years of knitting, my fingers can feel when I am trying to do the wrong stitch and it’s pretty easy to switch. Fingers crossed I can get this done before true winter sets in here in Kansas.

Happy Knitting!!

Blocking Radiate

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It’s blocking time humans! My Radiate is complete except for the binding off of the sleeves. I have blocked this baby in a nice sink bath and I have set it in front of a fan to dry.

I am really pleased with how the yoke blocked out and the sleeves did grow a bit. I am glad I didn’t bind off the sleeves first. The yarn really softened nicely and this is going to be a lovely thin lightweight but warm sweater.

For this to be a FO I need to bind off the sleeves and convince my husband to take some real photos. Fingers crossed I get that done this week!

Happy Knitting!!

Almost A Radiate Sweater

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Knit night zoom knitting did the trick. I have an almost finished Radiate! And don’t worry the sleeves are the same number of rows and do actually match. I made sure to mark my decreases and count my rows to match on the second sleeve.

I have not bound off the sleeves as the body is superwash yarn. I plant to soak and block the sweater to see how much it is inevitably going to grow. That way I can add or subtract sleeve length if needed.

I do need to weave in the ends still. But otherwise I’m SUPER happy to have an almost finished sweater. And it helps that this a ton of yards of yarn out of my stash and clearing my needles for the 2020 Pigskin Party KAL that started 9/25.

Happy Knitting!!

I Found A Knitting Group

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I have reached that point of 2020, as great as I get along as an introvert, I needed PEOPLE. And I needed MY people. A few of the knitting podcasts I listen to have been referencing Zoom knit nights that are open to anyone and I finally bit the bullet and showed up to one.

I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone on the call. But I grabbed my Radiate and a glass of wine and showed up anyway. And like most all in the knitting community they were kind and welcoming and it was an amazing night. I mostly just enjoyed seeing other people’s project and listening to the banter. I didn’t feel like I was intruding and they seemed genuinely happy to have new people in the group.

Bonus, I also made good progress on my second Radiate sleeve. I might have a finished thing soon!

Happy Knitting

Just Be A Sweater Already

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Hello from DK weight yarn sleeve island! It’s a balmy 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in Kansas and it’s hampering my desire to knit with a full sweater in my lap. I really am ready for my Radiate to just magically turn into a sweater already.

Sleeve number on is complete with all my decreases marked with super fancy paper clips. And I’m roughly halfway through the decrease on sleeve number two. I have plenty of yarn and I’m not seeing any discernable pooling with the black. So I think this is the home stretch. I just need to find the mojo!

Happy Knitting!!

The Last Heel

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Thanks to some socially distanced travels to the grandparents this weekend for Jellybean’s 6th birthday…I have almost finished socks!! My Retro Rainbow Socks are almost complete and basking in the early Kansas fall season.

The first sock is still complete and the second one is a complete tube with a finished cuff. I have a sneaking suspicion that my socks will end up being fraternal rather than identical. Most certainly due to my gauge and no fault of the dyer. This pandemic and remote school has played all kinds of hell with my tension.

Fingers crossed I have a finished pair of socks this week! Happy Knitting!!

School Line Knitting

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I am now officially a school pickup and drop off Kindergarten mom. Thanks to the weirdness that is 2020 the husband and I now have to plan school drop and school pickup into our work day. And with temperature/mask checks….the car line can be long.

I’m going to leave the politics and drama out of this and I’m not soliciting any advice or input. My family made the hybrid learning choice for Jellybean because that is what we need as a family. It will be CrAzY stressful and I have already forgotten to pick up Jellybean after school (it was day two of in person #momfail).

So I’m choosing to use this roughly 30 to 40 minutes a day to knit in line and have chats with Jellybean about superheros and the best snack foods. For as long as this lasts I hope to get some bonding time with Jellybean and maybe crank out some more socks.

PS. My Big Bang Theory project bag makes me super happy.

Happy Knitting!!

Radiate Sleeves

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My Radiate body is complete and I’m squarely into swimming on sleeve island!

I managed to slip on this garment and I’m pleased to report that it fits. It does need a good blocking for the fabric to relax into that good sweatshirt style fit I want. I’m super pleased with my alternating skeins of the hand dyed yarn. I can’t discern any pooling or flashing in the sweater body. I do not plan to alternate skeins on the first sleeve. I have enough yarn left over that I can knit the full sleeve from the same skein of yarn.

I can FEEL this sweater almost being done. So I’m hoping to power through the sleeves so I can have another fall sweater.

Happy Knitting!!

Radiate Ribbing

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Can I get a hallelujah and an amen? I have finished the body of my Radiate and i’m starting the hem ribbing.

I added an extra inch and a half to the body length than the pattern asked for. I know I want to block the body out a bit wider for a nice sweatshirt style fit. So that means I am going to eat into the length a bit even with super wash yarn that is likely to grow. I want my finished sweater to fall at my hip line

One other modification I made is to turn the hem into a split hem. Being a women with robust hips and waist I really like how the split hem allows a garment to stretch and lay nicely on my body. I think I am close to finishing the back hem. My plan is to knit the front hem to be a bit shorter to create a mild high/low effect.

Fingers crossed this goes quickly! Happy Knitting!!