Sweater 911: The Fix!

Posted on June 10, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Remember my sweater 911 from last week? I mistakenly knit part of my garter edge as a stockinette edge. It looked something like this….

After some hemming, hawing, and wine drinking I decided on a fix. I picked up my yarn and tapestry needle and went to work. I ended up with something like this..

I cut a length of my leftover yarn and threaded on my tapestry needle. With the right side facing me I simply stitched over and around each one of the 7 edge stitches with a whip-like stitch creating the top of a faux purl like bump. When I reached the stockinette section I turned the work around and stitched back across but this time staggered by half a stitch. This way I could create the bottom of the row to create the look of garter stitch. It didn’t turn out as perfectly as I wanted but it definitely looks better then when I started.

I think the corrections are hardly noticeable when looked at the garment as a whole. Stashbustin’ #18 is officially complete! I hope to snag the husband some night this week so I can get some shots of this garment in action!!

Happy Monday and Happy Knitting!!

Odds and Ends Update

Posted on June 3, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I must have some very picky birds in my neighborhood….

My contribution for local bird nests is going largely ignored. The only yarn that has disappeared is the 100% wool that was at the bottom. All the cotton, acrylic, and wool/acrylic blends are untouched.

I put this under my apple tree and I think I’m going to move it to the patio. Maybe my placement is bad, or maybe I have horrible taste in yarn according to birds, lol? It has been TERRIBLY stormy here in the Midwest and it could be weather related as well. Or maybe it has already passed prime best building time for chicks and chickadees? I’m not even close to a bird expert by any means!

Only time will tell! I’ll post another update in a couple weeks. Happy Monday!

WIP Wednesday: Its Blanket Fever

Posted on May 29, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I’ve made fairly good progress on my Billow Blanket or Stashbustin’ #15. The yarn is a DREAM to work worth. It’s silky soft cottony goodness is just so luscious under my fingers. And the thick to thin texture is displayed nicely in the stockinette stitch.

I’m on my second color stripe (of six) and realizing this is going to be ONE BIG BLANKET. I’m not going to fuss over that right now. I’m just enjoying the pattern and the yarn and will see where the knitting leads me. This has been my go-to knitting on the couch at night while I watch TV or help the husband with college algebra.

Here is even better progress on Aunt Martha’s Prayer Blanket (I need to assign this a Stashbustin’ number as I’m using Carron Simply Soft from my stash). This easy pattern is a dream to memorize and I can seamlessly move between the two blankets as it doesn’t matter what row or stitch count I’m on. This blanket is smaller yarn and needles and knitting at a finer gauge. I’m finding the neat even stitches to be very soothing. This project lives in my travel bag I take to work for lunches and breaks. The one jarring note is the color change…

This is a horrible iPhone photo I took last night. But it give you the idea. I started with a dusty pink color and transitioned to a bright pink. In skein form the colors looked much better in this order but now that they are in knit form they look very different. I simply cannot decide if it bothers me. On one hand it’s very kooky just like Aunt Martha. On the other hand it’s NOTHING like me and I’m the one stuck staring at it as I knit. I still have a light baby pink that I’m planning to finish the outside with. Maybe that will make it better?

I’m very far along and would hate to frog it. And I know sometimes my OCD gets the better of me at times like this. Decisions….decisions

Happy Knitting

Breaking the Yarn Diet

Posted on May 26, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I broke my stashbusting trend a bit. I had to swing over to the Yarn Barn, my LYS, and get more Soak. And I browsed while I was there….

I have been watching other knitters post about Neon by Joji Locatelli. So I bought the pattern online and picked the lovely yarn above…

It’s 12 hanks of Berroco Pure Pima cotton in green. It’s a new yarn from Berroco. (I think I’m quickly becoming a Berroco kind of girl) It’s very spring like to me and just called my name. It’s a very soft cotton and I can’t wait to try it!

I have so many other WIPs it will have to wait a bit. For now I’m just going to mark up the directions for my size and read the pattern through a few times. It’s by far one of the most complicated sweaters I will attempt. It uses the contiguous construction method, which looks amazing.

For now it sits in cakes on my craft desk and I fondle it every time I walk by, lol! The hubs and I are off to a BBQ for lunch with friends and some relaxation!!

I hope you have an awesome Sunday!!

P.S. I did remember to buy Soak as well. That justifies my trip right?

Stashbustin’ #18: Shalom Cardigan

Posted on May 25, 2013 by atangledyarn84

When I was organizing my craft space vi found five hanks of some Berroco Vintage Chunky in purple. I made my last two sweaters, Mud Season #1 and Mud Season #2, from this yarn. I love this yarn! It’s wool blend that’s soft but yet easy care. It knits up beautifully and who doesn’t love chunky projects?

I have settled on my next stash buster: Shalom Cardigan by Meghan McFarlane!

(Photo from Meghan’s Ravelry page)

I’m terribly excited! And thanks to the tips on the pattern page I’m going to alter this a bit to fit my bust size by simply making the garter border a few stitches bigger. I’ve also been a good girl and swatches for gauge.

I had to go down to 10 1/2 US needles to get gauge on my unblocked swatch. I’m probably not going to wash or block this swatch as I didn’t get any difference in my last two Vintage Chunky swatches. And I’m out of Soak and need a trip to a yarn store, lol.

It’s a three day weekend for me thanks to Memorial Day. I’m hoping to give this sweater some attention this weekend. But I have several other WIPs and a test knit for a new pattern by a fellow blogger. I’m also excited about this test knit, it’s completely adorable!!! And the hubs and I have several projects in our new house. Not to mention I might need to make a trip to the yarn store…hehehe. I’m sure I can get it all done right?

Happy Knitting!!

Conceding the Battle, But Not The War

Posted on May 23, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Stashbustin’ #15 is kicking my rear end. I can’t tell you how many times I have started and then frogged!

It’s a very straight forward pattern worked from the center out. But I dislike using dpns, so I opted to try magic loop at first. Oh my golly was it hard to keep track of where you were! Two attempts at this and I went fishing for my dpns…and after some trial and error on picking up dpns after a long time I got this:

Pretty right? Only to realize that I was reading the pattern wrong! Grumble grumble grumble curse grumble grumble….

So I’m off to frog this again and start over. I will not let this blanket beat me!!

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!!!

WIP Wednesday: Snug

Posted on May 22, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Stashbustin’ #16 is almost complete!

I bound off the last edge last night as I was catching up on my DVR. I had to pull in a lamp this dark yarn really started to play with my eyes as I was trying to pick up and finish the crochet edge, lol. However, I love love love using the leftovers of my Berroco Vintage Chunky from my Mud Season. I haven’t found a yarn that Berroco makes that I haven’t liked yet. And it didn’t hurt that this project was chunky yarn on my big needles, lol.

I didn’t exactly follow the directions to a tee….not that they weren’t very well written! Hinke did a great job of spelling things out and including lots of links to tutorials. I just kinda took her directions as suggestions, lol. I used a knitted on cast on instead of the crochet on waste yarn. I also cast off in pattern instead of a sewn method. I also accounted for three buttons instead of two. And finally I crocheted all the way from the left bottom corner, around the hood, and down to the right bottom corner.

I still need to find the right buttons for this project. But I’m not in a rush. I think this little sweater is going to stay with me. It’s the partner to my Mud Season and hopefully I can bundle up a little one in this when the hubs and I decide to have kids. And then mommy and baby can match. That means the buttons have to be special. Next up for this sweater is a good bath and blocking!!

Happy Knitting!!!

FO Friday: My New Craft Space!!!

Posted on May 17, 2013 by atangledyarn84

One big item is crossed off my vacation t0-do list, setting up my craft room! I spent most of Wednesday getting everything unpacked and situated. I’ll apologize for the photos. I took them with my DSLR but there is no natural light in this particular room and Photoshop can only do so much.

Here are the before shots:

About half of those boxes are my craft supplies and the other half is just boxes that got dumped in the room as we set up the rest of the house. I’m happy to say that most of the house is now set. We are still waiting on a new bed to be delivered and my parents to bring the upstairs living furniture that we are “inheriting”.

But I digress….now the after photos. And I’m really proud of how it turned out!!!

First up is my yarn stash, all my reading books, and finished scrapbooks. I picked up some clear storage bins at Big Lots and thanks to my all 2013 destashing efforts all my yarn fits in the bins on the right. I can see what I have now and no more under the bed storage. I prefer to organize my yarn by fiber type rather than weight/category.

This is my fabric storage, sewing machine, craft books, and other craft bits. I hope to find a chair so this will become my regular blogging spot. I mostly likely will sew upstairs on my dining room table but will store everything down here.

Behind the door is where I put my old notebooks and my WIP scrapbooks and other assorted bits. I don’t want to store too much here as the furnace is on the other side of the peg board and puts out occasional dust.

And finally our second guest bed and my new “couch” in the craft room. We are getting a new master bed and moving our old master bed to the guest room. So this bed had to go somewhere. It will be a nice place to stretch out and knit and when we have extra company we can pull it out for guests.

I can’ t wait to get to crafting in my new space!! TGIF!!!

Mud Season #2

Posted on May 16, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Sometimes you just find a pattern that speaks to you, is fun to knit, and flatters your figure. In my recent knitting, this has been Mud Season. I had the yarn in my stash so I started a second one this week as a vacation project and Stashbustin’ #17. My friends think I’m crazy for knitting sweaters in summer when the temps are hitting the 80s and 90s. But I like to knit what speaks to me no matter the season, lol.

I’ve got my second Mud Season off the needles, washed, blocked, and photographed!

Being wiser and smarter the second time around, I made a few deviations from the pattern instructions:

– I used a crochet cast on method in the beginning and when I cast on the additional stitches before joining in the round. In my first attempt I used a knitted cast on method. With the dark yarn it was hard on my first sweater to find the stitches when I went to pick up and knit the neckline and therefore the neckline was tighter. The crochet cast on was a neater line and made picking up stitches much easier. You can also see that the neck is more open than on my first Mud Season.

– I paused knitting the body just after I divided for the arms and had knit about 10 rows down. I wanted to maximize the yarn at the bottom of the sweater without having to worry about running out and not being able to make the neckline or the sleeves. It actually worked pretty well and I liked not having to go back do those at the end.

– I have a long torso and wide hips. I’m of Scandinavian decent and these are the gifts of my ancestors. My first Mud Season was a bit short for me and tight across my hips. I wanted to change up the increases at the bottom of the sweater to make it more flattering. When I got to the increases I worked the following:

Increase round
Knit 5 rounds
Increase round
Knit 5 rounds
Increase round
Knit 6 stockinette rounds
Increase round
Knit 6 stockinette rounds
Increase round
Knit 6 stockinette rounds
Increase round
Knit 6 stockinette rounds
Increase round
Knit 1 stockinette round
Work ribbon as instructed in pattern.

I love this pattern and will probably stay in my rotation as a “go-to” sweater and gift knitting. It’s just the right mix of fun and easy that I can watch TV or a movie or even carry on a conversation. Not to mention it’s a very quick knit!

Happy Knitting!!!

Viva La Vacation!!!

Posted on May 11, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Today marks the beginning of 10 days of freedom from the big kid job!!! I have to take five consecutive business days once a year and since we have the new house I couldn’t think of a better time. I have a mini vacation to-do list:

1. Visit my best friend who also just bought a new house and is expecting her first baby later this year

2. Visit my college friends who had a baby 2 months ago and whom I have not yet visited (I’m a terrible friend)

3. Start Stashbustin #15 and work at least two color stripes

4. Finish my Snug baby sweater (Stashbustin’ #16)

5. Finish my Mud Season #2 sweater (Stashbustin’ #17)

6. Walk 2 miles a day with the puppies

7. Get back to my regular Mon/Wed/Sat classes at the Gym….I really miss my fitness ladies

8. Start the set up of my craft room….my very own craft room!!! (I don’t have all the necessary storage devices as we are bit tight in our budget and can’t afford them yet. But I need to do some cleaning and sorting before I get to putting away anyway)

I may or may not get all this done….but I like having goals that stretch me. Wish me luck!!!

My Tangled Yarn Knitting Adventures

Ramblings from an obsessed knitter

Category Archives: Yarn Stash