Alma Mater Spinning

Started some new spinning this weekend. This is 4 ounces of 100% Rambouillet in the colors of my high school. My dad picked this out as part of my Christmas present and he happened to teach at that school for 40 years so I’m not surprised he gravitated to this color.

I split the braid in half and then striped each half into skinny sections. The first 2 ounces is already on the bobbin and I have the other 2 balled up. This is not spinning as thin as the Targhee did but that’s okay. I’m content to just go with the flow on this spin!

Happy Spinning!!

Resting Blue Corriedale

Chipping away at my spinning turned out to be the best motivation. I now have two full bobbins of my blue Corriedale complete!

Each of these bobbins holds 4 ounces of the total 8 ounces of roving I had. Theoretically I will have equal amounts and it will be super easy to make a 2-ply. However, I know that this fiber was a little felted/compacted and I wasn’t super successful at keeping my singles consistent.

I plan to let these bobbins rest for about 24 hours and see if I can sneak some spinning time in over the weekend, fingers crossed! Happy Spinning!!

The Hat and The Frog Pond

Whelp, my knitting while drinking did end in disaster. I made not one but TWO mistakes in the charts. Sigh.

The first one towards the beginning of the chart wasn’t so bad. Stuff is lining up where it shouldn’t but doesn’t look horrible, just now how the designer planned for. But the wheels REALLY fell off towards the top. That shit just doesn’t eve make sense, sigh.

I got REAL brave and pulled the needles completely out. I used a DPN to catch the first stitch of the round where I wanted to rip back to. And then to the frog pond I went! I have all the stitches back on the needles and nothing ran too badly. Just don’t have the energy restart and redo today.

This is a future Rachelle task! Happy Knitting!!

One Of Two Complete

My blue BFL spinning has been progressing nicely. I have spun through the first four ounces and filled my first bobbin of this spin.

Because of the compacted nature of this fiber I have been having trouble keeping my singles thin and consistent. However, as my current spinning tack is to just let the fiber do what it wants see what kind of yarn I end up with. I am not currently spinning with the end product in mind.

Now I just need to pop open the second bag of this spin and get the second bobbin cooking! Happy Spinning!!

Can’t Put It Down

My Connections Beanie is absolutely cruising along. I am working on reading the chart and not using the written directions. It is taking my brain a minute to click in but I’m getting there.

The main body of this hat is worked on a larger needle than the brim. I actually remembered to switch! I am also being careful to not pull the slipped stitches too hard to keep the overall tension the same.

I am finding that I don’t want to put this project down. ‘Just one more chart row’ has run through my mind many times. I have hopes that this hat will be done quickly….

Happy Knitting!!

Starting A Solid

The sun is shining, my children are away for the weekend and my wheel was empty. So of course I needed a new spin!

I pulled eight ounces of blue BFL roving from my stash and started on the wheel. This fiber was vacuum packed and a little felted. So I am having to work a little harder to predraft this fiber to get it to spin nicely.

But for now I leave you all as I plan to spin while the shade and my iced coffee last. Happy Spinning!!

At The Patterned Section!

I have powered through all the 1×1 ribbing and the setup for the main body of the Connections Beanie!

I thought this would be my first time working colorwork….it’s not. I got out the chart and this is just slipped stiches so its more mosaic than anything. Oh well, it will still be pretty! I am working the larger of the Connections Beanie.

I am not super great at reading charts so I am very glad there are really good pattern photos so I can tell if I’m staying on track, lol. Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Connections Beanie

I have decided its time to dip my toe into colorwork. I have avoided it up until now for now good reason other than I wasn’t ready to learn. But I have two skeins of DK from The Shepherd’s Mill that have been calling to me to combine.

I have my pattern printed, needles pulled and I just need to wind the skeins up. The pattern comes with a light and dark version. I plan to cast on the light version first with the hopes that I could squeak out a dark version with the colors reversed? Might be a bold plan for my first colorwork project and expecting that much yardage management, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: A Hat For Dad

The super slouch Hat for Dad is done, washed and ready to head out the door. I made a left turn after I finished this hat. It’s not going to be for my dad. It’s going to my daycare provider as she is starting 18 weeks of chemo and going to lose all her hair. She needs this worse than my dad and I just want to wrap her in wooly hugs.

Pattern: None, just a basic 88 stitch worsted weight beanie

Yarn: Lilliput Yarn in Woof Worsted in the Man’s Best Friend Colorway

Needles: US 8s

Mods: None because I made up the hat as I went, lol.

This hat turned out to be a SUPER slouch when used with single brim. But is a nice beanie with the brim folded double. I ended with 11 gram leftover, so a nice sized ball. The hat only took 89 grams or 194 yards. So my prediction was correct…winging it made me have a decent chunk of yarn leftover, lol.

I’m still proud of this hat and I’m itching to get another one on the needles. I have a second skein of this Lilliput yarn in the Chasing Cars colorway that I think will be next up on the needles.

Happy Friday and Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: A Hat For Dad

I needed some easy peasy no concentration knitting after I finished my Into The Light shawl. I decided to cast on a generic worsted weight beanie for my dad.

I cast on 88 stitches in the round on a US 8 needle and started 2×2 ribbed brim. I will work the brim until it looks good enough and then switch to stockinette. I think I want a decent amount of ribbing so the brim can be folded double for extra warmth.

The yarn is some recently obtained Lilliput Yarn in her Woof Worsted. This blue color is her Man’s Best Friend colorway. I’m really pleased with the variagation and subtle tones that are playing out as this knits up. We will see if I get any pooling or flashing as I keep going.

Happy Knitting!!