Still working from home and my current coworker (aka my husband) insists on opening windows or running the AC because he is warm all the time. I meanwhile am freezing my debits and credits off. So I’m looking quite the sight on my Zoom meetings….but at least I’m warm!
I have on my Free Your Fade, my Faded Fingerless Mitts and DK Habitation throw. What is your work at home style of late?
I’m calling it….I’m frogging the TINY neck band for my Party Top. And this isn’t an April fools joke.
I just can’t pick this up to knit on it so there’s no sense in just letting it sit. I have had this on the needles since November…that is just too long. I still love this yarn and want it to turn it into something (its Moonstone Dyeworks DK in three coordinating colors). I also still want to make this top…but I think I have yarn in my stash that would be better suited to it.
I have found some clarity in my knitting lately and I feel in a much better place to “finish” or “frog” it. I want to work on things I will wear and want. No sense in forcing a project just because it is sitting there.
I am thinking a nice big squishy shawl would be great for this yarn. Maybe with these colors striped or faded? Time to dig into Ravelry!!
Happy Knitting!!
I felt the itch for a new project this weekend. And in light of recent world events I decided this project from my Ravelry queue would be PERFECT.
I even managed to find some black yarn from my stash that would be serviceable enough for this project. I have some Bernat Satin Solids in black rolling around from my early knitting days. I printed the project, grabbed some needles that should get me gauge and pulled a cute project bag from my stash.
I just need to work up the courage to cast on in the round with a small number of stitches on my DPNs. Not my favorite type of knitting but I really want this project. I will also have to learn to duplicate stitch as the F is added after the fact. So I guess I’ll use this time of distancing to add a new skill to my knitting tool kit.
I would hope to crank out a few of these over the next few weeks. I think they would make cute thank you gifts for my staff and other work colleagues when we (hopefully) get back to working regularly.
Happy Knitting!!
I was trying to be a good knitter and give future Rachelle a leg up on finishing these socks. I decided to weave in the end on my Dark Side Vanilla Socks (Take Two) before starting the heels. I am making these from a sock machine cranked sock tube, so there are a LOT of ends to weave in from the contrast heels, toes and cuffs.
I was working with the sock turned inside out and when I turned them right side out I had a d’oh moment. I had accidentally dipped my needle in too far and grabbed a stitch from the sock. After a couple of curse words I turned the sock inside out again and PICKED OUT MY CAREFULLY WOVEN IN ENDS. It took 30 minutes because the universe was teaching me a lesson.
I very carefully re-wove in the ends after I released the extra stitch. It looks much better now! It was a total weaving fail but at least one I could correct. I think these socks are ready for their afterthought heels now!
Happy Knitting!!
I have capitalized on my winding frenzy earlier this week and cast on my Everyday Slouchy Beanie by Dragon Hoard Designs. I also threw on the Corner of Craft podcast and had a dose of the amazing Hannah. I’m in my basement guest room/craft room surrounded by chaos but I just felt the need for a new cast on.
The project called for a provisional crochet cast on. I was not in the mood so I just did a knitted on cast on. I may regret my choice when I have to fold this brim over later in the project and join it to the live stitches on my needle. But today I didn’t have the stamina to deal with a crochet provisional cast on. I also chose to have a glass of wine in my favorite glass. The wine is a nice crisp Pinot Grigio from Yellowtail Wines.
Happy Knitting!!
I received some happy mail this week. I managed to catch one of Hannah of the Corner of Craft’s shop updates. She is maker in the UK that bead weaves stitch markers among other crafts. And my package arrived very neatly packaged (and with a sample of tea, yum!).
I chose a little pink and white unicorn. And it just so tiny and perfect that I can’t help myself. I am trying to figure out which project this should live on! It’s so perfectly light that it will work for almost any project….so maybe my next pair of socks?
What would you use this stitch marker for?
I have am really leaning into knitting as a balm for my anxiety and stress levels. My brain has been really drawn to my recent Apothefaery Yarns acquisitions. I really want to work the Suri Alpaca yarn and jump on the bandwagon. I have chosen a pattern yet but I did wind it up this past weekend. I have never wound laceweight before and I was nervous….
It was loose on my swift and I literally held my breath the whole time I was winding. Even with the floof….it wound perfectly the first time with no tangles! I was worried because it looked a little matted in the hank. I had more trouble with the fingering weight skein I picked to hold with the Suri! I had to wind that one THREE TIMES.
And while I had tools out I wound more yarn for some more socks. I pulled my BFL sock yarn from Amy of Stranded Dyeworks and some self striping Must Stash yarn. They both wound just fine. Although I didn’t pay attention and wound the Must Stash perfectly matched skeins backwards. One I will need to knit from the inside and the other from the outside.
I think this is all proof that I have a case of Cast-on-itis in the works!
I have a FO this week!! My bullseye vanilla socks are done, washed and blocked!!
Pattern: My own 72 stitch toe up vanilla sock “recipe”
Yarn: Biscotte Yarns Bis-sock in the Bullseye colorway
Needles: US 0s
I used roughly 300 yards of yarn or 70 grams of this skein of yarn. They socks are in between my normal tall socks and a shortie sock. I have absolutely no rhyme or reason why. I just got tired of knitting the first sock leg and put the cuff on. So I made the second one to match. Perfectly scientific, right?
They fit quite nicely and almost perfectly match. It’s getting warm enough that these will likely go right into summer sock storage. But I needed this win this week. I can’t control the world but I can knit some royally good socks!
What is your win this week?
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for everyone far and wide. I’m not going to take space here to regurgitate what is being blasted on every platform possible. What I will say is that my anxiety is very high. I am confident that this pandemic won’t last forever but the ramifications both socially and economically might last longer than we would like. And that bumps up against my anxiety triggers…..I’m an accountant after all. And it’s hard not to be worn down by the onslaught of information and empty store shelves.
I am washing my hands, talking to others support when I need it, and returning to my Midwestern roots and I’m cooking all the comfort foods I can think of. Last night I took some time to rest in bed with the following self care items:
They only thing missing was knitting friends. If anyone out there is similarly missing your knitting groups and friends please feel free to DM me. I’m always around my phone and more than happy to chat and share projects. We are a community and no one has to feel alone. Happy Knitting friends!
My Bullseye Vanilla Socks are SUPER close to being done. I only need to put in one more afterthought heel.
I am pretty happy with how well I managed to plan the stripes and to get the socks to match. I did pull out some yarn to try and start at the same place. It’s not an absolute requirement for me in socks. But I do enjoy when they match.
I have cut in the space for the heel. I use the KirbyWirby afterthought heel with no waste yarn. It seems scary but it is really easy to do and doesn’t leave a hole at the corners. I can feel my mojo surging because I want a this finished socks SO BAD. The thought of new socks seems like the perfect balm to my soul right now.
Happy Knitting!!
Michele plays with yarn, food, and music in Portland
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