Tag Archives: cast on

Cast On: Christmas Insanity

Posted on by
2

Cast-on-itis has me in its grips. I got a wild hair to cast on some fingerless gloves to see if I could make homemade teacher gifts. This is Christmas insanity!

I have made these mitts before out of this exact yarn. I am making the Dreaming of Spring Fingerless Mitts by Joelle Hoverson. It’s in my More Last Minute Knitted Gifts book. The yarn is Claddagh by Good For Ewe and its been kicking around in my stash since 2020.

It’s a 2-ply yarn so it’s not great for everything but makes really pleasing fabric for mitts. Crazy me wants to make two full pair of women’s medium mitts in like 12 days. I am now confident I am nutts.

Happy Knitting!!

Chocolate And Vanilla

Posted on by
1

The hat mojo continues, and this time its a skein of worsted in “cocoa” from K-Zip Knits. I was feeling another Musselburgh. Kelsey is a great dyer and I got to know here during COVID zoom knit nights. Duke and I started working on this next hat while snuggled

Still using 8US sized needles and this stitch count is looking to be 88 in total based on my gauge thus far. I just liked this photo as its very chocolate and vanilla. Happy Knitting!!

Ready To Advent….Again

Posted on by
5

I am getting this advent project in by the wire! I finished the toes of my Cozy Knitter 24 stripe advent socks. Now I just need to catch up to the days! I purchased a coordinating mini skein from the dyer for the toes and heels and this is a lovely shade of creamy white. I could also do the cuffs in it, but I don’t like my socks that tall. These will get pretty tall after 24 stripes!

I now have two sets of advent socks on the go for this holiday season. My other pair is from KirbyWirby and is Friends themed, which feels extra special this year given current events.

Can I keep up, lol?

Prepping For Advent

Posted on by
4

Advent season is almost upon on us and it’s time to prep. After several years of trying different advents I have found that the 24 stripe sock skeins work best for me. I LOVE the mini skein advents but I struggle to use them and I have still have two full sets sitting in my stash.

This is KirbyWirby’s 2023 advent self striping sock. She chose a Friends theme this year and each stripe comes with a coordinating quote from a Friends character. I also opted to buy the coordinating mini for toes and heels.

I am working toe up vanilla socks with an afterthought heel. I got two heels knit up and on my 9 inch circulars. Now come December 1st, I am ready to work the first stripe. The dyer was super organized and marked where my skeins started in the sequence. I am starting on Day 11 instead of Day 1. No matter to me as I will still work all 24 stripes.

I wound up the yarn into two balls so I can work both socks. The smaller ball has two full repeats in it. The larger one must have an extra repeat? We will see when we get there!

P.S……I have two sock advents this year! Whoops 🙂

Cast On: Blue And Gold Handspun Hat

Posted on by
1

I know, I already have a hat on the needles. But this handspun has been caked up and waiting on my desk for months. I decided to start a hat but from the crown worked down so I can maximize the use of the yarn.

I am using 8US dpns and I cast on 8 stitches and started increases at the end of each needles. This will create four lines of increase. Based on the size large hat I just finished for my coworker, I am going to work up to 96 stitches.

Once this gets up to full stitch count I will switch to a 16 inch circular in the same needle size. I don’t know how I will finish the brim. That is a problem for future Rachelle!

Happy Knitting!!

Hat In A Hotel

Posted on by
2

I finished my first coworker hat and wasted no time in busting through the second. I’m working against the clock here. And it’s conference season so I’m working out of a hotel room for a few days.

This is going to be a bit larger than my first. I knit the ribbed brim longer this time in an effort to use more of the yarn. Since I am making up this from a “recipe” it is a dangerous game as I also increased the stitch count. I need to monitor my yarn usage to ward off yarn chicken.

The good news is that I am already in the stockinette section and I have two days of conference lectures!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Another Coworker Hat

Posted on by
2

I’m running out of time before my coworker leaves us! So I grabbed a second set of needles from my interchangeable case and started the second hat I need. (I use the Addi Shorties set in the larger sizes)

For this one I am shooting for a larger size based on my newly evolved gauge so I went up to 96 stitches. I like working my hats in multiples of 8 so that I can accommodate 2×2 ribbing and have the kind of crown decreases I like.

Must knit faster!!!

Cast On: A Coworker Hat

Posted on by
2

I found out last week that one of my coworkers and fellow managers is leaving to move his family to Oregon. I’m super happy for him to have a cool new job and be closer to his large family. But I am sad I will be losing my partner in crime. So I decided to channel my energy into a hat.

Digging in my stash I found two skeins of Woof Worsted from Lilliput Yarns. This first one is Chocolate Lab and perfect for a hat! Bonus points that this yarn was made in Oregon and seems a fitting parting gift to go back to Oregon.

I am using US 8s and my basic toque recipe of 88 stitches. I am thinking a folded brim on this one? My gauge might be getting tighter. I noticed my hats are coming out smaller these days. I will need to either add more stitches or go up a needle size me thinks.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Mom’s In The Light

Posted on by
3

This past summer my mom went a quilt shop hop and ended up finding yarn. She has been wanting a shawl to wear at church or in her basement sewing room when it gets a bit chilly. I admit, I did some pattern research and then lost all track of this during the last 6 months of crazy.

So to get past decision fatigue, I decided to knit something I knew I love and could do. I am knitting another In The Light. I have already made three of these and love them all. I asked my mom if she wanted color blocks or marling. She said “whatever I want” so I picked marling to make color management easier.

She picked a nice forest green and pale variegated yellow in the Barefoot base by Laneras. this yarn is 100% Polworth and should make an execptionally warm shawl. I am a little light on yardage so I might have to tweak the pattern. But that is a problem for later!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Basic Dude Beanie

Posted on by
3

Golf lessons continue into the cooler weather of fall. This led me to want to start another beanie. My Punch Bug Vanilla Beanie is at the brim decreases and not conducive to traveling.

I had a single skein of Ella Rae Classic wool from a mystery grab bag I purchased. It’s pretty toothy wool and just 200 yards of worsted. Made perfect sense to make a hat. This time I decided on a folded stockinette brim. I am hoping this type of construction can help me maximize the full skein. No science, just gut instinct and going to knit until I get close on yarn.

The last hat was a little snug on the husband so I went up to 96 stitches on US 8s instead of 88. This should make it a better fit for a dude. I think this hat will go to live with a coworker who often works out in the cold at all hours.

Happy Knitting!!