Sweater Math and Color Options

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I was a good knitter and made a gauge swatch for an upcoming sweater.  I off course was not happy with either the gauge at the recommended needle size or actually achieve pattern gauge. I just had to like my gauge at a different needle size. So taking my gauge I popped open excel and did some maths to figure out what size I needed to make to fit my upper bust at my gauge. And boy howdy did that stretch my brain. But I persevered.

So then I checked the pattern to see how much yarn I would need for the size I was going to make….and I didn’t have enough of the grey. But I know I had some more Berroco Chunky in my stash from some old sweaters.  I dug and found a blue and a purple…see below.

I made a WHOLE NEW SWATCH to see how the colors would play out. I am going full bore responsible knitter here guys. This is what my swatch looks like with stripes…

And here is a blown out photo of the wrong side of my stripes. Am I crazy (the answer is yes btw) but I like the wrong side better. It makes it look like poor woman’s colorwork ala the Playful Stripes Cardigan by Alana Dakos.

I need to wash this swatch version and mull over my options. I am really leaning towards the wrong side. But now….do I work single garter ridge stripes or double ridge garter stripes?

Happy Knitting!!!

FO Friday: Rosewood Sockhead Hat

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Thanks to some waiting room time and knitting in bed my Rosewood Sockhead Slouch is done!

Pattern: Sockhead Slouch Hat by Kelly McClure

Yarn: T & H Fiberworks Heather’s Favorite Sock in the Rosewood colorway

Needles: US 1 and US 2

Mods: I worked the main hat until 11 inches and then started the decreases

And this time I decided this hat definitely needed a pom pom. I sewed on the snap and auditioned pom colors for Jellybean and the Hubby. They both agreed on white so that was that!

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I think this hat looks equally good either super slouch or with the brim folded into a more traditional stocking hat. And the pom pom adds a nice finishing effect. The yarn with the subtle variegation really lent itself to this kind of pattern. While it would have made good socks, it makes a spectacular hat.

My daycare provider has a birthday coming up and she spends a lot of time outside exercising her German Shepard. I can’t decide if she is enough of a hat person to like this hat. She is TOTALLY knit worthy, I just don’t know if this project is exactly her thing or not. I need to figure out a sneaky way to suss this out, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

The Coupon Codes Get Me Every Time

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Podcasts plus late night knitting plus a coupon code led me astray. I was watching the Grocery Girls and they were sent a coupon code from Bags by Awesome Grannie (I have one of her bags already and it is amazing) and I fell for it. I mean it was 20% off and I am itching to start my Charlotte Winter sweater and it needs a home right??

I picked up a sheepy themed sweater bag with a matching notions pouch. I checked and all my caked up bulky sweater yarn fits comfortably in this bag all at once. I’m pretty jazzed! Just don’t tell my hubby or my yarn savings account. I need to be saving up for Winter Woolfest in January!!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Helping Hippos Vanilla Socks

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My sock needles have been telling me that they feel very cold lately. Other than the backup pair of socks in my desk that haven’t seen the light of day in ages….I don’t have any socks on the go. This is very abnormal for me.

So I decided to pull some special yarn from my stash. It’s a Lolodidit hippo colorway….Helping Hippos (that she made for hurricane relief). It’s a ton of many many colored speckles and the perfect antidote to the grey of winter coming. I split the hank into two equal 50 gram skeins to make a pair of socks.

These are my own sock recipe of a toe-up 68 stitch vanilla sock with a gusset heel. I am knitting these on US 1.5 nine inch circular needles. I managed to get the first toe started!

Happy Knitting!!

Swatching Like A Responsible Knitter

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I really want to cast on some of my birthday yarn from my momma for a sweater for me.  I did some searching and had three finalists pulled. And in the end garter stitch won. I picked the Charlotte Winter by Carrie Bostick Hoge won out.

It’s a top down bulky sweater with raglan increases all knit in garter stitch. No purling!! (Well except for the sleeves). And I was a  GOOD knitter and started a swatch.

The bottom garter section was knit on the pattern US 15s while the top section was knit on US 13s. I found that not only was it easier to knit on the 13s but I also like the fabric better. I even washed and dried my swatch to be sure! Now I guess I get to do some sweater math….

Happy Knitting!!

Rosewood In The Wild

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It’s the time of the year to get all the parts checked and spend waaaaay too long in waiting rooms. Recently at my well woman visit I found myself with a ton of time to kill in the waiting area. So like any good knitter I pulled out my knitting and put some rows on my Rosewood Sockhead Slouch.

And you guys, I found another knitter in the wild because I was knitting in public! A very nice distinguished woman sat down next to me and asked it I was picking or throwing. And my head snapped up because to ask that question…you have to be more than a novice knitter. So we started up a pleasant conversation about knitting and projects until it was time for us to both head into our appointments.

It turned out to be a rather nice way to pass the time. Happy Knitting!!

My Birthday Yarn Haul

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Months ago my mom and aunt went with me to a LYS closing. And my mom let me pick out some yarn as a present. (At 40% off it was quite a steal!) I just had to wait until November to get my lovelies…

I picked up 5 skeins of Berroco Vintage DK in a lovely blue color. And I also picked out 6 skeins of Berroco Vintage Chunky in a dark grey color. I was thinking easy maintenance sweaters to catch all the slobber/boogers/milk and whatnot of motherhood, plus you know the affordability factor.

Unbeknownst to me she also picked out some yarn clips for large projects and sweet little bag. It was so lovely to get yarny goodness for my birthday and to know my mom picked out something special for me.

I think the grey chunky yarn needs to become a sweater for me and get on the needles ASAP!!

Happy Knitting!!

New Blogging Platform

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The husband did great for my birthday! I have been blogging and Raveling from my laptop perched on my legs. Which does nothing for my ergonomics nor typing skills. So now I have a new platform! (See what I did there….i’m so punny!)

Watch out blog world….all kinds of new knitting content is coming at you! For those interested…we got this one off of amazon.

 

A Winding Evening

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I have gone and lost what little I have left of my mind! The hubby took over the kids for evening to give me a much needed break.  And I went nuts in my stash! I pulled out and wound up yarn for three projects…

  1. The speckled yarn is for a pair of vanilla socks for little old me. I think this might be my Christmas cast on.
  2. The purple solid and light purple variegated yarn is for a tunic dress for PB.
  3. And the tonal burgundy is for a matching set of winter hats for both PB and Jellybean.

Where and when will I have time to knit all this?? Who the heck knows. But now I know the yarn is patiently waiting for me and I can get straight to the knitting when I am ready. And it’s kinda pretty just to look at.

(Note: for those of you who stress about caking yarn up to soon and getting it stretched out. I double wind all my cakes so they are solid but not overly firm cakes. No yarny stress whatsoever on the fiber.)

Happy Knitting!

And Now Pom Poms

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After being seduced by many many video podcasts and getting on Etsy WAAAAY to late at night I finally fell into the pom pom craze. I found some inexpensive pom poms with snap attachments and decided to give them a try. I got white, grey and brown faux fur poms.

Are they the best? No, probably not. I totally got what I paid for. But given that I’m not sure how much I will actually like pom poms on my hats….I’m okay with what I got. If they rock my style world then I will invest in some “Premium” pom poms later. I think my first foray into poms will be adding one to my Rosewood hat.

Happy Knitting!!