FO Friday: Big Comfy Chunky Hat

Tah dah!! I have a finished super speedy bulky knit hat. I completed my Big Comfy Chunky Hat in own hand dyed Feast yarn by Nomad Yarns.

Pattern: Big Comfy Chunky Hat by Erica Kempf Broughton

Yarn: Feast by Nomad Yarn in the color Spice Box

Needles: US 11s

Mods: I added some extra rows to the crown decreases to use up the whole skein.

This hat turns out to be reversible because it is essentially all ribbed stitch. Which I think is kind of a sweet design feature. I very carefully wove in the ends so I could fully turn this both ways.

This hat really worked up quickly as promised. I think I finished in two sittings over two days. So maybe roughly 3 hours? I had some tension issues with the crown as I chose to magic loop it instead of getting off my rear to find double pointed needles. But in the finished hat it does not show.

It is a little small for my noggin (which is larger than most) but Jellybean has proclaimed it to be perfect for his head. So this will be one of the hats for our winter hat box by the front door. I need to sew a name tag into it before it leaves the house…you just in case the six year old set it down somewhere, lol.

Happy Knitting and Happy Halloween Eve!!

FO Friday: Good Old Raglan

I finished my wee sweater for PB!! I won at yarn chicken and managed a sweater that also fits my tiny human. Behold the completed Good Old Raglan.

Pattern: Good Ole Raglan by Karen O’Hanlon Cohrt (Ravelry link)

Yarn: Hedgehog Fibers DK in Deep End and Treasure Goddess Yarns DK in Gunsmoke

Needles: US 6

Mods: I followed the pattern except for omitting the stripes and did my own color thing. I as well only knit the body for as long as I could go with running out of black yarn.

I’m just pleased as punch with now well this turned out and how cute it is next to my sweater. But, as I examined the photos I realized I BUTCHERED the raglan placement. The variegated yarn really hides the fact that raglan lines are askew to what you would normally expect. I’m sure this deviation was due to knitting while zooming in to a virtual yarn retreat. But I still managed a sweater shape and it fits PB. But my project photos DEFINITELY do not look like the rest of the finished objects on Ravelry.

I used up close to 433 yards of yarn to make size 5 child size. It’s a bit big on PB but that just means she has room to grow!

And the best of all? I even got her to put it on at the same time I was wearing my sweater and pose for photos. It was an evening, not the best light and we were both tired. But it’s a memory regardless. Maybe someday we will take ‘fancy’ photos but for now we are just going to be cozy in our sweaters!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Saturday: Radiate

Don’t mind me, I’m over here on cloud nine and reveling in fall weather. My Radiate is complete and I am over the moon. Thank goodness for portrait mode in iPhone and actually putting on jeans and makeup. Really gives a good mood boost in the dumpster fire that is 2020.

Pattern: Radiate by Jojo Locatelli

Yarn: Hedgehog Fibers DK in Deep End (blue) and Treasure Goddess Yarns DK Treasures in Gundpower

Needles: US 6s

Mods: Split hem at the bottom instead of a bottom solid band

I may have lengthened this sweater to cover my shelter in place enhanced bum. But I think the length really ends up flattering around what is usually my thickest section. I couldn’t be more happy with how the indie dyed black yarn played out. Absolutely no issues with pooling, flashing or lines between my skeins. But I did alternate skeins using the helical method.

I used less than one skein of the blue color and just under four and a half skeins of the main black color. All told I used 1,380 yards of DK weight yarn for the large to extra large size. I honestly can’t remember what I picked. But all told I it’s five skeins of DK yarn.

I wore this sweater to my virtual knitting retreat this past weekend and I got lots of Ooohs and Aaahs from the attendees. I can’t wait until it’s cold enough here to wear to work!

Happy Knitting!!

Blocking Radiate

It’s blocking time humans! My Radiate is complete except for the binding off of the sleeves. I have blocked this baby in a nice sink bath and I have set it in front of a fan to dry.

I am really pleased with how the yoke blocked out and the sleeves did grow a bit. I am glad I didn’t bind off the sleeves first. The yarn really softened nicely and this is going to be a lovely thin lightweight but warm sweater.

For this to be a FO I need to bind off the sleeves and convince my husband to take some real photos. Fingers crossed I get that done this week!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Crocheted Rainbow

My Crocheted Rainbow is complete and I’m both elated and sad. Happy to have such a beautiful blanket but sad I don’t have this project to look forward to each evening.

Pattern: My own made up nonsense of a half double crochet over roughly 180 to 200 stitches (I can’t remember”

Yarn: A mix of Loops and Threads Charisma and Premier Chunky Solids

Hook: 10MM or N

This blanket was a fantastic stashbuster. All told I used up eleven skeins of yarns that date back to at least 2013. My blanket weighs 1,100 grams and used roughly 1,199 yards of bulky yarn. This project cleaned out half a drawer of yarn from my stash that I really didn’t have a plan for.

Bonus, I really learned a lot about hook placement in working on this project. I learned how to catch both legs of the stitch and eliminate lines in my fabric (or how to create line when I want them)!

I’m already planning my next stashbusting crochet blanket project. This time I’ll hold off until after 9/25 so I can count all the yards for the 2020 Pigskin Party KAL.

Happ Knitting!!

FINALLY, Retro Rainbow Vanilla Socks

I have a finishing thing, and it’s not even Friday! My Retro Rainbow Vanilla Socks are finished, ends woven in, (not blocked) and photographed!

Pattern: 72 Stitch Toe Up Vanilla Socks (my own pattern)

Yarn: Muststash Yarn & Fiber Perfect Must Match in the Retro Rainbow colorway

Needles: US 0s

I used roughly 70 grams or 308 yards of yarn to make these two socks. They run a nice way up my calf. The negative ease is quite robust across the top of the foot but is fairly decent overall. I didn’t end up with a perfectly matching pair of socks. This was NOT a fault of the wonderfully dyed yarn. My gauge was slightly different on the second sock log and second heel. And therefore I ended up with fraternal twins instead of identical twins.

But for sure I’m going to have a really nice cozy and bright pair of socks for the coming winter. These are my first socks from this dyer so I’m excite to see how they wear. And yes, I will need to wash them but I just couldn’t be bothered to block them

My sock needles feel empty and cold so I need to figure out what to put on them next! Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Baby Boy Blanket

I kind of fell down the crochet rabbit hole and couldn’t put it down. And then viola…I have a finished Blue Baby Blanket!

Pattern: Crochet Blanket of my own improvisation

Hook: N or 10MM Hook

Yarn: Bernat Blanket Ombre in Teal Dreams

I cast on a whole whack of chained stitches and just started doing a half double crochet stitch. And then I worked through the first ball of yarn and started the second. It was at this point I realized based on my unscientific and not counted cast on, that if I continued on this path I would end up with a long skinny rectangle. And that wasn’t what i was going for in a baby blanekt. So I crocheted until I got to something that was square-ish and then I started working around the edges to add a border with my remaining yarn.

I ended up with a 29 by 33 inch blanket. So while not square, its close enough for me. I really found this a project I couldn’t put down. With the super bulky yarn it I could really see progress. And that just felt so good! I got two LARGE skeins of yarn out of my stash that amounted to roughly 439.6 yards out.

I have no plans for this FO. I think I will just put it in the gift box and wait until I have a need for a cute baby gift. But this has left with me with the itch to do another one of these projects but that would mean buying more yarn for a project I don’t have a recipient for. I think I will put a pin in that thought and see if it keeps coming back.

Happy Crafting!!

A Quick Tutu

My daycare provider is about to be a first time grandma. Her daughter is having a little baby girl in October. Both of these ladies hold a special place in my heart because they love my children almost as much as I do. So of course I needed to knit something!

I made a quick Lexi’s Knitted Tutu by Ashlee Lackovic this past weekend. I just grabbed some Caron Simply Soft acrylic for the waistband and some leftover Red Heart Boutique Sashay multicolor. This is just such a quick knit and it ends up looking more complicated that it actually is.

I finished off with some eggshell colored ribbon to make the waist tie. I think beginning to end this maybe took me an hour? The newborn size is like like 40 rounds of knitting. I can’t wait to wrap this precious gift up!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Weekender

I am beyond proud and excited to show you my first proper adult (and properly fitting) sweater! My Weekender is blocked, dried and thanks to portrait mode on my iPhone is got it’s final photographs!

Pattern: Weekender by Andrea Mowry

Yarn: Malabrigo Rios in Fresco y Seco

Needles: US 8s and 9s

Mods: I added two inches of length to the body. And I knit custom sleeves where the decreases started at the elbow

I am probably one of the last knitters on earth to knit a Weekender. But I can see why it is so popular. It is an easy sweater to wear and to knit. I used just over five skeins of Rios, roughly 1,108 yards or 528 grams. I knit the 48.5 chest size with the modifications listed above. I am SUPER happy with my decision to alternate skeins. I think there is a some flashing and pooling but it’s consistent over the entire garment so it looks purposeful.

It is quite literally 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) right now in Kansas. I DO NOT need a worsted weight sweater so into the cedar chest this project goes! But this finished object has really revved up my garment mojo. I’m already casting on my next sweater that I will share with you on Monday.

Happy Knitting!

FO Friday: Prism Break Hat

I got fed up and no shocker, I decided to finish my Prism Break Hat. I didn’t get to the pattern recommended length but I got to “good enough” and put the decreases in. I was ready to have a finished object, lol.

Pattern: Sockhead Slouch by Kelly McClure

Yarn: Wichita Woolery 100% Merino 4-ply in Prism Break Colorway

Needles: US 2s and US 3s

Mods: I got bored and didn’t knit to the full “traditional” slouch length and just finished the darn thing.

I am really pleased with how the colors pooled on this project. I got a really cool micro-stripe effect with the gauge I settled on. And the hat fits pretty nicely as well!

I only used about 60% of the skein of yarn. So I have plenty of yarn for my memory blanket and maybe even a contrast color for a second project? I have made like five of these hats and I have a full hat drawer but I can’t quit this pattern. It’s so soothing when my brain needs some auto pilot.

Bonus….I get a cool hat when I’m done!