Category Archives: Yarn Stash

FO: Zig Zag Baby Blanket

Posted on by
3

Warning: this post may get a bit mushy!

My Zig Zag Blanket is complete!!!

20130212-131843.jpg

It turned out a bit more square than rectangle, but then again so am! The Bernat Cottontots Solid is butter soft but yet washable! The pattern was easy to memorize but yet so complicated looking. I couldn’t put this project down!

20130212-132045.jpg

I did a lot of thinking during this blanket. First off, this blanket is made for a fellow knitter and her firstborn. I kept thinking “She’s going to love this! Even better she’s going to truly understand how much energy and time went into each stitch” There is just something so inherently different in knitting for a knitter. Not that I’m saying knitting for the general public isn’t fun! It’s just that I pour so much of myself into my projects I almost hate to part with them. I’m a process knitter, I can look at a piece and know exactly what I was doing and thinking while I was knitting it. The process of making the FO is what’s important to me, the love that woven with each knit and purl. Only a knitter understands this obsession and it feels good to be understood and appreciated!

20130212-132538.jpg

This blanket will forever be linked to my memory of my Grandma Leta. She passed while I was working on this project. I couldn’t help but hope the little baby girl who gets this will love her Grandma just as much. This blanket was good therapy as I worked through grief and sadness. Knitting goes a long way to heal any kind of wound. It doesn’t cover it up or erase it as much as it soothes and eases. (See I told you this was going to get sappy!)

20130212-132842.jpg

Stitch after stitch, knitting goes on. Just like life. I miss Grandma but I also can’t wait to meet sweet baby Lazo. Sweet and sad at the same time. Knitting is such an integral part of life I’d feel lost without it. Now on to my other WIPs, I’ve got more love to share!!!

Happy Knitting

Status Update: Chevron Baby Blanket

Posted on by
3

Finally some progress on stashbustin’ #7!

20130204-164218.jpg

This pattern by the Purl Bee is addictive! This is my second go round with this pattern and its just as good as the first. This is my “calm before bed knitting”. I work a few rows every night and I’m almost done with my third stripe!

20130204-164756.jpg

This pattern makes me think of the Peanuts cartoon for some reason. I find peace and the ability to meditate while working on it. It’s really helping me deal with my Grandmothers passing. Slow and steady progress as row after row of stitches form on my needles. Nothing complicated, just garter stitch beauty.

I’ll be sad when this blanket is finished but I can’t wait to see the end result!

Now I am off to pack for another weekend family event (a much happier one). My other grandmother is turning 80! We are going to let our hair down and stuff ourselves silly! So I’m off to land of little to no cell coverage and no wifi, see you on the other side!!

FO Alert: Test Balaclava #1

Posted on by
2

Finished my first test balaclava/stashbustin’ #8 project!

20130204-162547.jpg

I just wanted to work with the pattern to learn the building blocks of a balaclava for the special request of my coworker Kevin. I had a skein of Bernat Denimstyle and it didn’t have enough yardage to knit the full length of the pattern as written. So I chose to knit a shorter version. My Rav page is here.

20130204-162919.jpg

It fit my husband much better than it did me. The yarn was delightful to work with and the pattern was easy to follow. I like the seamless construction but not the all over ribbing. I think I will take out the ribbing on the neck and only keep it around the face opening to keep the fit and stretch. I will also make the cap portion a little taller and the face opening a smidgen smaller.

20130204-163303.jpg

20130204-163317.jpg

I really hope that I can come up with a really cool FO for my awesome co-worker. I feel under pressure because he is a wood worker and understands quality construction and the value of hand made! I’m about to cast on test #2!!

Happy Knitting!!

Stashbustin’ #9

Posted on by
5

Digging through my stash turned up a bunch of Bernat Baby Blanket big ball. I purchased several colors of this super bulky polyester blend thinking it would make great baby presents.

I chose a sand brown color and CO on The Addictive Baby Blanket by Renee M. A few rows in I realized this yarn was not suited for this pattern. So I frogged it. Then I cast on an improvised checkerboard style blanket with seed stitch border. I really tried to make it work, but about 25 rows in I was getting perturbed!

This yarn is extremely hard to keep gauge in! And it’s mostly likely my issues. I knit pretty loosely and on top of this the yarn kept grabbing and sticking to itself. This created bumps and ugly sts in my finished work. It also lacks stitch definition in my opinion. It is super soft, washable, and bulky yarn knits so fast. I’m determined not to give up in this yarn! So I once again frogged my work….

20130204-144445.jpg

I am doing another improvised design. I cast on 100 stitches and worked a simple K1, P1 row followed by P1, K1 row to create a seed stitch pattern. I also stop every so often and give my work a little tug (downward) to pull the stitches into place and avoid “bumps” or “lumps” in my work.

20130204-145003.jpg.

This blanket is destined for a dear friend I grew up with. We have literally known each other our entire lives. Her baby shower is in April so I need to get cooking. Hopefully this super bulky on large needles and no brainer pattern will speed along!

Happy Knitting!

Progress Update

Posted on by
Reply

Plugging along on Stashbustin’ #6!

20130204-101223.jpg

My Zig Zag Blanket is coming along nicely. The baby for this one isn’t due until June so I’m on a good pace. I’d say I am about half done? I’ve used two skeins and have 2-3 more to go. I’ve had a lot of time to work on this blanket for a very sad reason.

My grandmother passed last week and the hubs and I hopped into the car and spent the weekend with the family at the funeral. Grandma had been very sick for a very long time. She was 90 years old and had battled five different types of cancer. She was an amazing special lady and I’m glad she is pain free and at peace.

She was a crafter herself! I can remember working on everything from blankets to paper projects. We would bake, play dress up, and spend a lot of time in the sand box outside. She will be greatly missed but not forgotten!

On to happier news! I have a couple new WIPs to show this week, progress on my second chevron blanket, and hopefully a finished test balaclava!

Happy Knitting!

Stashbustin’ #8

Posted on by
1

Last week one of my favorite coworkers came to me and asked if I could make a balaclava like hat/mask. He is our maintenance guy and spends a LOT of time outside. He has one that has seen better days and cant find what he wants in stores. So I said sure! He truly appreciates the amount of time and effort that god into a hand knit item. And who doesn’t like knitting for those kind of people!?!

So I did some pattern research on Ravelry. His current hat has seen better days but is a pretty basic tube neck with stocking style hat with a ribbed brim and small visor above the eye opening. I finally settled on Trav’s Balaclava by Jackie Kelley. This had the basic building blocks that I needed. I figure I can alter the pattern to what I need. I had one skein of Bernat Denimstyle in my stash that had no particular project in mind. It’s the right weight but not enough yardage. So I just chose to not knit the neck section as long as called for to make sure I didn’t run out of yarn before the end.

I really just wanted to test knit this project and have a working prototype to show my coworker. I want his input before I knit the final product. So far so good!

20130203-154647.jpg

I’ve completed the (shortened) neck, face hole, and started on the hat section. I need to find a good piece of stiff plastic to use to fill/shape the brim I have in mind. I hope to complete this week and report back to you with his input! My Rav page/link is here.

Happy Knitting!

FO Friday: Holy Cowl!

Posted on by
1

To justify my falling off the yarn wagon this week, I decided to whip a quick FO using the new yarn! I chose on Holy Cowl! by Hilary Hunt!

20130131-090225.jpg

I used some of my Natures Choice Organic Cotton in chocolate. The yarn is held double so you need two skeins. I moved down to size 11 needles and CO 74 sts instead of 62 to account for sizing with smaller needles. Rav notes here.

I tried using the 13s the pattern recommended, I just had trouble with the k3tog. I probably should have loosened my tension and stuck with 13s, but I’m the master of my own knitting and I can do what I like!

20130131-090653.jpg

The pattern makes a nice open lace like design. I royally got off pattern in the middle somehow and didn’t notice until I was almost done. Again I am the master of my own knitting and decided that I had not in fact made a mistake….just improvised a new design detail! The yarn is so dark you really can’t tell without REALLY looking hard anyway.

20130131-090852.jpg

Big needles and bulky yarn made this fly by! The cotton is deliciously soft and definitely my favorite. I have some berry/red in my stash that is definitely going to knit up into one of these for my dear friend in Portland who is having a rough go and needs a little hand knit cheer!

Happy Knitting!

Falling Off The Wagon

Posted on by
2

I had a moment of weakness….a fairly large one. Despite having quite the large stash at home and my 2013 destashing objective…..I bought yarn, quite a lot of it…

20130127-164822.jpg

I was at Micheals in Sunday for their big sale (first mistake) and I found the Lion Brand Organic Cotton on CLEARANCE! With my coupons it was just $5 a skein when it retails for $9 most places. I gave in (second mistake) and bought what they had left.

I really really like this cotton! It’s soft and strong and oh so luscious!! I added 21 skeins to my stash. But I’m going to go with The Yarn Harlot’s point of view on this one and say a sale is too good to pass up. I got great cotton at a great price, win win! I’ll just have to knit that much harder through my stash.

No sense in crying over spilt milk so onward I knit! Have you ever gone overboard on yarn?

Progress Update

Posted on by
1

No FOs yet, so I thought I’d share some progress on my current WIPs.

First up, Stashbusting project #2!

_MG_0428 _MG_0427

I’ve only managed to complete the border edge and three pattern repeats on my Waffle Blanket. I like this project but it’s not really holding my attention. Don’t get me wrong it’s a cool project, it’s just that I like my other projects better right now. I’m not a monogamous knitter so it doesn’t really bother me. I pick it up every now and then otherwise it’s safe and sound in a project bag.

Next up, Stashbastin’ #6!

_MG_0425 _MG_0424

 

I LOVE THIS PROJECT! It’s just so pretty and the cotton is so soft and yummy to feel under my fingers. I just started my third stripe on my Zig Zag Blanket. I plan on alternating the cream and brown back and forth until the end. I altered the pattern to make it a bit longer than the original design. I like my baby blankets to big enough to wrap around a kid and not just lay over them. The second row is a purl row and slows me down a bit, I really don’t mind purling but I’m slow at it. But the first row is so fast and easy. I have already committed it to memory. This project is my go-to couch knitting while the husband and I watch TV and movies.

Finally, Stashbustin’ #7!

_MG_0423 _MG_0422

 

I’m on my third stripe of my second Chevron Blanket. I decided to add grey into the color mix. I altered the pattern and added extra stitches (original by the Purl Bee) to be a bit wider. I liked the original, I just wanted it to be wider and more of lap blanket. However, in doing this it’s throwing the yarn yardage off more than I thought and attempted to calculate. After the first two stripes it was clear I was not going to have enough blue and gold to finish. I had enough gray in my stash to augment is blanket and get to the necessary length with the added width. And I think the grey is going to add a lot of color interest!

This blanket is all garter stitch with easy increases and decreases so it’s crazy fast with the bulky yarn. This project lives on my nightstand next to my bed. I work a few rows every night before I go to sleep. It’s a great way to unwind after a long day.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Stay tuned for more knitting progress and new projects this week!

Happy Kniting 🙂

 

Stashbustin’ #7

Posted on by
4

MORE WITH THE DESTASHING!

20130121-201244.jpg

I have a few skeins of royal blue and yellow Loops and Thread Charisma. These happen to be my high school colors and they have been burning a hole in my stash. I really liked the pattern of the Chevron Baby Blanket by the Purl Bee, just not the colors I chose the first go around or finished size. Time for another swing!

20130121-201608.jpg

This project has no specific person or event in mind. Just wanted to turn this soft yarn into a comfy blanket. I cast on 156 stitches to extend the pattern. These colors have soothing psychological effect on me after growing up surrounded by them (my dad has coached in the school district for 30+ years and our house is full of blue and gold!) Makes for peaceful knitting…

Follow my Ravelry progress here.

Happy Knitting!