Category Archives: Yarn Stash

FO Friday: Mud Season

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Stashbustin’ #14 is complete!!

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I finished this in no time!! Ten days start to finish. It really helped mitigate my stress of late, lol.

I mentioned a few of my pattern alterations in my WIP Wednesday post. I really like this pattern. It was easy to follow and well constructed. It’s a bit snug…but that’s probably more due to my poor eating of late and not the pattern. I would definitely wear a tank or long sleeve tee underneath.

It still needs a good soak and blocking. But I haven’t unpacked far enough to find my Soak or blocking mats yet. I hope to get that done this weekend and take some photos of it on. It’s so pretty and soft I can’t wait! Neither could Chloe evidently…

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I used four and a 1/3 skeins of yarn. I have 2 2/3 left and I have had Snug by Hinke in my queue for awhile. Me thinks my chocolate leftovers are going to make a Snug for my Stashbustin’ #16. I plan to cast on tonight!

I also may or may not have already cast on anotherone in the Vintage Chunky in teal for my Stashbustin’ #17….

Oh WIP-itis thy are a cruel mistress!!

Finally Stashbustin’ #15!!

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A decision has been made on Stashbustin’ #15!!!

My Billow is destined to be…..drum roll please…….Constant Baby Blanket!! Many many thanks to all the wonderful suggestions from blog land!!!

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(Photos from Knitersland Ravelry page)

This would be my first project worked from the center out and I’m excited. I am probably going to work the initial portions on two sets of 16″ circulars versus the prescribed DPNs. I have not yet mastered DPNs and don’t have them in the correct size. I do however have the necessary circs.

I also may not use the seed stitch sections shown in the second photo above. I think I want the stockinette sections to continue to the garter border. I really want the texture of the thick/think Billow to shine. But I’ll have to see what happens after I start working with the yarn. Who knows?

I’m really excited about the ombre effect of this yarn. I will start with the lightest color in the middle, knit until I run out, and then switch colors. So as the blanket grows the “stripes” will get thinner and thinner to the darkest outer edge. What do you guys think?

I’m super excited to start this project this weekend. I still have TONS to do around the new house but there is ALWAYS time for knitting. Never mind my WIP basket has four projects in it, lol.

Happy Knitting!!!

 

WIP Wednesday: Mud Season

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Update on Stashbustin’ #14

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Between knitting at the theater and being home sick Monday I have made very good progress on my Mud Saeson.

I deviated from the pattern a bit. The benefits of top down construction is being able to try it on. I tried it on before I started the 2×2 rib. Good thing too!! I realized the increases in the pattern weren’t enough to cover my Scandinavian hips and it was going to short on my torso.

So I added some extra increases. I worked four rounds stockinette, one increase round, four rounds stockinette, one increase round, and finally one last stockinette round before starting the ribbing. I also did a smidge more than the two inches of ribbing to get it to fall where I wanted on my hips/butt. It’s going to look fantastic with a long tank underneath now!

I just need to do the sleeves and then pick up and knit the neckline. I might not feel up to unpacking boxes with my cold…but I definitely can knit!

Happy Knitting!

Stashbustin’ #15…what to do?

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I finally settled on a couple of patterns for my Billow yarn. I got several of the same suggestion from my last post about what to make with this yarn. And that was to find a new pattern I had never used. So to Ravelry I went!

Through the recommendation of a fellow blogger, I checked out the Constant Square Baby Blanket by Tina Laiho.

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(Photo from Tina Laiho Rav page)

An ombre pattern caught my eye as i was roaming in Ravelry, the Ombré tank!

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It’s so pretty! I’d have to do some swatching and figuring to make sure I get the right outcome with substituting billow for the pattern suggested yarn. But a cotton tank for summer does have a certain appeal…

Any thoughts from the blog world on these two options? Am I crazy??

For now I must go and load all my worldly possessions into a truck and get to moving!!

FO Friday: Stylish Square Blanket

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Stashbustin’ #13 is complete!!

Please excuse the unwashed and unblocked photos. I finished this just in time to pack it in a box for our move. I LOVE Knit Picks Biggo, it’s soft and wooly but easy to care for. Big yarn on big needles always make this yarn fly by.

The golden color also helped me feel a little more spring like as it has snowed yet again in Kansas. It’s May now….we should be sweating our butts off!

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This was a very elegant design with easy to follow instructions. I made one change, I worked a total of six rows and five columns instead of the recommended five and five. I had enough yarn so I just kept going. It was a stashbustin’ project after all!! My Rav notes are here.

I’m off to prepare for another theater performance and put my big girl undies and try hard pants on for our big move tomorrow! Wish me luck!!

Happy Knitting!

Un-Stashbusting….oops

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To celebrate myself a little, I finally decided to use my Knit Picks gift certificate…..tah dah!

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I picked up some of Knit Picks new yarn, Billow! I have been seeing photos of ombré blankets made from this stuff all over Ravelry, the blogosphere, and Pinterest. I have absolutely been itching to try this yarn!

I picked up six different hues in the brown/yellow family. In order from light to dark they are: Natural, Willow, Cornmeal, Turmeric, Mongoose, and Chocolate. This 100% Pima cotton is sooooo soft under my fingers. I know this is going to make an amazing blanket. I bet it would make an amazing sweater as well, oh the possibilities!

Now I just have to decide what pattern to make? I want something that will really show off the ombré color changes.

Option 1: Chevron Baby Blanket by the Purl Bee

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(Photo by the Purl Bee)

Option 2: Zig Zag Baby Blanket by knitculture.com

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(Photo from knitculture.com Rav page)

Option 3: Kodachrome Baby Blanket by Jocelyn Tunney

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(Photo from Jocelyn Tunney Rav page)

Option 4: Simple stockinette blanket with seed stitch border and just let the colors do the work

I can’t decide!! I have already made the patterns from option one and two. While option two was more visually striking, option one was more pleasurable to work. I’m torn between trying something new like option three or recreating something I’ve already done like options one, two, and four.

This yarn is special and deserves the proper pattern. Anyone out there in blogger land use this yarn or have any suggestions for a pattern? I really want to stick with a design that shows off the ombré, help!

FO Friday: Milestones

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This Friday I wanted to share a milestone rather than a FO.

I noticed this week that I hit 100 followers. This was something of a unspoken personal goal for me. I mostly started blogging to push my fiber creativity and archive my projects. But I also wanted to meet new people, learn new skills, and expand my fiber universe. And I admit, I hooked!! I love interacting with all the creative fibery people in the blog world.

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In celebration, I gave myself a special present. I have been squirreling away a Knit Picks gift certificate from Christmas and I let myself use it for something completely selfish and fun! Stay tuned on Monday and see what it is…

I’m off to pack boxes and clean for our move. T-minus 4 days to closing and 10-ish to moving day!!

Stashbustin’ #14: Mud Season

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Introducing Stashbustin’ #14, Mud Season by Elizabeth Smith!!

I pulled my Berroco Vintage Chunky from stash and started to swatch.

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Here is swatch A. I used the prescribed US 10 needles and did NOT get gauge…

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Ugh! I was shooting for 3.5 sts and 5 rows in 1″. I actually got 5 sts and 7 rows. So to the frog pond it went. I went down to US 9s.

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And tah dah! I get really damn close to gauge. I got 4 sts by 5 rows per 1″. I need to knit just a smudge tighter than normal on 9s. I need to give this swatch a bath and see how it does after a good blocking.

But I discovered something as I was working this swatch….I don’t like this colorway for this project. I’m a very pale woman and this is a very bright blue hue. This blue wants to be a shawl or cowl. Something that pops against my black peacoat or grey turtleneck. So I pinned a note about my swatch and gauge to the yarn and back to the tub it went.

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I may or may not have hopped on Webs and ordered enough skeins of the Chocolate colorway in Vintage Chunky…..sssh don’t tell my husband that I’m breaking my stashbustin’ project a bit.

Happy Knitting!

WIP Wednesday: Stylish Square Blanket

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Stashbustin’ #13update!!

I love bulky yarn in big needles. I feel like these projects practically fly off my needles. Just the knitting mojo I needed lately. I’m almost through my fifth hank. I will most definitely need to use six, but I have seven just in case.

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This Knit Picks Biggo is so super soft and squishy. The golden color way has really buoyed my mood this past week when it’s been pretty bleak outside. And Susan’s pattern is as beautiful as it is simple. Right yarn, right project, and right mood!

I almost guarantee this project to be done by the weekend! Stay tuned…

Happy Knitting!

Trying To Learn

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I’m a knitter through and through but from time to time I see really awesome crochet items that I want to make. A lady should be able to both right?

I had some scraps of cotton left from my Sweet Cream Striped Raglan Cardigan, so I decided to try a test crochet beanie. I just picked a hook and my yarn and just started to improvise.

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Pictured above is like my fourth attempt, lol. It’s wonky and ripples. The husband thought I was making a flower….

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I must admit he’s a little correct. But I shall not surrender! I will get the hang of this crochet thing. I just might need my friend Kara to give me some pointers!

Any knitters or crocheters out there that swing both ways?