Category Archives: WIPs

Cast On: PB’s Birthday Blanket

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I had a TON of yarn leftover from PB’s birthday monster. Like almost 1.8 full skeins. I drastically overbought for her monster toy. But as to not waste any soft baby friendly yarn I decided Baldwin needed a coordinating blanket. PB has an affinity for soft things so I’m hoping she will cuddle under a soft blanket.

I chained 100 stitches and then started working my version of a half double crochet back across. I managed one full row back before PB woke up the first time last night. I have ZERO illusions this will be done by her actual birthday on Friday. But she’s 1….what’s she going to know if I take another month to finish this one??

Happy Crafting!!

Overshot The Heel

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The socks for my dad have kind of been on the back burner lately. I was working on them awhile back and I was talking and knitting at a BBQ and I overshot the heel placement. I was hoping to put in waste yarn for a Susan B Anderson style afterthought heel. But alas it was not to be. I’m going to have to cut in a KirbyWirby style afterthought heel by cutting live stitches. I’ve totally done both before. I was just hoping for the version that is less likely for me to drop stitches.

So with that little oopsie…this project has kind of fallen to the bottom of my WIP pile. It’s not the end of the world but it has kind of killed my mojo a little bit. Has that ever happened to you?

More Work Knitting

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I had some MAJOR organizing and note taking to catch up on after making it through audit season. I love my job but this year has been really challenging due to the fact we had a change of management DURING audit season. Not to mention we have three open positions and a lot people are working double duties.

I try to look at the bright side….my Gonna Need Vanilla Socks are making decent progress on my lunch breaks. Sock number one is already done. And I’m past halfway through the foot on sock number two.

And I love when I can mash up my love of organization and love of knitting. Not to mention knitting has taken the edge off some really stressful days lately!

Happy Knitting!!

An Almost Finished Baldwin

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My Baldwin the Bathroom Monster is all done (with the knitting part that is)!

I finished with two weeks to spare on PB’s birthday! Now Baldwin still needs a mouth and a bellybutton. I might also possibly add a crochet flower tail because the husband thinks that will make it extra cute. The only thing stopping from being done is that I am out of white felt in my craft stash for the Rebecca Danger style mouth. Now this is easy to fix with a trip to Joanns or Micheals soI hope to have this all tucked in time for PB’s party.

Stay tuned for finished finished finished projects photos! 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!

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!!