Tag Archives: knitting

Blanket Resurrection

Posted on by
5

I recently cleaned my large knitting tote full of WIPs that lives on the chaos of the “mail table” as we call it in this house. I sorted needles, notions, and yarny bits and bobs back to their rightful places that had collected. I also took some WIPs to the craft room for longer term storage. Call it pre-baby knitting nesting if you will. Really it was a task I had been putting off for too long mostly due to the prolonged morning sickness and just general hair on fire craziness at work.

As a reward for completing a boring but necessary task….I treated myself to pulling my memory blanket from hibernation and adding two new squares!

I added a square of deep royal blue from my Midas Hat and as I talked about I added a stripey square from my Accidental Travel vanilla socks. I found I really missed this project! I think this blanket might be the perfect post-partum maternity leave knitting plan. It’s easy to pick up and put down as well as soothing garter stitch. It allows for some quick mini-victories after completing each square that should be good for a soul that doesn’t have many knitting minutes left in the day. Not to mention it’s just lovely and cheery to look at.

I am preparing myself for the joy and total time-suck that is nursing and caring for a newborn baby. And this go around I will also have an active young-ling that will also need his own attention. Knitting is important to me and I’m not going to give that away. But I am mentally preparing for the (temporary) shift in schedule and priorities. I wasn’t able to do that with Jellybean as I literally had no clue what was coming as a first time parent. I want to be kinder and gentler with myself this go around. My littles will only be small for a short time and I want to soak up every second…no matter how exhausting they are!

Happy Knitting!!

A Tale of Two Socks

Posted on by
4

My (accidental) travel socks have been giving me the call of the siren lately. They have been living in my work backpack and I have been pulling them out during my lunch breaks and car riding blocks of time. My work load at my job is totally whack-a-doodle and I have found the need for knitting comfort a lot lately. (Whack-a-doodle being an official accounting term, lol)

I have firmly decided to add contrasting toes and heels in some solid grey that matches nicely. And I am working both socks at the same time. I work a little on one and then some on the other as I feel to keep them roughly the same size. The yarn balls are the same amount by the way, one is center pull and the other pulling from the outside so the stripes match up. Therefore the yarn balls are more/less compact giving the illusion of two different amounts. I’m just going to knit peaceful stockinette until they are long enough or I run out of yarn, whichever comes first.

They only caveat to this plan would be to use the ball (left) that has an un-used center pull portion to add a square to my mitered square blanket before I use up all the yarn. I have been feeling the call of that project as well and I think this cheery skein would be a great addition.

Happy Knitting!!

Major Milestone

Posted on by
9

Here’s a milestone I thought I’d never reach…this little blog has reached a 1,000 followers!

Sometimes I’m really amazed anyone wants to read my yarny ramblings. I’ve been at this on August 28th, 2012….five years ago. I haven’t always been the most consistent but this blog has been a source of knitting community when I didn’t have access to a physical one and when I couldn’t be with other IRL knitters. I have always kind of viewed this space a journal of sorts that helps me stay centered and connected. I’m beyond tickled that other crafters want to see what shenanigans I am up to. I think knitters (and crocheters) are just about the best kind of people.

This milestone has inspired me to do a 1,000 follower give away. I’m going to toss my stash and find a golden skein to share with one of you. So stay tuned for further details!

Happy Knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: Travel Vanilla Socks

Posted on by
2

My Travel Vanilla Socks were very handy at my work conference. (Side note….I saw a fellow attendee doing two handed stranded colorwork with a chart….I was in awe. She was still totally listening and participating. Legitimately awesome.)

I found myself picking them up very often at my conference. So in the span of three days I made the above progress. I’m pretty happy with a good chunk of two socks cranked out.

I also started contemplating how I was going to finish these socks. I don’t normally work cuff down so I don’t have a “favorite” cuff down heel. I recently acquired some plain grey Heritage sock yarn in my stash and I’m considering contrast toes and afterthought heels. So I’m thinking about just cranking these tubes until I get to the length I want and finish toes in grey. I think I’ll just see how my tubes turn out!

Happy Knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: Baby Vertebrae

Posted on by
5

My Baby Vertebrae is crawling along! This is yarn from Winter Woolfest 2018 from Apothefairy Fibers. The speckles are just divine!!

I’m making the 12-18 months size in DK yarn. Babies in my family run big so I thought I’d err on the side of caution. Only one and a half sleeves and a button band to go! I am finding the fabric very pleasing and I often stop to pet the fabric 🙂

Happy Knitting!!

Yarn Shop Adventures

Posted on by
4

My travels for work had me gone over Valentines. Which is not a huge thing for the hubby and I but still seemed a bummer to miss both my boys on such a fun day. I consoled myself by using my first solo Uber and locating a LYS in St. Paul. I found the Yarnery!

It was delightful and the staff was friendly and helpful. They had a TON of yarns that I don’t have access back in Kansas. The shop was organized by weight and very very pretty. I settled on three very pretty yarns and two cash register splurges…

I got some Mrs Crosby Hat Box in the Pansy color. This was a sport weight yarn. Then I chose some Neighborhood Fiber Co. Rustic Fingering in the Easterwood color. This 100% is most definitely for a shawl or hat. Finally from a sale bin I chose a single 50 gram skein of Shibui Knits Staccato in Raspberry. It was the only one of the color but I figured I could make a small pair of mitts while trying a new to me yarn.

Then I splurged on an Yarnery enamel pin and some Love + Leche balm. It was very very dry in Minnesota even compared to Kansas. My lips and hands were in dire need of some hydration!

Finally I rounded out the night by having Valentines dinner delivered to my room. I chose rosemary cheese fries with a side of molten chocolate brownie with ice cream! It was mom-free zone slice of heaven.

I can’t wait to go back next year! Happy knitting!!

Travel Knitting

Posted on by
11

Recently I had the opportunity to travel for work. I was headed to the cold tundra that was Minnesota in February. I attended a three day software conference in a very nice part of St. Paul Minnesota in a fantastic hotel. The week that lead up the conference was incredibly busy and hectic including the last minute cancellation of baby sitting plans. I barely had to time to keep my head above water at work and pack something resembling a suitably filled suitcase. At the last second I grabbed by project bag that held my Down Pour socks I had planned on redoing and dashed to the airport. I knew they had wooden needles from Joanns that I wouldn’t mind losing to a zealous TSA agent. 

Once at the airport and safely through security where my knitting was not deemed a security threat, I pulled out my project and pattern only to find that I needed several stitch markers and they were not in my kit. I had needles, yarn and pattern ONLY. Sigh, so these socks had to become cuff down vanilla socks. Not my favorite…but it was better than than no knitting at all for four days.

I made up for my project D’oh by knitting in the posh hotel wrapped in a plush bathrobe with the remote control all to myself! I have to say is that was pretty much heaven to a pregnant knitter after sitting in ballroom conference chairs for 7 hours!

I’ll try to show my total trip progress if I can grab some updated photos this week. Happy Knitting!!

Another One Bites the Dust

Posted on by
5

I popped open my email the other day to a sad note. One of my favorite local(ish) yarn stores was closing after 12 years. Yarns Sold and Told is an hour and a half away from my house so I didn’t exactly drop in all the time but I adored it none the less. It’s where I took Jellybean for his monkey yarn. The lovely ladies there were always welcoming and helpful without being pushy, and the yarn selection and aesthetic was right up my design aesthetic. I always found something that needed to come home with me.

Well they are closing their doors and the entire store was 40% off…..I’ll pause for dramatic effect. So while my husband was out of town I took Jellybean to Papa’s house for a boys only day and my mother, aunt and I hit the yarn store. I pretty much exhausted my yarn savings account. But I came away with some really need stuff to fill holes in my stash and new yarns I haven’t tried yet! (And mom purchased two sweater quantities of Berroco Chunky and Berroco DK for my birthday….next November). It was a lovely day of shopping with family, just sad for the reason for our trip.

Any way…..here is the flash of stash or yarn porn section of this post….

From left to right you can see

  • Cascade Heritage Sock in Italian Plum
  • Cascade Heritage Sock in Dahlia
  • Cascade Heritage Sock in Moss
  • Wonderland Yarns Cheshire Cat Mini Pack in Mad Tea Party
  • Wonderland Yarns Messenger Kit #13
  • Cascade Heritage Sock in Zinnia Red
  • Anzula Ava in Raspeberry (this one has cashmere….mmmmm)
  • Cascade Heritage Prints in the Tropics

I picked up the solid colors of the Heritage Sock for contrasting heels, toes and cuffs. And the rest of the yarn was just pure lust and yarn fumes. I just couldn’t pass up the 40% off deal. It’s how I dealt with the impending loss of one of my favorite yarn shops. Now I just need to jump start my knitting mojo and get some of this yarn cooking!!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Midas Hat

Posted on by
7

Hip hip hooray….I have a FO!! My Midas hat is done and soooooo pretty!

Pattern: Midas Hat by Laura Reinbach

Yarn: MJ Yarns Simple Sock in King’s Blue

Needle: US 3

Mods: None

The color is a little blown out in the photo above. But boy do I love me some symmetrical hat decreases. This pattern was simple, concise and just what I needed. The double thickness brim should do quite nicely in the cold Kansas winter. And it has juuuuuust the right amount of slouch for this knitter.

The one caveat is the yarn. I LOVE the color but the knit fabric has a little “crunch” to it. MJ Simple Sock is a light fingering yarn made of 75% wool and 25% nylon. So definitely not as soft as Merino or anything but what can you expect from miscellaneous wool. It did soften after a dip in wool wash. But I may give it another bath with some gentle conditioner after a test wear. My face breaks out easily from grease or irritation so I may be a little bit of a princess on this one. But for this beautiful simple silhouette and GORGEOUS color I can suffer a little bit.

Happy Knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: Midas Hat

Posted on by
4

Happy Wednesday to all! I bring tidings of joy and a hat update. My Midas hat has grown quite a bit since I last posted about it.

Turns out you CAN knit most of the body of a hat during a movie. Jellybean had a playdate and the hubby took me to Bad Mom’s Christmas at the $2 theater (which is now closer to $3.50). Simple stockinette round and round in the dark while laughing my butt off at inappropriate jokes and innuendo.

I have already set up for the decreases! I really think I can finish this one this week!

Happy Knitting!!