Cast On: Retirement Hat

Dee’s Retirement Hat has hit the needles!

I visited a dear friend last night and snoodled in front of a fake fire and talked for hours. I’m working the ribbing in the black aka Gunpowder color. I will do a the regular and non folded brim. My recipient has A LOT of hair.

This is also the medium size so it should be a generous hat. The person I was visiting thinks knitting is magic so it was fun to watch her watching me ❤️

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: In The Light (Blues)

I finally had some cozy time to set up and start my blue In The Light

I did some math based on total rows, taking out the rows for transition and then backing into how to do a four color version. Basically at my gauge, I need 23 garter bumps for each “section” in between fades.

I want to do the lace at the end so I might stop early with color number four. And it will be okay. Close enough is perfect enough for me. I will definitely have a lot of leftovers on this one!

Happy Knitting!!

Blue Cakes

My next In The Light shawl is taking small steps.

I hand wound each skein into a ball during a long work meeting on my WFH day. And then I sat down with a Sallie Goldenbaum audio book/knitting mystery and use my yarn winder to make cakes. This pattern uses two ends of the yarn so they have to be cakes OR wound into separate balls. I chose the former because I’m altering the patterns and I don’t know how much of each color I will need.

I have the pattern on my computer and have some time planned to cast on. I just need to dig out some needles now! Happy Winding!!

Frankenstein Sock Toes

My Frankensocks are off and running.

I gathered the scraps and weighed the. Then did my best to split each in half, one for each sock. I am not going to try to hard to make them perfect matches but close enough. I’m starting with the pink and then move to the green and finish with the black and white.

I also plan to knit them in tandem: work the pink on both socks before moving to the next color. These socks will have a gusset heel worked toe up. I have the best fit with that sock and the shape of my arch. I plan on this being my backpack/auto pilot knitting as best I can.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Swiftie Hat #2

I need to get cracking on a re-do of my Swiftie Hat after my last one came out too large. I wound the yarn and started working on a doing in a size medium. (I knit a large last time.)

I have to switch up the colors because I used up so much in the last one. I think I can still make a super cute white version as I have the most of that. I did have to cast this on no less than three times. The first time I had the wrong size needles and I counted wrong. And the second time I had the wrong sized needles and I counted correctly. The third time I finally got the correct smaller needles and correct number of cast on stitches.

I am going for a folded ribbing looks so I knit about 3.5 inches of hat and then started the main body. I am pretty happy with the gauge thus far and this looks much more appropriate for an average women’s sized head. Next up is the colorwork!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Rhiannon’s Socks

A former coworker got a really cool new big kid job and I wanted to celebrate. She is always jealous of my handknits and is a genuinely kind human. So I decided to make some socks for her.

I had some Urth Uneek Sock from my 2023 Christmas yarn haul hanging out in my stash. Not going to lie that I chose this because it was already split for socks and wound up. Saved me those steps and I could get right to the knitting.

She has a size 7 foot, which is smaller than me, so I cast on 60 stitches for these. I haven’t decided if I am going to make an afterthought heel or do a heel flap and gusset. I think the latter would fit her better? It’s kind of nerve wracking making socks for someone else’s foot in so long, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Dumpster Fire 2025

I am making a few New Years gifts from some colleagues at work. It’s been one heck of a finish to 2025 and I thought Dumpster Fires would be very appropriate.

I need to crank out two ornaments. The pieces knit up super quick and its the seaming that I am dreading. And to be honest, the duplicate stitch of the year at the end. I never really have mastered that part….

Happy Knitting!!

Casting On: Swiftie Hat

I couldn’t help myself, I cast on another hat. I am staring a Touchdown Beanie by Katie Carlson with a Chiefs kit from TreasureGoddess and her fall sale. I am calling this one the Swiftie Beanie though. I have a colleague turning 50 next year and she both loves Chiefs and Taylor Swift.

I had just enough mojo to power through a TON of 2×2 ribbing for the brim. I extended the ribbing a bit so that she can fold the brim. But I do not plan to turn and sew it down, at least just not yet.

Happy Knitting!!

Short Rows Can Be Tricky

With Round Yoke Sweater getting so close I game myself permission to start the Cozy Classic Raglan.

I knit the neck ribbing and then worked all the short rows. I latter finishing and counting the stitches in each section…..I realize I didn’t short row correctly. I mixed up my stitch markers. It’s not super evident unless you count.

I think on the next row I am just going to true up the stitch counts with some increases/decreases hidden along the raglan seam. The overall effect is still a raised back neck. But who knows, I may regret this later!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: 2025 Cozy Knitter Advent Socks

It’s December 1st and that means it’s time to cast on advent socks!

True to my habits, I grabbed the Cozy Knitter 24 stripe advent for 2025. I prepped both toes with the contrast skein and I’m ready to start the first stripe later today. I do plan to use the contrast yarn to add flecks in between color changes.

This may mean I won’t be able to do the heels in the contrast. And that is a future Rachelle problem 😝

Happy Knitting!!