Category Archives: WIPs

Monkey Shenanigans

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Jellybean fell in love with shop sample toy monkey. It was the Monkey Business toy by Chris de Longpre. So we bought yarn and I snapped a photo of the pattern.

Well, I investigated the pattern when I got home and discovered it was knit flat and seamed. And the appendages were very small as in the number of stitches. And for a $6 pattern…..I didn’t want to work that hard. So I did some Ravelry digging and came up with this pattern.

It’s Gilbert the Sock Monkey by Jack Knits. It’s knit in the round with larger stitch count appendages that won’t be as fiddly. I will still have to sew on the finished pieces but at least I wont have to seam them too.

I didn’t tell Jellybean about the switcheroo….I’m banking on that he forgot what the original looks like and is just happy to get a toy!

Happy Knitting!!

WIP Wednesday #2: Daunt Cowl

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My Daunt Cowl has been growing slowly oh low these past few weeks of potty training. I’m just now starting the last of the purples!

I’m still not sure I’m sold on the magic knots as I can tell where they are in my work. They are thus far staying on the back side of the work. But full disclose, I have not blocked this and blocking is ALWAYS magic. I do find myself rushing in order to get past the purples because up next is BLUE!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Mother-Of-All Shawl

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This is one of the last project/yarn combos I put together waaaay back in August to prepare for the Pigskin Party KAL. This is the MOA Shawl by Nick Davis using my MJ Yarns Simple Sock in the Mice and Men color.

I haven’t been getting a lot of knitting time lately and I’ve gotten in a bit of funk. Nothing in my WIPs *sounded* like fun. So I started this baby on annual personal day off of work to celebrate my birthday.

I’m two full repeats into the very easy pattern. I’m finding the variegated yarn is playing nicely with the pattern. This yarn will need a good blocking as this project just likes to kink back on itself like CRAZY! You see my fingers in the  photo because that’s the only way I could showcase the pattern!

Honestly I don’t know what I will wear this shawl with as my closet leans green and blue. But it’s just so pretty I’ll have to find something. Or else it will be my snoodling up shawl at my bedside!

Happy Knitting!!

A Smidgeon of Sock

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I have been cheating on my Pigskin Party knitting.

This is a WIP that predates the KAL so it doesn’t count for points. But my Strands of Drunken Watermelon socks have been living in my desk and I’ve put some stitches on the second sock during long webinars and conference calls. I’ve made maybe an inch? Slowly but surely this will be sock someday!

Happy Knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: Daunt Cowl

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My Daunt Cowl has some seen some action!

I managed to plow throw the rows and rows of speckled solid color. I could not wait to start getting to the color changes!

I’ve now completed the three grey and black stripes. Next up is the purples in my rainbow of scraps. I just love looking at the rainbow cake unwind as I knit. It’s just so pretty!!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Vanilla Rainbow Socks

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Spoiler alert…I’ll have a FO to show this Friday. And that FO freed up some needles for another Socktober project.

Using the Surburban Stitcher bag I just splurged on I cast on some new socks in a skein of Cascade Heritage Prints in the rainbow color I picked up this summer. These are destined for the gift pile, quite possibly for my Aunt Barb. They are a toe-up vanilla sock over 64 stitches on size 2 US needles. I only needed the foot to be 8 inches instead of my normal 9 inches. So it just zoomed compared to my normal 68 stitch socks on size 1 US needles.

Seriously though, this project literally flew. The above photo represents two days worth of knitting. And this photo is the first one I took because I couldn’t put the sock down long enough to snap a photo, lol. I’m hoping to keep the mojo going on this project and have another FO very soon!

Happy Knitting!!

Daunt Progress

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My Daunt Cowl has seen some action this week.

I had a two hour HIPAA training at work that was all slide show/webinar. I knew I needed something to stay awake so I knit quietly under the table and managed to rack up several inches of stockinette. I’m still in the solid main color section and that’s okay. But I can’t wait to get to the colors!

I also pressed a few small binder clips into service to keep my project from curling so I could observe actual knitting project. I know in my head that it grows with every row but it’s nice when my eyes can back up that logic, lol.

Happy Knitting!

Cast On: Be Simple Shawl

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I finished my Jay Jay shawl last week and my fingers were still itching for some shawl knitting. In my project bin of prepped projects I had the yarn caked for the Be Simple Variations by Carolyn Glauz-Todrank. So I started my needles clicking and I have this…

This is some 3+ year old stash of Cloudlover Yarn and Fiber sock yarn. It’s superwash Merino and nylon blend in their Copacabana colorway. It’s a highly variegated teal, orange, brown and purple. I have to be honest…..I’m not loving the yarn and pattern combo. I love the intuitiveness of the pattern. I just hate the colors as a shawl to wear around my face. They just aren’t me. I am thinking this yarn would be better served as socks that go inside shoes….

I have put this yarn into hibernation/time out to think about what I want to do. Any thoughts from the viewers?

Cast On: Daunt Cowl

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Jellybean had his nasal procedure this week. This was preceded by much anxiety and worry by me the mother. He took the whole mess like a champ and fingers crossed he will be able to breath much better going forward.

I knew we would be sitting around the surgery center for a minute or two so I cast on my Daunt Cowl and started stitching. I managed an inch in under and hour in the waiting room.

I used some leftover bits from my Mom’s Christmas socks for the provisional cast on. I worked two rounds before switching to my live yarn. I contacted Mary of KinoKnits to ask about the pattern. Without giving away the secret sauce, a portion of the cowl involved short rows. And full disclosure I have no problem with short rows. But with my scraps spanning the rainbow the matchy-matchy portion of my brain wanted the thing to be the same all the way around. Mary kindly replied that no problem I could make the modification I wanted and still have a beautiful object.

I also made a what I think is a smart decision. I am working from the outside of the massive cake I wound. For two reason, the first being that my colossal cake wouldn’t collapse halfway done. The second being that working from the outside meant I worked the long stretch of main color solid section first and saved the color changes for last. I fee like this will keep me more motivated in the long run.

Happy Knitting!

Cast On: Jay Jay Shawl

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After finishing Reyna I knew I needed another shawl on the needles. I pawed through my bag of prepped projects and pulled out the Jay Jay Shawl by Francesca Caricato. This is a DK weight shawl with garter and eyelets. My yarn was wound, pattern printed and needles ready to go so I cast on.


Jellybean had a doctors appointment and his flu shot which resulted in a very tired and grumpy three year old. He puppy dog eyed me and convinced me to stay home and snuggle him instead of going to daycare/work. And I managed to get a good chunk of the shawl started!

It’s crescent shaped and gorgeous. The yarn is some REALLY old stash that is Cascade Yarns Sunseeker. It’s grey with a fine thread of sparkle running though. It’s not the softest yarn but oh is it pretty!! I’ve got to two skeins and and I plan to use as much as possible. This might be my next obsession!

Happy Knitting!!