Cast On: Vary The Gate

For my next 2025 pigskin party cast on, I am doing Vary the Gate with some yarn from the Suburban Stitcher.

I don’t think I have made a shawl in YEARS. But this skein of neon green is languishing in my stash and this pattern is perfect for wildly variegated yarn. It’s a four row repeat and you work until you do a four row cast off.

I think I am going to make a little note card and stick in the bag as I don’t need the full pattern. It does feel a little weird to work on these small needles and yarn after so much worsted and DK. Probably not a bad thing for my fingers and hands….

Happy Knitting!!

Dividing For Round Yoke Pullover Sleeves

I have been cruising on my Round Yoke Pullover. I am just barely past the divide for sleeves.

I have plenty of yarn and I torn about knitting an inch of two body and THEN doing sleeves. Or doing the sleeves last since I don’t have to worry about yarn chicken. This is a commercial enough yarn that I don’t think I will have to worry about helical knitting the body.

It’s finally getting chilly enough here that I am excited about sweater season! Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Dragonfly Hat

I needed another hat for my work bag after I finished my Online Training Hat. I grabbed a skein from my abstract fiber haul and got started.

True to my broken record, this is my 88 stitch beanie “recipe” on US 8 needles. I am working a folded stockinette brim. At this gauge I am going to get big lime green stripes/pools and mini/micro stripes of the light blue and purple. Should be an interesting look when finished!

Happy Knitting!!

Finished: Love Note

My Love Note is done and blocked! I can’t tell you how buttery soft this sweater is after a good was in yummy smelling Soak.

Pattern: Love Note by Tin Can Knits (Rav Link)

Needles: US 9s and US 7s

Yarn: Old Rusted Chair Sock in colorway Back in The Pulse and Malabrigo Mohair in Whole Grain

Mods: Chose the longer body option

This sweater ended up with over 1,500 yards of yarn. I used 1.81 skeins of the sock yarn and 3.6 skeins of the mohair. That is 271 grams of yarn in the finished garment. I knit the 48.5 inch bust size which came me just slight positive ease. The fabric is pretty stretchy so it has a lot of forgiveness.

I pulled out the dress I plan to wear this with. It’s a sleeveless black dress that has an A-line skirt that hits me below the knee. It has the benefit of showing the lace and my bra won’t show through the lace. I don’t imagine I will ever wear this one without an under shirt. And I think this outfit feels smart and polished so a great candidate for work this winter!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Round Yoke Pullover

With my Love Note almost done and my swatch successful, I couldn’t help but start my next sweater. This creatively called “Basic Round Yoke Unisex Pullover” and I think I will just called my Round Yoke Pullover for simplicity.

I chose the 44 3/4 bust size for the pattern. I really like this starts with a knitted collar. I might have gone done an even smaller needle size for the ribbing. And this will be a nice easy/wide collar regardless. I can always go back and crochet a stronger foundation.

I had to get some work done on the Rachelle-mobile at the dealer. Dang kids denting my doors! So I managed to get a couple of increases done and several inches of sweater. I didn’t feel like lugging my huge Love Note so this got all the love.

Happy Knitting!!

Time For A Hem

My Love Note is so close to being done! I am finally at the hem of the longer version.

I am under half of the last skein of sock yarn and on my last ball of mohair. I briefly considered making this longer but I don’t want to play yarn chicken with hand dyed sock yarn that I can’t easily source.

This will be a cropped sweater by my standards and I think that is going to be fine. I have a specific dress I want to wear this with. I will have to do some figuring on what kind of pants I will want to wear this with, if I do at all.

Happy Sweater Knitting!!

Prize Package

This past summer I participated in the Two Ewes Fiber Adventures Podcast KAL called the Summer Spin In and I won a prize!

I was the lucky recipient of a $50 gift certificate from Abstract Fiber. In true crafter fashion, I spent a little more than my gift certificate. Starting on the left I grabbed a skein of the Worsted base called Dakota and the color is called Dragonfly. In the middle a sport weight OOAK called creatively “Color 8”. And finally there is a skein of DK in the Tahoma base in the color Molly.

These will all probably end up in some sort of a hat situation. It’s my go to easy knitting and my gift stash is getting pretty low. For now I need to get back to sweater knitting!

Happy Crafting!!

Finished: Online Training Hat

My Online Training Hat is done and this was my first score for the Down Cellar Studio Podcast Pigskin Party 2025 KAL.

Pattern: My own basic beanie “recipe” with 88 sts

Yarn: Big Sky Yarn Company Squish DK in “Do You Want To Build a Snowman”

Needles: US 8s

This hat used 62 grams of the DK weight and equated to 143 yards of yarn. Not bad for an adult sized small beanie. I think the 1×1 rib for the folded brim looks really neat in this variegated yarn. I hate knitting it, but it looks so great finished.

Now I need to decide what hat to start next! Happy Knitting!!

Swatching

I am making progress on my Love Note and I have several sweaters I want to do this year. And no more that I have ready to cast on. I need more swatches.

I blind pulled one of the project bags I had ready and it was the Unisex Round Yoke Pullover. This is using some deep stash Knit Picks Provincial Tweed in Candy Apple. I think makes a cute pun for casting on during October and Halloween season.

I was able to get gauge the first time, knock on wood, and I’m excited. So I have needles and ready to cast on once I finish my current sweater. Love the new tool I picked up to help with gauge form my SSK swag bag. I measured with this AND a ruler just to be safe.

Happy Knitting!!

Love Note

I’m still here being the mom taxi and chugging away on my Love Note.

I have decided to make the longer version rather than the cropped version. I have a good chunk of my Old Rusted Chair sock yarn left and just one single skein of the mohair left. I don’t think I will be playing yarn chicken.

I have noticed a few places where I didn’t both strands. I try to correct them as much as a I can but the mohair really hides the mistakes. I can also go back and duplicate stitch over them anyway.

Happy Knitting!!