FO Friday: 2020 Advent Socks

I have another pair of socks for my sock drawer! The 2020 Advent Socks are done and ready for my feet.

Pattern: My own 68 stitch toe up vanilla sock “recipe” with a gusset heel

Needles: US 1s

Yarn: AGirlAndHerWool 2020 Christmas Advent Calendar (minis #1 through #8)

These socks are just so cheery and happy. It felt satisfying to actually use up the mini skeins from my advent calendar instead of hoarding them. I will admit the socks are a tad bit big or maybe have less ease that I would normally want. I could have probably done with 64 stitches instead of 68 for the foot and heel sections. But 68 feels good in the leg.

The socks ended up decently tall and the BFL content feels soft but hardy on my feet. I ended up using roughly 360 yards of yarn to finish these socks so that puts these on par with the amount I use from a normal skein.

Finishing these socks inspired me to clean my sock drawer. I pulled out six pairs of socks that I have knit that have shrank in washing (or my feet grew during pregnancy) and no longer fit super well. I gave all six pairs to my sister who wears a size 7 shoe compared to my size 9.5. She was super grateful and I’m hoping those socks get some wear instead of hanging out sadly in my drawer.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Learning To Flick Hat

TGIF and I have a FO! My Learning To Flick Hat is done and dusted! 🙂

In full honesty, this is done but not washed or blocked. My hat knitting mojo is strong and I think I want to crank out a bunch of hats for knitting practice and to give out as gifts throughout the year. I will do one massive block and wash once I have a few piled up, fingers crossed anyway.

Pattern: None, just an 88 stitch beanie with decreases made up on the fly

Needles: US 8s

Yarn: Lilliput Yarn Woof Worsted in Chasing Cars colorway

Mods: none because I just made this up.

I knit this thing thing in basically four evenings over nine days. It was super quick especially with worsted weight yarn and teaching myself to flick. I used up 81 grams of yarn or roughly 176 yards. I have a decent nugget leftover for my leftovers pile.

The variegated yarn played really well with the overall stitch count but also with the decreases. I never saw one peek of flashing or pooling. I would absolutely get and use more of this yarn in the future. It was great to knit with and makes a beautiful finished product.

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!!

FO Friday: Into The Light

My Into The Light shawl is finished and lovingly photographed in the never ending Midwest cold and snow.

Pattern: Into the Light by Casey Day-Crosier (Rav link)

Needles: US 8s

Yarn: Hue Loco Spun Sock in the Skip With Me colorway, Twisted Owl Fiber Studio Sturdy Sock in Razz-Ma-Taz and Into the Whirled Meridian Sock in the Scissors Lizard Spock colorway.

Mods: None but I did choose the fringed version

Holding sock yarn double REALLY ate up the sock yarn. This was the absolutely perfect use of my huge stash of variegated sock yarn. The marling really broke up the pooling and melded the colors. And I ended up using 1,073 yards of yarn or 260 grams of yarn. So I had a lot of pink color and middle lighter color but I only had enough of the darkest color for a memory blanket square.

I will for sure make more of these! It was a quick and easy knit but it looks so complicated and beautiful. I think my next version I will make without fringe? I have been wearing this shawl non-stop since I finished it and I’ve gotten a ton of compliments.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Baby Dreams Blanket

Ten out of ten skeins are complete and my Baby Dreams Blanket is in the books!

Pattern: Cast on 100 stitches and worked a half double crochet

Yarn: Knit Picks Biggo in Garnet Heather (I used 10 skeins or 1,100 yards)

Hook: US L hook (8mm)

This blanket is soooooo soft. And it has really kept my lap warm these past few evenings. I need to give this good bath to wash off all the schmutz collected as my two year old drug this around the house.

I think I will tuck this one away in my gift box for a future special baby. The yarn is superwash so it can be machine washed which is nice for sleep deprived parents and leaking babies, lol. And the icing on the cake is this was completed in time for the Down Cellar Studio podcast’s Pigskin Party KAL and it counted as a blitz project because it was over 1,000 yards!

Now that this is off the hook, I’m not sure I have a hankering to cast on another one. Just not yet anyway. Maybe I have thoroughly scratched my crochet itch?

Happy Crocheting!!

Finished Carbon Sprinkles Vanilla Socks!

I couldn’t wait for FO Friday, I had to share these today! My Carbon Sprinkles Vanilla Socks are DONE.

Pattern: My own toe up vanilla sock “recipe” with 68 stitch count

Yarn: MudPunch Slash Self-striping in Carbon sprinkles color

Needles: US 1s

They fit my freezing feet and go a decent way up my leg. They maybe don’t have enough negative ease in the foot but the ease is just right for the leg so they won’t sag too much. I washed them on their own and didn’t see any dye come off in the water. That’s always a relief to me when I there is red and black in the same yarn.

I am really really happy with them and pretty pleased they match almost exactly. That is not a requirement for me but its nice when it works out that way. 10 out of 10 would knit this dyer’s sock yarn again. Its plump and bouncy and her color sense is on point. Ravelry tells me she uses an 80% SW merino and 20% nylon blend.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Half Double Crochet Dosh Cloth Set

I needed a simple and quick project for an impromptu zoom knit night. Normally I would grab socks but I got a wild hair and grabbed my crochet hooks and a ball of Lily Sugar N Cream.

I started with the dishcloth. How many stitches did I chain? I have no idea I just did my version of half double crochet until I got a cloth that looked square adjacent to my eyes. I still had meeting time and cotton left. So I held the yarn doubled and knit a long rectangle. I then folded it and seamed it into a dish scrubbie.

Now I’m left with a dish set of sorts. Not sure if this will go in my kitchen drawers into the kids play set. But it got one ball of kitchen cotton out of my stash and turned into a useful item

Happy Friday and Happy Crafting!

FO Friday: Dumpster Fire 2020

I have finished my Dumpster Fire 2020 ornament! And the the duplicate stitch was bad but not insurmountable.

Pattern: Dumpster Fire 2020 by Kino Knits (Rav Link)

Yarn: Wonderland Yarns and Frabjous Fibers Mad Hatter yarn the Dumpster Fire colorway

Needles: US 4

Mods: Only modification was to use a US 4 needle instead of a 3 because that it what I had at hand.

This pattern was pretty quick and I would totally do again. Which is good because this one ornament only used about 40 yards of the 300 yard kit. For now this is photographed on my tree (yes its still up…the world is crazy and the tree makes me happy) and it will eventually get tucked away with the Christmas decorations.

For sure I need more practice on duplicate stitch but the numbers are legible and look normal-ish from farther away, lol. All in all this project was very carthartic!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Sand Castle Cashmere Vanilla Socks

One finished pair of snuggly socks coming at ya! My Sand Castle Cashmere Vanilla Socks are complete and I even wove in the ends!

Pattern: My own 68 stitch toe up vanilla sock

Needles: US 1s

Yarn: Leading Man Fiber Arts Showstealer base in Sand Castle

I tried for longer legged socks and ended up using 71 grams of yarn or just over 300 yards. So I have plenty enough leftover for my memory blanket and maybe another small project? The fit is good in the heels and I definitely needed the leg increases.

And the completed fabric feels really good on my feet with the cashmere content. So off these go into my sock drawer. I haven’t delved too deeply into my sock drawer this year. Its a combination of a warmer winter and not really leaving the house. I really haven’t needed socks as much. Maybe February will bring us some cold snaps?

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Baby Yoda

I have a finished Baby Yoda! And the hubby loves it. I am really pleased with the whole project. The eyes could be a little bit bigger but they were all I had without going to the store and my husband didn’t seem to notice/care.

Pattern: Baby Yoda by Kim Konen (Rav link)

Yarn: Malabrigo Rios and Knit Picks Swish Worsted

Needles: US 8s

One of my husband’s online gaming friends already asked if I could knit another one and he would pay me. I replied that “knitting is like sex, if I like you then its free. If not, then you can’t pay me enough”. That got a pretty good hearty internet laugh. But in all honestly I told them that I have enough on my plate and I don’t have the bandwidth to work extra projects at the moment. Felt good to be honest! Life is to short for obligation knitting.

Happy Knitting!!