The End Is Near

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Thank goodness for scraps! My Dream State beanie has narrowly avoided disaster. I was knitting in sessions this am and I completely used up the self striping yarn!

I did have my Siren Beanie leftovers in my bag and decided they matched in color close enough. It is a hair thinner than the Knitterly Things yarn. But I can make that the inside of this Musselburgh. And now I am definitely going to run out of projects and knitting on this trip. I am almost to the total length and need to start decreasing!

I think it’s time to look up DC area yarn shops……

Almost Finished Siren Beanie

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My hands needed something different so I switched to the Siren Beanie for the afternoon sessions and cranked out the crown decreases!

I need to get back to the hotel room and use my darning needle to weave in ends and secure the top. I am pretty happy with the hat and got some interesting looks from fellow attendees. This hat is definitely an adult LARGE. I am worried at the rate that I am knitting that I am going to run out of projects!

Happy Knitting!!

Conference Dream State

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Pre-conference sessions have started. And I made some additional progress on my Dream State Musselburgh.

I am glad I packed a light sweater in my bag. As hot as it is outside, it is that much over air conditioned inside!! I was literally shivering in some of the ballrooms. I am on track to finish this hat soon and I may need to wear it!

Happy Knitting!!

Hotel Knitting Hats

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Shoo boy, I have had a full day of sight seeing and sweating. Literally had to shower twice today. I am enjoying the air conditioning and a little hotel quiet before conference networking tonight. All the walking and metro riding today made good progress on my Siren Beanie.

I have most of the hat body done and need to measure for the total length. I might be able to start the decreases. This hat really is feeling large. I may have not counted my cast on correctly or perhaps my gauge is changing? Not a huge problem just an interesting thought after my previous hats have been so consistent.

This hat got to see the National Mall, Air and Space Museum and American History Museum. Tomorrow is more networking and visiting some restaurants.

Happy Knitting and Traveling!

Alpacas On Vacation

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Safely in DC and sweating my butt off at the National Zoo. The pandas are the main attraction but I spotted an Alpaca at the petting zoo. And I couldn’t resist a photo.

My Midwest self is a little puzzled how this is a zoo attraction when they are all over Kansas but I remembered that I am in a major metro….

I can tell these babies had their spring or early summer shear and are growing back their coats. I even got bonus points from my travel companion for knowing they were not llamas but actually alpaca. We were both befuddled by the cow exhibit next door. Again, our Midwest was showing!

Dream State On A Plane

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My Dream State and I headed out on jet plane! I have work trip that involves a lot of sitting in conference rooms and traveling on planes and busses. This should mean good things for the three hats I packed!

I made several inches of progress on my direct flight to DC. I managed an aisle seat so I had plenty of elbow room. I even made good progress listening to my latest audiobook. I am hooked on the Jessica Fletcher Murder She Wrote audio books from my library. Are they complicated? No but they are just the comfort listen that I need here lately.

Happy Knitting!!

Finished: Rainbow Radiate

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Rainbow Radiate is done and photographed on the HOTTEST day thus far. I must really love knitting.

Pattern: Radiate by Joji Locatelli (Rav Link)

Needles: US 6s and US 4s

Yarn: Hue Loco Phyllis DK in Vivid Sampler Rainbow, 316 Dye Studio House DK in Graffiti, Wichita Woolery Tweed DK in Graffiti

Mods: I made my own custom sleeves and did NOT follow the body shaping.

I am really happy with the fit. I could have used some more positive ease in the body but it does make a nice line at neutral or negative ease. The total yards ended up at 1,351 yards and I used up all of the tweedy yarn. I have had this idea for this rainbow sweater for close to five years and I’m glad it’s finally in existence. Now to wait for fall to actually wear it!

Happy Knitting!!

Autumn Gold Yoking

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I had some waiting room time this week and I really powered through several sections of my Autumn Gold sweater.

This pattern is pretty good thus far. Easy to follow and making a nice fabric. I am using a sunshine marker to help me keep track of each section when it asks me to knit for a certain length. I could measure from the increases but this feels more secure based on my previous knitting mistakes.

It’s also been nice to move to the bigger needles and not have so many stitches bunched up on the needle. I think I have two of five increases done so I have a lot of more stitches to add to this thing.

Happy Knitting!!

Well, That’s Backwards

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Guess what this knitter forgot? You gotta work color work charts left to right and not the other way round.

My Crown Town Hat inner brim is done but the letters are backwards. Sigh. So the letters are right side up in the wrong order. Rooking mistake! So, am I going to rip this out? No…I plan to keep going and test how my long floats fit in the finished hat. I will try this hat again to get it correct. And by then I will know if I left enough slack to make a nicely fitting hat.

This hat will be a keeper or go to someone who likes a little unintentional design feature. And now I know how to not mess the other colorwork in the rest of the hat. Let’s see how that works out for me….

Happy Mistake Making!!

Swatching: Bibliophile Sweater

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I decided to swatch for a second sweater after my Autumn Gold went so well. This time around I chose the Bibliophile 2 by Alicia Plummer.

I wound the yarn and used the recommended needles. And boy oh boy did that NOT work. My fabric is almost bullet proof tight and way off gauge.

I think I will I will try a second time with just one needle size up. I think that will give me stitch gauge but not row gauge. So there will be maths involved when I go to actually and knit the sweater.

Guess I can’t win them all? Happy Knitting!!