FO Friday: Baby Blend Basic Hat

I completely forgot that I had a finished object kicking around here to show you! My Baby Blend Basic Hat pretty much fell off my needles and into my hat drawer!

Pattern: None, I just worked an 80 stitch beanie with a folded two layer brim

Yarn: The Shepherd’s Mill BAby Blend in color M196

Needles: US 7 and US 8

I got sooooo close to using the whole skein but alas I still had leftovers. I used 80 grams or just right at 176 yards of this DK weight skein. The hat was tight before washing and blocking but relaxed nicely and fits like a dream. The faux cashmere makes this feel like butter on my head.

I did find a dropped stitch after washing. After a few cuss words I simply used some of the leftovers and caught the stitch and secured it to the inside of the hat. I REALLY like how this hat turned out so this might also stay in my hat bin for awhile…..

Happy Knitting!!

Knitting With Handspun

A wise spinner told me that I shouldn’t wait to start knitting with my handspun. I should reap the benefits of my new found skill so matter how “good” I think my yarn is or isn’t. So I grabbed my recently finished teal skein and set to making a hat.

I cast on 72 stitches using a US 8 needles and started ribbing. I don’t have a plan or a pattern. I am just winging it and monitoring how much yarn I am using so that I leave enough for the crown decreases.

So far it is really neat seeing what the yarn is doing with the thick and thin bits. I can really see how that plays out in the stockinette section. I am pretty certain I will keep this hat in my hat collections because it is just too special.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Dad’s 2021 Christmas Socks

The socks that tried to beat me at every turn are DONE! My Dad’s 2021 Christmas socks are done and knit to the correct size this time, lol.

Pattern: My own “recipe” of a toe up sock with 68 stitches

Yarn: Regia 6-fadig in color #6974

Needles: US 2s

I don’t really have sock blockers that fit the socks for my dad/husband who wear size 13 US men’s shoes. So I make do with my sized blockers but it always makes me giggle because I feel like a child trying to wear adult sized things, lol.

I feel great to have these finally done and ready to wrap up for Christmas. Am I totally ready for Christmas? Heck no, but this is at least one thing off my list!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Around Every Corner

Next on my needles is some past Wishful Knitting! Kind of nice to cast on something I planned and have been thinking a lot about!

This will be a flower inspired Around Every Corner by Stephanie Lotven. I am doing the main color in some Cascade sock yarn in a really deep green. And then my stripes will be in a range of colors that remind me of a daffodil or other spring flower.

I have this vision in my head of this garden like object. I really hope the actual object comes out like I see in my head. Happy Knitting!!

Hospital Knitting Day Two

My Dad did really well with his procedure and he got to binge like ALL the football games in his hospital room. So on day two I plugged in my headphones with a podcast and cranked on my Musselburgh.

I am finally on to the main body of the hat and done with DPNs for now. I checked my gauge like the pattern said and my gauge is coming up tighter than the directions. I did some math and decided to fudge it rather than frog and cast on with bigger needles. I added some more increases to make sure the hat won’t be a head squeezer.

This is really nice zen kniting just going round and round. I think this could be a good purse or travel project. Not a lot of thinking but really satisfying to watch the hat come to life.

Happy Knitting!!

Hospital Knitting

Knitting can make a lot of situations better. My father had a routine medical procedure that necessitated some waiting room and hospital room knitting. I thought it would be a nice pairing to work on his Christmas Socks.

I am about to finish the leg and start the cuff ribbing. I pressed my hoodie pocket into service as a skein minder. I got a few looks in the waiting room but it kept my work tidy, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Spa Knitting

As a belated birthday present myself I booked myself a spa night. I saved up all my birthday pennies and indulged in a 60 minute soak and 60 minute massage. IT WAS GLORIOUS.

I had solo access to the outdoor hot tub and sauna in a beautiful Japanese style garden. The air was cool and I could hear the wind rustling the trees. I basically melted into a puddle.

And guess what? You can totally knit in the sauna!! Of course your needs and stitch markers do get a little warm, lol. My Baby Blend Basic Hat did grow another inch before I dissolved into complete sweaty relaxation. That and I had to stop because I a now ready for the crown decreases.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Musselburgh

I decided I could no longer resist seeing all the beautiful Musselburgh hats all over Raverly, social media and podcasts and I needed one of my own! I wound up the skein of Yak Sock from Moonstone Dyeworks and cast on my first Musselburgh.

I must admit I had put this project off for awhile because I HATE fiddly cast-ons with DPNs. I am totally capable of doing them but I have a mental block with them. And my needles definitely slipped out of my first try because it is slick yarn on metal needles.

But now I am off to the races and knitting the prescribed amount so I can determine my gauge and stitch count. Happy Knitting!!

A Hat Is Forming Quickly

I blinked and a hat seems to be falling off of my needles! My Baby Blend Basic Hat it cruising towards completion.

I finished the brim in snap. I did end up working a turned brim and attached the cast on end to my live stitches after six inches of stockinette. Thus by the power of math I have a three inch brim!

I did go down a needle size to a US 7 to work the body of the hat. I felt like I wanted a denser and warmer fabric for the remainder of the hat. At this rate I should be ready for decreases in two more blinks!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Garter Rainbow Wrap

My Garter Rainbow Wrap is done, washed, blocked and photographed!

Pattern: None really but I did take some notes on my Ravelry project page.

Yarn: Cloudborn Fibers Superwash Merino Fingering in Antique white held double with my Teal Torch Knits 2020 Christmas advent calendar

Needles: US 9s

This was my LAST project to use up all my lingering advent calendar yarns before my 2021 calendar shows up. It feels really super good to get this yarn used up and into beautiful project. I think this shawl/wrap will go to work as my “work blanket” when winter really starts to hit. The two end triangles are not perfectly matched but they are close enough for me and anyone who looks too close will get a bop on the nose!

This project was a marled one holding two fingering weight yarns double. I used up an amazing 2,201 yards of yarn! And it wrap nicely around my whole upper torso. I forgot to measure the finished dimensions but I’m guessing its roughly 7 feet long about about 2.5 feet wide. Super cozy! And you can’t even hardly tell where I grafted the last part!

Happy Knitting!!