I’m in the season of accounting year end prep, never ending meetings, and mind numbing webinars. So I’ve packed my knitting with me to work all this week. I got in some great conference call knitting! I had a four hour accounting standards webinar….💤
And now I’ve eve started the spooky stripe section!
I’m loving my yarn color choices and the nice even stitches. It’s very soothing and keeps me focused on monotonous speakers. Maybe I can get this done faster than I thought?
Happy Knitting!
Remember that cowl yesterday…..yeah that hit the frog pond. I can’t explain it why but I hated it. I was only a couple rows in, it just made me unhappy. So riiiiiiiiip it went!
Since I already had needles and and a bag ready I formulated a new plan! A stash-busting cowl with Berry Colorful Yarnings leftover that will earn even more points for the KAL!
I pulled some grey sock yarn from Joanns to pair with my leftovers from my Spooky Vanilla Socks. I cast on 200 stitches in the round on size 5 US needles. I plan on working in garter stitch for a few rows then switch to stockinette. After a couple of inches of grey I’ll knit a section of spooky stripes with half of my leftovers. This will be followed by another small grey section, the other half of spooky stripe section, and finally a matching grey stockinette to garter section to finish and cast off.
On this cast on I even got to use my row counter to help me keep track of how many multiples of ten I had cast on! It helped tremendously…
Now to get to the knitting so I can be done by November 30thb
Hello November!!
I saw on the Ravelry boards for the Down Cellar Studio Pigskin Party KAL that the November interception involved self striping yarn…..but not socks! Well I went digging in my stash for some of those lingering single skeins of self striping sock yarn. What better way to stash bust and earn extra KAL points. After careful consideration I pulled a skein of Knit Picks Felici in the Sweetheart color. A really nice mix of pinks that I chose because it made me happy.
I perused my Rav favorites and rediscovered the Manic Panic Coke by Sarah Core. It’s a simple cowl worked with slipped stitches that should help my stripe repeats really shine. I opted to work the small size that called for 333 stitches. And I ended up using size 7 needle because that’s what I had in wood needles at the correct length. I managed to cast on after bedtime with Jellybean and get a few rows in.
Boy is that a lot of stitches. It’s very bunched up but I made sure not to twist. I made one small mod already. I cast on as called for in the patten but after that I worked two rows of garter stitch before starting the slipped stitch patterning. I really just felt like defining the edge before establishing the pattern. Plus it helped me make sure my cast On was neat and not twisted.
To count for extra points in the KAL I need to finish this by November 30. So this may replace my purse project of vanilla socks so I can get some good knitting time into this!
Happy Knitting!!
I seriously love this cowl! It’s so rich and smooshy ❤️❤️
Pattern: Present by Mademoiselle C
Yarn: Malabrigo Rios in Solis
Needles: US 8s
I used just a couple yards shy of this entire skein. This knitting was very zen and soothing even with the purl rows. I had trouble putting this one down. In knitting time I finished this in roughly four days! It has me itching to go out and get a sweater quantity and cast on a comfy open cardigan in a rich green or blue….maybe some day…
Pardon my cheesy selfies, I have to snag toddler free photo however I can. I washed and blocked this just in time to photograph and put this away for spring, lol. No worries though because this will be waiting for me next fall!
Happy Knitting!!
My Present cowl is making some decent progress. The pattern is easily memorized and wonderful to work. And who am I kidding…the malabrigo is luxurious and amazeballs. I can’t put this one down. I am having to ration myself with working on this so that I can keep my other WIPs going as well.
See how pretty this is!?
Happy Knitting!
The cowl is done! My second attempt is much improved and I’m much happier!
Pattern: Mere’s Lacy Cowl (my own improvisation)
Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun in a purple ombré
Needles: 10 1/2 US
Size: 14 inches by 12 inches
I’ve put both of these in the mail and they are winging their way to the knit worthy recipient. The cowl is perfect and stretchy and squishy. Not to mention very close to her original. I didn’t expect the color shirt as the yarn in skein was deceiving. But I thinks it’s pretty!
One thing I’ve learned….. I don’t like Homespun as much as I used to. The loose wavy plies have a tendency to split and snag on the needles. I’m seriously considering de stashing the remainder from my stash. Now, don’t get wrong, I think it’s perfectly respectable workhorse yarn. It’s not great for my hands and knitting style.
Happy Knitting!!
I finished a cowl for my friend Mere last week. And I was less than pleased with my efforts to duplicate a years old project. I took it as a matter of pride. So what’s a knitter to do? I pulled some purple (her second color choice) and cast on again. This time I’m adding more stockinette in between the eyelets to better replicate the original.
I feel a bit more revived with this project but it’s still a little bit “the song remains the same”
I’ll just have to keep knitting!
I surrender, this project defeated me! It’s done and while it’s pretty….it’s not the fabric I was wanting to create.
Pattern: My own, Rav notes here
Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun in Black
Needles: US 10 1/2
Finished size: 19.5 inches long and 10 inches tall.
I had previously blogged about slogging through this. I should have realized that it was a slog because the fabric created did not match the original. I finally gave in and bound off just to be done. I used 70% of the skein or 129.5 yards. I am going to start another cowl in a deep purple in a stitch pattern that better matches the original. I will still probably gift this cowl to Mere as well. There is nothing wrong with it as it’s very soft and pretty. I’m just disappointed in myself for “forcing” the knit.
Oh well, I guess I have to knit more!
I’ve been working on the last of my knitting requests. And boy I’m just not inspired….
I’m three inches done of 15 total. But this project is black (not my fav color), not my favorite yarn, and it’s keeping me from my Aeon vest. I dearly love my friend so I’m going to keep plugging along. This is why I don’t knit for craft fairs anymore or for other people much. I do best when I work on something that captures my mood rather than a to-do list.
Does this mean I’m growing as a fiber artist or just that I have project ADD? 😜
Happy Knitting!
In all knitters lives there comes a time when you hear “can you knit (insert object here) for me?” Now I’m a pretty selfish knitter but there a few people who are knit worthy in my world. The first is my dearest friend from college, Mere. She texted me awhile back to let me know how much she loved a cowl I made her years ago and could she have another.
This is a cowl I free handed at least five years ago for craft fairs. It doesn’t even have a Ravelry page! I know it’s in Homespun but that’s about it. I had her send me some measurements and I pulled a skein of the requested black from my stash. Fingers crossed I can recreate this!
The next request came from my daycare provider. Whom I love and pretty sure Jellybean loves her more than me some days. Her 15 year old has been coveting Jellybean’s Dino Hat.
I pulled out the pattern and the hat and sat down to figure the mods. It shouldn’t be too bad to do and I still have the exact yarn colors in my stash. This one might require some ripping and redoing. But this 15 year old takes time out of her afternoon to play ukulele for Jellybean because he likes to help strum. So she pretty much has earned a Dino hat of her own!
Now I just need to find the time to knit all these things!
Happy Knitting
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