A Third Set Of Chicken Breasts

Emotional Support Chicken #3 has moved to the chicken breast portion.

These short rows really do have me counting all the time. It is fairly ingenious construction with a nice finished look and short rows in garter are my favorite. I need to complete another step and then I think I will work in the darker brown.

This chicken will go to another work friend who could benefit from an office support chicken. I just need to get the gift package together…

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Emotional Support Chicken #3

I still have some Emotional Support Chicken mojo after finishing #2. So here comes #3!

I had PB and Jellybean pick out the the next handspun. PB picked some Romney 2-ply and I grabbed the leftover of the unknown brown 3-ply and the creamy romney white leftovers. I managed to get the tail feather completed and connected.

I think I am going to mix the accent colors of the white and dark brown colors against the main medium brown color. I have enough to play around with color on this one. And still have leftovers for #4.

Happy Knitting!!

A Tale Of Two Swatches

I have decided to swatch for my Love Note. And I learned some lessons.

First up, this is not the fingering weight yarn I plan to make the sweater out of. I will be playing yarn chicken with my Old Rusted Chair sock yarn so I pulled some fingering scraps from my leftovers to swatch with that has the same yarn base.

I knit the top swatch first with the pattern recommended gauge. And boy howdy….was she tight. I was easily 4+ stitches over gauge. So I went up from US 7s to US 9s. And a bath for both led to me to understand that US 9s are what I need. My row gauge is off a little but I can account for that.

Just need to get my other WIPs clear so I can start this! Happy Knitting!!

Decreasing While Conferencing

Okay, I have regrets. I definitely added more rows in the body of my Crown Town Hat that I should have. This hat is looking…..big….

I attended a women’s conference this week and tried to finish my hat WIPs sitting in big ballrooms. My Royals hat was first up and I finished the “crown” colorwork. I still have the crown decreases to finish and that is also going to add length. So this will be an adult LARGE hat. Sigh….I should have not listened to my anxiety and followed the pattern.

Good news, I have enough yarn I think I can make a second hat. Then I can fix the inside and backwards words/colorwork and then make the right size.

Mildly Happy Knitting!!

A Flat Chicken

Emotional Chicken #2 has reached flat chicken status.

I really like this mix of colors for this version. The red and yellow especially pop against the cream. I do think I possibly messed up the breast section. This chicken looks a lot deeper and rounder than my first one.

I still need to knit the bottom piece and do a lot of seaming. And procure more poly-fil as I used up my stash on the first chicken. That bag lasted me more years than I care to admit. I’m interested to see if new or better options exist now!

Happy Knitting!!

Chicken Breasts

My second Emotional Support Chicken now has a prominent…..chest….

I am working on a deadline so it feels great to make it past all these short rows. I don’t mind short rows in garter since they just disappear. But man, it is a lot of counting. I need to find the contrast color and get started on the chicken’s neck. I did make one modification, I didn’t crochet the tail together and I chose to three needle bind off them together.

Turns out I will still have leftovers from this chicken as well. I was sort of hoping to use up this stash so a third franken chicken might be in order….

Happy Knitting!!!

Chicken #2 Tail Feathers

The rear end of Emotional Support Chicken #2 is done and now I’m moving into the body.

I have been weighing my handspun as I go to make sure I won’t run out. I thought it might be prudent as I’m using up the partial skeins from my first one. I am progressing well far and shouldn’t have play “yarn chicken”. I think the pun applies well to this project!

Happy Knitting!!

Nailed It (So Far)

I am trying to dust off my WIPs to clear them out for the 2025 Pigskin Party KAL. No WIPs allowed in that. Today I pulled out the Crown Town Hat and installed the KC into the main body.

The pattern called for duplicate stitch and I’m rubbish at that. So I decided to double down and work stranded colorwork. I simply left LONG loops and moved the blue yarn back to the beginning of the row. I’ll cut those later and weave in both ends.

I think I did not so bad! Blocking will do a world of good for this. I feel like this hat is going to be shallow so I might add a few rows after the KC to make sure this will fit my dad. I hope I don’t regret my decision, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Emotional Support Chicken #2

I am still feeling the mojo for the Emotional Support Chickens. I decided to cast on #2 with the opposite colors of #1.

This cream color handspun is much more consistent than the darker color I from the last one. I am hoping I will get a more consistent fabric? This chicken will be for Aunt Barb, who helped me make jam this year, to give to her best friend who loves chicken. I am on a bit of time crunch as this ladies birthday is coming up so I need to get knitting!

Happy Crafting!!

Almost A Chicken

The emotional support chicken now has a beak!

I ended up finding some Malabrigo singles in a bright yellow from my hat leftover stash. I held it single and I kind wish I had held it double. Might try that on the next version. I also grabbed some red leftovers of Cashloft from the hat leftovers as well.

I just need to knit the chest piece and sew everything up! Happy Knitting!!