Category Archives: WIPs

Gradient Squares

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My memory blanket has kind of faded to the background with my mojo shifting towards shawls lately. But I have recently finished my Mini Solutions Scarf and had just the teeniest bits of yarn left of each color.

So I decided I could manually fade them into my memory blanket. It is totally a BUNCH of ends to weave in but the squares are just so gorgeous! I made the first square in the same order as the shawl. And then had enough yarn to reverse the order and do a second square.

I mean the second square really was using up every last inch of the yarn so it’s not as evenly graduated. But I think that just makes each square unique plus I had ZERO leftovers!! These two squares piqued my interest in my other blanket and so I just HAD to work on that one as well. Stay tuned…

Happy Knitting!!

Fading My Heart Out

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You guys…my fade is has become my knitting obsession! I busted my hiney to be able to get into the second color and I LOVE it! I am also just now noticing that it kinda blends into my carpet, whoops!!

I’m working the DK version of Andrea Mowry’s Free Your Fade. This knitter loves how fast DK yarn works up. Though I am slowly a little bit as these rows get longer and longer.

This pink variegated DK yarn from Leon Alexander Yarns is a bit more plump than the One Twisted Tree DK. But this is a shawl and who worries about gauge?? It’s going to wonderfully squishy and warm for next winter!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Free Your Fade

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I have a FO to show you tomorrow and to celebrate I cast on a project I have been thinking about for MONTHS! I finally put my Free Your Fade on the needles!

I finally settled on my One Twisted Tree Lavish in Chaotic Nuetral (grey) followed by Leon Alexander Yarns Duke DK in Oh La La (variegated) and finished by some Anzula Ava in Raspberry (pink).  It’s neutral(ish) with nice pops of colors and should coordinate with my wardrobe really well.

It took me honestly casting on three times to get a product I was happy with. I didn’t like my initial slipped stitches on the edges. Then I messed up the yarn overs on the my second go. But finally this third attempt is looking pretty spiffy! This might quickly become my new obsession…

Happy Knitting!!

Blowing The Dust Off

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I managed to make it to work one day this week and forgot half my brain at home. I had a lunch box with an empty Tupperware container and an apple and then no knitting in my purse. It was a very rough day. Sleep deprivation is real yo!

I managed to scrounge a can of soup from my desk drawer so as not to starve. And I also remembered way back in August I had tucked some knitting away in my desk for just such days as this.

I pulled out my Cheery Vanilla Socks and added two whole stripes during my weekly conference call on my big work project. Sometimes it is good to stash knitting around like a squirrel stashes nuts! I may need to add a car project…..

Happy Knitting!!

Dude Socks Are No Joke

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I had a moment of doubt while working my Dad’s 2019 Christmas Socks. They just felt and looked HUGE. Significantly enough that I quit knitting and put them aside just in case I had messed up somewhere.

I mean they are as wide as my hand! See??

I took them and held them up against a pair of socks I previously knit for my husband. Both he and my dad have size 13 feet and can wear the same shoes. And guess what? They were just right.  I guess after knitting women’s socks for so long I forgot what dude socks are like. And size 13 is no joke!

I’m through an entire repeat of the colors. I think I’ve managed 7 inches? My struggle is now to decide on a heel. I’ve always put toe up gusset heels in my dad and husband’s socks because they accommodate a wide foot really well. But this is self striping and I like the look of the bulls-eye looking afterthought heel. I’m just not sure how that will fit? Much debate is going on in my brain because I can’t just easily put in an afterthought heel and change my mind. I would have to re-knit the leg! Sigh…

Happy Knitting!

Halfway Done With Sleeve Island

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This past weekend I managed to crank out a FO (finished object) that I will show you Friday. This finish really cranked my knitting mojo into high gear. It made me want to finish ALL THE THINGS. So I pulled out my Charlotte Winter sweater. I had been plodding slowly through the first sleeve trying to give my hands a break from turning a huge heavy sweater while sleeve knitting.

I was a good chunk through the decreases on sleeve one so I hunkered down and finished the sleeve. Purling in the round on huge US 13 dpns….NOT my favorite but I was committed.

I finished sleeve number one and immediately tried it on. It fits very nicely and snug. That’s pre-blocking of course. So I hope that means I won’t get a baggy sloppy fit after washing and blocking. I’m really hoping to get this done soon so I can get maybe one wear of this yet this extended winter.

Happy Knitting!!

I Found The Sixth Color

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It took some serious brain effort and I tossed my whole stash (via Ravelry) to find my options of white and grey yarn. My Mini Solutions Scarf needs a sixth color and I’m determined! I finally stumbled upon my Naked Hippo mini skein from Lolodidit. I had planned this for heels/toes/cuffs on socks but it’s a relatively solid grey and very very close to my last gradient color. Now it’s shawl yarn!

It was the best option I had without buying new yarn so I just went with it. I’ve gotten it attached and working up. It’s very subtlety different from the adjacent color but not to shabby.

I did have to work this addition of the sixth color twice because in my haste I added the last color without adding the eyelet row. Doh! I painstakingly tinked back to the fifth color and re-knit the eyelet row. Darn near perfect now! I just need to work up this color for a bit and then do the bind off and I’ll sitting pretty with a new scarf!!

Happy Knitting!!

The Fifth Color

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As promised last week in my whiny mom post. Here is my Mini Solutions Scarf in all it’s stretched out glory. I have added the fifth and final color from the Treasure Goddess  Super Toes Cashmere MCN gradient set in the Blackbeard’s Revenge colors.

As I initially thought I knew my gradient pack wouldn’t get it big enough for my liking. So I’m going to need a 6th coordinating color to add to this. I had initially pulled a solid white cascade sock yarn back when I kitted up this project. But this gradient set is too beautifully variegated/tonal to just slap on a commercially made solid color at the end.

I need to go stash diving to see what else is living in my yarn bins to see what grey tonal/speckle options I have. And I need to do this quick as I’m about to run out of yarn and I really don’t want to stop knitting this project!

Happy Knitting!!

Cashmere Addiction

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Hi, my name is Rachelle and I have a cashmere addition. My Mini Solutions Scarf has consumed all of my knitting time because I just can’t quit it! It’s gloriously soft and squishy and requires zero complicated brain waves. It’s my comfort object and I can’t wait to wear it!

I’m already in color four of my five color gradient set. The stripes are getting thinner and thinner as I add more stitches. I did pull some solid white when I was originally planning this project but I can’t decide if this project will need it? This yarn is gloriously variegated and I don’t know if a solid will throw off the vibe. I really want this to wrap nicely around my neck without constant adjustment. What do you guys think?

I guess I could always knit a few row of white and see what I think? A little tinking never hurt anyone right? Maybe I will see how big this scarf/shawl is after color number 5…hmmmm

Happy Knitting!!

Beer and Knitting

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Sometimes life really kicks you right in the knitting balls, am I right?! It’s busy season at work as I’m an accountant and we are in the throes of audit season. And then I have two tiny humans at home who seem to be hellbent on giving me grey hair. These are the days I really need my knitting (and alcohol in moderation).

Last night I had a perfectly poured frosty beer and my Mini Solutions Scarf. I’m all the way into color three and working up to where I need color four. I’ve said it before but I really can’t put this project down!

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My brain was so overloaded that I just sat and knit listening to the fire crackle. No music, no TV, no podcasts….just silence in the wake of chaos. It was glorious for all of 42 minutes until someone needed something. Oh well…there’s always tonight!

Happy Knitting!