Tag Archives: cast on

Cast On: Easy Peasy Triangular Scarf

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I bit the bullet and decided to cast on one of my wishful knitting ideas.

I pulled out my Nickie’s Knots sparkle sock blank and after much deliberation decided to use the pattern for which this yarn was designed for. It’s called the Easy Peasy Triangular Scarf and the pattern is not listed on Ravelry. But I had a copy of the pattern from the dyer/designer. I initially started from the wrong end of the blank but I quickly remedied that.  The pattern is pretty easy to memorize and incorporates a faux i-cord edge on on side. Otherwise it’s all garter stitch and simple increases.

Working with ramen like yarn is a new experience but not altogether unpleasant. I’m a good chunk of the way into this and I don’t hate it, so I’m going to keep going. I really like the sparkle and how the subtle yarn variegation is showing up. It will be interesting to see how this crinkly looking project will look after a good bath when it relaxes into it’s new form.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: PB’s Sporty Cardigan #2

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Since I seem to be on a roll with baby sweaters and finishing the knitting on the Gidday Baby….I decided to cast on another Sporty Cardigan in the next size up.

I have enough of the Frabjous Fibers Messenger Kit from the first Sporty Cardigan to work another one….with a little extra yarn added that is. I pulled some Knit Picks Comfy sport from my deep stash to use. It’s not the same fiber content as the Frabjous kit but given this is a baby sweater and that I really don’t care I’m rolling with it.

I worked the collar ribbing in the Frabjous kit yarn and I think I’m gonna use the Comfy Sport in Lady Slipper to work the entire yoke. And for the body and the sleeves I will stripe the Frabjous Fibers and see how far I can get. I may have to finagle this one a bit but it will be an adventure!

Happy Knitting!!

It’s Back to Work I Go….With Knitting Of Course

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I am back to work today. And my desk wouldn’t be complete without a project tucked into it’s drawers to save me during long and boring conference calls/webinars. But I finished my “desk knitting” before PB was born and never replaced it. So when I was packing baby gear to deck out my office I also did up a project bag with some knitting.

I grabbed two skeins of Felici self-striping in Cheer and my US 0 needles and threw into a project bag. The socks are not started and lord knows between catching up on work and taking care of an infant while at work I won’t have time to actually knit. But I find it oddly comforting to know it’s there just in case I need it!

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Am I the only one who stashes knitting like a squirrel stashes nuts?

Cast On: Gidday Baby Cardigan

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I can’t help myself…..my tiny PB is coming to work with me and she is gonna need A LOT of sweaters. So after the Sporty Cardigan was complete I did some Ravelry searching and came up with my next sweater for PB.

I picked the Gidday Baby Sweater by Georgie Nicolson because I loved how the garter yoke looked with the stripes and the eyelets. And I adored the simple two button closure at the top while the rest of the sweater is worn open.

The only catch was that I wanted to make 9 or 12 month sized sweater for PB to grow into and this pattern is only written for newborn and 3 months. So I decided to be the boss of my own knitting and used some logic with a sprinkling of math. I took the yarn weight from DK to worsted and the needles to US 7s and 8s. Based on my known gauge with Berroco Vintage and some slight length alterations…I was pretty sure I could make this a larger sweater.

I’m following the 3 month size stitch counts for the pattern instructions but modeling the schematic off of a 12 month sized commercially made baby sweater. Fingers crossed this doesn’t come back to bite me. If so, then it will make a good story for the blog! I’m only 8 rows in and it seems okay so far, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: PB’s Sporty Cardigan

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The time is drawing near that I have to return to work. My maternity leave has seemed to just fly right by! Well, I have prepped my office with all the items I think I will need. But there is one situation I need to address….my office is freezing and PB is terribly temperature sensitive.

Solution…..cast on a cardigan! I pulled a Frabjous Fibers Messenger Kit in the #13 colorway. I picked this sport weight kit on a deal at a LYS closing. I did some Ravelry sleuthing and found the Sporty Cardigan for Boys and Girls by Cecilie Clark. I wound the yarn and got to work. This yarn kit was perfect because it has two difference coordinating colors in the same base.

After some napping and knitting I am working on the garter stitch yoke. I’m working the 6 month size. But at the exponential rate at which PB is growing…I might need a bigger one. If I manage my yarn carefully (and maybe pull some different sport contrast from my stash)….I may be able to knit a second sweater in the 12 month size for when she grows out of this one. These colors are just going to look so cute on PB!!

Now, shhhhhh I have more knitting to squeeze in during nap!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Big Bang Vanilla Socks

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My needles felt very naked after I finished the Electric Mayhem socks. And I totally NEEDED another self-striping project. My brain was just craving that popcorn knitting of “just one more stripe” type of project.

So I pulled some Turtlepurl Yarns Striped Turtle toes yarn from my stash in the Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock colorway. That is a reference to one of my favorite shows, the Big Bang Theory. And the dyer had already split the 100 grams into two matching 50 gram skeins. I got this wound up and cast on my usual 68 stitch toe up vanilla sock on US 1 needles. I plan to knit tubes again and add afterthought heels later. Based on the yarn….I’m thinking solid red heels. But I’ll see how the tubes turn out first.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Easy Goes It

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After my successful Antarktis finish, I really felt the need to fill the shawl sized hole in my knitting life. I did some queue searching and stash diving in my “golden skeins” and came up with a single skein of Neighborhood Fiber Co Rustic Fingering in the Easterwood color. I picked up this skein during my trip to Minnesota last February and it has been popping into my brain every since I brought it home.

This is a singles yarn in 100% merino. So perfect for a shawl and the subtle variegation to the blue would really shine in a single color shawl. I settled on Easy Goes it by Finincky Creations. I thought the name and the garter stitch based construction were just kismet. Easy is about all I am capable of right now, lol.

Thanks to some Grandparent babysitting I managed to get cast on and work the first section of garter and start the second section that incorporates more pattern like stitches. the bag is a Suburban Stitcher bag and I hope to finish this shawl in time to enter it into the PALKAL run by the Actually Knitting podcast. We shall see….there are a lot of baby growth spurts ahead. And I’m not counting my knitting time before it hatches so to speak.

The yarn is lovely but it’s been a long time since I worked with a singles yarn. I do with my needles were slightly more pointy but not too pointy. I’m using bamboo needles from Joann’s because that is what I had on hand. And they are perfectly serviceable, I just wish the tips were just a little bit better to make the knitting faster.

Happy Knitting!!

Mother’s Day Cast On

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In addition to a nice Mother’s Day celebration, Jellybean and the Hubby gave me a little breathing space to knit!

I had pulled my skein of KnitCircus Trampoline in the Needle in a Haystack impressionist gradient from my stash. I had a TON of pattern indecision on this one. I wanted a single skein shawl to show off the hand painted yarn but I also needed it be to be simple and beautiful. I finally settled on Antarktis by Janina Kallio. Several other knitters have used similar Knitcircus yarns for this pattern with great results!

In a single day I managed to get through four pattern sections! This pattern uses garter sections, eyelet stripes and eyelet mesh for a beautiful asymmetric triangle shape. Given the state of my brain, I went ahead and threaded in a lifeline after the eyelet lace section…just in case. And then I had Jellybean take a photo with me and my Mother’s Day project for posterity.

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He really needed the skeleton army guy with the ax to be in the photo too. Please excuse the crazed look on my face I was trying not to bust up laughing. But he loves “mommy’s knitting” and this is definitely one memory I won’t forget!

Happy Knitting!!

Mother’s Day Recap

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Jellybean and the Hubby made a nice Mother’s Day for me. Jellybean actually went to a sleepover the night before so I could sleep in and be super pregnant without a 3 year old “helping”. But we had a nice lunch just the three of us and Jellybean presented me with hand painted cards and my present….which he promptly tore open the minute I told him he could, lol.

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The both got me a Cast On, Bind Off by Leslie Ann Bestor and a mini digital scale for my scrap blanket shenanigans. I have been eyeing this book for my reference library for awhile. I rarely use the cast on or bind off in patterns that it calls for. I like to use one of my own choosing that fits the garment or item. This book will keep me from having to constantly re-look up YouTube clips or internet articles to remember all the different options. And it’s a great size to tuck into a project bag!

Stay tuned tomorrow for a sneak peak of my Mother’s Day Cast on project for 2018!

Nesting….Knitting Style

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So PB’s arrival marches ever closer. And while we are not ready because why would we need the bassinet assembled, the car seat installed, or meals in the freezer? But I do have my hospital bag is packed and you guys…..I may have included a (wishful thinking) project in there.

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I have been lusting after the Thotful Spot Hat by Sarah Schira for awhile. And the speckled DK skein from Potion Yarns has been calling my name since Knitting in the Heartland. In a fit of nesting I pulled out some needles, the yarn, printed pattern and a brand spanking new project bag…..and I cast on and established the brim pattern. And then promptly tucked the whole shebang into my suitcase.

I realistically may never touch it during my hospital stay. (I will have a guaranteed three night stay thanks to a c-section so it is a possibility.) But part of me feels reassured that if need be I will have pretty yarn and an easy project if I get the knitting itch. Maybe that is it’s point? To be a source of comfort and mental focal point during a time of joyous yet monumental change….just waiting in case it’s needed from inside a cheerful project bag. Only time will tell!

Happy Knitting!!!