Tag Archives: Knit Picks

FO Friday: Happy Valley Vanilla Socks

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It’s a happy day! My Happy Valley Vanilla Socks are done!

You have to love the simplicity and speed of toe-up vanilla socks with sport weight yarn! I knit these babies in 12 calendar days without too much hassle. I successfully made it without any pooling or flashing. Just some mild striping. I used 98 of the 100 grams of yarn in a simple toe-up vanilla sock with gusset heel. I knit the leg until my ball of yarn got small enough that I was worried and then started ribbing. 

I will admit one sock is slightly smaller than the other. It was the second sock. I’m not sure if it was just the rush to finish them or what. I thought I held the second one up to the first to make sure I was starting the various phases at the same time. It’s totally not enough difference that they don’t fit. And no one but me would probably even notice!

All I know is that Winter is still here in Kansas and I have another finished pair of socks for my drawer!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Storytime Scholar Sweater

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My son is a tiny little inferno. It’s been legit below zero in Kansas a few time this winter and I’ve had to literally fight to get a coat on my 2.5 year old. A kind older couple (strangers to us) at the next table very nicely assisted in scamming my son into his coat after we enjoyed a nice dinner out. I mouthed a silent thank you to what I assume was a very accomplished Grandma. Or at least she should be one…she was great!

Having written this…I’m not sure why I’m even knitting what I’m about to show you…

This is the Storytime Scholar by Lisa Chemery. It’s a paid for pattern that I spotted one night on a Ravelry binge. It’s bulky and gorgeous and just all the things. I checked the “In My Stash” feature on Ravelry and noticed I had enough Knit Picks Biggo to make this in a suitable neutral outerwear color. And I have the needles…so off I went! Being that this bulky I cruised through the raglan increases in one night. I’m now in the body and in skein two of yarn. It’s 50/50 superwash merino and nylon so it should wear just fine. Not that my little Jellybean will stop growing long enough to wear it out anyway. My 2.5 year old is already in 3-4T toddler clothing. So I’m hedging my bets and making the largest pattern size of 4T.

Fingers crossed he will wear it long enough for me to take at least some decent photos of it. And that it’s cold enough that I can get a few outings of this yet this winter.

Happy Knitting!

Halfway Happy Valley

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My Happy Valley socks are halfway there! (Don’t mind the dog hair…no matter how I clean it sticks to everything, sigh)

I’m copying the stitch count and measure from my Cygnus Vanillas with the exception that I’m working a gusset heel instead of an afterthought heel.

The yarn is Knit Picks Hawthorne Sport in the Happy Valley color. It’s playing quite nicely with my stitch count. I didn’t encounter any pooling or flashing, just some mild striping!

It actually went up farther than I anticipated based on how fast my yarn ball was shrinking, but not as far as my typical socks. But these are so lovely I’m just rolling with it. I used all but three yards of half of the ball…if that makes sense. I knit until I was scared I didn’t have enough to bind off and then stopped!

Now I need to get cracking on sock #2!

Happy Knitting!!

A Very Happy Valley

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My Happy Valley socks are swimming right along. But what does one expect with sport weight yarn on size two needles?

I’m working over 60 stitches so I’m getting more striping than pooling of these colors. Which suits me just fine. You can see even the heel turn didn’t pool things too badly. I’m ready to zoom up leg. I should have started the heel turn like maybe two rows before I should but the fit should still be fine….I hope.

I peaked in my project bag and noticed that I don’t have that much yarn left. My size 10 foot really eats yarn quickly at sport weight. I don’t think this sock will be as tall as I normally make but I can probably live with that, lol.

Happy Knitting!

Cast On: Happy Valley Vanilla Socks

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I have a FO later this week to share but in the meantime I want to show you my Christmas Day cast on project!

I pulled the Hawthorne Sport in the Happy Valley color from my stash as we dashed out the door for our Christmas travels. I knew I had the right needles in my bag to start another pair of sport weight socks. So while Jellybean was taking a post-Santa coma nap (p.s. Christmas with a little person is SOOOO much fun!) I got my needles clicking on a vanilla toe up sock!

This is now my purse knitting de jour! I’m kind of in love with the speed and beauty of sport weight socks…

Happy Knitting!

Blanket Victory!

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I finished my Mighty Rainbow Blanket!


All glorious 2,080 yards of squishy garter stitch is done done done! I’m soooo happy with this project. It’s soft, it’s huge, and it’s warm!


I didn’t remember to measure this for a finished measurement but it’s all of 10 skeins of Knit Picks Mighty Stitch. This project scored me 600+ points in the Pigskin Party KAL too! I just can’t wait to cuddle under this while the snow falls!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Manic Panic Cowl

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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!!

WIP Wednesday: Mighty Rainbow Blanket

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I’ve finished the second stripe on my Mighty Rainbow Blanket!

 

I was like four or five rows short of finishing this orange color and it took me all of my tonsillectomy recovery time to get those rows done. The Hiya Hiya wooden needles are MUCH better than the plastic interchangeables I started with. I feel like I will be able to work much faster now that I don’t have to be so careful. 

Next up….yellow!!