Cast On: Downpour Socks

The PALKAL or Podcast Along Knit Along hosted by Michelle of the Actually Knitting podcast was in full swing this summer. I didn’t play along as my knitting mojo was more geared to working on non-podcast related things. But I sure did take advantage of some of the coupon codes. When Susie White of the Prairie Girls Knit and Spin podcast released her latest pattern I jumped on it and used her PALKAL coupon code.

These top down socks feature a slipped stitch style panel down the leg and foot and utilize an afterthought heel. I don’t usually do top down because I hate turning a heel and having holes. I just haven’t gotten my brain to work that way yet. So this seemed to right up my alley.

Now I know, awhile ago I started Susie’s ZigZagular Socks back in early 2016. I still have the toe of the first sock hibernating in my box downstairs in the craft room. I just couldn’t deal with the cable and counting and being interrupted by a toddler. It’s an amazing pattern and yarn combo I will get back to some day…I swear.

But for now I want to try these! I pulled some Kirby Wirby self-striping sparkle sock yarn from my stash and printed the Downpour pattern. I’m getting ready to drive 8+ hours with my 2.5 yo…I feel like special knitting and a lot of coca cola is going to make that bearable…

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: True Blue Fingerless Gloves

I recently had the opportunity to attend a conference in Kansas City that was centered on empowering women who work in public administration. I am even luckier that I work for an organization that values sending employees to this kind of conference. Of course I needed to take knitting how else was I going to spend 10 hours in a ballroom listening to presenters. But I didn’t have any simple round and round stockinette projects on the go. And then my mind drifted to the project bag from my Terribly Simple shawl that I just finished blocking.

For Mother’s day I picked up a skein of Hansen Hand Dyes Mega Merino. Β That whopper of a skein had 820 yards of yarn in it. And despite working it into my Nangou and Terribly Simple I still have a TON of yarn left. And a light bulb went off….I could make finger-less mitts to match both shawls!

I grabbed some size zero needles and threw the yarn into a bag and off to the conference I went. I cast on 72 stitches in the round and just made the rest up as I went!

I was able to complete the cast on, 2×2 ribbing and all of the stockinette arm portion as the conference. And then thanks to Daddy doing bedtime that night I was able to complete the thumb hole split. I plan for these to be some long mitts!

As you can see above I simply got to a point where I thought it was long enough and stopped knitting in the round and went to knit/purling back and forth. I am going to do this until it roughly matches the height from the bottom of my thumb joint to the web where my thump joins my hand and then I will hop back in the round!

P.S. I was smart enough to split my leftover skein into two equal parts before starting to knit. So I know I will have enough to make a matching mitt…

Happy Knitting!

FO Friday: Dad’s Christmas Socks

My Dad’s Christmas socks kind of fell to the bottom of my knitting bag for awhile. But good news they are done now!


Two man sized sport weight socks checked off the Christmas list!

Pattern: My own 72 stitch toe up vanilla sock with gusset heel 

Yarn: Regia 6-ply

Needles: US 2 nine inch circs 

These babies weigh a whopping 136 grams which means there are over 370 yards of yarn in them! They even match reasonably closely in yarn pattern. That was a happy accident. How is your Christmas knitting going if that is your thing?

Another Square Bites the Dust

My Memory Blanket has been quietly hibernating for over a month. I needed just one more square to finish a row. I thought my Antimuon yarn would be a perfect fit…


My knitting mojo has me torn between a lot of projects so I think I may pack this one back into hibernation for a bit. But maybe after just one more pet 😊

Happy Knitting!

WIP Wednesday: Antimuon Socks

My Antimuon Socks are creeping ever closer! I put the heel in the first sock.


I even managed fairly consistent color management! The navy stripe is a bit big but I got the green stripe to fall where I wanted. And I’m past the waste yarn for the heel in the second sock.


Not to play favorites, but I really like the stripe sequence in the second sock better. The bright neons just make me happy. These have been my purse/backpack knitting so I’m not sure how fast they will continue to grow. So I’m just going to enjoy the ride!

Happy Knitting 

Terribly Simple Blocking

My Terribly Simple shawl is knitted and blocking!


I was rushed blocking this piece during Jellybean’s nap so it’s a little funny shaped. But I wear these like types of shawls like scarves so I don’t think it will matter in the end.

I hope this dries soon because I can’t wait to see this with ends woven in and all good to go!

Happy Knitting ❀️

Sock What!?

My Antimuon Socks have an almost HO! I finished the first tube of the first sock. All I need to do is insert the afterthought heel. I should have more than enough yarn. And I started the toe of the second sock right before the hubby and I went to see Wonder Woman.

A) The movie was highly entertaining and Chris Pine is nice to look at.

B) I got several inches of sock knit!

But I noticed something a little kooky in the light of day after the movie. See if you can see it
I thought the hubby had gotten a matching sock set. Nope, this is an Isomer set which means they coordinate but do not match. The second sock is doing what the yarn label says it should. 

They are still pretty. I think I’ll keep them 😁

Happy Knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: Terribly Simple #2

I’m not sure what I did during long car trips before knitting. Thanks to my husband driving, because he knows I like to knit, my Terribly SimpleΒ shawl has grown!

It’s a one row repeat that is perfectly soothing garter stitch. I’m improvising on the pattern a wee bit. I’m doing 10 garter ridges of the variegated yarn and then 2 garter ridges of the solid color yarn. So that 20 and four rows respectively. It’s getting quite big and scrunched up on the needles. I do admit that I stop and pet this project from time to time in-between rows….

Happy Knitting

Cast On: Summer Morning Triangle Shawl

Happy Fourth to all!

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I have had this rainbow gradient cooling its heels in my stash since I picked it up this spring at a yarn shop closing. The siren call of this has been strong. It’s 350 yards of DK gradient glory. I just couldn’t find the right pattern of a shawl that would fit my style and show off the gorgeous rainbow. I auditioned several before I realized that the yarn dyer had a free pattern posted with this specific yarn in mind!

So let me introduce you to what will become aΒ Summer Morning Triangle ShawlΒ by Done Roving Yarns. I gathered the project bag, needles, and yarn….all that is left is to cast on!!

Happy Knitting!!

Anniversary Yarn

The hubby and I recently celebrated the big 1-0 wedding anniversary. We had a weekend away in Kansas City that involved BBQ, baseball and no 6 am toddler wake up call. He also told me to pick out a skein of yarn and he would buy it for souvenir yarn. (He knows the importance of such a thing.) Well we didn’t have any shops open nearby so of course I hit Etsy. I had seen that KirbyWirby had put a few OOAK skeins up and guys…..I grabbed one!


I got a prototype skein of her self-striping in the Unizebracorn color. This yarn will forever be anniversary yarn in my ❀️

Happy Knitting!!